PUNE, JUNE 25, 2016
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TGS LIFE JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE
STAGE
Set a date with a STAGE LEGEND
2 Fergusson college students pay their respects to the unique performer Vithabai Narayangaonkar through their play Vitha
By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
H
er grace, immaculate moves, and a voice that could put the best to shame made Vithabai Narayangaonkar a great tamasha artist. Born in an environment that supported as well as promoted art, for her to hop onto the bandwagon wasn’t a difficult task. She joined her father’s troupe and soon became the most well-known and respected artist of her time. With her passing in 2002, Tamasha too withered away from the city. Vithabai’s troupe picked up the President’s Award for their work in promoting Tamasha and the government of Maharashtra also bestowed the title Tamasha Samradini upon her. Believing that she was a legend who must never be forgotten, a group of students from Ferguson College decided to bring her back to life through their play Vitha. Winners of the Vodafone Rang Sangeet, the play has already started creating a buzz. It also won an award at the Firodiya Karandak last year. Intrigued by their choice of story, TGS caught up with the director of the play Shantanu Ghule. Recreating about three to four important instances from Vithabai’s life, the director had a tough time casting for the play. “I needed someone who could dance, act even sing. It was becoming extremely challenging to find someone who would portray Vithabai. When I finally found Dharana Pandit, she was exactly what we were looking for,” says the 23-year-old director.
Vitha is his debut play as a director. The only reason Shantanu decided to direct the play was because it is a musical. A music composer for a while now, he has composed for a few plays prior to this. He was surrounded by music while growing up in Sangamner and it is a huge part of his life now. It was when he was working on other plays as a composer that he observed and learned everything that is needed to stage a play. AR Rahman, Vishal Bharadwaj and Yanni are among his inspirations. All songs in Vitha are original compositions and have been written by Pranav Patwari. It took the team about three months to get everything in place before they were ready to take the stage. The young director likes things to go his way,
be it music or his plays. “I start a project with a vision in my head and hope that the end result looks like that too. If the team I am working with does not follow my lead it’s chaotic and becomes difficult to get to what I have envisioned,” he adds. Shantanu is currently studying Science at Fergusson College and even has a few film offers up his sleeve as a music composer. The team feels that the play is a way for every Punekar to know who Vithabai was. She had a very charismatic personality. The team also comprises of Aishwarya Kale who has helped Dharana with the choreography, Sanket Parkhe who worked on the lights, Shubham More and Akshay Ambekar who did the sets. Om Bhutkar is the playwright. When: June 26, 9:30 pm onwards Where: Bharat Natya Mandir, Sadashiv Peth salonee.mistry@goldensparrow
A tale of every performer’s struggle This weekend watch out for Anish Victor’s Koogu that will engage you throughout with its interaction, humour and choreography By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
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et ready for a theatrical evening as the Bangalore-based artist Anish Victor brings to you his solo act Koogu’ that is sure to mesmerise you with his performance. The play invites the audience to engage with a performance in fresh and unique ways. The play uses text, dance, sound, and song, to help the audience explore the realms that are both personal and universal. The play has been developed in collaboration with Michel Casanovas, a dancer and choreographer from France. The word Koogu means call or shout in Kannada and the play finely looks at the struggles of being a performing artist. “The idea was born ten years ago, when Michael and I were casually chatting about life and the challenges of being a stage artist. This led us to wonder about what it means to be a warrior, and how it is a figment in the writer’s imagination,” he says. The play comprises of a series of episodes based on real
life events as well as some that occurred in the performer’s life. There are instances related to his grandmother, who considered dancing cheap, his memories of a church choir, an attempt to run the marathon, and so on. All this describe Anish’s idea of freedom, culture and tradition. “My grandmother wasn’t resisting my journey as a performing artist, but she had her own views about it. The play gradually advances from personal to political,” he adds. Anish is best known in the theatre fraternity for his ability to amaze and captivate the audience singlehandedly. In the play, he interacts with audiences, uses sounds, both pre-recorded and live, and incorporates dance in order to get the message across. “The most common trap is for a performer to play someone who he is not. Here I am portraying different shades of myself. So, it’s not challenging at all,” explains Anish. Anish who has always worked as a stage help, got into acting by default. His job included operating curtains, arranging furniture, and he eventually began work as a light operator. “I never wanted to be a performer. But the actor of this play backed out at the last moment and we didn’t know what to do. I was in-charge of the lights and had seen the play from every angle. I knew the dialogues well too, so I was asked to act,” he says. After that, there was no looking back for him. He went on to act in couple of other plays, while also continuing to be a light cocoordinator. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com
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It’s never Insta love for Raftaar
TGS LIFE JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE
ENTERTAINMENT
Desi rapper Raftaar shares the nitty-gritties of the making of his new song Instagram Love, which is about a guy falling for a girl on Instagram By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
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aftaar, known for his peppy dance numbers like Swag Mera Desi, Tamanche Pe Disco, is back with yet another rap number Instagram Love. This is his first solo single, and is about the new generation falling in love on social media. “The song highlights how it is easy to look for love online. In reality, you are falling for filters that people add on to pictures to look beautiful. It’s all about good looks for them,” says Raftaar. He calls himself an old school person when it comes to love. The song is catchy and consists of hilarious lyrics that every Instagram user will relate to. It’s about their obsession with hashtags, insta filters, direct message, and so on. He is a man wearing many professional hats. He is a lyricist, producer, composer, singer, rapper and dancer, but he is skeptical about exploring acting. “I have declined many acting opportunities in the past. It’s not the right time yet. But, in future, I would like to do a Malayalam movie,” says the Kerala-born rapper. Raftaar started his career as a dance choreographer and rose to fame after his stint at Dance India Dance. He later joined Mafia Mundeer that comprised of Yo Yo Honey Singh, Badshah, and J-Star. After the fall out of the band, he now works closely with Manj Musik. “Mine is the rags to riches story. I started at a time when rapping wasn’t considered as a part of music in India. Our rap culture still needs to expand. It needs to be about conveying a message as well and not just roaming around with girls in fancy cars. But rap is about storytelling and requires extra effort to write,” he adds. He sees a bright future for rap numbers in India and says that
W
hen you live in a particular environment, it is bound to leave a lasting impression. This is just what happened with Dhiraj Meshram. When he read Sadanand Deshmukh’s novel Baromas, he almost immediately connected with the plight of the farmers in the book and his journey to make a film about it began. Hailing from Vidarbha and an FTII student, the film and the subject were a perfect match. It has, however, been eight years since he decided to walk down this road. Now that he has reached the end, he couldn’t be happier about the way it all turned out and the experiences he has garnered along the way. In a quick but candid conversation, we learn about the challenges he faced while making Baromas and why he might never direct a mainstream Bollywood film. The film hit the theatre just last week and the response has been overwhelming. Through the film and its characters, Dhiraj has tried to give voice to thousands of farmers that have been living in fear, not knowing if they will get their next meal. The first half hour of the film will interest you enough to be keep you hooked on for its entire length and breadth. Actors like Seema Biswas, Devika Daftardar and Sudhir Pandey are spot on with
while the genre was first recognised in the West, Indians are taking it forward in their own desi style. “I got inclined towards rapping when I heard an Eminem song in when I was in school. I was always good at rhyming, so I decided to take it up,” says Raftaar. He has given hit numbers in films like Baaghi, Singh is Bling, Heropanti, etc. He is now busy working on his new song with AR
Rahman. He is also preparing an inspirational song for MTV Spoken Word. “I do enjoy doing Bollywood projects, but my heart lies with underground music, that’s where I come from. Besides, there are a lot of songs planned as a part of my album, Zero to Infinity,” he adds. zainab.kantawala@goldensaprrow.com
A tale worth telling
He also compared the film to Shyam Benegal’s Manthan for its treatment of similar issues, according to a Facebook post. The film has been shot in Vidarbha to keep everything as natural as possible and a lot of the local talent has been used as well. As for his future plans, Dhiraj says that he hasn’t yet figured out what he wants to work on next, but will start looking for something soon. While he would not have a problem directing a Bollywood film, he however has one hang-up. “I cannot direct a film till I don’t believe in it or connect with the story. This is probably why I will never direct a mainstream Bollywood film. But if I do find an interesting subject, then why not,” he adds. While he has no favourite directors in particular, he feels that everyone makes a film that is worth watching. Dhiraj is currently an associate professor of film production at FTII and would love to continue making films for the rest of his life. It is the entire process, hard-work and effort that goes into every film that makes it an exciting journey for him. Baromas hit the theatres last Friday and is being screened at Abhiruchi City Pride on Sinhagad Road and City Pride, Mangala Cinema. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
Pune-based Pune-based director, director,Dhiraj Dhiraj Meshram’ Meshram’ss film film Baromas Baromas hopes hopes to to ensure ensure audiences audiences connect connect with with the the people people who who work work hard hard to to put put food food on on your your platter platter
their dialogue delivery, expressions and emotions, which is an added bonus. In total, the film had about 20 FTII graduates working on it to make it a success. Like every other film, this one too had its own set of challenges. “When we decided to send the film for festivals, not only did I have to finish working on it faster, we also had to
shorten its length. We did not even have a big budget so everything had to be planned in detail to micro manage and optimise our time and finances,” recalls the director. This is his first film that has been released commercially. Like his two other films Oadh and Haravlele Indradhanush, Baromas too did fantastically well at festivals world over. It has earned well-deserved
appreciation at the New York and Washington DC Independent Film Festival, 12th Osian’s Cinefan Film Festival and 9th Annual South Asian International Film Festival. The film has also garnered a lot of praise from actors. Naseeruddin Shah says, “Baromas is a searing, honest film made from the heart with some of the finest acting seen in recent times.”
