PUNE, MAY 14, 2016 | www.thegoldensparrow.com
Roll Camera...
ACTION!
With d-day looming just past the horizon, it’s all about spending some quality time before the shenanigans take over every breathing second. Meet four couples who’ve added their own little twist to wedding photography
‘I love being loved’
TGS LIFE
MAY 14, 2016 PUNE
By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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BUZZ
laying the lead in &TV’s new show Waaris, Aarti Singh portrays the role of the mother Amba who hides her third daughter’s identity from the entire village and raises her as a son. The character, Aarti points out, is vastly different from who she is in real life. It has been a lot of hard work getting into the skin of the character, the young actress admits. Running between shoots and promotions, Aarti has a lot on her hands right now and has her fingers crossed for the success of the show. Coming from a talented family that includes the legend Govinda and comedian Krushna Abhishek, there are a lot of expectations to meet. Growing up seeing Govinda on the big screen, Aarti always wanted to become an actor and feels that there is still a long way to go for her. Comparison to her brother and cousin Ragini Khanna is something that she has been facing for a long time now. However, she feels that since her genre is so different the comparison might not be right. Talking about her role in the show, she says, “Amba is a very powerful character and that’s what attracted me to take it up. It’s an intense concept and being a woman, it is extremely close to my heart. It took me some getting used to, but
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I am pretty comfortable playing her now.” The reason she loves being an actor is because she gets to play characters very different from her own personality. Plus, the money and fame are a great bonus, she laughs. Since acting runs in her blood, most if comes naturally to her while she makes up for everything else by giving in a 100 per cent in every shot. Her dream role would be Kajol’s from Dushman and Kareena’s from Heroine. She also wants to work with Supriya Pilgaonkar and Salman Khan, both of whom are on her idol list. As of now, she is waiting for the right man to come along. “I love being loved. When in a relationship, I have the potential to forget myself and go all out for the other person. My next relationship will be for keeps and one that will last till death do us part,” she says. She is super excited for the television show and can’t wait for May 16, which is when it is scheduled to air. The response has already been great and the trailers have done really well on YouTube. No matter what she does, performance is always her priority and it does not matter that even though she is young she has to play a mother to three children. With a promising script, she knew from the minute she heard it for the first time that she wanted to be a part of the project. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
She’s come a long way on a musical journey By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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ith hits like Janam Janam, Gerua and Saree Ke Fall Sa in her kitty, talent house w’s sugarcoated voice will be heard once gain in the recently released films 1920 London and Azhar. Often compared to Shreya Ghoshal for the sweetness in her musicality, Antara is extremely honoured to have received that kind of admiration. Competing in Indian Idol in 2006 was the first time that she even thought of choosing music as career. Earlier,
music was simply a hobby. When she moved to Mumbai after her elimination from the reality show, she met music director Pritam in a studio and sang a few lines for him. After that, she got the opportunity to do scratch dubbings for his studio and it was much later that she was offered her first song, which was a duet with Sonu Nigam for the movie Speed. “Music allows me to meet so many other musical souls every day and everyone teaches me something. In addition, since doing what I love to do the most is paying my bills, it is reason enough for me to do my best for every song,” she smiles. In 1920 London, she has sung two songs – the classic song with a new twist Gumnaam and a love number Afreen, with KK. For both, Antara has worked with new composer duo Kaushik-Akash and promises us that recording them was absolute fun. Her association with music began with her father, who is also a vocalist. He is a popular music teacher in Masalandapur, West Bengal and her home was always filled with his students. “Baba’s constant music practice at home made it a part of my routine. As a child, I always thought that may be every house has a Tanpura and this huge box full of cassettes. They were so much a part of my upbringing that it was never something additional,” Antara tells us as she recollects her childhood days. The young girl’s dream is to one day be the voice of Madhuri Dixit and work with Gulzar. She imagines a time where she can simply sit and listen to him narrate his lyrics which she can later sing. Her biggest concern entering a recording session is if she will be able to meet the expectations of the composer, she confesses. A free soul, she loves cooking, reading, listening to music and watching films in her spare time. There are a few Hindi songs which are in the pipeline and she is also trying to figure out a digital channel where she can feature her independent music. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
George to play a TV host in his next film By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
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he glam, onscreen couple Julia Roberts and George Clooney will be seen together in Jodie Foster’s next, Money Monster. The movie revolves around George, who plays the TV host of a finance show Lee Gates while Julia plays the shows’ producer Patty. The characters are put into a critical situation when an investor, who has lost everything, takes over their studio. They are taken hostage while his show is live. “We loved the idea of talking about the world of money and how it’s gotten out of control. It’s about how when things go wrong, you don’t really understand what it is that caused you to lose money. I thought this was an interesting subject,” says George. Julia plays the role of a supportive producer, who helps him find a way to stay alive at the same time uncovers the truth behind the mystery. “Julia’s character is trying to stay calm and collected. She helps Lee keep himself calm
and understand what’s going on in the studio. The story is about all of us feeling in control even as we’re not in control of our own lives,” he adds. The film is centred around a subject related to the common man. It’s about times when somebody benefits off of our lack of understanding. The film also stars Jack O’Connell as Kyle, who lost all his money after heeding to an advice given by George on his show. “Well I don’t think Lee was paying much attention or really cares, you know, he’s sort of a cynical cat and doesn’t really care much about any of those things. Kyle does this based on something that I told him to do and I was lying to him, even if I wasn’t aware of it,” he adds. Being one of the most iconic actors in Hollywood, George sure handles fame and success with utmost dignity. He, however, feels that the scope of his work gets limited because of his age. “You try to pick the films that work best for you and, as you age, they become fewer and fewer,” he says. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com
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TGS LIFE
MAY 14, 2016 PUNE
ENTERTAINMENT
No school for stand-up comedy, says Amit By Rashmeet Taluja @rashmeet_taluja
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En route to Cannes Marathi film Halal hasn’t been commercially released yet but it already has six awards in its kitty By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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riting, directing and producing a film based on a section of the Quran could not have been an easy task. After about spending 34 days shooting and then a few more days editing the footage, a film that talks about the injustice that women have to go through because of divorce and marriage laws was finally ready. It has taken Amol Kagne, the producer of this film, and his team, including film writer Rajan Khan, four years to research the issue even before they began shooting. Just before the team heads out to France to be a part of the market at the Cannes International Film Festival, we spoke with Amol about what prompted him to make the film, the challenges he faced and his next projects. The film looks at the physical, mental and emotional troubles that a woman faces through the process of getting a divorce or re-marrying her previous husband. Originally, the rule was made with the noble intention of preventing divorces but without much success. Halal is about one such girl, who is married to a guy from her village. The groom is selected by her parents but her husband later leaves her. He then wants to get back to her and, according to the rule, she has to be married to someone else and stay with her new husband for a while before she can return to the first. “The 72-minute film, not only tells you exactly what the law says but also portrays
the state of a woman through all of this. We have had a lot of women thank us for telling their story,” says Amol. A doctor by profession, the theatre bug bit Amol when he was in college. After completing his graduation and becoming an ENT-specialist, he decided to pursue a course in direction and acting. Halal is his first film as producer and he is glad the film has received positive reactions. Apart from going to Cannes, the film has won six awards at the 53rd Maharashtra State Marathi Film Awards. “It feels great to be loved so much. After being rejected once by the censor board due to our subject, getting so many awards and being selected by the government to go to Cannes, seems like re-birth,” Amol tells us. Recollecting their testing period he remembers how difficult it was for every single individual working on the film to know that there was a possibility that the film might not get a positive feedback. The film stars, Chinmay Mandlekar, Pritam Kagne, Priyadarsan Jadhav, Vijay Chavan, Chhaya Kadam, Vimal Mhatre and Sanjay Sugavkar. It has been directed by National Award-winning director Shivaji Patil. Honey Satamkar won an award for the best background music at the 53rd Maharashtra State Marathi Film awards, Rajan Khan for best scriptwriter, Amol bagged the best debut film production award, Shivaji for the best social issue director and Suboh Powar and Sayyad Akhtar for best lyrics. Halal also won the best film in social issue category. The film will be released commercially by the end of July. Apart from Halal, Amol is also working on two other films at the moment. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
