TGS Life 11/06/2016

PUNE, JUNE 11, 2016

www.thegoldensparrow.com

What’s your iftaar ritual?

Pg 6-7

They don’t need no thought control Pg 8-9

SG

Make time for a heart-wrenching play

TGS LIFE

JUNE 11, 2016 PUNE

STAGE Get ready for a live theatrical performance ‘Ankur’ that will take you on a tear-jerking journey of a boy surviving a broken family and a ray of hope in life

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

I

have more scars than friends,” says one of the characters in the play Ankur. Quite appropriately the dialogue tears your heart apart. Ankur, played by the actor Amey Barve, has grown up in a broken family. He has seen his parents quarrelling, abusing and even hitting each other through his life. Having been brought up in a troubled household, he has never seen a peaceful day. He is depressed, stressed, and there seems to be no way, he could come out of this state.

Ankur, the two-act Marathi play, is presented

by Raja Paranjape Productions, written by Akshay Joshi and directed by Archana Rane. The story revolves around a protagonist who finds solace and warmth in the company of his dead grandparents.

“It is the story of how this disheartened youngster comes out of it all. There is no one with whom he can share his thoughts, so he imagines his grandparents to around him and talks to them all

Catch the play Duras Resistance, which will be staged in the city today, to get a glimpse of a world from nearly a century ago

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

W

hen she was seven years old, she was extremely shy. She was very afraid to speak in public or to answer questions asked in class. Her mother took her to theatre classes and a new door, a rather successful one, opened up for Maud Andrieux.

She loved interpreting and discovering texts along with using theatre as a medium to provoke emotions amongst an audience. Since then, this passion has never left her.

It was during Maud’s first trip to Vietnam in 2003 that she was inspired by the writing of French novelist, playwright and film maker Marguerite Duras. Born in Vietnam and raised in Cambodia Marguerite returned to France at the age of 17.

During the Second World War, she was a part of the French Resistance that was fighting against the German invasion and the play Duras Resistance is an adaptation of her semiautobiographical work La Douleur.

Currently on a tour across India, TGS had a quick chat with Maud.

The French play is being arranged by

day,” adds Archana who is also the president of the production house and the granddaughter of the late actor, director Raja Paranjape.

Living in a world of illusions, Ankur fails his

12th standard exams. There seems to be no hope for him, when a girl walks into his life and guides him towards leading a normal life. “She is new to the city. She observes Ankur’s unusual behaviour

2

and counsels him into forgetting his grandparents.

She understands his mental state and helps him step into the real world,” Archana explains.

The actors of the play were selected from the winning plays of Raja Paranjape Karandak held in January this year with an aim to give them a commercial platform. “Initially, our plays only comprised of established theatre actors but now we are reaching out to college students. This is our first commercial two-act play,” she says.

The music in the play is subtle and is the most important part of the drama. It goes in sync with the journey of the lead actor. “A few months ago, Akshay and I were brainstorming story ideas for our next play. We wanted something that has never been staged before. I came up with the concept, since it is something that anyone can relate with and can happen in any age group,” says Archana.

Akshay Joshi managed to complete the script within a month and since then they have been in a process of bringing the play to life.

The director had instructed the actors to be themselves on the stage and to avoid melodrama, in order to make it a more realistic production. She insisted on behaving as they would at their own homes. “The play is about relationships, so the actors had to figure out how they would bond with people when there is no one to talk to at home, how they would connect with the outer world, and so on,” she adds.

When: June 12, 5 pm Where: Bharat Natya Mandir, Sadashiv Peth zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

French up your weekend Alliance Francaise de Pune and is not only free but open to all too. We asked her what she found challenging about playing the role, what the Pune crowd can expect and her take on the Indian theatre scene.

In Marguerite’s book, the writing is incredibly strong and extremely emotional. She makes no exceptions when it comes to the harrowing details of war or her feelings when the whereabouts of her husband were unknown. Replicating the emptiness that Marguerite felt back then, Maud who is a stage director and actress, has had a tough time. “Apart from actually trying to feel what Marguerite felt then and expressing it, the more daunting task was to not overdo it. Communicating to the audience that one’s involvement is within is also equally challenging,” the 34-year-old tells us.

The play brings to lights troubled times of French history through Marguerite’s engagement with the resistance. The story is emotionally strong, with the wait of her husband deported to Germany. Duras Resistance is an interesting face to face with death during the war and presents a better understanding of Marguerite’s political fight. It is both an informative and emotional journey of the ups and downs even for the audience, Maud adds.

Duras Resistance is an interesting face to face with death during the war and presents a better understanding of Marguerite’s political fight

Maud is the director of Theatre Marguerite Duras located in Bordeaux and has previously worked on plays such as The Sea Wall, La Douleur and The Vice-Consul.

After ten years of theatre workshops, Maud joined the Conservatoire de Bordeaux and later worked with different directors, who were in love with contemporary texts. In 2005, she took the plunge towards creating her own company

and adapting a first anti-colonialist text by Marguerite that she chose to perform on her own. This text was the Sea Wall and it marked the beginning of her international adventure with performances in Vietnam, Cambodia, Morocco and Turkey.

Maud had her first performance in Kathmandu followed by the chance to represent France at the International Theatre Festival Bratyajon in Kolkata before an audience of 600 people. The

audience has been the highlight of all these performances and she expects no less from Pune.

Sharing her view on the India theatre scene she says, “I think theatre has always been there to address important social topics. The puppeteers used to go from a village to another to evoke the injustice perpetrated by the dictatorship yet they would escape censorship. The play Nirbhaya proves that the Indian scene is active and I hope it continues to be so,” she said.

When: June 11, 7 pm onwards Where: Lecture Hall Complex, IISER CV Raman Auditorium, Pashan salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

Party with The Fields

Liven up your weekend with an outstanding performance

by Pune’s progressive rock band The Fields

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

I

f you are in the mood for some fresh sound this weekend, this is one gig you shouldn’t miss. City-based progressive rock band The Fields is all geared to rock the stage with their performance. The band will play diverse classic rock covers ranging from Robert Johnson to Thom Yorke, along with their original compositions.

What sets the band apart is that they blend Indian classical and modern day blues. The band comprises of Nitesh Diwadkar on guitar and vocals, Arun Das on guitars, Shubhankar Sengupta on drums and Herrison John on bass. “We are all selftaught musicians and have been playing music since childhood. It’s our love for music that brought us together. We started hanging out together and decided to form a band,” says Nitesh.

The Fields was born after this bunch of

VISHAL KALE

3

TGS LIFE

JUNE 11, 2016 PUNE

SG STAGE

friends spent the night in a remote, barren field, with just the moon and a hungry dog as their companions. They played music till the break of dawn and when they returned, the picture of the lonely, dark field remained in their consciousness. “We had acoustic guitars with us and we wrote our first song, Rising, there,” adds Arun.

Their songs are written keeping in mind their musical influences and to express different human emotions. Their music is a blend of Pink Floyd, Guns and Roses, The Doors, Radiohead, and various other bands from the 1970s that have influenced them over the years. The band wants to bring a revolution in the Indie music scene and explore different genres of music. “Our sound is unique with a lot of beastly, crude energy. We want to make our voices heard through our songs. We are in process of writing songs on subjects that mean a lot to us,” says Arun.

Their pitched sound and in-depth lyrics entice the audience and set a bench mark for a performance of an international-level rock band.

When: June 11 Where: The Beer Cafe, Koregaon Park, Pune zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

In the spirit of lyrical harmony

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

W

hen three musicians get together with an aim to entertain, you can expect nothing less than remarkable music. Hailing from families that always appreciated good music, Vaibhav Joshi, Dattaprasad Ranade and Ashish Mujumdar are deeply connected to the art form.