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TGS LIFE JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
T
he concept of ciné-concert is as old as cinema. In fact, in the beginning it wasn’t called a cine-concert simply because it was a part of the film itself. The movies were silent and they were accompanied by live music. A band played the score composed upon the movie or it was narrated and described verbally. Kolkata-based band Les Mélodies de Nirbaak is bringing the concept to Pune this weekend. Formed by Pierre-Antoine Lasnier, who started his musical journey at the age of five, the ensemble also includes Pritam Sengupta (percussions), Sushruto Goswami (woodwinds) and Neel Sarkar (guitar). Pierre wanted to develop and explore the concept within the Indian context. He has been living in Kolkata for the last three years learning Hindustani Classical Music. When he started off, the flute was his primary instrument, later he moved to the electric bass guitar, which he still uses. It was India’s love for music and films that inspired Pierre to travel all the way from France and bring along the concept of a ciné-concert. “India is a country of amazing music and cinema and I wanted to explore the combination. There is no shortage of talent in the culturally diverse country and it was a great opportunity for me to maybe even figure out how I could better the idea of a ciné-concert, not just
Watch Georges Méliès’ 14-minute masterpiece Discover an important part of the beginning of French cinema just the way it was back then through Les Mélodies de Nirbaak’s ciné-concert this weekend promote it,” he explains. For the event in Pune, the background score of four short films by Georges Méliès – A Trip to the Moon, Blue Beard, Joan of Arc and Kingdom of Fairies – will be played live at the venue. It will mainly be acoustic, minimal, somewhere between Jazz and World music and improvised on a
simple structure. The year-old Les Mélodies de Nirbaak is flexible in its format but ensures that the substance is maintained. The only thing that binds the artists that are part of this project is the common story and their love for music. Next on their agenda is creating
music for Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali. Currently, the group is on an India tour with Georges Méliès films and has already performed in Chennai and Mumbai. After Pune, they’ll head to Dehradun, Chandigarh and Amritsar. It is the idea of creation that Pieere likes the best when it comes to
creating music. It is so obvious for him to be a musician although it might seem hard to explain why. The fact that he can make something which lives on forever is also something that he loves. “My music is influenced by love, life and people around me. Miles Davis, Pandit Debashish Bhattacharya and my grandfather are all instrumental in making me the musician I am today. They are my role-models,” he adds. For this talented musician, just knowing your chords and transcribing it to notes on a piece of paper isn’t enough. Only when one goes into its depth will they experience the true magic that music is, he shares. To implement this in his understanding, he spent a lot of time learning about human sciences and even went onto get a degree in History and pursued a post-graduation in Sociology. This particular event has been organised by Alliance Française de Pune in partnership with The Poona Music Society. When: June 26, 9:30 pm onwards Where: Bharat Natya Mandir, Sadashiv Peth Entry: Free salonee.mistry@goldensparrow
When Marx fans meet Mr Mehta The stand-up comedy gig Communist Dhokla promises to bring India’s diverse cultures onto the stage, leaving the audience in splits By Abha Pandit @abha_pandit
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Hijas Moosa
hat do a Bengali, Malayali and Gujarati have in common? To find out, head to The Donkey’s Arse this weekend. Hijas Moosa, Sourav Ghosh and Aakash Mehta, three stand-up comedians come together to bring to present Communist Dhokla. Coming from different walks of life, these comics met each other after entering the standup comedy scene a couple of years ago. Hijas is a Malayali from Kerala, who lived in Pune before moving to Mumbai to pursue a career in comedy. Sourav is a former radio jockey, a Bong from Kolkata, while Aakash is the typical South Mumbai Gujju. Each of them has been brought up in a different culture, in different cities. They might not personify the stereotype of their individual culture but it has had an effect on their comic material. “Although our material isn’t
Sourav Ghosh and Aakash Mehta
really about the places we are from, we bring in our own voices, which have no doubt been influenced by the way we have been brought up,” explains Sourav. Mallus and Bongs are typically well read and lead frugal lifestyles. Money may not always be their first priority, and they are often jokingly referred to as “starving poets”. “In contrast, Gujjus are known for their entrepreneurial skills, and their money making abilities,” says Hijas, talking about their inherent qualities. An amalgamation of these three individuals and their cultures is how the name of the gig germinated. “West Bengal
and Kerala are the only two states in the country where the Communist party garners such massive support, and that’s where the ‘communist’ part of the title comes from,” he says. “And Dhokla is because that’s synonymous with Gujaratis,” he laughs. As far as the Indian scene is concerned, stand-up comedy is still in its teenaged phase, according to the comics. When it just started off, there was a dearth of new material, which meant there wasn’t much variety. Stand-up comedy in India has had a growth spurt in the last two-odd years, feels Hijas. Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and other metros have been relatively well off as far as exposure is concerned, with no scarcity of open mics for newcomers to try out their material. Over the last six months, Pune’s stand-up comedy scene has also bettered. “Earlier there were only comics who would travel to Pune to do shows, since there has always been a welcoming audience here. But now, the city has begun to nurture and groom local comedians, who are coming up in a big way in the national circuit,” he says. The audiences should expect around 10 professional stand-up comedians from the city over the next year. When: June 25, 8:30 pm onwards Where: The Donkey’s Arse, Koregaon Park abha.pandit@goldensparrow.
