TGS Life 10/09/2016

IN THE FAST LANE If you have a thing for speed and a passion for driving, then gokarting is the sport for you. Meet the professionals and read their experience of driving across a rough track

PUNE, SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2016 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

PG 8-9

LIFE IN BLACK AND WHITE PG 14

‘Fitness is a great outlet for your emotions’ PG 15

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TGS LIFE SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2016 PUNE

STAGE

The new musicians on the block

After a year’s break, the band What Google Can’t Find re-emerges with a new sound, new members and a promising album

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

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etal fans, get ready to mosh as the band What Google Can’t Find returns with a new line-up and a full length album Introspect/Retrospect. Their music has been regarded as harmonious and heavy. The band members believe in being different and constantly innovate and improve the quality of music that Indian metal has to offer.

This six-piece band comprises of Akshay

Gaikwad on vocals, Clinton Moniz on guitars, Gaurav Kakkar and Bob Alex on guitars, Akshat Vaze on bass and Arjun Menon on drums. The band started off as part of an instrumentation of a German theatre group Bunte Buehne, which was a part of Max Mueller Bhavan. Later, they continued with their jamming sessions and started off as a German cover band. “The main challenge was to bring in the new members after the band broke up two years ago. It was the result of a lot of miscommunication between the members. On the music front nothing was

happening for us, so I decided to start afresh with new members,” says Akshat.

The name was a random decision for them. It happened while they were waiting backstage. After toying around with names like Satan’s Minions they finalised on What Google Can’t Find. “I know it doesn’t make sense, but if it was in my hands I would have changed it,” he says.

After jamming together for a while the band came up with the album within 20 days. The band has had its highs and lows, but for him the passion for music has been very consistent over the years. “We had completed the song writing within ten days.

This album is sure going to be the turning point for our band,” he adds.

A sad but true story I

Like every other independent film maker these two also almost always face a financial crunch. They take on other projects once in a while to save funds for the films that they wish to make. “The best part of our partnership is that we want different things from films. Abhay loves to play with time, space and thing’s that one cannot see. I, on the other hand, prefer to

The album Introspect/Retrospect is mainly about human emotions. Every song is part of a story that tells us how we meet certain people who change our outlook towards life.

“It’s a concept album. Every song is part of the story of a girl meeting a guy, and over time they realise that they have been influenced a lot by the other. Their perception towards life changes, which disturbs them,” he shares.

The album is part of a trilogy that is slated to release next year. The songs are a blend of alternate metal and melodies. “They are easy flowing and soothing. We hope people like our album,” he says.

When: September 14, 9 pm onwards Where: blueFrog, Yerawada zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

With the aim to make cinema that will leave an impact, Archana Phadke and Abhay Kumar worked on their short film Placebo for two years

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

t was something that happened to someone very close that inspired film makers Archana Phadke and Abhay Kumar to make the film Placebo. Based in AIMMS, Abhay who is the director of the film actually went Abhay Kumar undercover to study and research the kinds of problems that boys living in hostel there face. The film, which is a time capsule of the medical students studying there, is as close to reality as it gets. The film very beautifully captures the life of these students beyond academics and what actually transpires in their heads. We keep hearing news of some or the other student having committed suicide and this is their way of not only raising awareness on the issue but also painting a picture as to what actually happens. This is the third film that the two have worked on together, the previous one’s being, Just That Sort Of A Day and Life Is A Beach.

Both films have also been well-accepted at festivals. All these films have been directed by Abhay and produced by Archana.

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make films as close to reality as possible. These, when combined, give you a complete film,” says Archana. Both of them were classmates when they were studying and even have a venture together called Story-tellers Inc, under which they make their films.

The key to being an independent film-maker and doing well even when the funds are low is to

have patience. More than often the projects take a long time to complete and this is when you believe in your film and yourself is put to test, she tells us. Working in a team can sometimes be a pain too as tempers keep flying, she adds. Archana Phadke There are innumerable stories simply walking out on the streets and she would love the opportunity to document each one of those in the future.

“Bollywood is never a part of the plan for you. We aren’t the kind of people who will be able to make the movies that sell there and so staying away is the easiest. Our sensibility when it comes to the kind of content does on match,” shares Archana, when asked if they were looking forward to a career in the industry. Apart from this, the young girl is also working on another documentary on her grandparents.

The screening of the film this weekend is be hosted by Viman Talkies and Archana will also be available for interaction later.

When: September 10, 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm Where: Symbiosis Centre for Media & Communication, Viman Nagar salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

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He wants to make films that everyone can relate to

TGS LIFE SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2016 PUNE

ENTERTAINMENT

Upcoming Bollywood film Days of Tafree is not only the director’s debut but also the first Hindi film for the entire cast

fi lm, what inspired him to make it and what was the most difficult part of it all.

Believing that every fi lm’s fate is pretty much in the hands of the young crowd, Days of Tafree is something that not only connects with the current generation but to almost every age group. The fi lm is

By Salonee Mistry based in Delhi and the entire cast is @SaloneeMistry also from the capital so as to ensure that the characters seem as close to et ready to remember your the setting as possible. “I believe college friends, graduation casting is the most difficult part of ceremony and every prank making any fi lm. We auditioned you pulled on your batchmates as almost 500 people before deciding you sit back and enjoy on the current cast,” he the soon-to-release shares. fi lm Days of Tafree.

The fi lm stars Yash Written and directed by Soni as Nikhil, Ansh Krishnadev Yagnik, the Bagri as Vicky, Sanchay fi lm is everything that Goswami as Suresh, he remembers and has Nimisha Mehta as Pooja experienced during his Kinjal Rajpriya as Nisha, college days. Adapted Sarabjeet Bindra as from the Gujarati fi lm Daljeet aka Dhulla and Chhello Divas also Anuradha Mukherjee as written and directed by Krishnadev Yagnik Isha. The fi lm has been him, the fi lm features produced by Anand seven friends from the Pandit and Rashmi fi rst day of their final year to the Sharma under Anand Pandit last. The response for the Gujarati Motion Pictures and Rashmi fi lm was so good that he decided Sharma Films banner. Vaishal to make it in Hindi too. A few days Shah has also co-produced it. The before the fi lm gets released across fi lm will hit theatre screens on the country, we caught up with the September 23. director to learn more about the Krishnadev moved to Mumbai

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a few years ago to pursue his passion for music and become a music director. He assisted Jatin Lalit for three and a half years and it was during this time that he hoped to direct a fi lm. No one from his family is even remotely related to the entertainment industry so there was a lot of struggle initially. As a director he believes in allowing his cast to

explore and build the characters as they go along. He guides them till he gets into their skin and then allows them to improvise.

“For me, the best part of making a fi lm is the time when we are shooting. The postproduction routine can get a little boring sometimes. The fact that I get to tell my experiences and observations to almost everyone

It’s a funny business

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

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ere’s a treat for all the stand-up comedy lovers, East India Comedy (EIC) is all set to release a non-stop Stand-up Marathon that continues until September 18.

Their team is an eclectic mix of comedians and writers – Sorabh Pant, Kunal Rao, Sapan Verma, Sahil Shah, Atul Khatri, Azeem Banatwalla and Angad Ranyal. They are savvy, well-travelled and, of course, supremely funny.

They are here to provide fans a daily dose of non-stop stand-up comedy with some of their funniest stand-up bits everyday on their YouTube and Facebook channels. “It’s an emotional moment to let all these jokes out into the wild. Some of them could bring acclaim while others could bring police complaints,” says Azeem.

Apart from being a pioneer in live Stand Up, East India Comedy was the first-ever YouTube channel to release original stand-up

by Indian comedians and has continuously put up high quality content over the years. This time, they are trying to do something different and release one new comedy clip a day that showcases the variety of comedy between its

members and the totally different styles that they individually possess. “This is going to be fun. Releasing jokes about my baby, travel and marriage – all three things that cost me money.

Hopefully, the views on these videos will finance all three,” laughs Sorabh.

From stand-up shows, the celebrated EIC Outrage and EIC vs Bollywood to musical parodies and comedy videos, they’ve got it all covered, and there isn’t a corner of the country they aren’t willing to colonise with comedy.

“If we don’t release regular content, people tend to forget we exist! That’s the main objective of the marathon,” adds Kunal.

EIC is one of India’s premier stand-up comedy collectives. They were the first in the industry to put stand-up comedy on YouTube channel. “We started many years ago in a galaxy far, far away an evil emperor put together a team of comedians.