Working in Marathi cinema as a lyricist for years now, Vaibhav has over 30 films, including Phuntroo, Highway and Poster Girls, to his credit. Poetry is something that comes naturally to him and he gets inspired by almost anything and everything happening around him. He is also the creator of this performance called Sobaticha Karar. In fact, he thought of it when he was planning to add some music to his poems.

Taking this idea forward, he decided to put together a performance that would create perfect harmony between a rhyme and his lyrics. In addition, a part of the performance will be a critical presentation of some of his other poems. A total of 24 poems will be presented through the performance and they talk about everything from relationships to love, social issues even philosophy. “The poems and songs are just like a mirror. They

help you ref lect on your life and things that you did. Whether it is good or bad it is up to the listener but that is how relatable we wanted to keep the performance. It helps the audience connect better and stay engrossed throughout,” explains Vaibhav, who will be reciting the poems.

Dattaprasad, who considers Mehedi Hasan as his inspiration and idol, will be singing the ghazals.

He understands poetry well and this is easily ref lected in his performance as he is able to convey the intended emotions. “My interest in music comes from my father who was extremely appreciative of the art form.

Having music constantly surrounding me, my interest continued to develop and I was hooked,” he recollects.

The performance would not have been possible without the beautiful compositions by Ashish.

His music, in the best possible way, blends the lyrics with the tunes seamlessly. Each ghazal is able to stand out from the other and captivate the audience.

He also plays the harmonium and is joined

by Ninad Solapurkar on the synthesiser and Amod Kulkarni on the tabla.

When: June 11, 7 pm onwards Where: Gyaan Adab, Kalyani Nagar salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

A total of 24 poems will be presented through the performance and they talk about everything from relationships to love, social issues even philosophy

4

TGS LIFE

JUNE 11, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES Contemporary artists from the city Jayprakash Jagtap and Raosaheb Gurav will showcase their black and white creations starting this weekend

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

T

hey met for the first time when they were 18 years old and have never looked back since. Instantly clicking, they became friends, best friends and eventually were like brothers to each other. Studying at Abhinav Kala Mahavidyalaya, Jayprakash Jagtap and Raosaheb Gurav spend the next 50 years taking care of one another.

Well-known contemporary artists and professors of visual arts, Jayprakash is identified by his mastery over the medium as well as technique, while Raosaheb is known for his spontaneity.

Exhibiting their collection of black and white paintings created over the last 50 years, they will showcase all their work under the name Krushna Dhaval, starting this weekend.

Over a cup of chai at Raosaheb’s

PROFESSORS CELEBRATE

50 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP THROUGH ART studio, the two realised that not only had Jayprakash been working as a painter for 50 years but that even their friendship has lasted that long. On their students’ suggestion, they decided to relive their memories through the paintings. Picking about as many as 75 pieces of art from their collection, Raosaheb sounded extremely excited about the exhibition. “Jayprakash was there for me when I had no one else.

Moving from Konkan to Pune, I had absolutely no where to live and no money in my pocket to rent a place. He offered to let me stay at his house. I am

who I am today because he came to my rescue then,” he recollects.

He goes on to say that the exhibition will be a display of only their black and white paintings because they believe that in today’s world of colours, one doesn’t get a chance to see enough monochrome works.

While Jayprakash’s paintings depict the use of black and white along with a little bit of Indian decorative style, Raosaheb’s paintings are bolder.

They also told us that inspiration for their work comes from almost anything that they see around them. “We are

more like family than being just friends.

When Raosaheb was getting married, my entire family was there just as if it was my wedding. The bond only got stronger as we grew older. But our work of art is strikingly different,” Jayprakash tells us.

The two artists also hold a landscape exhibition every year in January at Balgandharv. Both of them took interest in painting since a very young age and are happy that they had the opportunity to make a career out of it. Apart from the paintings, Jayprakash will also be launching his 21st book

PAINTING AND SKETCHING Imagination Roof, an art studio is introducing weekly painting and sketching classes on every Saturday to teach different fundamentals of art. At every class, students will learn different types of art like water colour, sketching and painting. The material kit is included except canvas, which has to be bought at the studio.

When: Every Saturday 10 am Where: A1 Patil Heritage, Bhosale Nagar, Ganeshkhind Road

which is a guide for amateur painters.

The book will be launched by Shubham Bhelekar from Ratnagiri and Shivani Gupta from Pune who ranked first in the Intermediate and Elementary drawing exam in Maharashtra. “The efforts that these children put in don’t get appreciated much and so this is our way of supporting them,” says Jayprakash.

When: June 11 to 17, 10:30 am to 7:30 pm Where: The Monalisa Kalagram, Pingale Farms, Koregaon Park salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

MY BABY THINKS I’M FUNNY Catch a new comedy act show featuring Sorabh Pant at Classic Rock Coffee Co. Sorabh wanted a dog, but his wife wanted a baby so they had a baby. Since then none of them have slept peacefully. In this new stand-up special, he talks about the wonderful insanity of becoming a father. Make sure you are there to experience the hilarious night with family and friends.

When: June 12 Where: Classic Rock Coffee Co., Kalyani Nagar

KIDS BISTRO The Harmony Tree presents ‘The Kids Bistro’, a preview of myriad of activities offered at the centre. Be part of an evening buzzing with exciting activities for kids and parents.

Experience the African drum session, or explore a science experiment, enjoy a new form of dance or get engaged in a storytelling session. The learning engagements include Drum Circle by Taal Inc., yoga, story art by Kathalaya, western and classical dance, percussions and more.

When: June 11 Where: Ravi Farms, Sopan Baug

COSHISH AND RAINBURN Progressive rock fans in the house - the High Cookout at High Spirits is going to be a total win for you. There are two amazing acts lined up to make your Sunday afternoon wonderful.

Sip on your drinks and enjoy the scrumptious fare while grooving to the beats of Coshish and Rainburn.

Coshish, a band from Mumbai is known for

strong live performances and technical, yet catchy music. Rainburn, a Bangalore-based band launched their debut EP ‘Canvas of Silence’ in 2014, which received tremendous critical acclaim, especially in international progressive music circles.

When: June 12 Where: High Spirits, Koregaon Park

VISIONS & VOICES The journey of artist and writer Reshma Val will be on display at Gyaan Adab for a week. She wrote a path-breaking book Fallen Standing: My Life As A S c h i z o ph r e n i s t , which covers the first part of her story of life that led to her schizophrenia. Now for the first time, she’ll exhibit her works of art which have been largely influenced by the voices she hears and what they have come to mean to her.

When: June 17 to 25 Where: Gyaan Adab, Kalyani Nagar

PICS BY TEJAS GAIKWAD

5

TGS LIFE

JUNE 11, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

ON A ROLL

As many as 250 kids from the city now feature in The Guinness Book of World Records after participating in a 72-hour Multi Objective Skating Festival held in Belgaum recently

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

T

he roller skating craze has hit Pune kids.

They are all fuelled by the urge to learn an exciting sport and their love for speed is what gets them to enrol for skating classes. To promote the sport amongst the young crowd, Shivganga Roller Skating Club organised a 72hour Multi Objective Skating Festival where 250 kids from Pune listed their names in The Guinness Book of World Records.

What gets these kids excited is the thrill to zoom in speed while balancing their body weight, says the coach. “Skateboards open up a whole different world of excitement for the kids. On the first day of class, they learn how to put on their safety gear and how to fall properly. Once students become comfortable in maintaining a body balance and get used to the board, things really get moving,” says Vishal Desai, a skateboarding coach at a city school, who also trained kids for the event.

Of course, in the process they do fall and sometimes might get injured if they are not careful, but this doesn’t stop the youngsters from learning further. “Sometimes they’re so excited that they even fall. But this is a risk you have to take while learning any kind of sport,” he adds.

