VOL-3 ISSUE-05 `100 I NOVEMBER 2018
THINK. CREATE. LIVE
40
A Tribute to
S ta n L e e creator of the Marvel universe
BREW LIFESTYLE I NOVEMBER 2018
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CONTRIBUTORS
Dr. RAJESH JEGANATHAN
& ADVISORY BOARD
CONTRIBUTORS THOTA THARRANI CONTRIBUTORS & ADVISORY BOARD
A young and dynamic medico. He runs the prestigious Billroth Hospitals based in Chennai. Dr. RAJESH JEGANATHAN
& ADVISORY BOARD
A young and dynamic medico. He runs the prestigious Billroth Hospitals based in Chennai.
This year we enter a bigger dimension, planning across a wider reader base with Thota tharrani THARRANI a big stepTHOTA forward, this was ignited with a This year weone enter a bigger dimension, planning logo designed by the and only Thota across a wider reader baseawith a big step forward, Tharrani. Brew Lifestyle extends heartwenote enter bigger dimension, this year was ignited with logolegend designed by the one warming This thank you toa athe aTharrani. wider reader base with and onlyacross Thotacontributions. Brew Lifestyle extends a himself forplanning his incessant
a big step forward, this was ignited with a heartwarming thank you role to the legend logo designed by the one and only Thota for his incessant contributions. Tharrani. Brew Lifestyle extends a heartASHOKwarming VERGHESE thank you note to the legend himself for his incessant contributions.
VEEJAY Veejay Sai SAI
An award-winning writer, editor, and a culture critic. He has written and published extensively on Indian An award-winning writer,food editor and a classical music, fashion, theatre, and art.
himself
culture critic. He has written and published VEEJAY SAI extensively on Indian classical music, fashion, theatre, food and art.
He is the Ashok directorVerghese of Hindustan group ASHOK VERGHESE of institutions, of the pioneering He is one the director of Hindustan group of educationalinstituions,one groups in the country. He educational is of the pioneering groups a big supporter and cause for promoting in the country. He is a big supporter and cause for He in is art theand director young talent music. of Hindustan group
Vita
Passionate about grassroots development of sport in India. She co-owns VITA DANIChennayin FC, Chennai’s football team in the ISL and Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), India’s first-everabout professional table tennis league. Passionate grassroots development
youngone talentofin art music. ofpromoting institutions, theand pioneering educational groups in the country. He is a big supporter and cause for promoting young talent in art and music.
of sport India. She co-owns Chennayin VITAinDANI FC, Chennai’s football team in the ISL and Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), India’s firstPassionate about grassroots development G ever Venket Ram professional table tennis league.
Anil Jain ANIL JAIN
of sport in India. co-owns Chennayin A leading Indian fashionShe photographer who has FC, Chennai’s football team in the ISL and shot principle photography stills for several Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), India’snotable firstfirms. ever He quit his engineering studies to work with professional table tennis league. cinematographers for a while, after which he joined G VENKET RAM a course in visual communicationa at Loyola College. He then worked with photographer Sharada Haskar A in leading Indian his fashion photographer who and 1993, started own studio.
An intensive design to succeed and redefine the parameters of success. Anil Jain was always cut to be ANIL JAIN andesire Entrepreneur takingand an active interest in Business An Intensive to succeed redefine the parameters of success, AnilHeJain was right from an early age. is the promoter of Refex always cut industries out to be Ltd; an Entrepreneur, Refex Trading(s)taking Pvt. Ltd, and Anil Jain Intensive to succeed an active An interest in desire Business right and fromredefine investments. the parameters of success, Jain was an early age. He is the promoter or Anil Refex cut out Trading(s) to be an Entrepreneur, industries always Ltd; Refex Pvt. Ltd, taking an active interest in Business right from and Anil Jain Investments.
VENKET has Gshot principleRAM photography stills for several notable films. He quit his engineering A leading Indian fashion photographer who studies to work with cinematographers for Aruna has Sairam shot principle photography stills for a while, after which he joined a course in A winner of the prestigious Padma Shri award. She several notable films. He quit his engineering visual communications at Loyola College. studies to work cinematographers for is the vice-chairman of with the Sangeet Natak Akademi He then worked with photographer Sharad aiswhile, after which national he joinedinstitution a course in which India’s premier for Haskar and in 1993, startedathisLoyola own studio. visual communications College.
an early age. He is the promoter or Refex Neeru Nanda industries Ltd; Refex Trading(s) Pvt. Ltd, A graduate of Delhi university and a passionate and Anil Jain Investments.