ith over 500 shows across major cities in the country, Amit Tandon has turned into a recurring face in the stand-up comedy scene. He has recently performed in Dubai, Singapore and Malaysia and is among the best known ‘observational’ comics in the country. With several shows lined up in Delhi, Mumbai and Pune, he speaks with TGS about the stand-up comedy scene in Pune, his writing process and shares his future plans. “I love the audience in Pune. It’s a well-travelled and cosmopolitan crowd. The audience is younger than other cities so I believe comedy needs more penetration in the city and has to move beyond shows in pubs. Mumbai and Delhi have a huge auditorium scene, which also pulls in older audience and has its own charm,” he says enthusiastically. Apart from the travel that his shows entail, Amit loves the happiness comedy brings to people’s lives. “It is simply priceless,” he points out. He is known as ‘The Married Guy’ in the stand-up comedy circuit. He jests that after marriage and two kids, he realized it couldn’t get any worse and took to comedy. In the last three years, he has toured two solo shows across India and has co-produced three other shows. He was also responsible for bringing Fight Comic, a popular comedy face-off show from Singapore, to India. Amit is the founder of Grandmasters of Comedy, a company focused on bringing comedy to the corporate world. While he does agree that it isn’t easy to write fresh content for shows that target different age groups and nationalities, Amit says, “Often when you are not in the right mind set, you can’t think funny. The best way of getting back on track is to talk to all my comedian friends, bounce off ideas, and get chatting with people in general. It really ignites your mind and gets your evil side working.” He also believes that stand-up comedy can’t be taught in schools. Though if you have the potential, a certain set of tips and tricks can help a lot. “Every time I am with a senior comedian, I observe and learn nuances from their on-stage routine,” he explains. His routine usually finds a connect with married couples and youngsters. Amit talks about growing up in a sexist, loud Punjabi family and the fake people in the corporate world but he does shy away from taking pot shots at the warped politics and leaders in the country. “It isn’t really a conscious decision to stay away from political jokes. I just spend a lot of time with my family, observe my young kids and perhaps that reflects in my routine.” He is undoubtedly a ‘cool’ father and does not follow any rules off the parenting book. He has collaborated with several international stand-up artists, men and women alike but he insists he loves working the most with female stand-up comedian Neeti Palta and Maheep Singh, who is also fondly known as the Gujarati Sardar in the comedy circuit. “With Neeti, I have done a show called Happily Never After and we also run our jokes by each other regularly. With Maheep, I did a Punjabi show called Saanu Kee, which is now also a weekly radio show on Radio City.” The good news for stand-up comedy aficionados is that he plans on releasing a web series of his sketches across digital platforms very soon as he thinks takers for stand-up comedy online are growing. rashmeet. taluja@goldensparrow.com
VISHAL KALE
TGS LIFE
MAY 14, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES This petite danseuse emphasises on technique and movements of Horton dance, as she brings the renowned US-based dancer Lester Horton’s invention to Pune for the very first time
A strength test of a different kind By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
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ity-based dancer Kamakshi Saxena believes in letting her body sing to the music, while she grooves for a Horton dance performance. The style and technique of the dance is completely based on the body
flexibility and the ability to transfer to other genres. “This dance technique establishes a framework of body movement, helps in co-ordination, and tests the elasticity and body rhythm,” explains Kamakshi. This modern dance is developed by Lester Horton, an American dancer, teacher and choreographer
from the 1930s. He developed the technique with an aim to create a well-rounded healthy dancer. His techniques enable dancers from all disciplines and cultures to build skills that bridge the gap from the contemporary genre to commercial and theatrical forms. The Horton also helps correct and improve the dancers’ physical limitations so that they might further pursue any form of dance with ease. “It develops both strength and flexibility and works with an energy that is constantly in motion. The dance is fast paced and has tricky choreography,” adds
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Kamakshi who has trained at Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. As a long time and devoted teacher of the Horton technique, she also works with modern, ballet and jazz dancers of all levels. She is passionate about passing on the technique that contributed to her own development as a dancer. What got her inclined towards the dance is the dramatic freedom of expression that the technique offered. “I have been trained by Alvin Ailey, who in turn trained under Lester Horton’s company. I consider myself fortunate to have learned directly from the generation trained under the legend himself,” she adds. The Horton has a syllabus that includes movement categories and exercises like Projections, Locomotion, Preludes, Rhythm, Improvisation and Fortification. “It has a lot of physical movements like one leg and hand parallel to the floor, clean lines, turns, jumps, and so on, which test your endurance,” she says. To learn Horton, knowing and understanding the tempo and placement of each exercise is important. It’s challenging for a beginner to get along with a tempo and positions at the same time. “It takes discipline, endurance and determination to execute the technique. Just when you think you have mastered an exercise there is always a way to make it more challenging,” she adds. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST Gone are the days when you had to starve to acquire the size-zero label, models today are raring to stay and look fit to rock the ramp, says celebrity nutritionist Avanti Deshpande By Heena Grover Menon @HeenaGM
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f you’re a budding model and looking for a promising career in the world of modelling, here’s an opportunity to know all you need to do from the experts. This Sunday, city-based nutritionist Avanti Deshpande along with some established models will give some important insights and discuss the role of balanced nutrition and staying fit. The idea of organising the talk struck Avanti while she was watching an international fashion show. “There was a size zero fad storming the fashion industry till recently, but the trend has taken an interesting twist. I see a lot of models are now turning towards perfectly-toned and very fit bodies. No one likes the skinny any more. This is what urged me to bring this topic up so that young models get a clear direction on what is the right way forward for them if they plan to enter the industry,” says Avanti. Joining her in the talk will be professional models Varsha Rajkhowa, Siddharth Gothwal, Rohit
Verma, Mayuri Nandanwar and Gitanjali Chawhan, who will share their success stories and fitness mantras. Busting some of the myths that a lot of aspiring models tend to believe in, Avanti says that while sweating it out in the gym is considered the most important aspect of staying in shape, many models end up going overboard on exercising, which eventually shows on their face as they look exhausted. This should totally be avoided. Additionally, one must get an expert trainer for both workout and diet regime. Siddharth is totally in agreement and says that when he had entered the industry a few years ago, he believed that taking supplements and acquiring a huge bulky body would work for him as a model. “I realised later that it’s not the bulky body but a lean and fit one that would fetch me good work. Moreover, I also strongly believe that knowing how to cook helps a lot. Once
you know your body well, you can cook your meal according to your body’s needs,” shares Siddharth, who has many titles to his credit. Many models also think that consuming carbohydrates will work against them. But that’s totally a misconception, adds Avanti. One needs a balanced amount of carbs and proteins for the metabolism to work evenly. “I am proud of the fact that I have been able to bring out great results through my guidance on proper diet and nutrition for many models in the city. Varsha is one of the biggest examples. She had initially come to me to seek help on losing weight, but I told put her on a plan that ended up making her look as fit and glowing as ever,” adds Avanti. Varsha who has won many titles for her extremely fit body will be sharing her story of acquiring a super svelte body during the talk. “Before meeting Avanti, I had many misconceptions about diet and nutrition. Like most models, I also used to think that eating less would help me reduce weight but that was entirely wrong. She follows the concept of never giving up on food to lose weight. To get a perfectly toned body, one needs to focus on gaining muscle weight and for that one needs to consume a particular amount of fat so that you can work out to burn
it without feeling exhausted at the end of the day,” shares Varsha who has been following Avanti for a few years now and says that she played a vital role in changing her life for all the good reasons. The workshop will talk about all this and more and is open for not just models but all those who want to live a healthy and fit life. When: May 15, 4.30 pm Where: Real Green Café, Lane 6, Koregaon Park heena.grover@goldensparrow.com
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TGS LIFE
When a great play starts with some delicious breakfast, it is a Sunday morning worth getting out of bed
MAY 14, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES
By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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The Sathe conundrum is back on stage acting or directing, it has been equally exciting and fun for her. She not only got the chance to act with her husband after a long time but also got to direct him and so indirectly shout at him for things he does at home, she jokes. Ask her what makes her nervous before the show premiers and she assures us that the acting, script and technical aspect is something that she knows is top-notch. “We are trying to do something different here.