The event included a total of 430 students from across India of which 250 kids were from Pune alone. Besides the world record, the event was registered in the Limca Book of Records, India Book of Record , Asia Book of Record , Unique Book of Records , Indian Young Achiever Book of Records, World Records Union and

World Records India .

The participants were divided into different groups that were each given social message.

“We were given slogans like ‘Save the Girl Child’, ‘Digital India’, etc., and divided into groups. It was raining heavily but we enjoyed ourselves,” says eight-year-old Manan Singhavi who joined skating classes when he was just

“If your child spends a lot of time in front of the television or playing video games, this is a fun way to get them to move around a little” - SHARDDHA BHATTAD

five. Having won several accolades at state and national-level championships, Manan dedicated his success to his parents and coach. “On the first day of class, I was scared but I tried it. After two days of practice, I felt more comfortable,” adds Manan.

Another participant, 11-year-old Aryan

Jadhav started learning to skate when he was just three years old. He picked up some tricks from the kids in his neighbourhood and his interest never reduced. So far, he has been a part of 10 competitions and has won them all. He also participated in the Largest Roller Skating Dance Routine by 270 skaters for 13 minutes held at Shivganga Roller Skating Club, last year, which is recorded in Guiness Book of World Records. “I practice every weekend. Yes, initially I was scared of getting myself hurt but now I am much more confident,” he adds. Apart from skating he also got Gold medal in Olympiad exams and stood first in school. The sport motivates kids to keep trying and not give up even when it comes to learning difficult skills.

Skating can be practised anywhere with a smooth, steady surface and, not only is it fun, it offers plenty of great health benefits. Coach Sharddha Bhattad, who also participated in the event, believes skating to be a great way to keep fit. “If your child spends a lot of time in front of the television or playing video games, this is a fun way to get them to move around a little. This is also a great activity to keep kids engaged in physical movement and nudge them towards new skills and interests,” she adds. Skating is easy to learn and all it takes is practice. Some pick up skating within a day, while others take some time. One need not worry about injuries if they have their safety gears. “Elbow and knee pads are a must to protect the child against bruises and scratches,” she adds.

Have you ever seen a person roller skating and frowning at the same time, asks coach Vishal. Between the music, social aspect, health benefits and fun, skating is one of the most fun workouts, he believes.

“Skating offers an effective workout, endurance training, and strength training to build strong muscles,” he adds. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

JUNE 11, 2016 PUNE

INDULGE The heart of the city has loads of delicacies to offer for Ramzaan. TGS takes you on a journey to discover the best of flavours

What’s your IFTAAR RITUAL?

PICS BY TEJAS GAIKWAD

TGS LIFE

By Abha Pandit @abha_pandit

L

ike clockwork, hundreds of stalls and makeshift restaurants have popped up all over the city, serving delectable fare and traditional iftaar dishes. People from all over the city, fasting or not, flock to feast on these delicacies. TGS visited Mominpura in Guruwar Peth located in the heart of the city on a food trail of must-try dishes, which are light on the pocket and heavy on the taste buds. A meat lover’s paradise, the streets of Mominpura have a lot to offer.

SHADAB KHAN’S DATES STALL Traditionally, the roza, or the day’s fasting period is ended with having a sip of water and eating dates. This is usually had immediately after sunset, before the evening prayers. It is followed by the iftaari. Shadab Khan has been running this stall every year during Ramzaan for four years now. His usual customers are the people who come to pray at the nearby mosque. If you want a more authentic feel of the feast after sunset, we recommend you start off with some sweet dates from here.

Must have: Dates Price: Rs 20 for a plate of four dates

NEW SARIF CATERERS A slightly larger stall as compared to the rest, New Sarif Caterers are new to the area, this year being their first. Not to be left behind, they have a wide variety of chicken options.

One can see the dishes being prepared there itself at the stall. baida roti is made with a stuffing of kheema and egg inside a fluffy paratha, which is folded and fried until crisp and golden. As it is cut in half to be served, the aroma of the kheema filling spreads all over. Another of their popular dishes is the kaadi gosht. A kebab on a stick, it is fried instead of being grilled like other tandoor dishes. Apart from these, they serve chicken kheema samosas, chicken cutlets and a few egg dishes.

Must Have: Baida roti and kaadi gosht Price: Rs 40 for a baida roti and Rs 30 for a stick of kaadi gosht

TGS LIFE

JUNE 11, 2016 PUNE

INDULGE

BISMILLAH TAJ DARBAR The end of a scrumptious feast calls for an equally deserving dessert. A little further down the road is Salim Sayyed’s Bismillah Taj Darbar.

Mainly serving sweet dishes, his speciality is the Halwa Paranta. A soft, layered parantha is topped with a rich sooji halwa, with cashews and almonds. The halwa is to be eaten along with the parantha, and will surely set in a food coma by the end of the meal.

Must Have: Halwa paratha Price: Rs 40 for 250g, Rs 100 for 1kg

NASIR KHAN’S FOOD STALL One of the smallest outlets along the street, Nasir Khan sits with a humungous pot of khichda and a table full of fried meaty delicacies. Visited by throngs of people at all points of time, this corner stall is easy to miss until the fragrance lures you towards it. A mixture of pulses and rice, khichda begins like a regular masala khichdi. The addition of mutton pieces is what gives it the extra kick. Served piping hot in a bowl, it is garnished with fried onion, coriander and lemon. Nasir is also well known for his chicken rolls and kheema samosas.

Must Have: Khichda and kheema samosas Price: Rs 30 for a bowl of khichda, Rs 10 for a kheema samosa

GOLDEN CATERERS Golden Caterers runs out of the veranda of their restaurant with the same name. Apart from serving regular food, they add dishes especially for Ramzaan. Everything is kept on display in huge plates. Nasir Abdul Rehman has been running the stall for over eight years now and has a set of regulars who eat only his food.

Along with the usual mutton and chicken biryani, they offer kheema samosas, chicken tandoori, chicken lollipops and kadhai chicken. A slightly spicy dish of dry chicken, coated in flour and deep fried, the kadhai variety is served with a green chutney or hot sauce.

Must have: Kadhai Chicken and Mutton Biryani Price: Rs 20 for a piece of Kadhai chicken, Rs 60 for a plate of mutton biryani

HOTEL BISMILLAH One of the largest and more established stalls on the street, Hotel Bismillah is run by Rauf Sayyed and his father. Rauf has more variety than anyone else in Mominpura and has hundreds of regular customers who make sure to drop by each year during Ramzaan. With attractive names and superb taste, his dishes have quickly become favourites. A chicken cutlet dredged in sevaiyaan and deep fried, makes for the Russian Kebab. The same recipe, but in the form of a kulfi on a stick catches the eye of patrons. The phirni is packed and kept ready for people to pick up on the go. Hotel Bismillah also serves Shaahi Tukda, a popular bread pudding during Ramzaan and other festive seasons.

Must Have: Chicken kulfi and phirni Price: Rs 10 for a chicken kulfi and Rs 20 for a bowl of phirni abha.pandit@goldensparrow.com

TGS LIFE JUNE 11, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

THEY DON’T N THOUGHT CON

They dropped out of schools and colleges to work hard and crea interested them most. TGS catches up with f ive Punekars who the real world as their classroom Pranav Joshi

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

S

he found the best way to balance work and academics and did it in style too. Neelam Virwani, a full-time model now, decided that she did not need a degree and stopped going to college just before her last exam, only to better focus on her dreams.

Resilient and hard-working, Aayushi Jagad dropped out of college not once, but twice. While her life might look all fancy on the outside, she aggressively stresses on how difficult it has been and continues to be in the absence of a degree.