NEERU writer. NANDA She was
a free-lanced feature writer for ten years before switching to publishing. Author of NEERU NANDA a collection of short stories titled ‘IF,’ she has also A graduate of Delhi University and a worked on novels and short stories for childreen.
music and dance. Ms. Sairam is one of India’s most He then worked with photographer Sharad renowned ambassdor’s forstarted music successfully taking Haskar and in 1993, his own studio. ARUNA Indian music to SAIRAM the International arena.
passionate writer. She was a free-lanced feature writer for ten years beforeUniversity switching and a A graduate of Delhi passionate She wasofashort free-lanced to publishing. Authorwriter. of a collection feature writer years before on switching stories titled “IF”, she for hasten also worked publishing. of a collection of short novels andtoshort storiesAuthor for children.
ARUNA SAIRAM A winner of the prestigious Padma Shri award. She is the vice-chairman of the A winner of Akademi the prestigious Shri Sangeet Natak whichPadma is India’s award. national She is the vice-chairman the premier institution for of music Sangeet Natak Akademi India’s dance.Jeganathan Ms. Sairam is which one ofis India’s Dr.and Rajesh premier national institution for for music, music most renowned ambassador’s A young and dynamicMs. medico. He runs the prestigious and dance. Sairam is one successfully taking Indian music oftoIndia’s the Billroth Hospitals based in Chennai. most renowned ambassador’s for music, international arena.
stories titled “IF”, she has also worked on novels and short stories for children.
INTERNAL TEAM TEAM INTERNAL
INTERNALTEAM TEAM INTERNAL INTERNAL TEAM
An award-winning writer, editor and a culture critic. He has written and published extensively on Indian classical music, Dani fashion, theatre, food and art.
successfully taking Indian music to the international arena.
EDITOR & CEO EDITOR & CEO
EDITORIAL EDITORIAL TEAM TEAM
Sameer Bharat Sameer Bharat RamRam Sameer Bharat Ram Sameer Bharat Sameer Bharat RamRam
Akshaya Aishwarya Sridharan Sridharan Akshaya G GVijayaraghavan Aishwarya Yoheswari Devaraj Nanditha Sheeba Grace Aishwarya Babu S John Paul S Akshaya G Aishwarya Akshaya Sridharan G Aishwarya Sridharan Sridharan Dhinesh Yoheswari Devaraj
PUBLISHER & CEO CEO EDITOR & EDITOR & CEO Sameer Bharat Ram
EDITORIAL EDITORIAL TEAM SUB Editor TEAM
DESIGNERS
Nanditha Vijayaraghavan
Sheeba Grace
FEATURE / CONTRIBUTING WRITERS FEATURE / CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGNER FEATURE / CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGNER FEATURE / CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGNERS
CIRCULATION CIRCULATION CIRCULATION FEATURE / CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGNER FEATURE / CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGNER CIRCULATION CIRCULATION FEATURE / CONTRIBUTING WRITERS DESIGNERS Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Janani Suri Aishwarya Kanchi Prashanth Aishwarya Sridharan Gayathri Krishnaraj Nagaraj D Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Janani Suri Vidhya Anand Sanjana Ganesh Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Dhinesh Babu S SSaravanan Dhinesh Babu Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Janani SuriGanesh Aishwarya Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Janani Suri Vidhya Anand Sanjana NandithaKanchi Vijayaraghavan Dhinesh Babu S S Dhinesh Babu Sunanda Sugendran Purushothaman Akila Sridhar Elumalai V Elumalai V Sadakshi Kalyanraman Karthik Keramalu Akila Sridhar Aishwarya Kanchi Sadakshi Kalyanaraman Aishwarya Kanchi Aarathi Arun Veejay Sai Silambarasan Silambarasan Elumalai VSrinivasan Elumalai V Sadakshi Kalyanraman Karthik Keramalu Akila Sridhar Praburam Akshay Ramesh Aishwarya Kanchi Sadakshi Aishwarya Kanchi Aarathi ArunKalyanaraman Veejay Sai Silambarasan Silambarasan John PaulJohn S John John Paul S Aarathi Arun Padma Murugahappun PaulPaul S S Pavithra Babu Akshay Ramesh Aarti Aney Aasha Sriram Vilani Senthamil Aarathi Arun Padma Murugahappun Pavithra Babu Akshay Ramesh Aarti Aney Aasha Sriram Vilani Senthamil Cover Artwork by : Sivakumar TG E& YD EE& D ENENSS I I GG NN RRYA GG YD DG SS TT RR AA TTSESETG S& YA T T E& SI IG Published by Sameer Bharat Ram