We were not those. We were a bunch of comedians who performed and then realized that performing with each other in a group is way more sexy and hence EIC was formed,” giggles

through fi lms is what keeps me hooked,” he says. More than the quantity of fi lms that he makes in the future, he hopes to make realistic cinema. He wants to tell the common man’s stories and help everyone to be heard. Amitabh Bachchan is someone whom he would love to direct, if he ever had the opportunity. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

East India Comedy, one of India’s premiere comedy collectives, is all set to release a non-stop stand-up marathon

Sahil. “Although it was originally Sorabh and Kunal who used to perform together, then they got in Sapan and Sahil and eventually Atul, Azeem and Angad joined because we had a penchant for people whose names start with A,” he adds.

Apart from the Stand-Up Marathon they are planning to bring a live version of Outrage as well as the second round of EIC vs

Bollywood (their Bollywood bashing show) and are planning a tour. “We’ve also got a ton of sketches lined up and are quite excited for our 2017 nude modelling calendar that is available on request,” says Sahil. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

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TGS LIFE SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2016 PUNE

STAGE Mumbai-based theatre actress Akriti Singh is all set to stage her play Bol for the first time in Pune

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

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er love for language, dialects and poetry has always inspired everything that she has done. Simple day-to-day conversations with her grandparents made her realise how different their and her style of speaking was and this is when she realised how the language was transforming. An architect by profession, Akriti Singh’s passion and interest in theatre and more specifically Akriti Singh in acting got the better of her and she started taking up acting jobs immediately after graduation. Being closely associated with language since a very young age, she couldn’t help but notice the shift that there was and how certain words in various languages were dying.

Doing what she does best, the actress decided

Coming Out is a performance that combines art, storytelling, poetry, music and ensemble theatre to bring forward an open discussion about the LGBTQI movement

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Time to put on your thinking cap to write and direct a play on this subject and will be staging it in Pune for the very first time next weekend.

Working in the television industry did not satisfy the actor inside her and this is when she decided to switch over to theatre.

Her experience of working with innumerable plays and with the best in the industry made writing and directing the play so much easier.

“Something as simple as language has a lot of diversity to it and it ached me to see parts of it vanish. There is a huge divide even in one language with reference to the words and that is something that the play looks at in depth,” she explains. The play is an hour long and is in both Hindi and English.

For Akriti, choosing to become an actor professionally was not the easiest of the task

since no one from her family is even remotely connected to the industry. It was however her love for the art form that stood above everything else. Apart from Bol, she has also directed a children’s play titled Bread Crumbs and holds story-telling sessions which is a series of collected ghost stories. In addition, she has also directed a play called Shah Ki Country which is based on Amrita Pritam’s book and a modern day adaptation of Romeo and Juliet.

There is absolutely nothing about being a director, acting or even scripting that she finds difficult. “Theatre not only allows for every single member on the crew to become better at whatever their assigned job is but also makes you a better person. It teaches you how to collaborate, treat everyone equally since

Watch a play with a message

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

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his teddy bear? She’d had it since she was 16. A friend had given it to her as a convenient birthday gift. She’s never had the courage to tell her what she truly felt.

At 26, she still clutches the teddy bear while sleeping at night,” says a post on the wall of the city-based theatre group Orchestrated Q’ Works.

As allies and people with various sexual identities, their motive is to acknowledge and respect the struggle with a theatre project Coming Out. This experimental theatre piece is a collection of true life stories collated over the past three months.

The LGBTQI movement in India faces massive socio-politico-legal hurdles.

Beyond that, there is repression at various levels in Indian society around sexuality as a whole, feels Hina Siddiqui, the founder. The performance moves through space allowing the audience to travel from one experience to another. It has been devised through conversations with queer individuals, actors, artists and theatre-makers, and attempts to

there is no hierarchy during rehearsals and calm your mind too,” she says. Things that she feels strongly about or those that she has experienced herself pave the way for future stories. The fact that she feels an emotional connect to all the stories that she writes only ensures that she gives it everything she has.

Currently, other than Bol she is working on scripting a play based on Sarth, which is a story on three dead people and the punishment that is handed out to them after this.

Pankaj Kapoor and Manav Kaul are her biggest idols from the industry. Punekars deciding to attend the play must rest assured that they have never seen a play like this before.

When: September 17, 7 pm to 9:30 pm Where: Sudarshan Rangmanch, Narayan Peth salonee.misry@goldensparrow.com

push the boundaries of what we define as ‘queer’ through stories of growing up, living it and coming out. “As storytellers, we feel the need to understand and share alternative narratives around sexuality. As theatremakers, we want to create performance

material that an audience can relate to,” says Hina. Their play Beard is includes three characters and revolves around two women in a relationship and the man they use as a heterosexual cover in society. “This play will give the audience a relatable story that stars

a same-sex couple and promotes the visibility of queer women. We aim to give an immersive theatre experience, where the audience gets to explore the lives of individual characters in the story at their own leisure,” she adds.

The performance will combine installation art, listening experiences, storytelling, poetry, music and ensemble theatre.

Hina believes in provocative theatre, using drama as a medium to talk about things, address issues and develop new ways of thinking and being. She mainly writes for the stage and believes in telling unconventional stories to young and old. She is the writer-director of White Noise, a play that has travelled to different cities in India and won accolades. “Beard is the first such performative experiment we are undertaking.

Our intention is to make it a process that evolves alternative narratives through theatrebased processes. In the long-term, we want to use the intimate, experiential impact of live performance to provide a point of inclusion for queer individuals and allies and bring conversations and stories around sexuality as a whole into the mainstream,” she adds.

When: September 11, 6 pm Where: TIFA Studio, Sadhu Vaswani Road zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

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TGS LIFE

A family that traces its ancestors back to the 16th century continues to embrace the heritage passed down to them.

Check out how they have been celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi over the last 450-odd years

SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

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ince I was three, I remember boarding a train every year and heading to Mandrem, in Goa during the Ganpati festival. With no inkling about the grandeur of the celebration or the tradition that my family followed back then, the three days were all about praying, being with cousins and enjoying my native place.

Spread across a massive area, the Mandrekar Devghar as it is known has been standing tall for almost four centuries now and is a true testament of what heritage can mean. Uncles, aunts, cousins and all other relatives travel from far away to celebrate this one festival together and the hustle bustle in the house during this time is worth every minute. Picture close to 100 people all in one house doing everything from cooking food in the kitchen to the children bathing at the well beside the house, it is all a part of the festivity. Evening music sessions, a prize distribution ceremony for the school toppers in the village for the year and the much-awaited visarjan procession to the beach at the back of the house is what you will witness if you ever chance by this place during the Ganpati festival.

While the place has considerably changed from the time when my grandfather was a child, there are so many things that continue to be the same over the years. Unlike what most families do in the city or even in villages, the Ganpati idol in the Mandrekar house has never been brought from outside. Idol makers from nearby come home every day and build the sculpture using mud and coconut husk. Once this is done, someone from the family paints and decorates the idol and for generations now it has looked exactly the same. As kids it was in fact one of our morning routines to sit with an uncle who was painting it and help him in any way we could. The jewellery that is used on the idol is never repeated again.

On Ganesh Chaturthi, the idol is shifted inside the main temple to sit alongside the family goddess, Mahalaxmi. Just before this, the spark in the eye is painted to show Lord Ganesh’s birth. After the sthapna of the idol, the women of the house head to the kitchen to

The Mandrekar family during the Ganpati festival

When the Mandrekars get together for Ganpati

The Mahalaxmi godesse and the Ganpati idol

help prepare lunch. Then, the puja is performed. This is followed by lunch and a fun afternoon of doing absolutely anything you like.

Once again, in the evening, the family members get together in the veranda of the house a few hours before the evening prayer.

An uncle on the guitar, another on the mouth organ and the rest of us singing songs is something that we never give a miss. Just before the evening aarti the main priests of the village conduct a special puja in the house.

The visarjan on the next day is something that must be experienced rather than written about. The smaller idols from the houses nearby all come to the

The idol being taken for immersion

Idols from the nearby houses line up at the Devghar before they leave to be immersed

devghar so as to seek blessings from the goddess before they head out to immerse their idols. The sight of smaller idols lined up on one or either side of the bigger idol is a sight worth remembering. One by one the smaller idols all leave for the beach and the biggest one which belongs to the Mandrekar house leaves last. Since it is built only with mud, it is extremely heavy and requires six men to carry it on their shoulders to the beach.