Although through his growing up years he hoped to be a pilot his destiny had something else planned out. After dropping out of two colleges, Keith Pinto is now a full-time painter and has had a hand in bringing the wall at High Spirits and several other blank canvases to life through his paintbrush.

He has been to several colleges across the city for innumerable years now as a drama director but he has never entered one as a student. Today, medical and engineering students give Pranav Joshi the same respect they give their other professors and it’s a feeling he can’t express in words.

A successful light-man in

the city when it comes to staging plays, Sushrut Joshi found a career while he was busy not attending college. Intently listening to conversations between his friends about the theatre groups in their colleges, he dropped out just a few months later to be a part of one.

The five of them, and many others from the city, decided to find a way to pursue their passion and follow their heart. Were their decisions scorned at? Of course!

What will you do with your life, how will you survive, who will give you a job – these questions surrounded them every single day until they turned their lives around. With sheer dedication and hard work, they became the best at what they do and inspired so many others.

QUITTING IS NEVER EASY The last time Keith sat through a lecture was three years ago. Looking at pictures on Facebook, he always wonders what life would be like had he graduated. Completing ones education is supposed to be a stepping stone to success, without which apparently you can’t be anything in life. This is something that he always heard.

Dropping out gave him the time to do exactly what he wished to.

He acted in a musical, along with being in the production team and

helping with the publicity of the play. He started doing custom paintings on helmets and created wall murals too. Photography assignments, trekking and spending time with colours is what he loves doing now. “Even though it was the hardest, leaving college was the best decision I ever made. I am now turning my hobbies into sources of income and I have started my own website to become an entrepreneur of sorts,” the 23-year-old smiles.

The first time we spoke with Aayushi she was actually sitting on the footpath waiting for her car tyre to be fixed. She couldn’t help but point out the irony of the situation and laughed about how she was giving an interview while she sat on the roadside. A short course at INIFD, made her realise what it was that she wanted to do with her life, or at least that is what she thought then. She enrolled at Symbiosis Institute of Design but dropped out just a year later believing that the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York had more to offer. When she decided to drop out of the course because of a financial crunch she was fortunate enough to get work because of the portfolio she had managed to get together.

She was super scared when she decided to quit and sometimes

the fear creeps back in even today.

He wanted to study marine engineering all of his growing up years, but as fate would have it, he did not clear the entrance exams.

Feeling disheartened and directionless, as suggested by his parents Sushrut took admission to Abasaheb Garware College to pursue a Bachelors in Arts. He took full liberty of the fact that attendance wasn’t compulsory and eventually just stopped going, dropping out without a second thought. Thinking that he might be interested in animation he decided to take up a course but dropped out of that too. A cubicle job is just not my thing, he explains.

Next, he tried his hand at working with a bank and in four months was once again

“When you don’t have a degree to rely on you have to prove yourself through the work” - SUSHRUT JOSHI

where he started off – looking for somethi interesting to do. “Dropping out was difficu initially as whenever I got together with m friends, they spoke about everything th was happening in college and since I h nothing to contribute I kept feeling that was missing out. It was mentally exhausti to fight the feeling of being a failure,” t 27-year-old says, adding, “I have never be asked what my educational qualification doing what I do now. While I stress on t importance of education, it has a lot to with what your career plans include.”

Education was always a priority Pranav’s family. So much so that rig until he was in the eighth grade his fath religiously sat with him to study eve

Keith Pinto

NEED NO NTROL

te a niche in the f ield that o gave up on education only to pick

ing ult my hat had t I ing the een is the do

in ght her ery

evening. Along with academics, he was also encouraged to take part in plays arranged in his school and this eventually took up all his time and energy. While his mother, who is a doctor, hoped for him to join the same field, his father wanted him to get an MBA and perhaps start a business of his own. The theatre bug that he had caught early on, refused to let go and, after a lot of back and forth, he made up his mind not to study anymore and just didn’t show up for his board exam. While the decision was difficult, he was addicted to the stage and did not want to waste any more time not doing what he loved. What if my plan doesn’t work out, what if I don’t get what I want, are questions that always haunted him

PICS BY RAHUL RAUT

after the decision but he was able to give it his all and work harder than he would have otherwise. Pranav did his first play when he was in the second grade and since then has done innumerable more and even performed internationally.

No matter what field you work in when someone hears that you do not have a degree they automatically categorise you as being dumb, says Neelam. When she decided to dropout, friends, family, parents and neighbours all took turns trying to explain to her why she must not quit education and dealing with them was the toughest aspect of all. “Working while I was still in college, made me realise that I was learning more out of classrooms than in them. So making the decision became easier. While it was definitely not easy to quit, I have never regretted the decision,” she shares. All this 22-year-old wanted was find a way to do what she loved and it so happened that she preferred modelling over studying and decided to follow her heart. It was initially difficult getting her parents on board simply because no one understood why she would quit. But she plain and simple did not want to go to college ever again. Once her parent’s got on board, managing the questions thrown at her when asked what her educational qualifications were or why she dropped out became easier and she has never been more confident.

TGS LIFE JUNE 11, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

“Working while I was still in college, made me realise that I was learning more out of classrooms than in them”

LEARNING FROM THEIR DECISION Dropping out of college has been a life challenging experience for all five of them. It made them stronger, - Neelam Virwani got them to focus more on what they wanted to achieve and gave was interested in and enrolled them a first-hand experience of in an architecture college. He what it was to be responsible early was sure that he did not want to on in life. Currently working as a disappoint his parent’s this time writer with All India Bhakchod round yet, six months later there among many other things, Aayushi he was once again dropping out. stresses on how much of a boon Quitting college however gave quitting college has been for her. him a shot at doing something “Even though I was studying at one that made him happy and for of the best college’s in the world, him that is all that mattered. He working professionally early on and travelled extensively and paying for my mistakes this influenced his in monetary terms art. left a lasting For Neelam, impression on her decision the work I not only did. There got her to was no be more other way focused than to on what get better she wanted because from life mistakes but forced only meant her to give it loss of Aayushi Jagad her all to get clients,” she to where she has explains.

Since today. She is constantly the 23-year-old had surrounded by models some of no placements or degree to whom are lawyers while others rely on once she quit, it only made have multiple degrees and being her push herself to excel and work confident when in such a crowd harder to prove her worth. In her is something that she has learned free time, she also dabbles with along the way. She is also much music. more responsible and hopes When Keith dropped out of to make her Bollywood debut St Xavier's College, he decided to someday. focus on doing what he thought he

Talking of how dropping out benefited him, Pranav says, “The five years after I dropped out, I was busy exploring. I saw films, went for play rehearsals and met people from the theatre industry and this only broadened my understanding of it. While I am not proud of dropping out, I have never regretted the decision either. I am what I am because of the experiences I had outside of the classroom.”

Agreeing with him, Sushrut also feels that dropping out made him mentally stronger and more thick-skinned to people’s opinions which he believes is somewhat necessary. “When you don’t have a degree to rely on you have to prove yourself through the work that you do and not depend on a piece of paper. This only means working harder and that’s a big lesson for everything else in life too,” he adds.

DO WHAT MAKES YOU HAPPY Deciding to give up on education is a tough decision.

A long time goal, dedication to get there and, more importantly, the willpower to meet any challenge that gets thrown at you along the way is a

must. Without knowing where you are headed, taking such a drastic step is a big risk, believes Pranav. It is important that you find out what you really want in life, adds Keith, agreeing with Pranav. What makes you happy, what you enjoy doing and what you can stick by for the rest of your life are questions that one must answer before deciding to quit, he advises further. “You have to be ready to struggle for at least a few years before you make it big or even start to get comfortable in whatever field it is that you choose. Confidence in yourself takes you a long way,” says Sushrut. It was only after years of hard work that his efforts began to get recognised and he was later nominated at the Zee Gaurav Puraskar for one of his plays, Chaafa.