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DECEMBER 3 I BREW LIFESTYLE2017 I MARCH 2018 BREW ER LIFESTYLE 2017 BREW LIFESTYLE NOVEMBER 2017 DECEMBER 2017 3 I BREW LIFESTYLE I MARCH BREW LIFESTYLE ER 2017 3 LIFESTYLE I NOVEMBER 20182018 BREW LIFESTYLE BREW NOVEMBER 2017
CONTENTS
ISSUE-5
40 COVER 40
Stan ‘The Man’ A Tribute to Stan Lee
08 THINK 08 12 18
24 CREATE 24 30 36
Imaging Brushes At the Time of Celebration Ambar Prakash: The Director of Quirky Advertisements
65
How I found my true love for Art: A conversation with Maya Nelluri Nature Nurture The Mittai Man B.Stalin
50 LIVE 50 54 60
WHAT’S BREWING The Off Road Sports’18 Cinema Soul Bombay Jayashri Ramnath and Abhishek Raghuram
Alternate Diwali Guide to Gandikota Cricket An Emotion Which isn’t contained within boundaries of gender
THINKLIVE CREATE FROM THE ARCHIVES WHATS BREWING
65 61
BREW LIFESTYLE
JANUARY 2018
5
BREW LIFESTYLE I NOVEMBER 2018
BREW BREW LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLEAUGUST JULY 2017 2017
5
ELEGANT CREATIONS FOR THE MARVELLOUS YOU.
GOLD, DIAMONDS, PLATINUM & SILVER | G.N.CHETTY ROAD, T.NAGAR, CHENNAI www.jcsjewellers.com | Ph:28345001 | Follow us on
THINK
How I Found My
True love For Art
A Conversation with Maya Nelluri Aishwarya Sridharan
Maya Nelluri is a bundle of energy, buzzing about in the fields of cinema and art. Aishwarya Sridharan talks to the girl of the hour about how she went from growing up in the pacific to debuting in a South Indian film. Add to that multiple painting gigs and a confusing career progression, and you have a very interesting tête-à-tête.
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How did you find your passion? I’ve been very lucky; I knew what made me happy from a very young age. I would doddle as a toddler to keep myself occupied and watched South Indian films to cheer myself up as soon as I figured out how to work the internet. My artistic career progressed naturally since. I started off with sketches, portraits for friends, eventually moving on to solo exhibitions, and painting for apps and companies. Recently I was privileged to have a painting of mine help those in need. It (24”x24” mixed media on canvas) sold for 1.7 lakh rupees when it was auctioned at the Teach for Change charity initiative. I took on acting more recently and have been blessed with multiple opportunities.
What projects are you currently working on? It is quite an exciting time for me because I’m shooting for my first feature film. It is a Telugu project being directed by Sudheer Varma (SV), starring Sharwanand. I’m also set to play the lead in an upcoming new-age psychological thriller; and there are other projects in both Tamil and Telugu languages which I am in talks with.
What’s your dream role? I believe in realistic characterisations so my dream role would be one that shows a girl/woman in multiple shades with a range of emotions. In saying that I am all for entertainment so I want to do roles in both commercial and alternate cinema, and web-series.
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Insta: @mayanelluri Website: mayanelluri.com Fb: facebook.com/mayanelluri
You grew up in New Zealand so how did you end up working in a South Indian film? I am of South Indian heritage and I love South films. My family moved to New Zealand when I was very little but somehow my fascination for South cinema stayed and grew with me. I think those of us who migrate overseas try even harder to hold on to our language and heritage. Maybe that’s why my family was always taking me to Indian events, celebrating festivals, and of course trying to get their hands on all the latest Indian movies. I was fortunate enough to revel in my obsession that way. 10 BREW LIFESTYLE I NOVEMBER 2018
A couple of years ago when I came to India for my cousin’s wedding, a friend introduced me to the editor at a South Indian film magazine. I ended up getting a job as a stylist and moved to Hyderabad on a whim; that’s how I broke into the industry. Since I was amazed by all aspects of filmmaking I trained and worked in other areas like make-up and writing. Acting was not encouraged in my family so I hadn’t given it much thought earlier. Last year things changed when I took an acting course at the Sydney College. Acting came naturally to me and I was hooked.