A small puja takes place once the idol is immersed and this marks the end of the festival.

The entire celebration is so much more than just about praying to a deity. It is something that brings the whole family together.

While most of the family lives in the same city, we almost never get the chance to meet and this is the time of the year when people come from whichever part of the world they reside in.

The Mandrekar family has traced their lineage back to almost 16 generations and a huge family tree takes up a part of the wall in the house. There are several other smaller houses that surround the main temple house, all of which belong to the Mandrekars. A priest resides in one of the houses and takes care of the deity throughout the year. There are always people visiting the temple to seek the goddess’ blessings.

Over a period of time the

smaller problems that the Mandrekar’s faced started taking a backseat and the celebration of this one festival became everyone’s prime focus. While our grandfathers continue to look after the trust and all the other activities, the younger generation has begun to be actively be involved in the process to ensure that it continues for centuries to come. This is the one time of the year when visiting Goa is not about living the party life but about bonding with family, building connections and embracing spirituality. For me and undoubtedly all the Mandrekar’s, it is one of the best time of the year. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2016 PUNE

INDULGE

Here’s a health-conscious chef VISHAL KALE

TGS LIFE

Her love for eating healthy inspired her own restaurant about eight months ago and she could not be happier for the response that it has been getting

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

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ave you ever been on a diet or craved to eat organic food which is tasty, yet guilt free? Sonal Bramecha has just the solution for you.

With an aim to offer Pune a place to feast without the worry of disrupting the diet or putting on those extra calories, this cooking enthusiast started her venture called Sante Spa about eight months ago.

A chartered accountant by profession, cooking is something that has always been a passion for her. The minute she had some spare time, one would find her in the kitchen cooking up something extremely delectable, yet healthy. Living in the hostel almost all her life, she learned to cook early on and following a healthy lifestyle because of her military background, she found a way to fuse the two together. TGS speaks to this one-of-a-kind chef to find out what inspired her idea of the restaurant and what she loves the most about being a chef.

She was just about 13 years old when she cooked her fi rst meal. Once she was done with her graduation she only found time to cook for her family and friends until about fi ve years ago. Realising that there might be a lot of people out there just like her who wanted to devour a pizza and at the same time hoped for it to be healthy, she decided to start catering the kind of food she would have liked to fi nd in restaurants. “There is absolutely

no reason why I should miss out on eating a pizza or say a Risotto because I choose to live a healthy lifestyle.

Cooking for me is something that is full of love and comes from within so it must be something that makes you happy too,” she says. At her restaurant, she serves cuisines from across the globe but with a healthy twist to it all. To serve the best that she can, she was helped by well-known chef Shailendra Kakade to put the recipes together.

Ask Sonal what her favourite meal is and her instant reply is ‘everything’.

Since healthy is all she needs her meals to be and she has the knowledge to make it so, almost all cuisines and dishes are her favourite. However the raagi base pizza and the Bajran Kebab is something that she can have any time of the day. Living with her two kids, husband and in-laws in Pune, they too are accustomed to eating healthy and the Bajra Risotto is something her children absolutely love, she tells us.

“Any food that is cooked with dollops of love is good food for me. It is never about just putting all the ingredients together and serving it tastefully. The manner in which you cook it makes all the difference,” she adds. Her dream is to be able to take Sante Spa to an international level and inspire others to create food that makes it easier for them to enjoy every single meal. Currently, she is expanding the existing space to accommodate more people since the demand is so high. Just like her food is inspired by healthy living, she hopes that this trend catches up soon and at least a majority of the menu in restaurants has a healthy twist to it. The next time you feel like having something cheesy or a dish that is bound to raise the calorie levels, Sante Spa is the place to head to and chef Sonal the person to meet. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

YOUR CHOW AROUND TOWN Ganesh Food Festival

Experience the grandeur of Ganesh festival with delectable food at Mosaic. To add into the celebrations, the restaurant will be churning out delicious authentic festive dishes. Some of the mouth-watering dishes that will be served include the all-time and everyone’s favourite Ukadiche Modak apart from an all vegetarian menu with 25 authentic dishes. You can gorge on Masale bhaath, simple yet yummy Batate chi bhaji (potato vegetable), lipsmacking moong ussal and many more options.

When: Till September 15 Where: Mosaic, Crowne Plaza, Bund Garden Road

New on the menu Picnic Evenings

We all look forward to our picnic outings once in a while.

But taking that time out can often be a task in itself.

Now you don’t have to go too far to enjoy your day out.

Introducing a never before concept, JW Marriott Pune is offering a culinary retreat right in the heart of the city.

The festival will offer contemporary fast food that everyone loves; fries, stomach fillers of flat breads and buns like – burgers and hotdogs, stuffed buns and sandwiches along with the thirst-quenchers like milk shakes and iced teas, to name a few. Peppy music and picnic benches under the starry night will add to the charm.

When: Till September 24 Where: Spice Kitchen, JW Marriott, SB Road

Pune’s favourite East Asian Bistro has introduced a Cheesy Onion Ring Bao to its menu. True to its pop nature, this sliderstyle bao is Shizusan’s take on a traditional Chinese Baozi filled with hot, crisp panko-crusted onion rings, cheese, sweet-chilli sauce, coriander and mint.

A combination of comfort and indulgence, the Cheese Onion Rings Bao makes a perfect

appetizer and complements Asian Cocktails like the Tamarind Sour, Sakejito or even a glass of Japanese Whisky.

When: Ongoing Where: Shizusan, Phoenix Marketcity, Nagar Road

Thai Food Fest

Explore exotic flavours of the rich and diverse Thai cuisine at The Café with Thai Chef Wimon from Grand Hyatt Mumbai.

Gorge on authentic preparations such as Tom Yam, Som Tam, Khao Pad, Panang Gai and more. Chef Wimon Junlawong is the Chef De Partie of the award-winning multi-cuisine buffet restaurant Fifty Five East at Grand Hyatt Mumbai. With a vast experience of 10 years in various hotels in Thailand and India, Chef Wimon is the master of the Thai cuisine at Grand Hyatt Mumbai.

When: Till September 14 Where: The Cafe, Hyatt Regency Pune, Nagar Road

Try a Modak with a twist This Ganeshotsav, add some variety to the traditional sweet to tantalise your taste buds with these yummy modaks

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

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eyond the high spirited festivities and pandal-hopping, there is one thing all of us look forward to during Ganesh Chaturthi. It’s the yummilicious modak, the coconut filled, steamed or fried sweet that is known to be the elephant God’s favourite. This year home chefs and restaurants in the city are experimenting with flavours, fillings and ingredients to create new varieties and they are sure to make them even more delicious.

CHOCOLATE PAN MODAK For all the chocolate lovers out there, we give you another reason to love cocoa. Ashmita

TGS LIFE SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2016 PUNE

Muchhal, a home chef who runs Bakehouse, is serving the Chocolate Pan Modak this year. It is a blend of all ingredients that a normal masala pan has with the richness of chocolate. “I started making chocolates in 2012, so I thought of experimenting by mix it with pan flavours, and the response I received was amazing,” she says.

She doesn’t use any kind of essence and the ingredients are fresh and rich in source.

“Chocolate pan modak is something that suits the Indian taste buds. So this is definitely my speciality. We are also giving out special gift packing of 21 modaks. It looks appeal to many as a gifting option too,” she adds.

Besides, she also makes chocolate dry fruit modak, chocolate coconut modak, chocolate honey and fig modak, chocolate coconut caramel modak and so on.

Get in touch: 8087043339

INDULGE

APPLE-CINNAMON MODAK AND MASALA MODAK This Ganesh Chaturthi, Chef Shivendu from Hyatt Pune just like every year thought about bringing in a new twist to the traditional Indian sweet. So it is reminiscent of an apple pie because of its apple cinnamon filling yet maintains the classic shape and feel of a modak. “Now-a-days people love fusion food.

The masala modak has the taste of Indian spices like fennel and pepper corn,” he says.

Get in touch: Hyatt Pune, Kalyani Nagar GAJAR HALWA MODAK AND CHOCOLATE-VANILLA MODAK These modak flavours are amazingly sinful.