There isn’t much that these young boys want, except to dance all their life. While it has just been about two years since they began dancing, they are already climbing the ladder of success
Hindi theatre isn’t accepted as well as Marathi or English and so the number of people who will turn-up is a cause for worry,” she tells us. She is hoping that the audience decides to give the Hinglish play a chance before writing it off as something that they won’t be interested in. The play, in many ways, guarantees a good time and ensures you leave the auditorium with some food for thought, she adds. The team has been rehearsing for
about a month now and the best part of it, Rasika says, is that Zeeshan and she can even rehearse at home. The rehearsals are a good mix of fun and serious work. Knowing each other well makes it easier for both of them to play off the other’s actions, making it seem as natural as possible. She admits that her husband might have found it a little difficult to be on stage after years of being on the big and small screen. Having said this, he has done
“Hindi theatre isn’t accepted as well as Marathi or English and so the number of people who will turn-up is a cause for worry” a splendid job and his efforts will hopefully pay off too. Iss Kambakht Sathe Ka Kya Karein? is a part of the Natak-atBreakfast series which is co-produced by Expression Lab, Wide Wings Media and the Maharashtra Cultural Centre. While the play starts at 10.30 am, it is preceded by a mouthwatering breakfast at the venue itself. When: May 22, 9 am to 12:30 pm Where: Jyotsna Bhole Sabhagruha, Hirabaug Chowk salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
CHECK OUT THEIR MOVES VISHAL KALE
hemistry is a given, when husband and wife play the same roles on stage too. Working together after several years Rasika Agashe and Zeeshan Ayyub will not only leave you in splits with their dark comedy but will also get you thinking. They will stage a work based on the age-old problem of jealousy and competition that all of us go through, irrespective of age and professions. Wondering why your classmate scored better than you when you put in the same effort, why the boss favours your colleague over you and then comparing your children to your neighbour’s kids – competition and jealously never ends. Recreating the magic of Rajeev Naik’s play, their Hinglish rendition titled Iss Kambakht Sathe Ka Kya Karein? might just make you rethink your philosophy. Rasika is excited and nervous each time the curtain rises. She says, “This play is very close to my heart. I saw it for the first time when I was in school and for some reason it has stuck with me till date. Directing the play, places the added responsibility of making sure every minute detail is perfect and that it all works well together.” Be it
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rickshaw driver’s son, Akash Shinde was quite young when he decided that he wanted to dance. Without the support of his family, he found a way to pursue what he was interested in and, when he was about 16 years old, he began doing odd jobs to pay for dance sessions. Two years later, he has mastered the art of dancing so well that when he finishes performing even if it is just him rehearsing you are forced to applaud. His partner on the dance floor, Atharva Devkar is no different. Dancing for only about a year now, he is equally good at his moves and is doing his best to fulfil his parents’ dreams. Together, although their worlds are extremely apart, they bring to the dance floor panache, energy and magic. Recently seen on the popular reality show India’s Got Talent, the two young boys have become pretty famous. After qualifying for the second round, the channel sent the two of them to Nagpur for promotions and every minute of the trip was a memory that is etched in their minds forever. This was the first time that they would be sitting in an airplane and till they reached the airport they weren’t even told that they would be flying. “At the airport, we almost felt like celebrities. So many people walked up to us and asked for pictures. The feeling was surreal,” says Akash, a big smile on his face. Now that he has been featured on a reality show, for which he missed one of his HSC board papers, his parents are getting a lot of calls congratulating them on their son’s success. This has made them accept him as a dancer and they are doing what they can to support him. Apart from being a choreographer, he also wants to get a degree in dance. With mischievous looks and a cute smile, Atharva is the stunt master between the two. A little slow at learning a step, he can
perform almost every B-Boying stunt and has created a style of his own. Even though he is only in the seventh grade, he knows he wants to grow up to have his own dance academy and maybe even become a famous choreographer. “Dharmesh sir is my favourite choreographer and I would love to one day choreograph Salman Khan. When I am dancing I am most scared of the jumps,” the little boy confesses. While both of them work hard and rehearse for hours, the one man they owe everything to is Dhanraj Nanaware, who runs
Explosive Dance Institute in the city. Immensely proud of his two students, he says, “Both the boys nicely balance each other, on and off the stage. Akash is more hard working and makes sure that Atharva practices too. Atharva, on the other hand, is quick with learning stunts which he helps Akash with and is so mischievous that he makes rehearsals fun. Dhanraj too started his journey as a dancer by watching videos and practicing in the garden. He knows that when one is truly dedicated to something, there is absolutely nothing that stops them.
Summer Treats
TGS LIFE
FEATURES
VISHAL KALE
MAY 14, 2016 PUNE
By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
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estaurants across the city are providing some much-needed respite from the heat with their fresh menus that include seasonal flavours and summer produce. BEER PANHA AND WATERMELON MOJITO With the sun beating down harder than ever, the body must remain hydrated and what better option than to mix up a flavourful drink. The summer coolers menu at FishBowl is sure to give you a cooling sensation and quench your thirst. “I love experimenting with drinks with seasonal produce. All my drinks in the summer coolers menu are inspired by this idea,” says Sumant Mishra, assistant food and beverage manager. Their Beer Panna is made using a raw mango reduction and Watermelon Mojito is a perfect blend of white rum, lemon, mint and watermelon. “The ing red ients are mixed to balance tastebuds. The sweet, sour, bitter flavours along with the use of herbs are in such a proportion that nothing gets more dominating and you can experience a smooth and balanced cocktail,” he adds. Where: FishBowl, Near Aga Khan Palace, Hyatt Pune, Kalyani Nagar
GRILLED CHICKEN WITH CUCUMBER, MELON SALSA AND BUTTERMILK CORN SHRIMP SOUP Like every year, The Flour Works is back with its innovative summer menu. From refreshing soups to mouth-watering mains, the restaurant has everything you’d want to save yourself from the sweltering heat. The pairing of cucumber, mint, and melon brings new dimensions to grilled chicken breasts. Another interesting cuisine on the menu is their butter-
milk corn shrimp soup. “We try to do something different every year. We have added ingredients like mango, watermelon, cucumber, buttermilk to add a twist to your taste buds,” says Meeta Makhija, chef. The ingredients blends really well to give you the right amount of flavours in a cold soup. Where: The Flour Works, near Joggers Park, Kalyani Nagar
VIETNAMESE WATERMELON SALAD it and cut in cubes. In a bowl, Ingredients Watermelon cubes 300 gms add chilli garlic sauce, peanut Chilli garlic sauce 250 gms butter, honey, Kikkoman Peanut butter 250 gms sauce, rice wine vinegar and Honey 20 ml sesame oil to make a thick Kikkoman sauce 20 ml emulsion. Rice wine vinegar 15 ml Take the cubed watermelon Almond flakes 10 gms and add 3 teaspoons of emulRed raddish, fine slices 10 gms sion, mix well. Mint leaves 05 gms Place the watermelon in a Fresh coriander leaves 05 gms plate, sprinkle mint leaves, Feta cheese crumble 10 gms fresh coriander leaves, Sesame oil 05 ml crumbled feta on top. Garnish Microgreens 02 gms it with microgreens. Serve Preparation: chilled. Peel the watermelon, deseed By Shizusan, Viman Nagar
CHEPALA PULUSU If you are looking forward to trying out a South Indian cuisine, then head to Savya Rasa. Their Chepala Pulusu is a seer fish cooked with raw mango cubes and is simmered in coconut milk. This is a thick spicy fish curry from the Nellore region. The preparation is a real treat for those who love spice. The aroma of Indian spices and the sweetness of mango added to the dish will surely make your tongue swirl. Where: Savya Rasa, Gera Serenity, Koregaon Park MANGO BAKED YOGURT Graham cracker crumbs 1 1/2 cups Sugar 1 1/2 cup Butter, melted 6 tablespoons Large ripe mangoes, cubed 3 Philadelphia cream cheese, softened 200 gm Vanilla extract 2 teaspoons Eggs 4 Preparation: Stir together the Graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter in a bowl; press into bottom and 1-inch up sides of a buttered, 9-inch spring form pan. Bake at 325º for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside. Process mangoes until pureed. With an electric mixer, beat cream cheese, 1 1/4 cups
sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, mixing just until the yellow disappears after each addition. Stir in mango puree. Pour batter into prepared crust. Bake at 325º for 1 hour and 25 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack for an hour. Cover and chill for eight hours. Garnish, if desired. By Playboy Beer Garden, Balewadi KIWI COOLER Ingredients Kiwi crush 30 ml Lime juice 20 ml, Sugar syrup 15 ml, Sparkling water 90 ml Preparation: Put all ingredients in Boston shaker except the sparkling water. Shake well with ice cubes. Strain in brandy balloon glass. Top up with sparkling water. Garnish with lemon slice By Double Tree by Hilton , Chinchwad
Get rid of red roses and clichéd bouquets, instead give in to this emerging trend in the city
MAY 14, 2016 PUNE
TEJAS GAIKWAD
The healthy gifting option
TGS LIFE
INDULGE
By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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ften at marriages and functions when we don’t know the couple or the person well, we land up carrying a bouquet of flowers for them. These generally rot and are thrown away after a day. What if there was something just as formal and warm as flowers but was also useful at the same time? Would that not be the easiest solution to your gifting woes? It is as simple as replacing the flowers with fruits and vegetables and voila, you have one of the best gifts ever. While this has been the trend in metropolitans like Mumbai for some time now, in Pune has only recently caught up with the trend. Making these healthy and extremely eye-catching bouquets in the comfort of their home, we spoke with four vegetable and fruit carvers from the city. Just like the art of cooking, nuances of carving fruits and vegetables were passed down to Amita Kulkarni from her mother, grandmother and aunts. It was by looking at them and keenly observing how they worked with the knife that she became intrigued and decided to try her hand at it too. When she moved to Pune from Kanpur, she began practicing it more often and has been doing it professionally for about 30 years now. “My best tutor has been observing others and, most recently, innumerable YouTube videos. The one reason why a lot of people do opt for it is because it requires a lot of patience and is not a onetime thing. You have to keep practicing it, to be able to master it well,” says the 52-year-old, who is a professional event decorator. She has held innumerable demo classes for big companies over the last 10 years, across Maharashtra and through her classes has taught thousands of people. She has also been seen quite often on the television shows, including Hello Sakhi aired on Doordarshan. Just like her, Urmila Patankar takes classes and has been pursuing this professionally for the last six years. She in fact learned the art from Amita and spent about two years just trying her hand at mastering it before she actually started conducting classes herself. She continued to do the same thing over and over again till it looked better than perfect. Her background in fashion designing helped her sketch out ideas on paper before she decided what she wanted to carve.
Urmila Patankar with her finished vegetable and fruit bouquet
From L-R; Barkha Parmar and Harsha Shah patiently working on creating new designs with vegetables
Colour combinations, designs, visualization and sketching is everything that fashion designing allows her to do seamlessly and it helps a lot with the bouquets. She too has appeared on shows like Aamhi Sare Khavayee aired on Zee Marathi, Sugaran and Aaj Kay Special aired on Saam Tv, Hello Sakhi aired on Doordarshan and Majavani Paripurna Kitchen aired on Colours Marathi. There is also Harsha Shah, 55, a confectioner by profession who learned vegetable and fruit carving about 32 years ago from an artist. Since the equipment was not easily available she got her cousins, who lived abroad, to get the special knives for her and practiced as much as she could and still does. “My in-laws often had parties at home and we always wanted to do something different. This became my practicing turf and still is,” she says. Being a confectioner, she often gets orders to make centre pieces and this is when she gets to experiment the most. Harsha is also an avid gardener and develops her own seeds which she sells too. Her close friend Barkha Parmar also took to carving because of the parties and get-togethers that her father often hosted. Coordinator of Jolly Dwarf playgroup and nursery, she always manages to find inspiration in the things that she sees around her. She has managed to stick with this art form as a hobby for about 25 years now and doesn’t plan on giving it up anytime soon. Although she does not pursue this professionally, as someone who knows the tricks of the trade she says that patience is the key to doing it well. Every time she notices a pattern or design that she likes, it stays with her and then she finds a way to reinvent at the next social gathering. NOT AS EASY AS IT MAY LOOK The process of preparing a bouquet or centrepiece from fruits and vegetables is indeed a tricky one. While the carving part in itself requires a lot of patience, practice and time, once it is ready, preserving it for when it is actually supposed to be displayed is also quite the task. Once carved, it is preserved in ice-water, which allows it to stay fresh and it can be stored like this for almost two to three days. The most difficult part of the entire process, Urmila says, is keeping it away from heat. “Even while we are carving it, the body heat is sometimes enough to damage it. You have to store every piece differently and ensure that neither is there too much moisture, nor does it dry up. It is
indeed a time-consuming job,” she adds. The other major problem as well as the reason why practice is the most important aspect of the art, is because once a piece has been carved there is absolutely no room for error, believes Amita. Since more than often one makes flowers using vegetables like beetroot, carrots, radish or spring onion, the flowers have a set pattern and any error only means starting from scratch. Apart from all the problems that might arise from the
process, this isn’t a popular hobby is because of the patience and perseverance that goes into learning it. You will never get it right the first time and you can’t learn it, not practice for a while and then go back to it. It has to be constant and dedicated effort. Amita Kulkarni All four of them feel that people are now starting to realize that they can learn it too and that it is not restricted to chefs of high-end hotels. The rising number of orders for a fruit or vegetable bouquets, assures them that the awareness of the art form is rising in the city and that it will soon be the best thing to gift at almost any and every occasion. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
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ACTION!
Roll Camera...
TGS LIFE
With d-day looming just past the horizon, it’s all about spending some quality time before the shenanigans take over every breathing second. Meet four couples who’ve added their own little twist to wedding photography
FEATURES
By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
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himmering red bridal trousseau, excited family members and a memory that you will remember for life. While the day of the wedding is one of the most cherished memories for every bride and groom, the days leading up to the big event are even better, what with the excitement of beginning a new chapter of life, shopping, bachelorette and bachelor parties, and innumerable functions. Most recently, there has been an addition to the list of things that one looks forward to when the marriage is just around the corner. Pre-wedding and engagement videos are the in thing this season and every couple you know is getting one. Shooting them is fun as they give participants a celebrity feel. Plus, the shoot is considered to be a great way to capture memories forever. TGS caught up with the couples who got these wedding trailers made and had an amazing time hearing their experiences.
PICS BY KREATIVE ANGLES
Until the two of them met their video planner Mariya Zoheb, they weren’t even sure if they wanted to make a video. Not particularly comfortable being in front of the camera, posing at times and then seeing themselves on the screen was a somewhat awkward experience for both Alifiya Patla and Hussain Khambati. Being in a relationship for about five years before they decided to get married, the two had a great time on the shoot. “We were initially not sure if we wanted to get the video made. Now that we have, it is easily one of the best experiences we have had together. It takes away all the wedding stress and creates a memory forever,” explains Alifiya. When they met with the team for the first time they were shown two or three places before they decided to finalise on Divyagadh. Since they had a time constraint, a chunk of the shoot was done at night as soon as they reached the spot. While being comfortable in front of the camera was not the easiest, the team made the couple feel at ease and about 90 per cent of the shoot was as candid as possible to ensure that it represented them in their truest form. “Be it an arranged or love marriage, we recommend that everyone get a pre-wedding shoot done. It not only gives the couple some time away from the wedding madness but it is also is a chance to get to know each other better,” she says. Adding, with no one around, shoots like this have the potential to reveal aspects about your partner’s personality that you never knew, however big or small they might be.