Actor, painter, writer, stylist. What inspired to take on so many vocations? *Laughs* I am a workaholic. If I’m not working or thinking of some new project I lose my mind so I guess my inspiration is wanting to stay sane. Luckily for me I’ve gotten to quench my creative soul by working in several fields. Going forward my focus is squarely on acting and painting. I’m working on a new series of paintings titled Lumarai which will be showcased pan India in the next couple of months.
As for acting I’ve had two short films release last month. One was ironically titled Maya and was every bit the kind of story I personally love watching on screen. It stemmed from Lyricistturned-Director Krishna Chaitanya’s idea, is produced by SV, and directed by Praveen (SV’s Chief AD). I have to say - I’m really thankful to Sudheer sir for giving me my first feature film and first short film roles. The other, Incognito, was produced by Voxspace. The team there is just so innovative; it is one to watch!
Tell us about your style of painting? My works are mostly acrylic paintings with a hint of mixed media on either canvas or glass bottles. I tend to favour images that represent Lord Shiva, Goddess Shakti and life itself, at times abstractly. You can clearly see the influence of pacific culture on my work. Those with exposure to aboriginal art will notice that the geometric patterns not only provide depth to the paintings but also serve as a reference to my years
spent in Australia and New Zealand. Upon closer inspection one will find Sanskrit mantras etched into the paintings and a reoccurring red circle of life adding further divine aplomb to my artworks. What can we look forward to from you in the near future? I want to embrace everything that comes my way and I hope that you will get to see a lot more of me on the big screen as well as online.
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THINK
Nature Gayathri Krishnaraj
Surya spent her primary years in the suburbs of Chennai, not playing with toys as kids, but played with nature. Her father who occasionally tends their wild garden, used to bring them various insects and teach them about nature. She played with tadpoles and caterpillars, and her brother would collect earthworms to breed them for his fish. As a family, they have this inexplicable affinity towards nature that Surya thanks till date, for that cause those sensitivities groomed us as the caring adults they are today. Although they moved to the city when she was 6 years old, she always found ways to satisfy her craving to be around plants and animals. As a family they have rescued and rehabilitated hundreds of small animals and birds, later she continued doing so as she joined hands with various other animal rescue folks in Chennai.
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Nurture
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As a child, actually up to her mid-20s, her complete focus was on animal welfare. She is popular for rescuing and rehabilitating abandoned baby squirrels and bats. It was later that Surya realized how our urban ecology was being affected due to pollution. “It was only after I moved to Europe that I understood fully about the importance of protecting our environment as a whole in order to protect all of its creatures, including us humans. So I can safely say that I have now dedicated the rest of my life to conserving Mother Nature and hence all her children, which included the ones I love the most...animals. “says Surya Surya moved to Europe in 2013 to change career direction and worked for an NGO in Netherlands, later, she decided to come home to start her own company to address the immediate need of reducing pollution which is rapidly degrading our beautiful Chennai city. 14 BREW LIFESTYLE I NOVEMBER 2018
“I felt it was my purpose to inspire SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE by example. By sustainable I mean socially, ecologically and financially. I founded Earthworks in 2017 to primarily to address the overuse of one-time-use plastic products, mainly plastic bags, but with a long-term goal of being an end-to-end fully sustainable company (offering products that can be returned for recycling). The core aim is to make it affordable and easily available.” Surya spent over 6 months to understand basic cause of the problem; She figured it is the overuse of cheap disposable plastic products, the “we don’t have an alternative” excuse and the lack of knowledge about harmful effects of plastic wastes. The evolution of eco-friendly products (such as jute or cotton bags, cutlery etc) available in Chennai became synonymous with the cottage industry/handmade/handicraft products. It fell under collectable, sort of