Homechef Ankita Pandit, who runs Ankita ki Rasoi, prepared this colourful steamed modak bouquet using chocolate, cherry and khopra with Vanilla, and one with gajar halwa stuffing.

Here, she has blended the traditional coconut modak recipe with carrot. It’s healthy and easy to make. The aroma of these delectable modaks will explain why this is the Lord’s favourite food. You can also add raisins and roasted desiccated coconut for a richer flavour.

CHOCOLATE AND VANILLA MODAK Ingredients For stuffing l Chopped chocolate 1/2 cup l Fresh coconut 1/2 cup

ANJIR-AKHROT MODAK Ingredients l Milk 2 litres l Sugar granulated 300gm l Walnut 100gm l Dry fig (Chopped) 100gm l Nutmeg powder 1tsp l Cardamom powder 1tsp

l Chopped walnuts 3 tbsp (roasted) l Ghee 2 tbsp l Vanila essence 2-3 drops l Cocoa powder 1 tsp (to be

added in modak dough) For dough l Rice flour 250gm l Salt 2gm l Oil 1 tsp l Water 150 ml

Method l Reduce milk till it becomes 1/3 the quantity weight (approximately 300 gm) l Add sugar and stir for some time.

Then add chopped walnuts and dry figs l Sprinkle nutmeg and cardamom powder, mix well and cool mixture for 15 minutes l Put this in a Modak mould, give proper shape, and serve

Method l Heat ghee in a pan and roast coconut for some time then add walnuts, vanilla essence and chopped chocolates, keep gas flame very low, mix well. l After letting it cool completely, give shape and steam modak, drizzle with some liquid chocolate or icecream.

SANTR A-JARDALU MODAK AND ANJIR-AKHROT MODAK The filing of this modak is so tempting that you wouldn’t wait for a single moment to create these for yourselves. Assistant pastry chef at Four Points by Sheraton Pune Chef Anant Bansode wanted to create something unique that could be devoured by the young and old. It was then that this unique concept was created – modaks without sugar.

“Natural ingredients like the zest and juice of an orange and an apricot along with some honey bring out the imperious sweetness of the Santra-Jardalu Modak. The touch of the roasted coconut and the dry fruits adds crunch thereby making them not only a scrumptious but also a nutritive, festive eat,” he says.

In the Anjir-Akhrot Modak, condensed milk is used as a base. In addition to

the sweetness that it brings to the dish, the condensed milk also helps bind together the rest of the ingredients. “The interweaving of the goodness of a fig and the crunchiness of the chopped walnuts with a tinge of nutmeg and cardamom gives the modaks an individual flavour,” he adds.

Get in touch: Four Points by Sheraton, Nagar Road SANTR A-JARDALU MODAK Ingredients For dough l Rice flour 250gm l Salt 2gm l Oil 1 tsp l Water 150 ml For filling l Fresh grated coconut 200gm

l l l l l

Honey 100gm Orange fresh Zest Juice of three oranges Apricot 400gm Dry fruit (chopped) 20gm Cardamom powder 1tsp

Method l Boil water along with oil and salt. Add some rice flour when it comes to a boil and cook for 2 minutes l Boil Jardalu along with water till it softens. Chop and keep aside l Roast grated coconut till brown in colour. Add honey and the rest of the ingredients l Knead dough properly and roll. Put the stuffing inside and shape it l Place in steamer for three minutes. Serve on banana leave. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

TGS LIFE SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

AANJAN PATODIA No matter what obstacles he faced, 17-year-old Aanjan Patodia never gave up on his passion of racing. Even after he broke his hand twice while driving, suffered an engine failure on his very fi rst race and brakes that wouldn’t work in the second one, he did not let anything demoralize him. It was through Formula 1 that he got hooked onto go-karting and decided to develop a career in it. He spent some time researching and figuring out details about the sport and realized that go-karting was the stepping stone to Formula 1. Th is was enough for him to give it all he had.

“There were innumerable challenges along the way and each one in a way more demoralizing than the previous one. But they also helped me get better at the sport and learn faster too. It is one of the reasons I am at this level currently,” he tells us. At the JK Tyre IndiKarting National Series hosted by Goa Karting Circuit, this young boy was the star. It was the second round of India’s largest Karting Series and there were more than 141 entries registered across all categories. Aanjan had three victories out of three races in the Pro Senior category including the crucial reverse grid start race 2 where he climbed from last on the grid to fi rst place.

Talented as he is, it took a lot of practice to get to where he has and this probably would not have been possible without the proper guidance of experts like Rayomand Banajee and Steve Hodges. His most memorable race was the second round of the IndiKarting national series where he qualified pole, won race one and fi nished fi rst even after starting last in race two, which was a reverse gird race. It was a hat-trick he will always cherish. “My family was initially against my racing due to the risk to life. The required fitness levels are also quite high and one just needs to be fearless to race.

The amount of dedication needed is also quite high,” he adds. The young boy who loves listening to music is currently in his fi rst year at Vishwakarma Institute of Technology, Pune.

JONATHAN KURIAKOSE For this 15-year-old lad, his father has been an inspiration behind him taking up the sport.

He is the two-time winner in the Pro Junior category at the IndiKarting Pune KartPrix.

“My dad watches Formula 1 very ardently. His passion really got me into motorsports.

I started playing a lot of racing games and soon got hooked on to driving,” says Jonathan.

Out of the many races that he has been a part of, the one closest to his heart is the JK Tyre Rotax Max Karting Championship held at Kolhapur, where he qualified till round 4. “I was really enjoying the track and was fast all weekend. However, the rain in the finals dropped my pace a bit and I got involved in an accident that led me to 7th place,” he shares.

He initially was unable to cope up with the physical aspect of karting and he had to bear through the pain to grow. “I had to work on my fitness, and

IN THE FAST LAN If you have a thing for speed and a passion for driving, then go-karting is the sport for you. Meet the professionals and read their experience of driving across a rough track

By Zainab Kantawala and Salonee M @TGSWeekly icture this, roaring of engi drivers all set to go vroom, determined to face the fier and zoom past them. No Fast and Furious. It’s life, of the go-karti and compete in th on some of the m across the countr These young people who are in studies or jobs. Th lives fi red by thei adventure.

These guys ar professional go-k strive f co

P

pushing my mind to think on how I could go faster when there is no time. My initial training day was pure fun and a great learning experience. I kept improving on my pace even if it was not easy for me,” he adds.

Juggling between racing and studies is a challenge for him. What pushes him to work harder each day is the fear of losing. “Failure is part of the package and it will always come and to accept it is tough,” he says.

When he is not racing, he can be found playing video games.

HOSHMAND ELAVIA He is just eight years old and already shining in this very challenging sport.

His journey started after his father read about the Rayo racing institute. To build up stamina for this sport, he goes for 8 km walks in the morning every day after which he does his planks, crunches and occasional skipping. He did well to win race three in the Pro Cadet category for the youngest racers at the JK Tyre IndiKarting National Series. He also bagged two runner-up trophies at the event.

“He was very excited to drive the kart. For a kid who was fi rst time on the wheels he drove very clean and no banging into barriers which I thought

was amazing,” says his mother.

The one race that is close to his heart is the one held at Buddh International Circuit. It was raining and the racers were expecting to drive on the wet grid, when suddenly the sun God appeared and the track was dry and ready. Hoshmand took a good start, went fl at out and won the race.

“Even though you have talent you do require fi nance at the end of the day. It is an expensive sport and there are not many sponsors for this. There should me more awareness about the sport,” she adds. Besides racing Hoshmand is loves playing football and he has played at the inter-school level.

E NE

Mistry

ines, smooth tracks, , and extremely rcely competitive drivers o, this isn’t a scene from s a real-life action packed ing drivers, who train he rugged terrains and most challenging routes ry. gsters are no ordinary nvolved in regular They risk their limbs and ir passion for speed and

re some of the coolest karting contenders who for a thrill. Supremely onfident, competitive and capable, these youngsters are a new breed of motorsport enthusiast in a cricket driven country.

ABHA MANKAR While the women her age are busy shopping, going to college and learning to drive, Abha Mankar, 22, has already been a finalist in the Toyota Etios Motor Racing Lady Driver championship.

It was her love for cars that made her con her father into teaching her driving in her society’s by lanes at the age of nine. She enrolled as soon as she heard of the championship in 2012 which took her to Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi for the selection process through two races. “It all started with an ad in a newspaper about a local race. My father was always a fan of Formula 1 races and wanted me to be a part of any male-dominated sport. So he immediately got me enrolled for the race and after that there was no looking back for me,” says Abha.