PIC BY KREATIVE ANGLES
ALIFYA AND HUSSAIN
People behind the camera Just about five videos old, Kreative Angles helps preserve memories through video and photographs. Mariya Zoheb who is the visual communication in-charge, or looks after the creativity, lead photographer Saurabh Ghiya and operations manager Faeza Amar got together to do what they do best and give couples across the city a memory for lifetime, be it through the videos they made or the events they organised. All three of them agreed that pre-wedding and engagement videos area a new craze and something that no one is willing to compromise on. They all want to do something different, out of the box, and yet want it to simple. The creative for such videos are not only challenging, but fun too. Nodding his head in full agreement Shreyas Mudholkar from Blue Beret believes that the biggest challenge is getting the couple to look at their video with a fresh perspective. He says, “Most couples go trough a lot of videos and photos and set a fi xed picture of what pose or feel they want for their shoot. We get them to change tracks by making them interact and this brings out the actual aroma of their relationship. Sometimes it reflects for only for a few seconds and we have
to capture it as is.” Pursuing the camera since his first year of college and ever since living it Aniket Wasnik, co-founded the Blue Beret along with Shreyas. Earlier, they’d worked individually on some projects and, in 2013, they decided to join forces. While the final video might seem like a piece of cake the preparation is anything but easy. We asked Mariya to tell us what the preproduction scene was like for the videos they make and the one thing that she stresses on is to make the couple comfortable is a must. The best way to do this, she points out, is to just let them be. “We don’t plan much going into the shoot, other than the clothes, the song and the location. The element of spontaneity is what brings out the best of the couple and gives the video a real sense,” she says. It’s always our aim to make this the craziest day of their lives one that they will always remember. Blue Beret too also has no fi xed process and they try not to keep one either. Location, attire and time are the main factors that control the theme of the shoot. The couple is guided to wear what will suit them as a pair and what they are most comfortable in. Locations are based on exploration rather
than tried-and-tested ones out, if need be, and this is can magnify the couples lo Every couple has a that bring out their funni are tapped, the session tu tickling debate on He, S are times when we find location worth giving capture like a covert opera one time I had to big tal while Aniket captured th couple,” recollect Shreyas. While on outstatio shoots, Kreative Angles point to get a lot of mome to be prepared for any ch that they might face whil Pre-planning for the t understanding what the talking to them separately helps them get an idea of be on the day of the sho videos even for the team each time the learning is tell us. salonee.mistry@
SHWETA AND HEMANT
PIC BY CLICK STORIES
MAY 14, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES PIC BY BLUE BERET
Keeping it a tad bit more traditional, economical and simple this couple went with doing a photo shoot and turning it into a video for their wedding guests. A few candid moments along with some photographs, made the content for the happy couple Shweta Pardesi and Hemant Salvi’s wedding video. “We wanted a bungalow, nature and sunset. Packing bags with all our clothes, we headed out to Mahableshwar, for some quiet time. They shot the photographs at the same location throughout the day, just a week before they were all set to get married. The video was more along the lines of a teaser to their marriage. “Since we had invited only a few guests over for the engagement, the teaser was for everybody. It was a fun way about telling them our story and was easy at the same time,” Shweta tells us. It took them about two to three months to actually get the video made as there were a lot of discussions. They were constantly rushing through everything and squeezing the shoot into their already tight schedule was even more difficult than being in front of the camera. The couple went along for the shoot only knowing of the clothes they were going to wear. Matching attires, clichéd poses and a complete poetic and Bollywood feel, the prewedding video was just as good as a film teaser, the couple recall.
TGS LIFE
SIDDHANT AND KAEHALEE Although the two of them wanted to do what was trending, they wanted to add a twist of their own. Their video had to be different from the ones they had seen others shoot and had to be about them from start to finish. Siddhant Shinde and Kaehalee Ghorpade met on the basketball court and this is where they got their pre-wedding video shot too. “Basketball is the one thing that both of us really love and it also holds a special place in our relationship. Shooting on the court was an easy decision and keeping it all simple was another major factor,” says Siddhant. They got permission to shoot at the Deccan Gymkhana and in no time had a layout for the video
ready. Staying away from all the mushy and clichéd romantic style of making the videos, the two of them wanted clips that represented their love and yet managed to be edgy. “On the day of the shoot, I was super anxious. I was suddenly quite aware that the camera had its eyes on me, recording every move,” he recalls. It took the couple two months to fi x a date for the shoot since both work and have fi xed schedules, which were already adjusted to incorporate marriage functions and shopping tours. The one reason why they initially weren’t so sure about getting the video made was simply because of how their families might react. The two decided to go ahead with it anyways and are super happy that they did.
RASHMI AND SWAPNIL Dating for three years, this young couple is madly in love. A lot of planning, shopping and discussions later, they decided to make a wedding video which was a welcome change of pace amidst the celebratory chaos. Apart from planning that they were going to get a video shot Rashmi Magar and Swapnil Kudale had absolutely no idea what was in
store for them. “There were so many people getting their videos made that we decided to get one too. I am actually glad that we did. I got to experience things that I otherwise would not have; Swapnil picking me up for instance, or running down a beach with seagulls,” says Rashmi, looking so radiant, making it evident that she was reliving it all.
Going to the photographer for the first time, there were just a few things that the two of them knew they wanted. They didn’t want to style, absolutely wanted to keep it as natural as possible and be in nature. These are thing that they both love and so it was necessary that it was a part of their video. The shoot was held over a weekend since there was
not much time on hand. After fi xing the location at Divyagadh, on the photographer’s recommendation, they decided the basic clothes that they would need and headed out to spend some much-needed quality time. “Most of the process was natural. We did not even know where the cameras were sometimes. It was only during special scenes like that
of the sand play or running down the beach which had some retakes, she recollects. All in all, it was a great experience for both of them and one that that they will not forget. The two days that they spent away from everyone else, was a memory that they say they would have probably not got. It’s an experience of a life time, vouch the couple.
a
s. A story is churned s based on how they ove for each other. set of touch points ier side. Once those urns out to be a rib She and Us. “There a prohibited scenic a shot, which we ation. There was this k with a set of cops he frames with the . on locations for the always makes it a ents in terms of data hanges or problems le editing the video. team also involves e couple wants by y and together. This how the couple will oot. Shooting these m is a lot of fun and s a new one, Mariya
@goldensparrow.com
Aniket Wasnik and Shreyas Mudholkar of Blue Beret brainstorming their next shot
Mariya Zoheb and Saurabh Ghiya on an outdoor shoot and Faeza Amar (insect)
TGS LIFE
MAY 14, 2016 PUNE
MV Agusta opens its first dealership in Pune
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THRILL OF DRIVING
F4 RR 998cc four-cylinder engine 201 hp 297.5 km/hr top speed Rs. 35.71 lac
F3 800cc three-cylinder engine 148 hp/88Nm Rs 16.78 lac
F4 998cc four-cylinder engine 195 hp/111Nm Rs 26.87 lac
toried Italian motorcycle manufacturer MV Agusta, in partnership with the Kinetic group, has opened its first Indian showroom in Kalyani Nagar, Pune. The Italian bike company will operate in India as MV Agusta India Pvt. Ltd. The first range of bikes will include the F3, F4 and Brutale 1090. MV Agusta will soon inaugurate showrooms in Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi and Mumbai, making for an aggressive rollout for an imported motorcycle maker. More so seeing that MV Agusta is considered a genuine exotic. Mr. Ajinkya Firodia, Managing Director of MV Agusta India Pvt. Ltd. said, “We are excited to partner with an illustrious brand like MV Agusta to bring their iconic bikes into the country. For any biking enthusiast, MV Agusta motorcycles are the stuff dreams are made of, as they offer an unparalleled blend of power, performance and handling. The iconic styling and peerless riding dynamics of these machines underline MV Agusta’s tagline of Passion Precisely Crafted.” He further added, “We will be marketing these superbikes through our exclusive ‘Motoroyale’ showroom. It is a new chain of superbike showroom, which will make some of the best bikes in the world accessible to motorcycle enthusiasts in India,” All MV Agusta motorcycles are currently imported from Italy, and will continue to operate this way, with no off-shore manufacturing planned. In India, the F3 800 is currently assembled using the SKD route (semi-knocked down) and Firodia expects to setup CKD operations soon, which should have a positive impact on the prices of locally-assembled models. He also added that the Brutale 800 (the previous generation of which we tested in October, 2015) will be assembled in India and be “very attractively priced”. After perusing the price list, if you thought that MV Agusta is pricing itself out of the market, think again! Of the Indian allocation of bikes currently in the country, the more expensive RR models are already sold out or spoken for, leaving only the “cheap” models for the taking. Acche din for some folks, for sure.