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Meet the celebrity
TGS LIFE
BETTER-HALVES When you work in the entertainment industry, it is advised that your life partner be from the same field to make your relationship easier. Read on to find out if the suggestion is helpful By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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ong working hours, outstation shoots and intimate scenes with co-workers – an actor’s life is full of these. While it is work for them, finding a partner who looks at it the same way is not the easiest task. Being married to someone in the same profession makes your life easier is what is assumed. TGS talks to the better halves of some actors who hail from different professions to find out how much of this is true and what is it like being married to someone whom you often sees cozy up to someone else on screen. SUVEER AND DEEPALI From classmates in college to husband and wife for life, Suveer and Deepali Pansare have been going strong for 10 years now. When Deepali started getting offers to work on television shows and films, it was Suveer who supported her and even pushed her to chase her dreams. “It was difficult in the beginning, there’s no denying that. Since it was new for me, I was initially a little insecure. At the end of the day, there’s nothing that a conversation can’t solve. Every relationship needs a little bit of adjusting and believing in your better half,” says Suveer who is a mechanical engineer by profession. He thinks himself to be fortunate not to be dealing with rumours of Deepali’s link-ups till date. Movie buffs and lovers of sitcoms, for them an ideal day is spent curled up on the couch binge watching shows and movies. Compatibility is the secret of their happily married life. Knowing each other well makes anticipating one another’s reactions easier. It also helps take decisions that benefit both an effortless task. “Once Deepali comes home, she is no longer a celebrity and so it never feels like I am married to one,” Suveer shares. When he sees her on the screen, he is very proud of her and everything that she has achieved. One’s profession has got nothing to do with how your personal life shapes up, he adds.
BHUSHAN AND TEJASWINI Together for more than 13 years now, Bhushan Bopche met Tejaswini Pandit when he was in college and she was in school. After dating for more than 11 years, they faced every challenge thrown at them, stood together and finally got married. While some might feel that being married to a celebrity can be tough, Bhushan feels that it’s all a matter of perspective. “Rumours are a part and parcel of even the corporate world, the only difference being that it isn’t on display. As far as being a celebrity is concerned, of course there are times when I feel that she should not be working such long hours and spend more time with me. But this holds true for almost any relationship,” he tells us. Tejasvini and Bhushan have been in a long distance relationship for a while now and this only makes them stronger, they point out. Love, respect and honesty are the key to having a successful marriage, celebrity or not. Like every other couple, insecurity and jealously was something that Bhushan was a victim of during the initial days of their relationship. But since they were dating for a long time before Tejasvini entered the film and television industry, a trust had developed which made everything much easier. Bhushan, however, always made it a point to tell Tejasvini, whenever he felt jealous and that was his way of dealing with it.
SWEETY AND MRUNAL The first time she saw him, solely based on the fact that he was an actor, she had decided that she wanted nothing to do with him. When Sweety and Mrunal started meeting a little more often, she began to see in him someone who was family-oriented, honest and down to earth. He never behaved like a celebrity around her and she began to fall in love with him, forgetting all about his profession. Married for four years now, Sweety did initially have problems, accommodating Mrunal’s schedule. The long working hours and rare night shoots were something that she found hard to adjust to. “I had to convince myself a lot to not be jealous or to
make do with his working pattern. It is definitely difficult to understand the other person when the profession isn’t the same and insecurity can very easily creep in. This doesn’t mean that it is impossible. Understanding and having an open mind is all it takes to be able to make a marriage work,” shares Sweety. If the couple can find ways to make it work then the profession doesn’t matter at all, she adds. Sweety is now used to his schedule and both of them find the time to spend with the other even if it just for a few hours in a day. It makes the other person feel wanted and, more importantly, secure in the relationship. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES
TEEJAY AND KARANVIR Just like a romantic Bollywood film, where the girl and boy see each other for the first time and immediately fall in love, so did Teejay and Karanvir. They saw each other for the first time in a church and something just clicked. After dating for just five months, it felt so right that they decided to get married. “When I moved to Mumbai, I was sure that I did not want to meet any actor, let alone date or get married to one. I did not want the insecurities that came along with it. But there were so many things that were common between Karanvir and me that I decided to give it a shot anyway,” Teejay recollects. Karanvir, she tells us, has never been the type to be found in a situation where a link up is possible. Even when he was on the sets of his shows, the two of them would talk whenever he got a break. In fact, he would always ask her to be around on the sets so she landed up being friends with his co-stars more than he was. The key to being successfully married along with pursuing diverse professions or when one is in the entertainment industry, according to Teejay, is to stay connected. Since it isn’t like a corporate job and the working hours aren’t fixed, taking the extra effort to find time is important, she adds.
JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE
INDULGE
Drop the guilt of snacking at restaurants and coffee shops, instead try out these healthy subscription boxes that are delivered straight home, ensuring you don’t have to lift a finger
By Abha Pandit @abha_pandit
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ith our lifestyle becoming fast paced, it’s no wonder that we resort to quick, on-the-go food, which more often than not turns out to be rather unhealthy. After that occasional vada pav we pick up on our way to work, the bag of chips we unthinkingly put into the kids’ schools bags after waking up late, we end up feeling guilty at the end of the day. Wouldn’t it be great if there was a healthy solution to your breakfast and snacking woes, providing a guilt-free alternative to fried and oily food? Healthy food subscription boxes help take care of snacking needs, without you having to constantly rack your brains for new options. Originally picked up from the concept of dabbawallas, who deliver fresh cooked meals for lunch and dinner, these healthy boxes have managed to come up with innovative products with a wide variety of options, ensuring there is no boredom among their customers. Here are three fun and healthy subscription boxes that will keep your stomach full and your conscience clean. FAB BOX Devang Shah launched Fab Box seven months ago, after he came across the concept of these boxes while studying in Boston. “I was so fascinated by the idea of subscribing to healthy food boxes which would arrive at your door step; I wanted my parents to try it out. That is why I came up with Fab Box,” he explains. A n - other healthy snack subscription box, Fab Box offers a choice between 50 different dry snacking products, of which customer can choose any five to include in their box. It took the Fab Box team half a year to research and come up with recipes which would be nutritious and healthy. All of the products are preservative-free, most of them are sugar-free, and none of them are fried. Fab box has 12 kitchens all over India, with 17 chefs on their team. Since its launch, the concept has been doing well, with products getting sold out on a daily basis over the past three months. Smoked almonds, green chilli cashews, mix nut chaat and health bars are some of their more popular items. How to order: Subscriptions are available online on their website, with one box of five snacks delivered monthly Price: Rs 999, per box
A BOX OF
GOODNESS DELIVERED TO YOUR DOORSTEP
TEJAS GAIKAWAD
TGS LIFE
HAPPY BELLY The brainchild of Neha Thakker and Mahima Anand, Happy Belly started out as a solution to parents’ frustration over snacking options for their children. Since they are parents themselves, both founders realised the need to provide tasty and nutritive snacks for their kids, instead of going the junk way. “Every parent wants their child to have the healthiest food, but often such a snack ends up tasting bad and the child refuses to eat it,” says Neha. Happy Belly offers a wide range of dry snacks, which are tasty as well as healthy. Their snacks have now branched out to encompass adults’ tastes as well. With savoury and sweet options, Happy Belly has something for everyone. They offer an option of subscription as well as individual orders.
“Most of our regulars prefer to subscribe to one out of our seven pre-decided snack boxes, according to their tastes,” explains Neha. Each snack box has four assorted items. Choco stars, which are essentially the Maharashtrian sweet shankarpali dipped in chocolate, and beetroot chips are some of their best-selling items. From a party pack, to a complete Maharashtrian “satvik” box, Happy Belly has you covered. Snack Boxes can be delivered once or twice a week, according to your preference. How to order: Online subscription is available on their website, with an option to customise snack boxes for bulk orders. Price: Each Snackbox costs between Rs 275 and Rs 475
THE BREAKFAST BOX Although it is considered the most important meal of the day, breakfast is also most often neglected. When Mrugnayan Kamthekar, one of the founders of The Breakfast Box, came to Pune to study, he found that there weren’t as many healthy options for breakfast in the city. “Living away from home, there are only so many times one can eat idli, dosa and upma. Having vada pavs and missal plates is not healthy in the long run,” explains Mrugnayan. The idea behind The Breakfast Box was to offer people a multitude of options without having to go through the effort of cooking it or even thinking of what to make each day. With a hectic lifestyle, oftentimes professionals end up leaving for office without eating anything at home. The Breakfast Box lets you choose between five types of boxes, with assorted items, depending upon individual tastes.