She is one of the very few girls racing in India and the only girl to be selected in the top ten of the Force India Hunt in the country. She also went on to win the much-coveted Junior Rotax race. She recently made it to the top six in the Mercedes Young Star Driver Program.

“The Toyota Etios Motor Racing Lady Driver Championship is a great platform for race drivers like AADITYANSH KAULSHI Th is nine-year-old cadet was always inclined towards the sport. Aadityansh Kaulshi recently set the track alight at the JK Tyre IndiKarting National Series with back to back victories in two races. His victory in the reverse grid race came amidst some excellent overtaking drills and tight competition. “When I was eight years old my dad took me to a go-karting track where I enjoyed driving. After seeing my passion and excitement, he further took me to a training program with Rayo Racing where I met my coach Rayomand Banajee. After seeing my driving, he encouraged me a lot and decided to mentor me,” he says.

Every track, he feels is unique and making adjustments in driving and race craft is something what he strives to learn constantly as he participates in more competitive races.

He started training two years back and being a part of races and competing against national and internationally experienced drivers is something that Aadityansh looks forward to.

TGS LIFE SEPTEMBER 10-16 , 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

me because otherwise motorsports is very expensive.

Whenever I hear of a race I land up there and the official practice is all I get. Getting professional training is not possible for me," she says.

Once she takes to the tracks, the thrill of speed and the whirring of engines keeps her going.

The moment she enters the tracks, her complete focus is on the balance. “The best feeling is when the chequered fl ag is lowered and you mount the

podium, and the spray of confetti is showered upon you,” she adds.

For her, the biggest hurdle is lack of sponsorship for this sport. She has graduated and now wants to pursue law, but her passion for go-karting will never take a backstage, she states. Th is sport has taught her to be confident, expanded her skill set, gave her exposure and has shaped her personality. “Th is is something I can never give up on,” she says.

“I get to learn a lot as I compete with some of the best older drivers who are more experienced. Initially, it was about following the basics of driving with proper racing line but later I learned a lot of race craft and overtaking at high speed, on tricky corners,” he shares.

He follows a strict exercise regimen. He does specific exercise and workout needed to increase stamina and strength as suggested by his coach. “Th is

sport is very physical and requires a lot of strength and stamina to handle the force generated by the engine. So I jog, do various exercises every day and follow a specific diet,” he adds.

The race that is very close to his heart was the recently held National Rotax Championship in Coimbatore. He secured his maiden pole position and finished second in the finals, giving tough competition to the championship leader. Th is was his fi rst podium finish in the much coveted race. “Coimbatore is a very high speed track and throughout the weekend I was the fastest in setting the pace. Th is race has been very memorable one as it gave me a lot of confidence and belief that I could win the championship one day,” he says.

The sport is very demanding and requires a lot of stamina and concentration, one small mistake and your race could be over. He has to work hard on his concentration and take corner turns with perfection.

“You have to accelerate and break at right points, so focus is an important part of this sport. More we practice at various kinds of tracks, better we become,” he believes. So much traveling sometimes does impact his study schedule. So he has to work extra hard when he is back home. Outside racing track, he likes roller skating, cricket and badminton.

SAHIL SHELAR Initially based out of Mumbai, Sahil Shelar was introduced to go-karting because of the karting arenas in the city.

He slowly also started falling in love with Formula 1 and soon enough the bug to do this professionally bit him. It was in 2000 that he won the fi rst-ever National championship arranged by JK Tyres. He also won the next three years and soon was good enough to go play internationally. Then, in the JK Tyre RotaxMax Karting Challenge, held in Chennai, Coimbatore and Bangalore he managed to bag the third position. His most favourite match of them all however is the Videocon AMC Karting Challenge held in Malaysia in 2003 where he was the fi rst Indian to have a podium finish.

He was just 15 years old back then.

Ask him about what challenges he faces and he says, “For a sport like racing, in India the recognition is very low. There aren’t enough sponsors even if there is

talent and not enough guidance for those willing to learn,” he says. Fitness, he explains, is the most crucial for a sport like this and being a black belt in Karate and having some knowledge about how to use his core strength to his advantage, the initial days of practice were easy.

It was when he wanted to compete internationally that the fitness levels needed to be higher and this is when the struggle began, he recollects.

For Sahil, while winning a race is something that fuels his passion, it is not the reason why he competes. For anyone who is planning to enter the sport, he says, “Passion is the only thing that will help you excel in the sport. If you don’t enjoy doing this every minute that you are at it, then there is no point in doing it at all. It is not an easy sport and teaches you to be patient, which helps you grow personally too.” The 26-year-old is a BBA graduate and is currently a full-time racer.

TGS LIFE SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2016 PUNE

THRILL OF DRIVING

Now you can have your full-size M-B SUV in either fuel type

I

t hasn’t been long since Mercedes-Benz India announced availability of their V6 petrol-powered GLE 400. Now the bigger brother gets the same motor in the GLS 400

Mercedes launches petrol GLS 400 4MATIC

4MATIC. The motor generates 333hp and 480Nm of torque and puts the power down through a 9-G TRONIC transmission, up two gears from the GLE. The SUV is currently being offered as a CBU and you can have it in two colours, as long as those colours are white and black. Local production will commence

towards the end of 2016. The feature list, as expected, is long and luxurious. There’s a 14-speaker Harman Kardon surroundsound entertainment system, Apple CarPlay support, five driving modes, all-wheel drive, many, many airbags and a full LED headlight system with an adaptive high-beam assist, which sounds similar to what Audi offers

Audi launches all-new A4 30 TFSI Small turbo petrol engine delivers adequate performance, diesel to follow

in their ‘Matrix’ products.

Additionally, you get ORVMs that project the M-B logo on the ground ala Range Rover, adaptive air suspension, an 8” high-res infotainment screen with a touchpad control and seat memory for the front seats. The GLS 400 4MATIC is available now for Rs 82.9 lac ex-showroom across India.

NISSAN ANNOUNCES MICRA CVT AUTO AT RS 5.99 LAC Claims to be the most affordable premium hatch with a CVT gearbox

O W

hen we drove the new Audi A4 30 TFSI outside Bhubaneswar some weeks ago, we came away with the impression of a competent car that did what is expected of it, albeit with a small petrol engine. Apart from the headlining LED ‘Matrix’ headlamps and the tech-heavy interior, not much stood out.

Now, with an announced price of Rs 38,10,000 ex-showroom Delhi and Maharashtra, it’s looking just a little bit better.

The 150hp 1.4-litre engine is an obvious bugbear, at least in perception. In practical terms, the

motor is quite adequate for the size of car, particularly with the 95kg weight loss that this car has had over its predecessor. The result is a quicker sprint to 100kmph than the previous model as well as nearly 18kmpl! No doubt this is helped along by the 7-speed dualclutch transmission, which makes progress smooth and undramatic.

The external visual tweaks are substantial, but subtle. It’s still the A4 we’ve known over the years, but with some nods to aggression and sportiness. Audi’s also talking up the tech-heavy nature of the new A4. The fancy headlights and the sweeping indicators at the rear

are only the start. Inside, Audi has fitted the “virtual cockpit” we saw last in the TT. It’s bright, colourful, configurable and makes navigation more convenient. It also frees up the main MMI screen (a 21cm unit) for your copassenger to play DJ, which is infinitely easier thanks to Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support.

You can throw a compatible phone into the box under the centre armrest for wireless charging too.

At Rs 38,10,000, the new Audi A4 is priced on the lowerend of the spectrum in this segme nt. A diesel variant is expected to follow.

range is the shade du jour these days, and Nissan isn’t being left behind.

The refreshed Micra hatch is now available in “Sunshine Orange” across the range, including on Active variants. The interior trim is all-black, and prices remain the same, starting at Rs 4.55 lac ex-showroom. But if you thought we’d waste space shilling a new colour, we thought you knew better. The bigger news is that the Micra is now available with a CVT

automatic gearbox, and it comes in at Rs 5.99 lac ex-showroom.

Nissan claims this is the cheapest hatch with this sort of gearbox in India. We can’t think of too many CVT hatches in the country, so that must be true.

The interior will be all-black, including the upholstery with blue contrast stitching. The release also mentions “piano black fi nish” on the centre console, which we’re not fans of. The Active variants get a black instrument panel cluster, black seats and silver door trim.