a fashion trend, when it should have been a necessity, it was advertised to the niche. It was (still is) a struggle to get retailers to understand the importance of giving customers an eco-friendly alternative to plastic bags. Most of them shun the idea of placing cloth bags at their billing counter because they feel that their customers would not buy them. However I am thankful to few eco-conscious supermarkets such as Amma Naana and Gatsby, Nilgiris, who understood the importance of using reusable bags, paved a way for Earthworks to be retailed in Chennai. Keeping the 3 R’s as their core value, they offer eco-friendly bags that aim to REDUCE consumption of plastic bags, their durable high-quality bags can be REUSED for years to come and these cloth bags can be RECYCLED. Earthworks mostly focuses on B2B clients as we customize ecofriendly bags for brands, companies
and events, and we are also available on Amazon.in. Largest customers being from other metros like Mumbai, Ahmadabad and Delhi, I hope Chennai business owners will also soon realize the importance of offering their customers high-quality, durable and reusable bags. Their products are manufactured by a sole unit which comprises of 99% women employees who are paid above average industry standard wages and offered financial help for their children’s education. They recently launched their new boutique collection of hand-painted bags, where they empower tribal artisans by commissioning artwork on our canvas bags (carry your art edition) to empower them and to showcase their dying art form. They also have our “Upcycled collection” where collect excess fabrics from garment manufacturers to combine them with jute to make beautiful bags which will last for years to come; the DIY – eco-friendly - Paint On Your Bag -
hobby kit to enhance visibility of the brand among young mothers. This is similar to the stress-relief coloring book, but here you paint on your own ecofriendly bags. What is Surya’s opinion on sustainable living as a concept and how does she think it is perceived in India? Surya answers: This is the first time in the evolution of our civilization that we have realized the damages caused by our industrial advancement and have started working towards conservation. Many European nations have incorporated various sustainable/ecofriendly initiatives, regulations and very strict environmental protection laws and I was so inspired when I visited these states. Whether it is EPR (Extended Producer Responsibility)
or Carbon taxes or their efficient waste segregation and recycling systems, it is unfair to compare them to India, as we have various political, logistical and most importantly social (it is hard to change mindsets and habits of common citizens) obstacles, however we need to start somewhere ! I am glad that there is a steady increase in renewable energy (solar, wind and hydro) production in India, but we still have a long way to go before our economy changes from linear to circular (intensification of recycling alongside producing) The youth from around the nation have initiated various movements to combat pollution in their own way, but many of them don’t sustain due various shortcomings.
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Green Start-ups and Innovation Now that we have finally addressed the problem (depletion of natural resources), induced panic, which gave rise to Innovative products to replace petro-chemicals, synthetics, etc. But not everyone has addressed the core issue...our greed and addiction to convenience. Popularity of plastics and petro-chemical products increased due to the fact that it was convenient. It is not merely about the product we consume that is the problem; it is how much of it we produce , what else are we depleting in the process and how do we get rid of it after we are done using it. “The green innovation revolution needs efficient and sustainable solutions to eliminate over-consumption and overdisposal” The bio-degradable Pacifier: The sustainability (Eco-friendly quotient) of a product is not only the bio-degradability, but the purpose of it, what is it replacing? What raw materials are we over-cultivating/ natural resource are we damaging by mass producing it? What is the Co2 footprint of the product? How long will it last? How does its lifecycle end? Hence it needs to carry 3 core messages: REDUCE – REUSE – RECYCLE It is not a sustainable innovation if we don’t eliminate our “overusing and disposable” habits through the new product. For example If we distribute cheap bio-degradable starch based bags (for example) we are not encouraging consumers to reuse the bags, but comforting them by telling them “you can throw away this bag guilt-free, it’s not pollution cause it will biodegrade over time**” but no one will read the **fine lines, which says these bags require specific temperature and atmosphere to bio-degrade. If these bags have to replace our commonly used plastic bags, we would clear hectares of forest land to cultivate starch rich produces to meet the demand of mass production and consumption; thus creating an imbalance in ecology and agricultural trade. It is a domino effect.