Everything is packed in cardboard boxes and brown paper bags, making it easy to take the dabba along to work or even eat it on the go. Each item is packed individually, so one could save some for later. The Breakfast Box also has a dynamic menu, which isn’t repeated for 45 days. They offer Indian, Continental and Mexican food, among others. Their most popular box is the Egg Box which includes an egg dish, a breakfast salad, fresh juice, a cookie and dry fruits. Apart from individual breakfasts, family meals are also available for a relaxed weekend breakfast. How to Order: Subscriptions are available for daily boxes on their website Price: The boxes and bags are priced between Rs 65 for a basic box and Rs 340 for a meal for four abha.pandit@goldensparrow.com
TGS LIFE
SMOKY PEACHES
JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE
Ingredients Peaches, halved and pitted 4 Clover honey 2 tbsp Vegetable oil 1 tbsp Soft cream cheese with honey and nuts 1 cup Method: Preheat a grill on medium-high heat. Brush the peaches with a light coating of oil and place the pit side facing downwards. Grill for five minutes, or until the surfaces have nice grill marks. Turn the peaches over and drizzle it with a bit of honey. Place a dollop of the cream cheese spread in the place where the pit was. Grill for another two to three minutes or until the fi lling is warm. Serve immediately. - Recipe by Blue Waters Restaurant, Ravet road
INDULGE
TEJAS GAIKAWAD
GRILLED FRUITS TO THE RESCUE By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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he thought of a barbeque would usually evoke images of juicy meat or cottage cheese being cooked to perfection on a grill. What if you could replace these two very obvious and mundane items with something new and fresh? Fruits are the simple solution. These barbequed fruit recipes have the added benefit of being healthy too. With monsoons just about setting in, a hot grilled plate of fruits is sure to brighten up even your dullest day. Check out these four recipes that will leave you wanting more.
TANDOORI SUBJ FALDHARI CHAT Ingredients Fresh pineapple cubes 60 grams Green apple wedges 60 grams Red apple wedges 60 grams Yellow pepper dices 20 grams Sweet potato wedges 50 grams Green pepper dices 20 grams Broccoli 40 grams For marinade Black pepper powder 2 grams Olive oil 10 grams Cumin powder 5 grams Chaat masala 2 grams Cinnamon powder 2 grams Salt As per taste For tandoori marinade Hung curd 30 grams Garam masala powder 2 grams Chilli powder 5 grams Dhaniya powder 2 grams Method: Cut the vegetables and fruits as per above mentioned sizes. Mix them together with black pepper, olive oil, cumin powder, cinnamon powder, chat masala to enhance the taste. Keep it aside for half an hour. Arrange the above fruits and vegetables on a skewer and apply the tandoori marinade. Roast for 10 to 12 minutes, arrange it on a platter and sprinkle coriander leaves and chaat masala over it. Serve hot. — Recipe by Deccan Harvest, Magarpatta
TONY STARK REACTOR PEACHES Ingredients Peaches, cored and cut into linen rings 8 Honey ¼ tbsp Butter, melted 3 tbsp BBQ sauce 5 tbsp Spiced rum 3 tbsp Method : Marinate peaches in BBQ sauce for minimum 30 minutes. Preheat the grill on high heat. Grill the peaches for two to three minutes on each side until they become little oily. Sprinkle spiced rum and serve with ice-cream. — Recipe by Power House, Undri
BBQ KIWI WEDGES Ingredients Tomato Ketchup 10 grams Chopped garlic 5 grams Chopped bell pepper 10 grams Bay leaf 1 Vineger ½ tbsp Lime juice ½ tbsp Tomato puree 20 grams Sugar (if required) 5-10 grams Salt to taste Pepper to taste For marination Kiwi dices 250 grams Tomato dice 200 grams Onion dice 50 grams Bell pepper 100 grams Lemon juice 2 tsp Chilli flakes 2 grams Method: Mix all the ingredients needed for the marinade and set aside for 20 minutes. Next, move on to make the barbeque sauce. Heat oil in a frying pan and saute garlic in it till brown. Add bay leaf, bell pepper and cook it well on a slow flame. Add salt and pepper according to taste and mix well. Add tomato puree and cook it well. Add tomato ketchup, vinegar and lime juice, mix well and let it cook for some time. Taste the sauce to add sugar, if required. Remove the bay leaf and take the frying pan off the fi re. Once the sauce is ready, arrange all the ingredients on barbeque sticks. Grill it on a slow fi re. Toss with barbeque sauce and serve. The sauce and the kiwis can also be served separately. — Recipe by Atmosphere 6, Viman Nagar
PICS BY RAHUL RAUT
TGS LIFE JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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eeing expats walk the streets of Pune is nothing new. But, when you meet some who praise the city you have grown to love too, it’s bound to bring on a big smile. When they came to the city, they had left the comfort of their home only to wander down unknown streets. However, there was something about Pune that gave them the feeling of security, helped them forget their troubles and, most importantly, made them feel at home. TGS spent some time with five such expats who have been living in the city for a while now and spoke with them about everything Puneri.