Nissan claims their X-tronic CVT system is more efficient than a manual, and is available now in the Micra CVT in 252 Nissan showrooms across the country.

TGS LIFE

Wrap it up

SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

Meet Amruta Walvekar whose passion for ribbons and a penchant for adding an aesthetic sense to gift wrapping led to the start of a successful venture

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

W

e all love beautifully wrapped gifts. But how many of us pay attention to what goes behind wrapping it, or if it can turn into a business venture? What started out as a hobby and small gift wrapping favour for family and friends, led city-based Amruta Walvekar to give up on a successful marketing job and start a gift-wrapping business. What inspired her to start Wrapistry was her fascination for colourful papers, satins, bows flowers, ribbons and many other creative things.

Growing up with a penchant for arts and crafts intrigued Amruta to give up the regular nine to five job and use her creativity to earn a livelihood. She now specialises in creating ornate packaging for gift hampers and wedding invites. After leading her business successfully with many international clients in her kitty,

she recalls a time when people gave surprised reactions they learned that she made a living out of something so ‘trivial’. “Once they saw the finished creations, they were always impressed,” she says.

Her father too wasn’t happy with her decision. “After graduation, I had no plans. I was doing nothing.

So, I decided to put my mind into doing something positive and experimented with wrapping presents. My father had no faith in this business. But gradually he understood that there was a market for this too,” she says.

Amruta’s gift boxes have been showcased at lifestyle exhibitions across the country, displayed at high-end hotels and patisseries.

She also travels the country, conducting workshops for people who would like to master the art. “I started out of a friend’s restaurant in Pune, teaching a small group how to wrap gifts. As the response grew, I started organising formal workshops to share my skills,” she adds. Apart from traditional

rectangular box wraps, she teaches participants how to wrap circular boxes and wine bottles. She also demonstrates a variety of knot bows.

This year has been a busy and beautiful box of surprises for Amruta and the bow on the top is a huge wedding for New York-based clientele. She creates each boxes out of a mélange of internationally sourced papers, fabrics and laces.

Her favourite materials for gift wraps are plain black matte paper and grosgrain ribbons, which she sources from the UK. She is planning to launch an online store in a week. “I put in a lot of effort to source luxe wrapping materials.

I wanted to give my clients an opportunity to discover them, too,” she concludes. zainab.kantawala@ goldensparrow.com

She does things a little differently Fabric artist Sharmila Mangwani has been creating artwork using the Powertex Hardener and is one of the very few people in the country who does so

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

F

rom Gustav Klimt to Jackson Pollock, quite a mixed bunch of artists have been her influence. Her passion for creative expression drives her to create art pieces that are a treat for the eyes. Be it working carefully with gold leaf to splattering paint on her canvas Sharmila Mangwani has enjoyed both the methods of creating art.

All through her childhood she loved to draw and paint. The goto person for her family and friends when it came to advise on anything aesthetic, she had always wanted to study art and design. However since she came from a business family she was expected to study commerce and to fuse this with her passion she chose commercial art.

Her out-of-the-box imagination helped her visualise things with an artistic perspective and now there isn’t a single day when she isn’t creating something new.

For a fairly long time most of her work had been about spiritually expressing art through graphics.

She has always been fascinated by symbols, sacred geometry and calligraphy. The ideas that she expressed were mostly about the balance of elements, concepts of creation, destruction and salvation.

Working on and off with several other artists she absolutely loves everything about the experience.

“While teaching the artists I get to learn a lot too. There is a lot of exposure and there is always some or the other new skill that helps me grow as an artist,” she tells us.

Her more recent works are abstract and is all about her connecting with the canvas. Once she starts to paint its just her colours, canvas and her.

Work for her means enjoying the process rather than the outcome of the work and defines what it means to be free, she adds.

Turning her love and passion for art into a venture Sharmila started EAZI art a few months ago.The venture helps her create art

work that she feels makes people happy with their creativity and she sees herself as a tiny instrument facilitating this process. EAZI art aims to create a new avenue for

artists and art enthusiasts to express their feelings and ideas.

Ask her what influences her art and she says, “I am largely inspired by creative people whether they are

artists or not. I respect people who bring about any kind of change to make our lives more wholesome. I think of myself more as a creatist rather than an artist,” she says.

Acrylics and gold leaf is what she has been working with since her college days. It was when she wanted to venture into sculpture that she came across Powertex Fabric Hardeners. She then went to Belgium to certify herself as a Powertex trainer. EAZI art was her way of bringing this material to Pune and making the products that can be made from it available to all.

The Powertex range is an absolute delight to work with she tells us. The ideas she has learned in Belgium allow her to create everything she or her clients can imagine. What she believes is the most amazing aspect of it all is that although it is used by artists world over just about anyone who loves being creative can use it.

So when people are overwhelmed and hug her after completing their artworks she knows that she is doing a good thing.

Powertex allows artists to create stone, crackle & clay textures on canvases or any other absorbent carrier. People from all creative fields can use these materials and techniques. Sharmila currently is the only person in the country who imports Powertex and runs a certificate course that covers all Powertex techniques. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

TGS LIFE SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES Giving your morning chai a beautiful twist, this new venture has surpassed all expectations with what tea can taste like

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

A

steaming cup of chai is an ideal solution for most problems you face.

The perfect companion on a rainy or chilly day, tea is one of the most consumed drinks in our country. For the last four g e ne r at ion s , Alok Datta Alok Datta’s family has been associated with the tea industry and proudly so. Right from his great-grandfather who worked with the British as engineers and doctors on the tea plantation to his young daughter, Agnayee who wanted to start this venture, his connection with tea goes a long way. His 90-year-old father was one of the first Indian tea planters after the British started recruiting local talent into their management teams. He too started his career as a tea-taster with the leading tea-broking company in India.

Chilli Chai or Peppermint Tea, what’s your pick?

With all of this history to back up, it did not take Alok’s venture The Tea Trotter much time to become a household name. If you want to try a cup of chilli chai, hibiscus tea or even a marigold lemongrass tea, getting in touch with this venture is all you have to do.

The Tea Trotter introduces the experience of discovering and enjoying the entire gamut of teas and a tea lifestyle. Even though drinking tea is very common in India, not many are aware of the tea life in the country as it has been a somewhat secluded lifestyle based in Assam, North Bengal and parts of South India, feels Alok.

“With The Tea Trotter, we are trying to introduce

Agnayee Datta

various types of teas which are not readily available in the market place.

They get sourced directly from the growers and this also allows us to promote tea tourism which is for t unately s o o n catching up.

We also share

Meet one of India’s youngest fiction author

K

avya Khemka, 12 years of age ventures down the road of creativity and comes up with her very first fiction novel Statement. The book takes us on a ride in the Time Machine into the Water Starved Era of 2090, wherein the author weaves a fictional story revolving around the village Incognito, its parched citizens and a king with a solution to replenish this fading resource water. Kavya’s, writing exudes passion wherein she has translated an extremely pressing issue beautifully into a fantasy, along with a moral in the end. A must read for all ages, the book is getting published through Partridge, an affiliation with Penguin Random House.

Although it is talking about an important issue which is the lack of water, Statement definitely has an engaging plot. The struggle that the main character Riya Mathew goes through is extremely relatable and something you can sympathise with. How every negative incident is perceived in a positive way with a

moral is what keeps you hooked on. The strong composition of characters, motive, path and moral shows the passion with which the author has written it. Her greatest inspiration on writing this book was the time she spent with books as a child. Also, on a road trip with her family, in a peak of summer, while crossing a remote village, it seemed like an impossible task to acquire a bottle of water. This entire exercise got her into introspecting and an idea for the book was born. With water scarcity awareness taught at school too, and learning about the foreseen Wars over Water in the coming years it all seemed to fall in place.

our experiences from the plantations including food recipes from the British era,” he explains. Started less than a year ago, it was Agnayee’s idea to get into the venture and she was whole-heartedly supported by her aunt and mother.

Introducing various types of teas which are not only pleasant to drink but are also beneficial for one’s health is a bit of a challenge for the team. The main reason for this is the lack of awareness in all segments of our society, however, the idea is to change this.