Aayushi and Neel believe that it’s all about what makes you happy in the end. Getting to where you want is never easy. Not having an education or degree might only make it a tad bit difficult but, being strong-headed, confident and believing what you are doing is the right thing, will make the journey easier. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

TGS LIFE

JUNE 11, 2016 PUNE

THRILL OF DRIVING

Datsun Redi-GO launched, starting at Rs 2.38 lac

VW launches Ameo compact sedan Sub-4m three-box starts at Rs 5.14 lac

T

he urban crossover/hatchback which was globally unveiled in April, Datsun’s Redi-GO finally makes its way to Indian roads.

The 799 cc Redi-GO runs on a three-cylinder i-SAT engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission. It produces 53 hp, 72Nm of torque and delivers a fuel efficiency of 25.17 kmpl. The top speed is 140 Kmph and the ground clearance is 185mm. The vehicle on display at the press launch looked solid, with most details standing up to scrutiny. While it may be built to a cost, it looks good in the flesh and doesn’t betray it’s budget category.

Safety is courtesy “Datsun PRO-SAFE7” which includes shortest braking distance, high strength body shell to absorb impacts, good visibility and wider view of the road, high bolster support while cornering, energy absorbing steering and a driver airbag.

Five personalized kit options are available: Urban, Style, Kool, Easy Kit - Sporty and Easy Kit - Premium. Colour options available are: White, Silver, Grey, Ruby and Lime. The Datsun Redi-GO comes with a warranty of 2 years/unlimited km and the car can be booked via mobile app called ‘Datsun India App’.

V

W has finally put a price tag on its sub-4m sedan — the Ameo, and it’s very competitive. Evidently, the company has taken steps to address its reputation in making cars that are costlier to own than the competition.

In this case, the Ameo ends up being cheaper than their own Polo hatchback, Currently, the Ameo is availabel only with a petrol engine — the same 1.2l MPI three-cylinder motor we’ve seen before in the Skoda Fabia and VW Polo.

A diesel is promised soon. Volkswagen is touting several segment-firsts: rain-sensing wipers, static cornering lamps, cruise control and a centre armrest up front, but the kicker for us is that two airbags and ABS are standard on all variants, which is a big step forward at this price point.

Visually, the Ameo looks very similar to its Polo and Vento cousins, with a slightly stubby-looking front and

Triumph Bonneville Thruxton R launched for Rs 10.90 lac

T

wo months after the release of the Bonneville T120, Triumph has rolled out Thruxton R in the Indian market.

The 1200cc Thrurxton R runs on a high power, 8-valve, parallel twin engine generating just over 95hp and 112Nm of torque. This is a higher output version of the mill that powers the T120.

The Thruxton R carries feature like ABS, ride-by-wire, traction control, torque assist clutch, LED DRL, LED rear light, an engine immobilizer and a USB charging socket. The bike also has riding modes to choose from: road, rain and sport.

The equipment list continues; the Thruxton

R is equipped with Brembo monobloc callipers, Showa big piston forks, Öhlins rear suspension and Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa Tyres.

The Thruxton R is priced at Rs 10.90 lac ex-showroom, Delhi. That’s a lot of bike for the money, and should appeal to a wide swath of motorcyclists with it’s “modern classic” vibe. This rounds out the new Bonneville platform with the Speed Twin, Bonneville T120 and Thruxton R coming in at attractive prices and all immediately available. Triumph continues to push aggressively forward in terms of models and marketing.

There are more than a few lessons for some other manufacturers to learn.

back. The rear boot is expectedly short, but allows a bit more cargo volume than the Polo hatchback. It’s not the prettiest integration of a boot that we’ve seen, but VW have been understated in their styling of the rear. In a front three-quarter view, the boot does not draw attention to itself, which is probably a good thing.

Watch for a detailed review of the made-in-India Ameo next week. Prices:

TGS LIFE

JUNE 11, 2016 PUNE

By Abha Pandit @abha_pandit

A

s awareness about healthy eating increases in the city, more and more ventures are popping up to cater to the needs. Low fat foods, pesticide-free fruits and vegetables and traditionally grown pulses are all the rage. The concept of organic food has been around for a while now but the model of farm-to-kitchen produce is picking up lately. Eating food grown without the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is a great practice but it becomes all the more convenient when everything gets delivered right to your doorstep. TGS spoke to founders of three such ventures about what drives them and what benefits they bring to their clientele.

WHY THE FARM-TO-KITCHEN MODEL? When the thought of buying organic produce comes up, the biggest hesitation arises from the cost factor. “People have a common misconception that buying organic produce means paying a much higher price than normal.

But in this model, we source directly from farmer and deliver to the consumers. One of the major advantages is minimal inflation from the source,” explains Chirag Mahtani, founder of Urban Farmers. His venture offers an organic way of life, with fruits, vegetables, all-natural fruit preserves and cold pressed juices, delivered to your home on a weekly basis.

Apart from being useful to the consumers, the concept is beneficial to farmers, guiding them back to traditional methods of farming.

Srinivas Kulkarni, along with his partner Vachan Shah, founded Organic and Naturals in 2003. A retired engineer who is interested in agriculture, he feels this helps give back to the farmers too. “It is a challenge getting farmers to adapt to organic farming techniques. After decades of using chemicals to produce better yield, they don’t believe that turning back to traditional methods can prove beneficial,” explains Srinivas. The soil needs to be treated in order for plants to grow without external chemicals, so it takes a few seasons to get it back to the way it used to be.

The farm-to-kitchen idea also attempts to build a bridge between farmers and customers.

Vasudha Sardar founded her farmers’ group Sendriya Setu in 2008. Translating directly to Organic Bridge, Sendriya Setu is a certified

FEATURES

Include organic produce in your life

Vachan Shah, co-founder of Organic and Naturals

Farm to kitchen concepts are emerging in the city in a big way, offering a lot more options to patrons

What makes it all the more convenient are their home delivery systems. Most farm-tokitchen ventures offer direct home delivery of fresh produce. They also allow customers to set weekly orders and receive regular deliveries at their doorstep.

group that delivers fresh organic produce.

Consumers are encouraged to visit their farms, get to know the farmers and see fi rst-hand the source of their food. Offered by Urban Farmer as well, this concept is largely gaining popularity. “We deliver food to kitchens thrice a week, we want customers to come and see the way we work as well,” explains Sardar.

“Th is builds a bridge between rural and urban people, allowing them to interact and know each other’s way of life. It erases all doubt in the consumers’ minds, particularly about how clean the produce is,” she adds.

DEALING WITH SNAGS According to Sardar, one of the biggest problems is the lack of support from government bodies.

Since the government does not advocate organic farming, no subsidies are offered for farmers practicing it. Thus, the farmers’ costs increase and consumers are charged higher prices. “There are a lot of uncertified sellers who don’t sell 100% organic food and get away with fooling customers. People then end up becoming wary of organic food and shy away from it,” she explains.

People also have misconceptions about what organic products really are. “When you use the term organic, customers will expect a basket of same-sized, perfectly ripe, spotless mangoes,” says Chirag. “In reality, if the fruits are organic and grown without chemicals, there will be one or two in the basket that have dark spots or a worm or two. Th is is a mark of completely natural produce,” he adds.

Malls and larger shops too have started selling organic food but the connect with the farmers is missing. “There are also cases of them exploiting farmers and giving them a pittance for their yield. When it is done on such a large scale, one can observe a clear fall in the quality levels,” feels Kulkarni.