As glocal as they get From loving the local cuisine to knowing the city like the back of their hand, these guys may be expats but they could easily camouflage themselves as true blue Punekars
FIRST IMPRESSIONS As she sifts through memories, Yetti Herlindawati only remembers seeing Ambassador cars, trees and people cycling everywhere on her first day in the city. That was nearly 20 years ago. Today, after moving to Pune from Indonesia in 1996 when she got married, Yetti is absolutely in love with her life. Except the fact that motorists honk a lot, she has nothing to complain about. “I love hanging out and shopping at Tulsibaug. It might be crowded but it is where the culture of the city is at its best,” she explains, adjusting the pallu of the sari she is wearing. Her daughter Joanne Alex, who was six when she moved to Pune, is fluent with Marathi, Hindi and English which she learns at school, her mother tongue Indonesian, her father tongue Malayalam as well as French. Joanne is super happy that her parent’s decided to move to Pune simply because of how youthful the city is. Moving to Pune from France with her husband since his family is based here, Benedicté Le-Bris believes that the peths house the heart of the city. The wadas and the narrow lanes, represent the close knit and unified culture of the city. This was not the first time that she had set foot in the city. She would often come visit her husband’s family and her first impression of the city wasn’t anything great, she recalls. It was only when she moved here and started exploring Pune one lane at a time that she began to fall in love with it. The greenery reminded her of
Benedicté Le-Bris
“The culture of Pune is so rich that every time you visit a place you learn something new. ”
Tai Moscovich
her hometown. In her first week here, three same time, is pursuing her graduation in English years ago, she worked at the Raja Dinkar Literature from Fergusson College and doesn’t Kelkar museum for a week before she began recollect much from her first day here. What she volunteering with Janwani full-time. does remember, however, was that the monsoon Being the Oxford of the east, Pune is had set in and the rain was showing absolutely no home to thousands of expat students and mercy. Since it does not rain in Mauritius it was Disha Narroo from Mauritius along with something that she wasn’t accustomed too. She Ibrahim Jjunju from Uganda are just two of remembers seeing, cows and buffaloes on the road them. There is however something that sets which was a new sight for her. “From the very first these two apart from the others. Ibrahim’s day, except for the rain, I had already begun to like first day in the city, he learned his very first the city and was looking forward to making it my words and these were going to be his best home for the next three years,” she tells us. friends for the rest of his stay here. He spent Tai Moscovich often visited Pune especially his first day travelling from Swargate to Katraj after his family moved her in 2005. He was still - BENEDICTÉ LE-BRIS and back, trying to take in as much of the staying in Israel back then. His family stayed in city as possible. Ibrahim is studying Medical Hadapsar and he recollects it to be almost like Technology at Symbiosis currently and has been in the city for a village. Oddly, he had never heard of neighbourhoods like about three years now. Disha, who also came to Pune around the Koregaon Park and Kalyani Nagar. The scene was completely
TGS LIFE JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES
Disha Narroo
different when he shifted to Pune in 2013. There were shopping malls everywhere, high-rise buildings and other infrastructure that the city should be proud of today. Over a period of time, he fell so in love with living here that he now he feels he is as Puneri as someone born and brought up in the city. WHEN PUNE BECAME A PART OF THEIR PERSONALITY Mounted on her two-wheeler, scarf tied tightly round her face and topped with a helmet, Benedicté can be found travelling across the length and breadth of the city. Figuring that it was the easiest mode of transport, she quickly learned to ride and began exploring the city on her own. There isn’t a single wada, peth, museum, or heritage site in the city that she has not visited. Even when we met her, every time she spoke about a place she let us in on an interesting anecdote about the place. “The culture of Pune is so rich and diverse, that
every time you visit a place you will learn something new about it. I even enrolled for Marathi classes but there were never enough students for it to run. I then started learning the language from people around me, be it my family, colleagues, vendors, or friends,” she says. While her Marathi isn’t extremely fluent, she knows exactly what to say during a conversation. Bas zhala was among the first phrases she learned, she tells us. Unlike Benedicté, Disha didn’t have a family to fall back on when it came to learning the local language. It was however a tad bit easier for her since she had learned Marathi in her school back in Mauritius and so caught onto it early on. The one thing that she wasn’t used to, but is now, is devour spicy Maharashtrian food without even feeling the heat. Her biggest worry is not liking bland food once she gets home, she jokes. Sabudana wada and khichdi are her favourite snacks. Since Ibrahim lived alone in the city and mainly hung out
Ibrahim Jjunju
with other exchange students, he relied on autorickshaw drivers and shopkeepers to learn the local language. Now, he knows quite a bit Marathi to get by. It started off with words and then broken sentences. More than the language what makes Ibrahim Puneri is how well he knows the city. He has spent hours on his bike going from one place to another and now could offer directions even in his sleep. “I know the streets in Pune better than I know those back home. I can take you through all the short cuts and one-ways with utmost ease. I don’t think there is a part of the city I haven’t visited or heard off,” he says, proudly. Yetti too knows the city like the back of her hand. She loves the fact that she feels safe round-the-clock and so has had loads of fun getting lost, exploring and finding her way for the last two decades. Her house help is a Maharashtrian so, through various attempts at conversing with her, she has picked up the language too. She has a few local friends with whom she practices yoga and they teach her a little bit of Marathi every day. Yetti is also learning to cook the local cuisine. Joanne and she love feasting on missal, vada pav and even make thecha at home. She smiles as she tells us how it takes her some time to get back to speaking the local language when she visits Indonesia because Marathi words keep slipping into her conversations. Working at BVG Company in Chinchwad, it was the office environment and the people who he was always surrounded by, that pushed Tai to learn Marathi. While talking in Marathi is restricted only to his office, he says that his friends often tell him that apart from his looks, he is just another - TAI MOSCOVICH Punekar. He can get through any traffic in the city on his two-wheeler, knows the city pretty well and loves the fact that everything is so accessible. “I don’t think I am any less of a local than my friends born here. I speak the language, know the roads, have the Puneri accent and tone and love everything about the city,” he shares.
“I speak the language, know the roads, and love everything about the city”
Yetti Herlindawati and Joanne Alex
FALLING IN LOVE WITH THE CITY The weather, food, nature, cultural diversity and people are factors they love about the city. All of them eventually got accustomed to eating spicy and local food, know the city well and were humbled by the warm welcome they received from the locals when they set foot in the city. Irrespective of the number of years they have spent here, they have grown to love the city, appreciate it with all its faults and are proud to be associated with it, sometimes even termed as Punekars. It has indeed become their second home. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE
THRILL OF DRIVING
TANKED-UP The TUV300 urban SUV gets more punch with a 100hp motor
VISHAL KALE
TGS LIFE
By Tushar Burman @tburman
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hen we last drove the TUV300 shortly after its launch, it was a pleasant surprise in its package, refinement and general ability around the city. At the time, we didn’t really take it on an extended highway jaunt and probably just as well; you see, in it’s previous guise, the TUV300 came with a modest 75hp output motor, which was fine in urban environs, but didn’t really have punch anywhere in the rev range. That has now changed with Mahindra calling this iteration the mHawk100 motor -- essentially the same thing but now putting out considerably more power and torque, up to 100hp and 240Nm. If you’ve read our previous assessment of the TUV300, not much has changed, save for our experience with other, more recent SUVs in and around the same segment. The TUV300 is surprising in its nice interior accoutrements. A great AC, Out back are the jump seats that make this SUV, technically, a very decent infotainment system with Bluetooth and iPod a 7-seater. It’s doable, but not comfortable for long journeys. Then connectivity that works flawlessly, a nice two-tone Dash that again, have you seen how many passengers tourist cabs can pack looks contemporary and a quiet cabin that belies the intrinsic into a Scorpio these days? The jump seats fold up and rear seats nature of a three-cylinder Diesel engine. It should sound and feel fold down to liberate a lot of extra cargo room, should you need it. rough, but it doesn’t. Nothing in the SUV does. Call us picky but this author is not a fan of the TUV’s Of particular interest to us in this new 100hp guise of the aesthetic. I’d prefer the front of the NuvoSport with a squat stance TUV, was the suspension. You see, the Mahindra NuvoSport, instead of sharp corners and the face of Bane, Batman’s formidable which we also recently tested, uses the same engine, but has a foe. That said, with a top-end model, you do get a nice finish, problem with considerable body roll. Not so much with the TUV, decent looking alloys and wheels that fill their wells properly. which is controlled and feels more secure at highway speeds. It There are even some nice extras like a start-stop system (well, not also feels a bit firmer, but that’s a trade-off we’re willing to make: really nice in our traffic), an eco mode that extends range while some more jerks to the spine in exchange of careening off a cliff sacrificing power, and static cornering lamps, which are a boon on a sharp bend. Engine performance is also on par with the when turning the wide vehicle in darkness. In fact, we’re confused NuvoSport, but after using the TUV’s manual transmission, we about why these features don’t make it to the NuvoSport, which ended up missing the AMT of the NuvoSport, which somehow gets cruise control as consolation. But the TUV doesn’t. Strange. managed to keep things feeling sprightly. Still, it’s evident from the quality of the interior that the TUV With the benefit of hindsight and experience, we can also is meant to be a bit more upmarket. But it costs between 10 and say that the current TUV300 feels a bit heavy to steer compared 16,000 rupees LESS than the NuvoSport. Confused? So are we. to peers like the Vitara Brezza and NuvoSport, but retains the On our extended time with the TUV300, we’ve done urban practical turning radius we enjoyed previously. It’s squared-off commuting, Mumbai-Pune highway runs, multi-passenger design (tank-like, according to Mahindra) has the benefit of outings and cargo runs, and we were unable to run the allowing excellent visibility while squeezing into tight tank dry, so anecdotally, the mHawk100 engine is also spaces, which the TUV can do despite its width. The quite efficient. Highway runs were usually cruising Verdict breadth manifests in internal space as well, with the between 100 and 120, which is where the vehicle + Refinement, front passenger having plenty of shoulder space. feels most comfortable. We’re sure the 240Nm is performance, The rear seat is wide enough for three passengers capable of more sprightly performance, but the price as well, though we did hear the odd complaint TUV300 weights 2.2 tonnes, so there’s only so - Heavy steering much it can do. The rest of it is up-to-date. Dual about jerks being transmitted up into the spine from rear passengers. airbags and ABS are present, as are keyless entry TGS rating ;;;`2