BRUTALE 1090 RR inline four-cylinder engine 158hp/100Nm of torque Rs 24.78 lac BRUTALE 1090 1078cc four-cylinder engine 144 hp/112Nm Rs 20.10 lac
Ford India rolls out EcoSport ‘Black Edition’, starting at Rs 8,58,500
F
ord’s trailblazing compact SUV, the EcoSport now has a ‘Black Edition’. The Black Edition EcoSport is available in three variants — Trend, Titanium and Titanium+. Engine options remain the usual: the 1.5l TiVCT petrol engine mated to a manual or automatic transmission, the 1.5l TDCi diesel engine and the 1.0l EcoBoost engine. The 1.5l TiVCT petrol engine delivers 110 hp and a fuel efficiency of 15.85 km/l while the 1.5L TDCi diesel engine delivers 98 hp and a fuel efficiency
of 22.27 km/l. The exterior changes include a black grille, 16” alloy wheels, fog lamps, blacked-out moulded headlamps, black roof rails and roof cross bars. Other features include automatic headlamps, signature light guide, daytime running lights, electro-chromic mirror, rain
VARIANTS
sensing wipers and push button start. Applink allows the driver to sync with phones and enjoy features like music, navigation, emergency assistance etc. The safety features include six airbags for drivers and passengers. Prices of the BlackEdition EcoSport exshowroom, Delhi--
TITANIUM
TITANIUM +
NA
8,74,800
NA
1.5l TiVCT (Petrol) AT NA
9,79,800
NA
1.0l EcoBoost (Petrol) 8,58,500
NA
9,63,300
1.5l TDCi (Diesel)
9,34,800
9,93,300
1.5l TiVCT (Petrol)
TREND +
8,88,500
Stunt mania comes to the city Get ready for a Sunday full of action and plenty of tricks by professional athlete and two-time European Stunt Riding champion Aras Gibieza
TGS LIFE
MAY 14, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES
By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry
R
iding gear on, safety check done, and it’s only minutes to go before Aras Gibieza will be seen showing off his tricks on a bike. From a wheelie to a blindside drift, from doing high chair drifting to a Kung-Fu style lean, this 26-year-old can do everything you could imagine and more. He was only 10 years old when he performed his fi rst stunt on a 50cc moped. Training for about five hours every day, he believes in pushing his own limits to the maximum and attempting to constantly reinvent the sport. His teammate Red Bull athlete Chris Pfeiffer is one of his biggest inspirations. He is all set to visit Pune with his team for the Gixxer event to be held next weekend. His biggest challenge doing anything is being a better version of himself every day. Travel, experience and happy faces that he sees after his performance keep him going no matter how difficult the task at hand. In addition, his training sessions and podium wins all over the world keep him hooked on to the sport. His very fi rst win was in 2006 when he bagged the second place in the B-class 600 Lithuanian motorcycle racing championship. Since then, he has won innumerable titles and competitions. While all of this seems exciting, we asked him to recollect one of his
worst injuries and he almost cringed at the thought. “I had bad crash one week before a competition. I broke two bones in my leg and the pain was horrible. I also remember competing with the broken foot and winning the competition,” he grins. Irrespectively, he is very happy that he is doing what he loves and is living the dream. When he is not on his bike he continues training at the gym or running. Advising amateur stunt riders, he says, “Doing what you love will always make good things happen. If you make your passion your profession or find a way to manage both, you will be a happier person and in return do well at whatever you set out to do.” Hailing from Vilnius, it is his dream to compete in the XDL and train with the best American riders. Even though he did racing for a while, he could not stay away from stunt riding and was immediately drawn back to it when he purchased his fi rst bike at the age of 16. Gixxer Day, held in Pune, aims to provide a platform for stunt riding enthusiasts to explore bikes and meet those who share similar interests. It celebrates the passion and joy of motorcycling. Th is will be your chance to meet Aras and his team and see everything that he is capable of. When: May 15, 3 pm onwards Where: Phoenix Market city, Viman Nagar salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com
“If you make your passion your profession or find a way to manage both, you will be a happier person”
Meet this talented trio
TGS LIFE
FEATURES
VISHAL KALE
MAY 14, 2016 PUNE
By Rashmeet Taluja @rashmeet_taluja
Z
estful and versatile Akshay Rajan (25), known as Axe, Kartik Rajan (26), popularly known as KC Vlaine, and Soumyanshu Behera (27) are the founders of Total Jugaad Studios. Since their college days, they have collaborated on widely-appreciated short creative films What I Haven’t Said Yet, Raindrop, and Sleight of Mind, which was shortlisted among the top five films at India Fest 2012 in Goa. Like most young entrepreneurs, they converted their own apartment into their studio and started out with doing whatever projects came their way, including a wedding video for a friend. They have worked on several corporate films for brands like Voltas, Uber, Urban Clap, Fashion TV India under the name Rolling ’Stache Studios and are known to provide innovative video solutions. Sticking to no particular style and adapting with the audio visual medium and creative needs of every project, they insist they have grown immensely over the past few years. They’ve taught themselves many things and are now ready to take more risk to further their talent. Soumyanshu is the most calm and foresighted among the three. He is passionate about writing scripts,
TEJAS GAIKWAD
Vilas Karandikar’s Bhatukali collection has an ancient lineage that will cast your mind back to a typical Maharashtrian setting and culture. He aims to preserve and pass on the tradition to the younger generation
meticulously planning every stage of their project and travel. He can shoot, direct, edit but his first love is photography. His personal project, called Aperture 11, is a beautiful series of photographs he captures based on themes or simple musings on life. “I think my strength lies in being able to plan and execute our ideas well. We have a very positive work dynamic where we have creative differences but we always have each other’s back.” Kartik is a stand-up comedian, an erudite spoken poetry artist. He was a speaker at the TEDx 2015 event held in Pune, his influential talk on Poetry As An Outlook has been very well received online. A self-taught guitarist he likes to identify himself primarily as a musician
and sound designer. “In college, when I didn’t have access to professional sound equipment, I would find innovative ways to make things work. For instance, I would connect two audio jacks using a copper wire and pieces of a dismantled pen to hold everything together. True to the word Jugaad, we’d find our own hacks to get work done.” Kartik is also the one who adds a touch of brevity to all their scripts. Kartik’s younger brother Akshay was the one to initiate Rolling ’Stache Music – an initiative to create a free stage for musicians, home producers and bands in India. The studio provided a platform for independent musicians like Tejas Menon, Che Kinger, The Non Violinist Project and Brahma Naad. Akshay can
Take a peek into a doll’s house
By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
I
n an age when gaming consoles have soaked up all free time, the tradition of Bhatukali (toy utensils) have become a thing of the past for most of us. Nevertheless, for 66-year-old Vilas Karandikar it is the biggest passion in life. He has collected over 3,000 toy utensils made of mud, wood, copper, silver, iron, even stone from across India and abroad. His passion for collecting Bhatukali started when he was in the market looking for copper accessories for his home swing. “I was at Tambat aali and I saw a vendor selling these miniature utensils. It took me back to my childhood, and on an impulse I bought them. After that, I went on
shoot, edit, play music, and even do some 2D animation. Theoretically, he’s a fullyfunctioning studio all on his own. He learned animation and a lot of shooting techniques on the job, with no one to guide him. He has his own distinct language of expression. “I am the most hyper and wild among the three of us, I believe in spontaneity and doing things organically. Most of our work has been experimental and we put in a lot of passion in our work. For instance, for our short film Sleight of Mind, we captured shots of a flower called Brahma Kamal, which blooms only once in a year at 2 am for four hours. So we took shots at creating a time lapse of this rare phenomenon.” On asked how they have managed