Vasudha Sardar, founder of Sendriya Setu

Chirag Mahtani (left), founder of Urban Farmer, with one of his farmers

WHAT DO THEY HAVE TO OFFER? Organic farming has moved ahead from just fruits and vegetables to encompass a multitude of other things. Chemical-free pulses and grains have become a big part of the organic revolution, with people switching completely to pesticide-free materials. These farm-to-kitchen ventures offer an organic way of life, with products across all aspects. “While fruits and vegetables are definitely the most popular even now, we have started to sell sugar-free fruit preserves which are made from unprocessed fruits,” says Chirag. Urban Farmer also makes cold pressed vegetable juices, in multiple flavours suited to their customers’ tastes.

Organic and Naturals, on the other hand, has a wide range of pulses and grains on sale, along with regular fruits and veggies. They specialise in by-products such as organic colours available during festive seasons.

FUTURE PLANS Expanding both, their farmer and customer base is the main objective for these ventures.

Creating awareness amongst consumers about all-natural, organic farming and encouraging them to buy the produce over regular produce is on the cards. Farmers too need to be educated about the benefits that the organic method will bring into their farming process. abha.pandit@goldensparrow.com

TGS LIFE

JUNE 11, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

By Abha Pandit @abha_pandit

They’re out to make a gentleman out of Raju A city-based student is working towards improving English language skills taught in PMC-run schools

C

hanging the world for the better has always been a noble thought but how many people can actually claim to have proactively done something to help?

Arya Diwase is one of the few who can make the claim. The 19 -y e a r- old who studies at New York University is working toArya Diwase wards improving the quality of English taught to children in government-run schools in Pune. Her organisation, Jazz Hands, uses drama and theatre to teach young students spoken English.

Arya thought of initiating an organisation when she was discussing a social entrepreneurship challenge at the university. She pitched it as an idea to help combat poverty in developing nations and won the Stern Social Impact Business Challenge along with her friend Raghav Sarawgi. Together they founded Jazz Hands. “We wanted to come up with an innovative way to tackle the problem of poverty and decided upon educating youngsters through art,”

explains Arya. She hopes to confront some major social issues through the organisation. “There is an immense divide in the quality of education children from different economic backgrounds receive. This, along with the necessity of knowing English in this day and age, was what made

me take up this social venture,” she says. They are also working towards breaking down social barriers that exist between students from different socio-economic groups.

Dedicated volunteers, who imbibe fun activities and games to help teach different aspects of the language,

form the core of the organisation.

Currently covering two schools in Pune, nearly 100 volunteers work with over 300 children from standard four to eight. A curriculum designing team shapes the programme around what the kids are expected to learn in the school year. This allows them

to involve teachers, as well as better equip students to appear for their exams. This year marks the second instalment of Jazz Hands and a lot has changed since they began.

When it was launched, the Stern School of Business at NYU had funded them with USD 2,000. This year, their grant has increased by over 300 per cent. “Last year, we had to personally approach schools to incorporate the programme. This year, we had applications come in instead,” says Arya, talking about the positive feedback Jazz Hands has received in the past year. While last year’s curriculum was based entirely on drama, this time they are integrating more activities, games as well as plays to learn the language.

According to Arya, this year’s project is a lot more organised and professional, with an entire team dedicated to developing the curriculum and training volunteers.

As for the future of Jazz Hands, she hopes to expand and tie up with more schools, eventually incorporating another city as well. “Attempting to implement the same model in another city will be the greatest challenge, and a test to see whether it can be implemented in a widespread area as well,” she says. abha.pandit@goldensparrow.com

This newbie author has some sense of humour From drilling teeth to penning his thoughts, dental-surgeonturned-part-time-author Amit Mansukhani brings an interesting personality on board, making his first tome a must read

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

H

e’s witty so he’ll say the most unexpected things and has the potential to have you laughing out loud. With his first book, Thought Harbour available in the digital format having received pretty decent reviews, TGS got talking to author Amit Mansukhani about the inspiration for the book, the challenges he faced and what he thinks first time authors should keep in mind.

The book, Amit assures us, is bound to make us feel good despite being about a young individual who finds himself horribly discontent with his own life. Thought Harbour is wrapped in layers of dark humour. It’s something that, he feels, everyone will relate to. If he wasn’t guilty of feeling the same, writing the book would probably not have been easy, he admits. Along the course of the book,

Amit takes what he hopes is a very palpable crack at topics that infuriate him and are very pertinent to today’s global scenario.

Ask him about his inspiration and he draws a long list. Kurt Vonnegut, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, his best friend who passed away, Kalki Koechlin’s video on women’s empowerment, that lizard on his bathroom wall and many more ideas have done their bit to turn the book into a reality.

“This book will creep up on you. It starts off as something and ends with a ridiculous twist that you won’t see coming. Honestly, I barely saw it coming either. I would love to say that it might make you question your perspective on your own life, but that would be horribly presumptuous of me,” he says, grinning ear to ear. Amit has been working on the book since 2013, when his medicine school internship was coming to an end.

The book has been written in its entirety in planes, trains, in cars and in between consulting patients at work, he adds.

Like every author, Amit too wasn’t spared the challenges that come along with writing a book.

“I desperately needed some perspective but getting anybody to read your work, when you’re a nobody, is notoriously difficult. I had a handful of people willing to spare me some time but that was it. Over the course of two and a half years, I oscillated repeatedly between dreaming of the Nobel Prize for Literature and loathing my own work,” he laughs aloud.

While Amit believes he is in no position to sit on a high horse and dish out advice to first timers, he will still say that the strongest inspiration comes from emotions. So if you’ve got a great idea brewing in that beautiful brain of yours, keep it on ice and start writing when you’re high on emotion, he shares.

Since he loves talking and his friends

just tune out while he’s busy blabbering away, he figured that the best way to get himself heard was by writing down his thoughts. He believes that he would like to gauge his life based on how many stories he has to tell at the tail end. The book adds to this list and this was another reason why he decided to write it. Not only have his clients inspired him, but he hopes that his writing pays for his passion of aesthetic dentistry.

As far as the marketing the book goes, an interesting strategy was used. A whole bunch of t-shirts were made and distributed to a bunch of helpful people and a dog, Amit grins. The t-shirts had the cover of the book, minus his name. Over the course of four days, dozens of photographs of people were uploaded in their Thought Harbour t-shirts. After they managed to generate curiosity among a humble fraction of social media, his photograph went up, explaining what Thought Harbour was.

Promising us that he has megalomaniacal fantasies about publishing his book in print, he wants to be content with the knowledge that digital printing is apt since he wrote the entire book on his phone, till he is approached by a big shot publisher.

“And if it never goes to print, I’ll go down the sour grapes road and tell everyone I single-handedly protected the environment by saving paper,” he jokes. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

TGS LIFE

In an effort to keep up with times, several of the city’s advertising firms have taken to human billboards in order to provide more options to their patrons

JUNE 11, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

H

ave you passed by a mall or a crowded marketplace in the city recently and noticed a few men walking by carrying a billboard as a backpack. Yes, while we have seen companies roping in Bollywood celebrities to promote their brand and many politicians and commercial establishments covering hoardings across the city, the human billboards have been grabbing all the attention.

Here you don’t need to hire a copywriter to come up with a creative advertisement, or shell out a lot of money for promotion. Human billboards might foster your brand as much as any other options. “This is the most exciting and interactive street-level marketing idea. The billboards have lightings that make them stand out, day or night, in any crowd. It’s the combined impact of a perfectly displayed message along with a one-onone interaction that makes walking billboards a like Pune and Mumbai that have a higher powerful marketing strategy,” says Mayur Nahar, concentration of pedestrian traffic. It consists owner of Vision 360 Solutions. of large backpack billboard that straps onto The practise began in 19th century London the back of a person. It’s when advertising posters rectangular and faces the became subject to a tax and consumer while a man competition for wall space carries it like a backpack. turned fierce. The banning They light-up at night via of posters from private internal LED lights. property in London those “Several people are days greatly increased the amused looking at us, as use of human billboards. this is a new concept for “We felt that there is a need Puneites. Some of them of this concept in India, even talk to us about the where we have rural as well brand. The billboards are as urban locations to cover.