Interior is, surprisingly, far better than the NuvoSport
with follow-me-home lamps, parking sensor and other bells and whistles one expects in a modern vehicle. Mahindra is churning out vehicles rapidly based on what are fast turning out to be proven platforms. Perhaps at some point they will also consolidate vehicles to be less confusing. As a parting googly: you can still buy the old, less powerful engine with the TUV300, but the new one costs just Rs 8,000 more, so why would you? tushar@goldensparrow.com
She loves to surprise herself and no two art classes she holds are the same. Get to know the much celebrated and internationally acclaimed artist Meera George to be inspired
Art as a physical experience
TGS LIFE JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES
By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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fter years of painting in art school, she had reached a point where she wanted to step out of the two dimensional space. She wanted her art to be an interaction between the viewer and the artist and this paved way for creations that went beyond the usual. Installations and performance art became an integral part of Meera George’s work and through them she managed to explore unlimited possibilities. Her art has made her cross boundaries and has had a huge international impact too. She can often be found using herself and objects from her culture as props in the installations that she creates. She’s a visionary when it comes to her art and absolutely modest about her achievements. TGS spends some time with this out-of-thebox and admirable artist to learn of her journey, people who influenced her and how the Indian audience is different from art patrons world over. Feeling that she had to find a way to make contemporary art accessible to a younger audience, Meera started Class Art in the city. This became a medium for her to expose and challenge children to infinite possibilities through various techniques. The kind of work she does with her students is based on lines, techniques, visual language and means of display and exhibiting which are similar to those of contemporary artists. “There is no age bar to being exposed to a superior aesthetic sense, which we fear is too advanced for children. Experiencing freedom of expression and, most importantly, encouraging them to think out of the box is the unique aspect of the ideology of Class Art,” she points out. Meera herself has been creating art since the time she can remember. It might not have been conventional art but she was always busy creating something even when she was three years old. After graduating in Fine Art from College of
An installation made at Class Art by Meera George
Art, New Delhi and a Masters in the same subject from the University of Kent, England, very early on she was exposed to an international audience. She has been the recipient of five international art grants and residencies because of which she has travelled, exhibited and conducted workshops throughout the globe. She has looked up to artists like Kanchan Chander, who was her mentor when in college, Bose Krishnamachari, Jitish Kallat and Riyas Komu. She now aspires to be like them. International artists such as Richard Wilson, Sam Taylor Wood, Andy Goldsworthy and Anthony Gomley have inspired her and her visual language along the way too.
On what inspires her unique work of art, Meera says, “Inspiration comes to me in different ways. It could be a colour or something I read, an experience or thought. I always keep myself open and sensitive to my surroundings and experiences,” she shares. Her work, in a beautiful way, represents cross cultural contemporary art. Having travelled and worked in various places around the world, whatever she creates reflects a synthesis of various visual styles juxtaposed with a personal narrative, she adds. Meera believes that there is a vast difference in the way contemporary art is viewed in India as opposed to by an international audience. What
945 paintings on a single canvas By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
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fter spending more than a decade in the IT industry, Sandeep Sinha connected deeper with his inner self, giving birth to an artist within him. Never having touched a painting brush in his lifetime, he decided to take up painting after watching kids playing with colours on the streets of Bangalore. “Watching them paint inspired me to take this up. I took it as a challenge and told myself that if they can paint, I can too,” he says. After practicing for a couple of months, he wanted to try his hand at miniature painting. He went on to create 945 miniature paintings based on Life And Global Warming on a 14X11 canvas and got his name into the Asia Book of Records and India Book of Records. Each of his painting is just 1cm wide, and it took him 22 days to create them. “I was in US for a year, and had a month’s break. Having nothing to do in hand, I
VISHAL KALE
City-based artist Sandeep Sinha says painting is like meditation
Sandeep Sinha
decided to indulge in painting. I worked on them for eight hours each day. In fact, the final result surprised me,” he says. His paintings are quite colourful and highlight the intricate and delicate brushwork. “The reason I chose this style is because I am an ambitious person and I wanted to create something unique,” he adds. Painting is something that he enjoys and uses as a medium of stress management. He
used acrylic colours and most of his art is a work of his imagination. His favourite subjects are landscapes, worldly chaos, spiritual and rebirth of soul in every life. “Painting is like meditation to me, the colours soothe me. All of my paintings are made in a deep meditative state,” he says. Experimenting with various new mediums, different papers, styles, and rendering techniques is what he believes is the soul of every hardcore artist. And he is not an exception. As colours flow into a rhythm, we flow with them, he says. “With colours and creations, I try to connect with the cosmic energy, which is nothing but the subconscious state of mind. My recent painting The Silver Lines is all about the reflections of nature, landscapes and heavenly compositions by God,” he says. There is a sense of uniqueness in his art, in terms of the colours, composition and the variety in the subjects. But a common thread of visual element is found in each of them. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com
she has noticed significantly is that internationally right from a very early age individuals are exposed to art and aesthetics so you will find people from all walks of life attending art exhibitions and galleries, she says. In India, it is just the opposite and art is restricted to a certain demographic. Get in touch: www.classart.in/ artatclassart@ gmail.com salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
TGS LIFE
Building an art community on goodwill
JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES A Pune artist is opening up new horizons so as to encourage interaction among artists from different mediums and backgrounds By Abha Pandit @abha_pandit
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ike art, each artist represents variations whether in the form of the medium, background or vision. More often than not, they only interact with artists from similar backgrounds. Pune-based artist Shraddha Borawake is hoping to change this perception with her pilot programme, The Good Artists Project (GAP), which she began working on in 2012. An open networking platform, GAP has been created on the foundation of good values. “I don’t look at this as a business, it is a community and network building project, which aims to connect people who wouldn’t usually connect in the art scene,” explains Shraddha. GAP provides a completely non-judgemental space while addressing the collaborative sphere, by organising mixers where artists can get together and have discussions about any aspect of art. Many times, they try to get guest speakers who can start up a conversation on largely unexplored mediums, which most mainstream artists would not have access to. They work around the three Cs
– converge, collaborate and come together. According to Shraddha, in order for artists to grow, it is imperative that they must be proficient in radical mediums. “An interdisciplinary dialogue is what allows for a greater exchange of knowledge,” she feels. As part of GAP, Shraddha has also introduced GAP coLab, which provides an interactive working space where the participants are engaged in different events to showcase their talents. Earlier this year, GAP collaborated with
the Vintage Car Rally Association, where the artists were given access to the cars a few days before the rally and given full freedom to explore their creativity using different mediums. On the day of the rally, their artwork was up for sale and was widely appreciated. This isn’t a monetary venture for Shraddha and her team. “We don’t even have a bank account,” she laughs, talking about the not-forprofit platform. GAP receives funding from various sponsors for each event, because art is
Sleep in the comfort of your childhood A self-taught tailor, Punebased Fatema Zoheb has been helping her friends and family preserve their childhood in the best possible way she has to offer By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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o matter how old you are, reliving memories from your childhood and listening to stories from when you were capable of getting away with anything is always fun. For parents, however, it can be an emotional journey and mothers can often be caught getting teary eyed when they look at the things that they preserved from when you were a child. Apart from toys and maybe some birthday cards that you must have written to them, another thing that our parent’s love preserving for as long as they can are the toddler outfits. Tiny socks, jumpsuits, blankets, frocks, pants, t-shirts, and any other piece of cloth that you might have used as a child is washed, dried, ironed and tucked away into boxes lining the storeroom.