to sustain themselves without any marketing, Akshay is quick to add, “We have never had to bid for a project or network a lot. We just focus on churning out fresh and engaging content that is made in a technically sound manner. We don’t market ourselves and have received all our work merely through word of mouth and good recommendations.” Soumyanshu says reflectively, “The best part about our job is the high of scouting for locations, shooting round the clock, the creative process and the sheer energy it demands. In fact, we get cranky when we are idle. We like the challenge of constantly dabbling with something new.” Every start-up faces its own share of setbacks initially and they are no exception to the rule. “We took a while to understand how to manage money, how much to charge,” says Kartik. “We have been guilty of biting off more than we could chew in the initial days, but we always learned a new skill or lesson so it has only abated room for error,” adds Akshay. On a personal front, moving forward from making corporate films, Soumyanshu has recently completed a documentary called The Farm, which is scheduled to air on BBC by the end of this month. His documentary is based on Protecterra an ecological farm on a two-acre land at the periphery of Pune. “They practice recycling and giving back to nature in the best way possible, it is a beautiful and unique place founded and run by Pooja Bhale.” While Akshay wants to focus on making conceptual music videos and curating music from independent artists, Kartik wants to focus on composing music and taking up gigs. However, the trio will continue working on creative short films together. rashmeet. taluja@goldensparrow.com
to collect some more and, by 1998, I had 168 toys, which included paat, khalbatta, buckets, saucepans and many more,” says Vilas. The cultural enthusiast has painstakingly gathered these individual pieces over a period of 26 years and there is still no stopping him. After his retirement in 2002, Karandikar started travelling to various states and countries in search of adding more interesting things to his collection. “During my visit to
Thailand, I bought a toy tea set, which I could not get in India. I recently bought a miniature sewing machine from Germany,” he adds. Every piece that he owns has a memory and history associated with it. One of his most unique collectible is his phanikarandyachi peti (make-up box) which has a miniature mirror, comb, etc. This box
also comes with a small gunz, an instrument that was used to weigh gold in ancient times, and when you open its lid there are miniature animal figurines that are so tiny that it may need a microscope to figure them out. Another interesting feature of his collection is the electromechanical models of thaki (wooden doll) performing various chores in a traditional Maharashtrian household. “I held an exhibition at Balgandharva a few years ago, and a family requested me to bring the entire collection to their home and show it to their g ra nd mot her. She asked me if I could give her the sagar-gotya (a game girls played) in exchange for this make-up box
and I readily agreed,” he smiles. The miniature models of household toys give one a peek into the long forgotten Maharashtrian culture and tradition. His collection includes kathwad, ogharale or Shakuntala Bhande, thaki, varyavarche jahaj, ghodyache taap and many more, which surely will take you back in time. “I call them Aajichi Bhatukali (grandmother’s toy utensils). It is because these are the way of life that existed for centuries. These days, kids are unfamiliar with this rich culture, as they play with fancy electronic games and gadgets. My aim is to preserve the toys for the younger generation,” he says. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com
Love knows no limits By Heena Grover Menon @HeenaGM
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tarted two years ago as a small project, under the name Wanted Umbrella, to help people facing physical and mental challenges, who are often forced to believe that love and marriage aren’t for them, Shankar Srinivasan and Kalyani Khona decided to create the app Inclov for people with special needs. Inclov focuses on people with various disabilities and health disorders through easily accessible technology. “Both of us wanted to do something for people with special needs, but we weren’t exactly sure what could it be. After a lot of research we found out that there are many organisations which are working for the welfare of disabled people. Be it their education, vocational training, personality development and so on, but nobody was doing anything about their social need – of finding a life partner or a companion. Although there are some NGOs which are doing this at a grass root level, but we wanted something that could have a bigger impact. That’s when we thought of beginning with a side project in 2014,” shares Shankar. They started a matchmaking website and people would register on simple forms where they would fill in their details and requirements which used to be done offline. Shankar and Kalyani didn’t even have a proper office, so they would work out of homes or wherever they would find a space. They would print details of such people and after conducting an analysis of what they were looking for, the duo would try to find these people a prospective match and connect them through a web call or email and then see whether they took it forward from there. “However, this was done on a very un-scalable model. Within a span of six months, we had about 1,800 forms on our portal. These were people who were looking for any kind of alliance, whether it was a friend, a partner or anyone who could be their companion with whom they’d spend the rest of the life. We realised that
TGS LIFE
MAY 14, 2016 PUNE
Shankar Srinivasan and Kalyani Khona have launched a firstof-its-kind matchmaking app for the disabled looking for companionship
there was a huge demand for something like this and catering to all of them was not humanly possible. We then decided that we had to use technology and create a platform where this could be done in a more organised manner so as to reach more such people. We wanted to give the freedom to the people to look for the kind of companions they would want and not somebody who we chose. So we thought of creating an app that will enable them,” says Shankar. But to decide how the app would operate and what all needed to be added in it was their biggest task. As this app had to be easily accessible and user-friendly for all those who have different kind of disabilities. Ever since the launch of Inclov, it has been updated with features which
FEATURES
would make the usability easier. For example, there is a screen reader and talkback feature in the app which can be used by a visually impaired person. One can also change the colour of the text background and increase the font size for better visibility. But some of the most important
features of the app are its safety features that are meant to protect the privacy of the user. Taking a screenshot during the use is disabled so there is no fear of cyber stalking. It only allows one to register using the first name and not at any point that someone can access your phone number or email ID. “The app allows users to chat via an in-app feature, but unless one wishes to disclose the phone number and identity, it doesn’t allow anyone to track personal details. Our main aim is to help women with disabilities. We want to empower them by giving them a choice to find their life partners and lead a regular life where they can marry and have children,” Shankar adds. After immense hard work, Shankar and Kalyani have found their first success story ever since the inception of the app. Anu Multani from Surat and Imran Garana from Junagadh suffer from polio due to which they had not been successful in finding an alliance for over six years. But a few months ago, the two connected through the app, and within a few months their families met. Anu and Imran married this week and this has been a proud moment for the Inclov team as well. Inclov currently has about 3,000 users and over 400 matches, including 36 from Pune. Moreover, Shankar and Kalyani organise regular meet-ups for their users in different cities to provide them an open, fun environment to connect with each other. So far they have organised meet-ups in Delhi, Gurgaon, Chennai and Mumbai, but Shankar plans to organise a meet up in Pune in the coming months. The duo has also started a blog series recently where they invite people, especially women with any kind of disability to write about their success stories of how they fought with their problems to lead a happy and content life. The first blog was posted this Mother’s Day and there are more to come. heena.grover@goldensparrow.com
A new ‘sting’ operation Amit Godse is on a mission to save honey bees and promote a farming technique to relocate beehives with minimal casualties By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
I
f the bee disappeared off the surface of the earth, then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man,” said Albert Einstein. Taking his words seriously, Amit Godse is on a mission to stop the mass destruction of bees, along with his friends. The mechanical engineer left his secure job with a French MNC to take up honey bee conservation.