Researching before the venture

A book to help enjoy the Sanskrit language

P

une-based Rajhans Prakashan has published the English version of Sunderkand from Valmiki Ramayan translated by 100-year old, Ramalingam Sarma from Texas. Ramalingam started writing this book when he was in his nineties and took about 10 years to complete it. The book is in the form of two volumes of 650 pages each and will be useful for research, as well as educational institutes, Sanskrit departments in universities.

A resident of Frisco, Texas Ramalingam Sarma has rewritten each shloka in the book with meanings of each Sanskrit word for easy readability. He has also provided a synopsis of what the shloka or verse is about in English. He describes this translation as effort to help English readers understand Sunderkand in detail and enjoy Sanskrit as a language. The meaning of each verse is conveyed in simple understandable, lucid English. Each verse is broken into each word phrase. The transliteration adopts the method of going to the etymological meaning of each Sanskrit word and its meaning.

started off made them aware that the educated class was increasingly becoming health conscious and a lot of people were moving towards drinking green tea from coffee and black tea. This made them realize that the market might just be getting ready to accept teas that are also good for health like the organic, herbal and flower teas.

After starting his career in the tea industry the limited options forced him to switch over to the corporate life for better career growth and he worked in companies like HCL, ICICI and Reliance. Just like all ventures, The Tea Trotter also plans to grow into a place where one can have an exclusive experience by getting introduced to the tea life, especially the benefits and pleasure of drinking the various types of tea.

Alok says, “The response has been extremely encouraging so far and several people have thanked us for introducing them to such a wide variety of teas and opening up their taste buds to an entirely new world.

This is something that will always remain with us.” The fact that they have friends and family still working at or own tea plantations is inspiration enough for all the new concoctions that they come up with. The fact that they are open to experimenting with new ideas has been a blessing, he shares. Mistakes are not a deterrent as they happen even in proven areas. They, in fact, help the venture get better as long as the team knows how to learn from them, he adds.

Little Miss Perfect Winner of the Gladrags Little Miss India, eight-year-old Jiya Shah talks about her aspiration of becoming a beauty queen

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

W

TGS LIFE SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

Meet the UN’s youngest Global Youth Ambassador

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

A

n only child, 20-year-old Abhida Niphade had everything she ever wanted growing up. While working with the economically weaker section of society during her school and college days, she understood the need for law in society.

This then became her inspiration to start Being Lawgical which is an initiative that is committed to the cause of legal literacy.

It works for the legal empowerment of the vulnerable and the marginalized, women, children, persons with disabilities and the poor. At Being Lawgical, the belief is that a good way to ensure justice is to legally empower people and show them how to demand it.

Giving her just the push that she needed to make this initiative work she got selected to be a Global Youth Ambassador with the United Nations. “Getting reorganised from an international organization for the work you are doing is indeed a great honour.

Innumerable opportunities have opened up for me to not only take my initiative ahead but to also work alongside personalities, like Malala Yusufzai and Shakira,” she shares excitedly. Her appointment to the United Nations is for a period of three years and her main responsibility is to mobilize young people to stand up for education and make their voices be heard in their own communities. To ensure that this happens, she can organize local or national advocacy related events and campaigns too.

Currently, Abhida is pursuing an LLB degree at ILS Law College. When she was in SP College for her graduation she worked with an NGO called ROSHNI. During this time, she worked on various projects such as making self-help groups of women, conducting surveys on education and working with slum children, among other things.

Coming from a rural background herself she has seen poverty, illiteracy and unawareness about law among people from very close. She has also worked as a Human Rights Defender at Sahyog Trust – Humanistic proactive organization along with well-known lawyer and social activist Advocate Asim Sarode. It was all of this work that allowed for her to get the title of the Global Youth Ambassador.

Her biggest challenge, she tells us, is changing people’s mind set. “Some things are deeply rooted in the minds of people and it has become a part of who they are.

Their negative view towards legal things is an extremely disturbing factor. What people don’t understand is that these institutions are actually there to support the people

TEJAS GAIKWAD

earing stilettos, an off-shoulder dress, flawless makeup and a sparkling tiara, Jiya Shah is a confident young girl. In fact, she could be easily mistaken for a seasoned model. However, her innocence and a soft voice peppered with giggles give away her age. Having recently been crowned Gladrags Little Miss India 2016, the eight-year-old also won the title of Best Fancy Dres. For an aspiring model and actor, a pageant of this stature and being judged by Maureen Wadia and Ness Wadia was a dream-come-true for this little wonder.

Jiya remained calm and composed throughout the pageant. “My mother had advised me that winning was not important, but giving the best is. I had always kept that in mind,” she adds. Encouraged by her family, she was ready to face a volley of questions by the panelist. “I have always dreamt of winning a beauty pageant. I want to grow up to become a successful model and actor,” she says. All happened in typical filmy style, says the mother. She never knew success was just three shots away for her daughter, audition, selection, and then the crown. “I can say for sure that her confidence and hard work have made us proud. Her confidence is her biggest asset and as parents we would like to encourage her,” says Rashmi.

Excited about her life’s big achievement so far, Rashmi is now focussed on her studies. She intends to achieve good grades and come out with flying colours in academics. “I want her to excel in every sphere of life. I always encouraged her to take part in all the activities coming her way, be it dance, sports or any other event. I came across an ad in the newspaper about Gladrags and wanted her to participate in it but it was her confidence that eventually got her the title,” she says. Even during the pageant Jiya had exams. Every weekend, she would leave for Mumbai for her training, she would study in the bus, and leave from there at 7 am and run to school to give her papers.

D e e p i k a Padukone is her idol and her inspiration.

She is passionate about dancing and is currently l e a r n i n g Bharatnatyam.

She is now busy shoot for an ad for a biscuit company.

With a keen interest in current affairs and a passion to work for the needy, Pune-based Abhida Niphade feels that you must be the change that you want to see in others

lend a helpful hand,” she explains. Once this thought changes, the society as a whole will function much more smoothly, adds the young girl.

Choosing the legal route, she thinks that it is an extremely important tool in her hand. Through this in the future and in fact as soon as she can she would like to give justice to the imitating and recurring social issues that we see around us but fail to deal with. The main aim is to implement a long lasting change, she tells us. As a future human rights lawyer and primarily as a woman, Abhida feels that it is her duty to plead for the rights of all women, to end the physical and psychological abuse they receive and change the way women are seen across the world. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

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LIFE IN BLACK AND WHITE

TGS LIFE SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2016 PUNE

SHOPPING

These black and white fashion finds by Aaradhaya Tayade, an actor and model, are so classy that you’d want to own them too. They speak of sophistication and elegance, and they are sure to leave you looking trés chic every second of the day

À La Mode

This combination is sure to get some attention when you go out partying with your friends.

Wear a light lipstick to complete your look.

Jacket: Koovs, Rs 1,299 Denim: Globus, Rs 2,399 Netted Top: Globus, Rs 699

Go strolling around with friends

PICS BY RAHUL RAUT

Walk through the streets in style with this simple and elegant shorts. Team up with your favourite top for a flawless look.

Top: Globus, Rs 1,499 Shorts: Wrangler, Rs 1,049

Go chic

This black and white ensemble is perfect for a casual outing.

Pair it with heels and balck studs and it is sure to give you the confidence to charm anyone in the room.

Dress: Kani’s Boutique, Rs 3,249

All set for the party

This is an ideal chic get-up for any party.

Pair them with dangling earrings, and heels and you are ready to shine through the evening.

Dress: Queen’s Boutique Rs 2,299 Jacket: Ginger, Rs 1,049

— Compiled by Zainab Kantawala

Keep it short

Want to make an edgy fashion statement? This simple yet trendy pairing will make you stand out for sure. Team it with cowboy boots and minimal jewellery to complete your look.

Top: Provogue, Rs 1,049 Shorts: Wrangler, Rs 1,700

PICS: RAHUL RAUT

TGS LIFE SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

BE WEDDING READY

‘Fitness is a great I outlet for your emotions’ A passionate photographer, an avid trekker and someone who believes in living in the moment, Ashnaa Changani shares her secret to being fit and staying healthy

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

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oaming around college with a camera hanging around her neck is the perfect description for 21-year-old Ashnaa Changani. Always on her toes helping around college activities and managing it well with her academics is something that she is good at. A sportsperson since her childhood days, she was and still frequents the football ground for a game or two and jumps into the pool at the opportunity that she gets.

A health conscious person she makes it a point to find time from her schedule to exercise and do it right too. Over a quick conversation, she lets us in on her secret to being motivated towards a healthier lifestyle and what her daily routine is like.