What if there was a better way for you to keep these clothes safe and have them around you all the time instead of just storing them? It has been 25 years since Fatema Zoheb has been creating some of the best pieces of clothing bent over her sewing machine at her home. However, it was only two years ago that she started taking orders to make memory quilts, as she likes to call them. “The very first ones that I made were from my own children’s clothes. They grew up so
quickly that their clothes became a good way for me to preserve their childhood and the memories that came along with it. Making a quilt out of their clothes only increased their life and maintaining them became so much easier,” she smiles. The quilts she makes are priced at Rs 4500 and go higher as the effort involved in making them increases. The one thing that sets her work apart from others is that it isn’t like patch work. Your clothes are stitched on as is and
not a product but a process. Further, when the artwork created during collaborative events is sold, it generates some income for them. More than money, the focus is on ideals here. The idea is to become a part of an organic system, giving and receiving in equal measures. The currency isn’t money, GAP runs on goodwill. “We believe in providing a positive environment for artists and giving credit where credit is due,” she says. abha.pandit@goldensparrow.com
extra cloth is used to bind them together. When it is completed you can actually point out to a sock you wore when you were two or a dress your grandma stitched for you when you were three. This makes the quilts invaluable and among the best gifting options. It generally takes her about 15 days to make the smallest quilt. There is a lot of detailing and thought that goes behind every stitch so Fatima believes in taking her time to make them. The time taken and the cost of the quilts largely depends on their size and the number of clothes that need to be stitched together. “It isn’t just about putting clothes together and stitching them. There is a good amount of creativity involved in trying to make it appealing and intricate at the same time. There is absolutely no room for error because they aren’t simple pieces of cloth. One mistake and you could ruin someone’s memory for life,” explains Fatema. Being a tailor for so long gives her the much needed sense to make the clothes attached standout. Her designs are also inspired by her experiences and the innumerable dresses she has stitched over the last two decades. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
City-based storyteller Radhika Bagdai weaves magic as she adds innovation to her performance By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
Adrik Biswas
They’ve cracked the
Science Olympiad Two students from the city prove their mettle despite the daunting competition from across the globe By Abha Pandit @abha_pandit
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arlier this month, Adrik Biswas and Abhro Bhuniya stood first among almost two lakh participants from 34,000 schools across 22 countries, in their respective categories. Adrik, who is only nine years old, is a happy, excited child. He doesn’t understand much about the technicalities of the event, he is only delighted to have won. After seeing him work hard for over two months while preparing for the exam, his mother Minakshi is immensely proud of her son and his achievements. He also participated in the International English Olympiad this year, and secured the 6th rank internationally. “Adrik managed to juggle his school work along with studying for the Olympiads and came out with flying colours without letting his academics suffer,” Minakshi says. Olympiads are a way for this youngster to constantly sharpen his mind. “I like studying for these exams. It is something different from regular class work and I enjoy the challenge. It is even more exciting that I have managed to win,” says Adrik. The class 4 student enjoys art as well. He likes to sketch portraits of famous people whenever he gets the time, and considers Mahatma Gandhi, Subhash Chandra Bose, Virat Kohli and Tintin as his heroes. Abhro Bhuniya has recently appeared for the crucial 12th standard exams. A smart and passionate young man, the 17-year-old has big dreams.
Abhro Bhuniya
He too stood first in his grade, beating students from all over the world. “These competitive exams are a great way to judge your own aptitude and compete with other like-minded people from across the country,” he says, talking about his experience with Olympiads. Abhro has been participating in the National Science Olympiad (NSO) as well as the International Math Olympiad (IMO) since he was in the past seven years. Two years ago, he also won the second place at the IMO. The DAV school student likes math and physics in school, and wants to pursue a career in computer sciences. He enjoys playing football, although he doesn’t play very regularly. A complete brainiac, he loves solving problems of logic and puzzles. The two students were felicitated in Delhi, along with the other winners by the Science Olympiad Foundation. Along with a cash prize, they also won other goodies from the foundation. abha.pandit@goldensparrow.com
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umerous people have accepted the challenge of telling stories rather seriously. In fact, Radhika Bagdai has given storytelling a new avatar by bringing in props and technology to reach a wider audience. “I can engage children with my story telling session for quite a long time. My art of storytelling has also helped me find the dramatist in me,” she says, as she gets ready for her next workshop. She is all dressed up in a bunny’s costume, and busy painting her face white, putting a fake bunny tooth to get the expression right. Drama and story without music seem rather boring, so she adds a tadka of sound effects and songs to make it interesting. Her tales might be the same, but she has managed to make them more interesting by enacting them. “I would tell stories to my kids. A few years ago, when I was in Rajkot, I taught in a school and was appreciated for my storytelling skills. But there was no scope for this profession at the time. After moving to Pune, I decided to make it my profession,” she says. Radhika, who is fondly known as ‘expression ki dukan’ brings stories to life through her energy, expressions, strong voice and movement. “Even as a child, I was always fond of listening to stories from my grandfather and I think I have got the trait from him,” she adds. Her journey started when she went to enroll her kid at the activity centre. She saw many children learning guitar. While interacting with them, she gradually started engaging them in a story. Watching kids enjoy the session, the owner offered her to conduct workshops at the premises. “Just reading a story out of a book does not have as much of an impact. For me, storytelling is a live art, and it needs to be performed,” she adds. She usually picks up a classic tale and adds modern twist to it, so that children are aware of current affairs and they get to what’s happening around them. “The last workshop, when IPL was going on, I simply added a story titled The Goldilocks went to watch an IPL match,” she smiles. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com
JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES VISHAL KALE
BRINGING LIFE TO A STORY
TGS LIFE
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TGS LIFE JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE
SHOPPING
SIMPLY
You don’t always need the bling factor to look your best. Alpana Nadagouda, a student, picks five outfits from her wardrobe and shows you how to make heads turn
Keeping it short
For all your evening plans, this crochet top and shorts are both comfortable and sexy. You can pair it with a long neckpiece and simple earrings. Top: MG Road, Rs 500 Shorts: DJ&C, Rs 700 Loafers: Row Hide, Rs 2,500
TEJAS GAIKWAD
STYLISH
Chic is in
This dress is perfect for a casual day out. Pair it with comfortable flats and stud earrings. Don’t go overboard with the accessories. Dress: Cupid, Rs 1,200 Chappals: Rocia, Rs 1,800
By the pool side
The Gorgeous Gown
This is an ideal chic get-up for any party or get together. Pair it with a simple matching bracelet and nude colour heels and you are all set to make a statement. Dress: Kamyu, Rs 1,200 Heels: Solovoga, Rs 2,400
If you are heading for a pool party this crop top and simple blue long skirt is something you should consider wearing. It is both classy and simple. Crop Top: Cupid, Rs 700 Skirt: Koret, Rs 1,500 Ballerinas: Solovoga, Rs 2,200
Stay at ease
If comfort matters to you, this is the way to go. This tribal print palazzos and plain black top can be worn almost anywhere. Palazzos: Shyla, Rs 600 Top: Jockey, Rs 200 Kolhapuri Chappals: Linking Road, Rs 200
— Compiled by Salonee Mistry
TEJAS GAIKWAD
This simple man is happiest while selling tea
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he narrow streets of Mominpura in Guruwar Peth are bustling with activity in the evening hours during the month of Ramzan. Take a walk down the lanes, and you’ll find aroma of freshly prepared delicacies is difficult to resist, as stall after stall beckons with endless varieties of food. Tucked in one corner is a small makeshift stand, which claims to offer the best masala tea in all of Mominpura. So large is the crowd around it, it becomes difficult to see the man behind the table. Hanif Sheikh runs this small joint, selling tea which draws customers from all around the neighbouring areas. When we ask what is so special about his tea, he smiles and gives us a cup to drink. Hanif Bhai’s chaai, malai maarke, as he calls it, is indeed a treat. “I have been setting up this tea stall in this same spot, every year during Ramzan for the last 25 years,” he explains, “I have customers who come to me almost every day for so many years now.” His happiest moments are when his regulars stop by to have a cuppa and a chat.