He has now devised a method to relocated bees and collect honey from hives without killing them. Through Bee Basket, Amit and his team save honey bees all over Pune from mass destruction by pest control companies and unhygienic extraction of honey
by traditional farmers. “We relocate bee hives along with combs and bees from housing societies, bungalows, corporate houses and trees to nearby farm and forest area without killing them. Nearly 99% of the time, we can save bees with brood from a single
colony using our method,” says Amit. This process allows them to harvest honey multiple times from a single comb. The honey is pure, hygienic, and free from eggs and larvae of the honey bees or any other contamination. “The process includes tying the honeycomb on one end, followed by discharge of controlled smoke and water spray for a few minutes. The comb is then cut and is safe for transport,” he adds. All this is done at night and the comb is fixed in a specially designed net at a specific place. His team is trained in moving bees from one place to another without hurting them and are also adept at extracting honey two to three times from the same comb. Amit’s life took a turn when he saw a bee colony being destroyed by a pest control company at his housing society. After seeing them suffer and die due to chemicals that were sprayed, he realised the need to save them. Then, he left for
Mahableshwar to explore organic farming and research beekeeping techniques. He also conducts awareness workshops in schools, colleges, residential societies and other social gathering. He trains people on urban beekeeping to encourage them to grow their own honey. He has visited villages in and around Maharashtra and Gujarat to train the farmers. “In India, it’s a serious concern as honey bees are the main source of pollination and about 80 per cent of what is on our plate is the by-product of this activity,” he adds. Amit now plans to make documentary films that would capture the life of different species of bees and talk about their importance. “The biggest challenge is credible source of information. We want to cover the entire country and document every species of bees,” he says. zainab.kantawalagoldensparrow.com
MAY 14, 2016 PUNE
SHOPPING
B R I NG ON THE RAINS
Model Chahat Dalal dolls up to welcome the monsoon. Take a cue as she puts together four ensembles that you can try this season and make heads turn
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By Heena Grover Menon @HeenaGM TEJAS GAIKWAD
SP
TGS LIFE
Sway in Neon
Glam up the gloomy weather with this deep v neck neon dress with knotted back. This is a perfect wear for an evening date. Pink printed dress: Envy Boutique, Koregaon Park, Rs 1,500
Painting The Town Red A short denim skirt paired with a tee can never go wrong. Especially when you plan to play and get drenched in the rain. The beaded sandals and golden hoops complete the look. Denim skirt: Tommy Hilfiger, Rs 1,500 Red top: Bebe, Rs 4,000 Sandals: Aldo, Rs 1,500 Hoops: Koregaon Park flea market, Rs 100
Get This Look Pair this dainty dress with a solid colour handbag and white thong sandals Bag: Michael Kors, Collective, Nitesh Hub, Koregaon Park, Rs 15,000 Sandals: Charles & Keith, Rs 1,500
Glamourous in Gown This breezy one shoulder maxi dress looks lovely the day dos. Get the luscious look with red lipstick and pair the dress up with shimmer black heels. Dress: Envy Boutique, Koregaon Park, Rs 2,300 Black heels: Charles & Keith, Rs 3,000
Hey Sexy Lady! Chahat looks absolutely adorable yet stunning in this black and blue outfit. The black extended back crop top glams up the look. Pair this up with dual colour flats and a chunky locket for a casual chic look. Crop top & shorts: Mango, Rs 3,000 & Rs 2,000 Slip-ons: Catwalk, Rs 1,500 Neckpiece: Accesorize, Rs 500
W
hen you’re out for a stroll near Anand Nagar, just at the entrance which faces Paud Road you will see a humble little establishment. Dealing with customers every evening, 22-yearold Manoj Gadge is almost always surrounded by customers buying different pulses from his little push cart. He always has a smile on his face, is extremely patient, smart and quick at his job. Shouldering the responsibility of his family since a young age, he was forced to run house errands as soon as school was over. Take his grandparents to doctors, look after his younger siblings and do anything else that his mother, Sangeeta needed him to. Losing his father when he was in the fifth grade, he had to grow up early and after finishing school, he began working to help his mother, who till then was the only bread winner of the house. “My mother did everything she could for me when I was younger. It was my decision to start working
TEJAS GAIKWAD
unekar
A simple boy with a simpler plan
early so that she would feel a tad bit relaxed. It is on us to be satisfied
with our life and I have nothing to complain about,” he tells us. Manoj
worked for a few years as a delivery boy at a store before he met with
TGS LIFE
MAY 14, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES a major accident and his mother requested him to not do that work anymore. Now he helps sell pulses and sometimes vegetables and is the ideal son any mother could ask for. Apart from helping her out he also distributes pamphlets in newspapers so as to earn a little more. Hard working to say the least, this young boy leaves from home before dawn to get to the newspaper vendors in time and gets back home only to have dinner. He does not dream of a fancy future as he knows it might not ever be possible. “I want to be as realistic as possible. I would like to do more work but given the time constraint, it is not possible. My mother might need me anytime during the day and working in a shop or for someone else will not allow me the freedom to be at her beck and call,” he says, as he begins to attend to the next few customers. (As told to Salonee Mistry)
Time to end your lipstick woes City celeb chat
T
he trending peel off tattoo lipsticks, being manufactured in China and Korea, are now available online in India and could just prove to be a saviour for your gorgeous pout. These apply, let-it-dry, and peel-off lipstick tattoos claim to last for longer than your average lipsticks. Whether you eat a bite at a ladies brunch or sip coffee while ruffling through files at the office – your lipstick gets smudged each time, it stains the glass and often leaves your lips unevenly coloured. To evade the ordeal of reapplying lipstick, many resort to getting temporary STYLE ink or pigment tattoos on their lips from GURU cosmetic tattoo experts. While needle tattoos can attractively enhance your lips but they are not only painful, take longer to heal but also create scabbing and breaks in the skin on the lips thus making a lot of women feel skittish about before and after applying the product: getting permanent lip tattoos, especially given how 1. Apply any balm before the product so that it fast beauty trends change. makes your lips soft and the product glides on the Pune-based, make-up artist and blogger Vidya lips easily Buddhiwant gives us an expert take on the new 2. After applying the product, leave it to dry for tattoo lipsticks and how practical they truly are. approximately 10 minutes Specialist speak 3. After it dries, peel the product carefully I tested the Wow Lip Tattoo lipstick last week. 4. Once you are done with peeling the product, This lip tattoo promises to give a natural, long it is essential to apply a little balm over your lips lasting colour for your lips which acts like a because it can turn very dry. temporary tattoo. Pros:Quirky, Pigmented stain, Amazing colour, Price: Rs 400 Long-lasting (12 hours), Exfoliates lips,NaturalProduct description:Water-proof, Long-lasting, looking, Reasonable price. Smudge-proof, Portable, Converts your lip colour Cons: Dries very quickly, Chapped skin on the lip to another shade may peel, Time-consuming I decided to try the lip tattoo and ordered Final opinion: The Lip Tattoo is a great product the Cherry Red shade online. I didn’t want because of its long lasting qualities and amazing to risk buying all the colours since I had no range of colours. It is quirky yet it gives a prior experience with them. The other colours natural finish to the lips. Though it can be time available are: Rose pink, Sexy red, Sweet orange, consuming, I do love this product. I recommend it Watermelon and Lovely Peach. The lip tattoo can to everyone who wants a long lasting natural look turn out to be very dry once you peel the product. for their lips. (As told to Rashmeet Taluja) Therefore, these are important tips to consider
Name: Pratyancha Narale Profession: Model Three words to describe me: Passionate, Confident, Hardworking I love my job because: It gives me happiness and I also enjoy the glamour part of it. Best advice I’ve received: My father once told me ‘Whether you succeed or not, always remain confident and down to earth.’ When buying something, the first thing that catches my eye is: ‘I am attracted to bright colours, the texture against my skin and then of course I look at whether it is durable.’ What’s your inner animal? Elephant- It is a strong animal but remains calm, indolent and easygoing most of the times The first thing you notice about an attractive person: The eyes, because they communicate a lot. The perfect start to a day is: With a prayer, it lays the foundation to a peaceful day. Your current four-wheeler: Swift Your fitness regimen: Suryanamaskar in the mornings and dancing. Your food indulgence: I love indian desserts, I cannot resist Gulab Jamun and Malai Barfi. Books by your bedside: Abdul Kalam’s ‘Wings of fire’ The first site you visit when you fire up your comp: I look at fashion websites- cosmopolitan and fashion 101
Your favourite city: Pune Ideal holiday: Paris- it is a beautiful city, full of love, lights, gourmet food and offers lots of haute couture shopping!
(As told to Rashmeet Taluja)
TGS LIFE l PUNE, MAY 14, 2016