- MAYUR NAHAR lightweight and helps us We decided to design and earn some extra money manufacture this product too,” says Santosh Borade, in India itself,” says SA a human billboard and a first-year commerce Momin, managing partner at the advertising student. company C-Efforts.

The changing technology and increasing These are particularly effective in cities

HOW ABOUT A WALKING, TALKING BILLBOARD?

TEJAS GAIKWAD

“Human billboards are easy on your pocket and you need to pay them on a daily basis”

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

M

usic has been a part of Alap Solapurkar’s life for as long as he can remember. Belonging to a family of musicians made it an intrinsic aspect of his personality. His grandfather Pandit Bandopant Solapurkar who was a disciple of Ustad Bismillah Khan was his first guru. Belonging to the Gwalior gharana, to this day his music reflects that rich heritage.

A sound engineer by profession, Alap not only trains students in this field but, come next month, he is also starting Melodica classes in the city. There aren’t many people who teach you how to play this instrument. In fact, he is perhaps the only one to play the instrument

market competition enables marketing and advertising companies to come up with innovative strategies. This mobile advertising format, consists of backlit LED illumination, front and rear billboards perfectly positioned to view at any angle. They are versatile and effective for brand impact when they are deployed at any location. “We have seen the growth in usage of this form of media by both brands and start-ups. In fact, the surge has helped several boys and girls get employment,” says Momin.

The mobility factor helps the billboard reach a wide audience. Besides being ecofriendly, they are cost-effective too. “Large hoardings are an expensive affair as you need to pay monthly rentals. But human billboards are easy on your pocket and you need to pay them on a daily basis. It gives visibility and good exposure to your brand too,” adds Mayur. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

Tune into a different sound Used in the 60s and 70s by composers such as Steve Reich and Phil Moore Jr, Melodica’s history dates further back to the 19th century. Although not as popular now, the instrument is responsible for some of the finest music ever created in Pune. Also known as the pianica among other names, this small instrument is easy to carry around but requires a lot of energy to play, he adds.

When Alap chanced upon the instrument about six years ago, he was surprised at its characteristics and detailing. Of course, he was immediately hooked. Although the instrument is often used by many harmonium players to rehearse, no one actually performs with it. “I blame the limited mind set of people. Since there are only limited sounds that the Melodica can create, one really has to go all out when they wish to use it for a performance. Plus, the longer the duration the tougher it gets. No one wants to push their limits and test themselves,” he laments. Moreover, the instrument isn’t very well known which explains its absence from musical shows and concerts.

Hoping to bring about some change for the sake of the instrument, Alap has decided to hold classes to teach the Melodica and attempt imparting everything he knows about it. While the young man holds a Visharat in the harmonium, when it comes to the Melodica, he was his own teacher. Beginning with just a small batch, he now has four students who have registered and has place for only a

few more. Alap also plays a few other acoustic and wind instruments, including the clarinet.

Among the few musicians in the country to hold special Melodica-oriented concerts, he has performed across cities and done three-hour shows with just this instrument. The Melodica does not have many notes and it requires a lot of lung strength and patience to master it. “When you do something because you are really interested in it and not because everyone else is doing it, you find a way to master it no matter what the hurdles. Even with the Melodica you must really want to learn it as it tries and tests you in every way possible,” he says.

As far as I have seen even if someone starts learning it, hardly anyone sticks with it for a long time, he says.

Making a living out of music, in addition to being a sound engineer, Alap also has a recording studio in the city and belongs to the family that started the Prabhat Band decades ago. On and off, he writes screenplay and dialogues for Bollywood movies and has his first film as a director Humari Tumhari Kahani slated for release by the end of this year. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

SP

PARTY ON HIS MIND

TGS LIFE

JUNE 11, 2016 PUNE

SHOPPING

Quirky, edgy and trendy is how Sumitro Sircar describes his style.

This freelance model picks five looks from his wardrobe and shows you how to make a statement

Simple is ‘in’ Perfect for the pool side party, this simple t-shirt with a wellfitted pair of jeans is a must have in your wardrobe. It goes well with a pair of dark shade oxfords or brogues and welldefines ‘less is more’.

T-shirt: Jack & Jones; Rs 1,100 Jeans: Zara; Rs 4,800 Shoes: Mochi; Rs 4500

RAHUL RAUT

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

Jacket that makes a statement The classic black and white is always in style and so is the leather jacket. Go all white for an uber cool look and be rest assured that a style statement is being made.

T-shirt: Jack & Jones; Rs 2,000 Jeans: Basics 029; Rs 2,500 Leather Jacket: Zara; Rs 8,500 Shoes: Koovs; Rs 2,000

Strictly Denim A little bit of extra denim never hurt anyone. If anything it looks fashionable and chic. It blends into any party scene and when paired a black or white t-shirt, simply adds a pinch of contrast to the attire. A matching pair of blue shoes make it look edgy and quirky too.

Denim Shirt: Diesel; Rs 4,000 T-shirt: Zara; Rs 900 Jeans: Lee; Rs 4,500 Shoes: United Colours of Benetton; Rs 2,800

Bring on the Swag This white t-shirt with a little bit of print at the bootom, is a catching up trend. It packs a punch to your attire and a whole lot of swag too. A dark pair of chinos or trousers with white shoes completes the look. It’s extremely comfortable and stylish too.

T-shirt: Splash; Rs 1,800 Chinos: United Colours of Benetton; Rs 2,700 Shoes: Koovs; Rs 2,000

Prints never go wrong The ideal way to wear prints is to team it up with something plain. It’s classy, tasteful and guarantees to make heads turn. Comfortable loafers or formals could be worn depending on the occasion.

Printed shirt: Ralph Lauren; Rs 2,000 Jeans: Basics 029; Rs 2,500 Loafers: ABOF; Rs 1,500

14

A

n evening stroll down the internal road of VAMNICOM will bring you close to a lone shop selling basic groceries, fruits and vegetables. The owner Mahalaxmi Naik welcomes you with a smiling face as she enquires what you’re looking for. Selling her wares here for almost eight years, she has come a long way since her family relocated to Pune 30 years ago.

Originally from Karwar in Karnataka, her husband is an employee with the Central Railways department. When they moved to Pune soon after they were married, their income wasn’t sufficient for their family to live comfortably. That was when Mahalaxmi set up a small roadside stall to sell fresh fruits and vegetables.

After her daughter Chandani was born in 2000, she took a break to stay at home full time. But the urge to work and help her family become financially secure wouldn’t go away and she started making flower garlands and decorations and selling them from home. “Once Chandani started going to school, I would take a hand cart around town to sell fruits,” says Ma-

RAHUL RAUT

‘Hard work has brought us this far’

halaxmi, talking about her journey.

Now, her husband has been promoted and draws a decent salary. He wouldn’t mind his wife staying at home but Mahalaxmi has other plans. “My daughter is 16 now and she wants to study medicine. I know the fees are very high nowadays but I want her to excel and do what she chooses to in life. I took permission from VAMNICOM and set up my little stall here to supplement my husband’s income so we can send Chandani to a good college,” she explains.

Mahalaxmi has become self-reliant and independent since she started running her small grocery store. Her daughter has also learned to help out at home and take some of the load off her hands. “A decade ago, we were in a bad place but now my husband and I make enough for the three of us to live comfortably. More than God’s grace, it is our hard work that has brought us so far, and I want to ensure my daughter does not face the same hardships that I have had to,” she says.