TGS LIFE JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE
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When he isn’t selling tea, Hanif Bhai runs a small catering business, Pakheeza Caterers, which specialises in slow cooked delicacies like Haleem, Khichda and Dalcha, among others. Born and brought up in the city, Hanif stays with his family in Mominpura close to his popup tea stall. When asked his age, he scrunches up his face, trying to remember whether he is 46 or 47 years old. His wife is a homemaker and his son drives an auto rickshaw. A ‘Proper Puneri’, Hanif takes immense pride in his work. “I am a simple man, I work to provide for my family and I can safely say that everything we have now is a result of my hard work over the years,” he says. Hanif is content with his current life, and wants to carry on the same way as long as he is continues being happy with what he does. “I lead a comfortable life, my son has grown up and I look forward to spending many more happy years with my small catering business and my tea stall,” he ends. (As told toAbha Pandit)
unekar
LESS IS MORE, WITH A MINIMAL MAKE-UP LOOK
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ost days, going for a bold make-up properly so it doesn’t appear patchy look is not suitable for everyday l Dust translucent powder all over your wear. For a lighter, fresher look, face, to keep the base in place a minimalistic look is l Apply a nude shade of eye shadow on the the way to go. Makeeye lids, which will give a bright touch to the up artist Mayuri Garud eyes shares some tips for a l In the inner corners, apply shimmery eye look is easy to execute shadow in a champagne tone and doesn’t draw too l A simple winged eye liner is a good idea much attention, all the for highlighting the eyes. Putting kajal on while making you look the waterline is optional radiant. l Curl eyelashes and apply a coat of mascara l The most important to finish the eye make-up thing is to clean your Mayuri Garud l Use blush in a pink or peach tone, face properly before and blend using your fingertips for a starting, taking off any make-up slight glow STYLE residue l While choosing a lip colour, GURU l Start off by applying opt for a nude shade depending moisturizer, followed by upon the shade of your skin. foundation. BB cream is a good Colours in shades of brown are also a option, since it provides both, along with good choice, if you want a slightly darker protection against the sun look This look is best suited for office wear or l Use a good quality concealer for under casual outings. (As told to Abha Pandit) eyes dark circles, making sure to blend
City
celeb chat
Name: Mayuri Wagh Profession: Actress Three words to describe me: Dazzling, Caring, Workaholic I love my job because: It’s my passion Best advice I’ve received: Never explain yourself too much. Do good and the best will come to you. When buying something, the first thing that catches my eye is: It’s colour What’s your inner animal? Dolphin The first thing you notice about an attractive person: Eyes The perfect start to a day is: Breakfast made by mom Your current fourwheeler: Maruti Swift Your fitness regimen: I drink lots of water and eat fruits. Being positive always is a key to calmness which ultimately leads to a fit and healthy life. Your food indulgence: Chocolates Books by your bedside: You can heal your life, by Louise Hay The first site you visit when you fire up your comp: Youtube and Myntra Your favourite city: Mumbai Ideal holiday: In nature with family
(As told to Salonee Mistry)
TGS LIFE JUNE 25, 2016 PUNE
BUZZ
Killing it with his boy-next-door looks By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
H
e’s super cute, funny and as enthusiastic about life as one can be. After being under the spotlight for television shows like Humse Hai Life and films like Yaariyan, 26-year-old Himansh Kohli, is back with his next rom-com Sweetie Desai Weds NRI. He will be seen playing a Gujarati boy in the film, a role that demanded he work quite hard. He is paired opposite Zoya Afroz and the film is directed by Hasnain Hyderabadwala. Super excited about the film and his nerdy character, Himansh shares his journey to becoming an actor and the one film he most definitely wants to be a part of. Set in Gujarat, Himansh plays a young guy who is hopelessly in love with Zoya but is struggling to find some stability in his mundane life. Looking the way he does, Himansh feels that his biggest disadvantage is that he is always offered roles that revolve
around being a school or college kid. The fact the he looks young frustrates him a little bit sometimes, he tells us. “Playing the Gujarati nerd was not the easiest. I am a Punjabi boy and being loud and over enthusiastic is in my blood. Since this role is just the opposite, staying in character was my biggest challenge,” he smiles. The workshops just before the shoot began did a lot to help him, he adds. This Delhi boy had almost given up on his dream to become an actor after struggling for a while. He took up a job as a radio jockey and his fate turned around. “I truly feel that no matter how long it takes, one should always do what they are passionate about. I always wanted to entertain other, even my back-up plan revolved around this idea,” he tells us. He is happy that things worked out for him and he finally got to do what he had always dreamed of. Himansh has two more films other than Sweetie Desai Weds NRI in the pipeline – Dil Jo Na Keh Saka and Gunday And Gudiya. While this is something that he is already working on, the one project that the actor absolutely wants to be a part of is a road film. Travelling is his second love and combining the two would be just perfect, he feels. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
‘Udta Punjab was a dream come true’
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e was loud, super hyper and pretty restless as Jassi in Udta Punjab. Playing Shahid Kapoor’s younger brother in the film wasn’t the easiest for the new-comer but Suhail Nayyar knew just how to make things work for him. Sweating it out from one audition to another, he struggled for quite some time before he bagged his debut film. With Commando 2 and the web series Life Hai Yeh up his sleeve, Suhail is steadily making his way up the top and seems rather unstoppable. Hailing from Delhi, he now lives in Mumbai and shares a close bond with Pune too. A friendly chat over the phone with this charming handsome hunk let us in on how challenging the role was for him and what he believes makes a good actor. FTII was Suhail’s learning turf for a good two and a half years. After moving to Mumbai, he joined the theatre group Now that included exFTII students. While he was getting advertisements and worked for some big names likes Tata and Myntra, he was eagerly waiting or his big break. “I was ecstatic when I was selected to work for this film. Not only was it an opportunity to work with Abhishek Chaubey, who is one of the best directors, I would also be working with actors like Shahid, Diljit Dosanj and Alia Bhatt,” says Suhail. He had to go through several workshops and train-
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ing sessions to master the Amristari accent and get the mannerisms right. Being on the sets around his idols was a great learning experience for him apart from the fact that it was truckloads of fun too. When the film was enveloped in a controversy and its release was a little doubtful, his heart sunk. There was a lot of hard work from every single person on the set and he is happy it didn’t all go waste, he tells TGS. For this talented young guy, a good actor is one who stays true to the character that he is playing. He honestly feel’s that things like looks and a good physique are only secondary to actually knowing how to act, whether you have a godfather in the industry or not. Growing up, he wanted to be a pilot as well as an actor. His biggest high in life is being appreciated by his peers and seniors from the industry, for the work that he does and would love to work with Kangana Ranaut and Manoj Bajpai someday. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com