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Our country does not have waste segregation or efficient waste recycling system and that should no longer be our excuse. If we truly believe charity begins at home, then give back to Mother Nature by reducing consumption, saying no to disposable products, especially plastic bags and encourage other around you to recycle, it would make a world of a difference. Being a first-generation entrepreneur, her journey towards stability and success took a lot longer than most of her peers who have various support systems such as family, network and finance. As much as she was passionate about yoga-based fitness and tries to travel at least once a year, her focus and time is completely dedicated to Earth works now. What are Surya’s future plans? There is an increase in awareness about the dangers of plastic waste and climate change globally; we all know we must change our lifestyle. I am trying to inspire Reduce-RecycleReuse way of life, by being an example. I have committed to buying only 6 pieces of clothing per year No Fast Fashion ; I haven’t bought any make up since 2016 except for 1 foundation (cruelty free European brand) I buy once a year, I have stopped buying disposable water bottles and carry my own to refill, offer free cloth bags to vegetable vendors in my neighborhood, and segregate my waste collect it and give it to the corporation workers who do a fantastic job of segregating and distributing them to recycling agencies. I am so happy to see various startups and initiatives by social organisations revolving around the green movement, but limited in its reach, restricted to upper and upper-middle class societies. We need to take these movements to the suburbs and slums as they are the biggest source of pollution. I would like to be a part of this movement, educating the underprivileged about the importance of being sustainable...socially, ecologically and financially. In the near future I hope to collaborate with more organisations with similar goals. I hope that my products gain more popularity and visibility as it does to my European clientele.
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THINK
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The
Mittai Man B.Stalin Sunanda Sugendran
“The only way to do great work is to love what you do” – Steve Jobs. Just the absolute desire of sharing his childhood memories with others, made this engineer to give up his well-paid job and start a venture on his own. B. Stalin founder of MotherWay Karuppati Kadalai Mittai wanted to give a taste of what he enjoyed and cherished as a kid, the taste of authentic peanut candy from his younger days to the generation which survives on processed food. So he decided to start his own venture and set out to try different peanut candy across south Tamil Nadu. He set up a unit at Kariapatti near Madurai in 2015. Today, his brand is available in more than hundreds of organic shops across the country and also receives orders from the overseas.
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Despite any training nor any business background, he is an exemplar of how hard work, passion and memories can enable one to reach great heights. B.Stalin takes us through his life on casual tête-à-tête…
Q. What made you get into this venture? When I planned to visit my nephew, I wanted to get him something nice to eat. I didn’t want to buy anything processed, but nothing in the stores satisfied me. I wanted to give him a taste of what I enjoyed as a kid, I wanted to share the thing which gave me happiness as a kid. I thought, why not make it myself?
Q. Your inspiration behind starting this business? The real inspiration behind starting this business is the Cuckoo Movement for Children (a Tiruvannamalai-based non-profit movement that works with underprivileged children). When I was depressed and was clueless about how my life was heading, the Cuckoo Movement gave me the strength and working with those kids inspired me and got me thinking on these lines
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Q. It involves a lot of guts to quit a well-paid job and do something out of the box? How was the support from your family and friends? My engineering job didn’t give me life satisfaction, initially I had to lie, and I know I wouldn’t make fortune instantly. More than investment it needed a lot of involvement. My family and friends were supportive with my decision. My friends were of great help in setting up my new unit. I spent months meeting people who made the mittai, I learnt through the process and I had the courage to move forward, I was determined to bring in the authentic taste. It’s been 3 years since I started and now we have reached a wider audience, people are now approaching us for birthdays too, they have made Karuppati Kadalai Mittai as a healthier substitute for chocolates. The response has been overwhelming. Q. After you started Karuppati Mittai you would have had a lot of competitions, people might have tried to imitate your pattern, how did you handle it? Initially I had the fear of people copying my pattern and module. So I had registered the name with different spellings so that no one could use the same name. My friend’s father Koodalingam who’s based in Thanjavur, helped me considerably. He shared his knowledge from 35 years of mittai making. Instead of the jaggery that most peanut candy-makers use, I used karupatti, palm jaggery. I wanted the uniqueness. I never wanted to make the process centralised with machines or units. Making it by hand brings a unique taste altogether. I had the faith and we have reached the wider market. This gave me life satisfaction, people say I’m emotionally attached to my business. I feel logic and emotions go hand in hand.
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Q. Describe yourself in one word? Intuitive Q. Biggest Compliment? The biggest compliment was from my 90 year old grandfather who tasted my Karuppati Kadalai Mittai, appreciated it and told me that he used to eat them regularly, and that it was the secret of his good health and I’ve maintained the same taste. His blessing was the biggest gift for me.