(As told toAbha Pandit)

TGS LIFE

JUNE 11, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

unekar

SET YOUR HAIR RIGHT

M

onsoons can be a nightmare for managing hair, especially for people who have longer hair.

Keeping it tied is a safe way to ensure it isn’t all over the place. Amrita Bokey give you some popular and simple styles for this season. l High ponytail: Section off a ‘V’ along your hairline, where you would normally have your bangs. Twist it, push it forward and secure it with hair grips. Pull back the rest of the hair into a sleek ponytail. Pull out a few strays around your face to soften the look.

l Braids: Braids have been huge all of last year and are definitely here to stay. With a little practice, you can easily master the art of different kinds of braids such as the 3 Amrita Bokey strand braid, fishtail braid and French braid. Once braided, loosen the braid to create a textured effect by gently tugging all along the sides of the braid l Diffused/ scrunched hair: Invest in a good quality hair dryer. It should ideally come with a large attachment known as a diffuser. After shampooing and conditioning your hair, squeeze out excess water, evenly apply some hair mousse and dry it with the diffuser by placing sections in it, while the dryer is on high heat and low speed. l Donut bun: Pull your hair into a ponytail, could be high or medium depending on the look you are going for. Put a hair donut through it and cover the donut with the ponytail. Secure STYLE with hair grips. This is a more GURU formal/ elegant look and a very easy way to keep hair out of your face and looking great. l Blow dried crown: Generally, no matter the hair type, just blow drying the crown, instantly makes the hair look a lot more stylish. Section off the crown area and with a round brush, blow dry the crown forward, taking small horizontal sections. An important tip for a smooth and shiny blow dry, is pointing the nozzle in the direction of the ends of the hair. This smoothens the cuticles and gives your hair a sleek look.

(As told to Abha Pandit)

City celeb chat

Name: Deepali Pansare Profession: Actress Three words to describe me: Naive, Carefree, Lively I love my job because: It’s my first love Best advice I’ve received: To observe people and to use that observation into acting When buying something, the first thing that catches my eye is: Its quality and beauty What’s your inner animal: Cat The first thing you notice about an attractive person: Eyes The perfect start to a day is: Drinking water and healthy breakfast Your current fourwheeler: A-star Your fitness regimen: I do yoga Your food indulgence: Panipuri Books by your bedside: Be careful what you wish for The first site you visit when you fire up your comp: Torrentz Your favourite city: Milan Ideal holiday: Switzerland

(As told to Salonee Mistry)

Shimmying her way to the silver screen

TGS LIFE

JUNE 11, 2016 PUNE

BUZZ Mangesh Desai, who plays Bhagwan Dada in his next film, walks us through his journey in the film industry and shares his experience working with Vidya Balan

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

A

ctor Mangesh Desai of Khel Mandla-fame is on top of the world. The actor will soon be seen playing the role of Bhagwan Dada in the upcoming Marathi film Ekk Albela opposite Bollywood actress Vidya Balan, who will essay the role of Geeta Bali.

The film is based on an untold story of Bhagwan Dada whose trademark dance moves and inimitable acting style once took over the industry. He was acknowledged as an ace comic actor.

“Very little is known about him and no written information is available on the internet either. To get into the skin of the character, I watched the film Albela more than 25 times. He was a natural actor, so imitating his body language, dialogue delivery and dance moves was the biggest challenge,” says Mangesh.

Initially, he was afraid that Vidya Balan, being a big name in the industry, would overpower him with her presence in the film. However, his

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

D ‘I was scared Vidya will overpower the film’ concerns seemed rather unfounded.

“Vidya is a star and when she agreed to do this film, I was scared if she would adjust herself with me. I was also scared that she will overpower the film. When I started working with her, I felt that she is down to earth and a very warm person,” he says.

The film traces the journey of the legendary actor’s film career and Vidya’s role is credited as a special appearance.

Bhagwan Dada faced a lot of obstacles while making the musical Albela, which had Geeta Bali in the lead. “On the very first day, Vidya made it very clear that we shouldn’t promote the film saying she is a major part of the cast. ‘This is Mangesh’s film and let’s stick to that,’ she said. Only an actor like Vidya will have that courage to give the footage to another actor,” he adds.

In his 20-year journey in the Marathi film industry, Mangesh has had his share of ups and downs, to

reach where he is today. He had to struggle and even went door-to-door asking for a part in films. “I remember one time when after giving a lot of auditions I was finally called by the director. Measurements were taken and everything else was finalised.

The very next day I gave my first shot and I was very excited to be on the film set. That’s when I was told that it was a misunderstanding and I was called in for the shoot by mistake,” he recalls.

On his way to fame, Mangesh faced many obstacles. He was rejected and even replaced many a times but he was determined to never give up. “In 2012, Khel Mandla changed everything for me. I was given the Best Actor award for playing the character Dasu. Now, I am in a position to choose roles that come my way,” he adds.

The film Ekk Albela is slated to release on June 24.

We are not targeting anyone in Udta Punjab: Alia Bhatt

Actress Alia Bhatt says the intention behind making Udta Punjab is not to condemn those involved in drug problems but to empathise with their struggle to emerge out of it.

The Abhishek Chaubey-directed film is based on the issue of drug addiction in Punjab. There were reports that the censor board was not clearing the fillm but the makers have clarified that the film is still under process for certification.

Alia says Udta Punjab is not villainising anyone but introducing audience to an issue, which is plaguing not only India but the whole world. "Whosoever watches the film he/she will realise it is a story, which is important because it is almost like education of what the situation is. We are not attacking anybody in particular, we are showing a perspective, it's a backdrop," Alia told PTI in an interview.

"The problem is not only in Punjab, it is in India. We are not targeting India, in fact this exists in the world. People are battling it, they are dying at young age. It is very sad to hear these things.

"We are not being preachy and saying that you are wrong if you are a drug addict. In fact, we are empathising with them because it's a battle. Full mention and regard has been given to that," she added.

Co-produced by Phantom Films and Balaji Motion Pictures, Udta Punjab also stars Shahid Kapoor, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Punjabi singer-actor Diljit Dosanjh. It is expected to hit theatres on June 17.

ance diva Shakti Mohan has become a household name across the country. Known for her brilliant moves and sizzling item numbers, Shakti has created a niche for herself in the industry Although she has been dancing since childhood, her skills became evident through the show Dance India Dance, where she was declared the winner in the second season. She then caught the limelight with her acting on the popular television show Dil Dosti Dance, where she played a lead character. “I was involved with dance ever since I was born. As a child too, I loved dancing, everything about it appealed to me. What kept me hooked to it is the feeling where you don’t bother about anything and just dance,” says Shakti.

She was almost going to pursue IAS but her love for dance was never a second priority. She was skeptical about her options when Terence Lewis offered her a scholarship to train with him for three years. “Dance India Dance was the

best thing that happened to me. After that, I kept getting offers. I took up Dil Dosti Dance on Channel V and got to learn a bit about the industry. It made me realise my love for dance but I could not give dance a backseat over acting, so I had to leave the show,” she says.

You could call her a free-spirited dancer but Shakti is better known for her go-getter attitude. After her stint on the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhla Jaa and judging Dance+, she is all set to hit the silver screen. She will be seen as the main lead opposite dancer Salman Yusuf Khan in the next Remo D’Souza movie based on ballroom dance. “I am so excited. I have always wanted to work with him.

It’s a dance-based film and this kind of a subject has never been explored before. So I’m keeping my fingers crossed,” she adds.

Despite the Bollywood debut, her main priority will always be dance.

With her debut film in the pipeline and many other projects on her plate, she finds very little time for dance rehearsals, she says. “The biggest challenge is to juggle time. I wish I could give more time to dance.”