HER FITNESS MANTRA For Ashnaa, there is a lot more to fitness that just being healthy. “Fitness is a great outlet for your emotions and this is its biggest strength. It can help you remain calm and this is something that

EXPERT SPEAK Omkar Singh Seema ACSM Certified Trainer Golds Gym, Aundh

First thing that I notice is that carbohydrates before the run and protein after the run, what I recommend is that you split them both equally before and after the run.

Secondly, get in some sources of proteins in little amounts through the day.

Expert rating: 7.5/10

everyone needs in their fast-paced life today,” she believes. Moreover, it not only helps build stamina but increases your endurance and allows for personal growth. Even if you do just a little bit of exercise every day you will eventually start feeling the difference, she adds. An avid trekker, she loves the challenges the roads put her through as like in a gym once she starts on a particular path there is no backing out. “Every individual’s body requirements are different and so one must truly understand the limitations and capabilities before they start exercising. It is necessary to ensure that it becomes something that they like doing rather than a compulsion,” she says.

MY DAILY LOG I get up at 6 am and head out for a run or for cycling in about half-an-hour. Before that, I have a glass of milk and some bananas to get the required energy. There is a considerable amount of stretching done before and after the run to relax and loosen the muscles. After running for about half an hour or 45 minutes I have some protein in the form of eggs once I am back. This is to get me through till my next meal. Then, I head out to college. Since I don’t believe in going to the gym and it also makes me awkward, I try and get as much exercise as possible from my daily routine.

For lunch, which is around 1 pm, I eat a complete meal which consists of roti, sabji, dal and rice. My only rule is that I must not overeat. I can eat whatever I want but in moderation and so I don’t even have a cheat day. Lots of water throughout the day is also something that I follow. At around 6 pm or 7 pm I have some soup or salad and then have an early dinner which is again a complete meal. Fried food is a big no for my diet.

I try and go to bed by 11 pm so that I get enough sleep, which is also important for your body to sustain a rigorous routine. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

n India the wedding season starts from October and lasts till about December.

There is always someone you know who is getting married and the best way to stand out at these functions is you don’t want to spend too much on clothing is to do your make-up right. Bridal make-up artist Sabah Poonawala who runs La Belle Salon and Bridal Studio gives you a few easy tips to make heads turn at every wedding you attend Sabah Poonawala hereon. · The idea is to have good quality make up which is light weight, gives full coverage and lasts long. Keeping this in mind, air brush make up is the way to go this season.

The advantages of this are that it’s extremely light weight and because of the absence of sponges it is hygienic too. · For the lips, the shades of red never go out of style. Whether you pick up a bright red, hot one, dark one or any deeper shade it can be paired with almost anything that you decide to wear. · No matter what you do nudes are a big no this season. Infact, the dewy look is in.

Shades of beige and light gold with good amount of highlighters work miracles for the bride and gives her the oomph look she hopes to have. · A good pair of eye lashes is also recommended to up the bride’s glam quotient. · Along with foundation, one must not forget to contour and highlight the face in the right places. It is after all what gives you the perfect chiseled look. · As far as eye-make-up is concerned the Pakistani style which is heavy dramatic eyes with a dewy foundation is a definite winner.

Matte or glossy shades of browns with a slight black for the smokey effect work well when paired together. Plum, brown and gold with a hint of glitter, or just a plain black smokey eyes is also something that will definitely work.

(As told to Salonee Mistry)

TGS LIFE

I want to work in a Hollywood sitcom

SEPTEMBER 10-16, 2016 PUNE

BUZZ

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

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FORMULA FILMS HAVE BECOME REDUNDANT

A

rjun Rampal is looking forward to the sequel of his two unconventional fi lms Aankhen and Rock On and the actor is happy that the audience is accepting content over formula. "Cinema is changing. Audiences have also changed, they have become content-driven, they don't want to get bored.

Formula fi lms have become redundant which is great. Aankhen brought in a change, it was a different story," Arjun said. The 43-year-old actor will be seen in sequel of Aankhen that will be produced by Gaurang Doshi and directed by Anees Bazmee. "It's a sequel and not franchise. The difference between franchise and sequel is that in a franchise you use the title and have different characters like Housefull," he said.

"While in a sequel you retain some characters which is what we have done with Aankhen and Rock On. You add more characters and a different story.

Unfortunately, we say it's a sequel in our country and it's not," he added.

Aankhen revolved around Vijay Singh Rajput (Amitabh Bachchan), a bank employee who after being fi red from his job seeks revenge by organising a heist with the help of three blind men. The Om Shanti Om actor and Big B will reprise their role from the original, the new additions to the sequel include Anil Kapoor, Arshad Warsi, Regina Cassandra.

"It was an unconventional story but it was liked by audience. It was an unbelievable story of how three blind men rob a bank. It was portayed convincingly and in real way. It was a heist fi lm but it was a family entertainer," Arjun said.

"The characters played by me and Amitji have changed over the years. There is a complete physical metamorphosis of my character," he added.

According to Rajneeti actor the makers of Aankhen 2 will make use of technology. "It took 14 years for us to make the sequel. We want to be visually appealing.

We will be raising the bar with action," Arjun said.

LAST TWO YEARS WERE DIFFICULT, BUT NOT PROFESSIONALLY

H

er last few fi lms did not do well at the box office, but actress Katrina Kaif says that the last two years in her life were difficult but not for professional reasons.

Katrina was in a long-term relationship with actor Ranbir Kapoor, but the duo broke up earlier this year.

Without elaborating on the testing times of her life, the 33-year-old actress says she took that phase as part of her journey. "It was a difficult time for me but my movies are not the reason it was difficult. It was difficult for me for other reasons. That's what life does. It puts you through these times and you have to see where it takes you.

"But that is part of the fi lm industry. You go through highs, extreme highs and then some fi lms that don't connect at the box office," Katrina said.

The actress says she does not begrudge the experience as it has been a learning curve for her. "I consider myself immensely fortunate that I have seen highs for so many years. So, I don't begrudge experiences like that. It's important to see them and go through them because you don't know what they are like. I would not have known what it was like, otherwise."

She is now looking forward to the release of her romantic-drama Baar Baar Dekho with Sidharth Malhotra. The movie is quite important for Katrina as Phantom and Fitoor, her last two releases, did not work.

"For me, Baar Baar Dekho is an extremely important fi lm at this point and I hope that it connects with the audience and we fi nd that audience is in love with this fi lm."

Despite a successful career in Bollywood, Katrina feels a constant need to prove herself with every fi lm. "If actors stop feeling need to prove themselves then that's the end for them," she said.

laying a character that is different from all the others that he has played till date, Ashmit Patel could not be more excited about his debut in the television fiction world. With looks that can kill, he will be seen portraying the character of an underworld don in the show Ek Maa Jo Lakhon Ke Liye Bani Amma , after the show takes a 15-year leap.

The role, he tells us, is unlike any that he has played before and the busy shooting schedule keeps him super occupied.

Ask him why he decided to debut with this show and he says, “I have been offered quite a few shows prior to this but they were all typical never-ending television saga’s. That is an extremely long commitment to make. Amma is almost like a fi lm format show with a specific ending and I will be shooting for it for just two months. The character I play is also a unique one.” Faizal, played by Ashmit is one of Amma’s adopted sons who takes over her business.

He is a fl amboyant character who has his way with the ladies, has a mysterious charm to himself and is mischievous too.

It is every actor’s dream to do

something different than what he or she has already done and for Ashmit this was his chance. A complete opposite of who he is in real life it took some time for him to get into the skin of the character.

His research, when it comes to Faizal, is never-ending and since he had to begin shooting almost immediately he learns something new about his role every day.

Talking about other projects that he is involved in at the moment, he tells us that there is a fi lm releasing soon titled Six-X which he is a part of. The fi lm is a compilation of six short stories about women from different strata of the society and the struggles that they face. Apart from this, he is also working in another fi lm titled Dongri Ka Raaja in which he plays the role of a cop.

“I want to work in a Hollywood sitcom someday. Almost all of the English shows that we see nowadays have an Indian character and I would love to play one of them. The shows almost always have a very good script and the roles are challenging too,” he tells us. He would also love to play a role in a big-ticket historical or mythological fi lm which is something he hasn’t got the opportunity to do yet, he adds. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com