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Q. You have a very small team, how do you manage when there is a greater demand for your product? I have a team of six people working at my unit, and the entire process, right from frying the peanuts, to mixing, cutting, and packing, is done by hand and we use a clay oven. During high demands my entire family comes forward to help me in packaging and production. All my relatives come together and help, it would be like a small family gathering then. Now I am planning to start a small unit in my native town and create employability. There is a quote that says within 35 km from where you live there should be a livelihood for everyone and I wish to do the same in my native village and help my people. Q. Piece of advice for the younger generation? Follow your inspiration, do a job that doesn’t make you tired. Do a job that gives you, life satisfaction. Make strong childhood memories, take a break. Because the six months break with the Cuckoo Movement helped me comprehend my longing, I knew who I was and what I wanted in those six months. The company grew with me, now I have got a lot of friends from various fields who constantly help me. If a job gets you tired, it’s not a right job for you. Always look around you for inspirations and keep making memories. BREW LIFESTYLE I NOVEMBER 2018
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CREATE
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Imaging Brushes Gayathri Krishnaraj
At just four years old, Malvika picked up her colours and ever since, she never put them back down. Malvika is a surreal and visionary artist. To her, Art has never been confined, and she has always believed in colouring outside the lines. “I believe that art cannot be limited. And, I draw inspiration from that. When my mind wanders and I tap on my emotions and experiences, colours guide me.� Says Malvika.
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At the age of four, while children relied on toys to fuel their joy, Malavika found a friend in pencil. The art that she created on walls and paper, soon began to find a place in her heart. It became her release. It became her personality.
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“It became me. As years grew, the desire in me shot to flames. Art became something that she would spend hours creating in her mind and executing on paper. It helped me with tough years of adolescence and helped me channel my emotions. I picked up my pencil at four years old, and I have never put it back down. Two decades have gone by and my art has only begun to revolutionise my source.” She states.
What is art to Malvika? “Art to me is a form of creation. I believe it runs through my veins. With every emotion that takes over my body, my fingers create art from it. The results are everlasting impressions of my thoughts and beliefs. It gives me the confidence to share my personality with the world, not in search for acceptance but rather a sense of understanding. This motivates me to self explore and to share it with the world.” Malvika’s work primarily focuses on ink on paper, but her style usually depends on her moods. She specializes in contemporary, visionary and surreal art work. Fantastic,
metaphysical and surrealistic subject matter, fractals or paisley patterns, bright/ highly contrasting colours, extreme depth of detail are some of things that would stand out to you, when you look at her art work. Speaking on her opinion on painting and art by the Indian education system, she says, “I honestly feel, India is rich in art and architecture, there’s a sense of delicate thought process, which really inspires me. At the moment the art scene is extremely progressive and there’s a huge revolution taking place.”
Singing colours is her recent project, and with great excitement, Malvika shares, “Singing colors tells my story as an artist, embracing change almost every day in my life. Bringing positive energy and productivity has always been the message in this edition of singing colours.Imagination should be the centre of your life. Everything has a purpose and a process. We need to work with it than against it. Move forward with purpose and never stop believing. When we see the accumulation of our dreams come to the forefront of our reality, all the questions and doubts we had along the way are quickly answered. This series is a representation of limitless possibilities for one to become their best self.” BREW LIFESTYLE I NOVEMBER 2018
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Other than painting, Malvika has a very strong and intense passion for photography, food and travel since 2011, and the journey has been unstoppable since then. Malvika’s vision is to open a visionary art school in India with diverse artists from all around the world. She feels that getting various artists from the world to come together with a single collective consciousness will change the art world for the greater good.
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ERBREW 2017 ER 2017 BREW LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE NOVEMBER NOVEMBER BREW LIFESTYLE I2017 MAY 2017 2018 25
CREATE
AT THE
Time of
Celebration
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Purushothaman Photography Credits : Purushothaman Translation Credits : Sadakshi Kalyanraman
The beautiful coastal village of Kulasekarapattinam is just situated 15 kilometres from Thiruchendur in Tuticorin district in Tamil Nadu. This place owes its popularity to the Dusshera festival conducted in the Mutharamman Temple in the same village. Various people from the nearby villages and from rest of the state pour into this seaside village just to see the devotees of this temple dress up in different costumes during the pooja and auspicious offerings to the goddess. The Dusshera festival usually spans for 10 days during the month of “purattasi’. However it begins 40 days earlier in Mutharamman temple with the hoisting of the temple flag. The devotees immediately start observing fasts and they also tie holy threads in the arms. The decision on the choice of costume (different kalis) and their colours entirely depends on the priest’s advice or through astragalomancy or cowries. They believe in dressing up as kalis for three consecutive years for the fulfilment of their wishes. Three days prior to the festival, they dress up as the goddess; go around villages to beg and also to offer their astragalomancy to others. It is a custom to believe that the goddess herself has come in the form of these devotees. The money collected through this process is directly offered to Goddess Durga.
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There goes a lot of procedure and rules to the people dressing up. People from different villages are separated into groups or sets. Only the person dressed up as the ‘kali’ in that group is considered to be important and as the leader. The others take up the roles of other deities like Lord Shiva, Vinayaga, Murugan, Krishna, Hanuman, Sudalai Madan and even the roles like policemen, women and kings.
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After forty hard days of fasting and celibacy, these devotees enter the village with reverence. After worshipping the goddess and after completing their offerings, they are directed to the seashore where they put down their flaming pots and take a dip in the sea to end their fasting.
On the midnight of Vijayadasami, the Mahishasurasamharam comes to an end with the Goddess slaining the demon named Mahishasuran, which is eagerly watched by thousands of people in the seashore. As a way to celebrate this divine victory, the Goddess is taken around the village in her temple car. The next day, she is given an abhishekam with milk and the devotees end their fasts by removing the holy thread in their hands.
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The way in which the crowd silently watches the battle between the Goddess and the demon is very surprising. The entire festival revolves around interesting small incidents. The people dressed up as policemen behave very humbly without any form of authoritativeness. The way people talk and react to those dressed up as beggars, is also very astonishing. Children do not fear those who are dressed up as terrible creatures and demons. The main reason is that these children get accustomed to seeing these different costumes over the course of ten days as a part of the festival. This festival that sees the onset of many people from across the country, got recognised for its religious value and unity by the official channels like The India Book of Records and The Asia Book of Records. 34 BREW LIFESTYLE I NOVEMBER 2018
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CREATE
Ambar Prakash
The Director of Quirky Advertisements Akshay Ramesh
Everyone must have definitely seen advertisements either on television, YouTube or in the theatres. One of the ads you would remember would be of Snickers. It had Mahendra Singh Dhoni in it who starts to shout at the team as if he is Lord Yama, The God of Death. Then one teammate offers him a Snickers energy bar and tells him that “Mahi, You are not you when you are hungry. Eat this.� And immediately we see him turn back into Captain Cool. We have always enjoyed these kinds of advertisements but we have never asked who used to make these advertisements.
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Well, the answer to that question is the name “Ambar Prakash”. Hailing from Mumbai, he used to write for his school magazines and college magazines. He also used to write in newspapers and a lot of film reviews. He describes his writing to be flashy, articulate and containing words that were seldom used. He had always wanted to express his opinion on something. He feels that advertising should be in your blood. He remembers when he got his first break was when he was waiting for his CAT results. His friend came and told him to do something useful instead of wasting time. He remembers selecting an Ad agency from the newspaper and went for an interview. He was asked to come the next day and that his how, his journey started in the advertisement industry.
Ambar Prakash has worked with a lot of companies and made ads with them. He remembers his first advertisement when he was doing an ad for the bike company Yamaha. He even remembers the model of the bike he did the ad for, which was the “RX100”. The ad was supposed to come in the Times of India newspaper and he was awake all night as he was so worried that he wasn’t even able to get a wink of sleep. He bought as many copies as he could and when he first saw it, he noticed it was in a very premium position. He celebrated his first ad by having tea and biscuits with his friends.
The advertisement that put him in the global world making him know in the ad film industry was the time during which he worked with “The Future Group”. This was during 2008 when the ad making was going on. Due to the recession in 2008, people were really going through tough times and diwali was very dull. He remembers that people stopped going to the mall. He was in the middle management, not a director and was working for their main client, The Future Group. He was the wildcard entry and the client seemed to like the idea. He told Ambar to go ahead and do the ad. Ambar had finished the ad and directly presented the campaign to “Kishore Biyani”, The CEO of The Future Group.
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The words "The Great Indian Shopping Festival" originated from this campaign. Kishore Biyani instantly liked it and complimented him by saying "Good Job, Young Man." This ad turned things around for The Future Group. As for the experience on working with Snickers, the client decided to use Dhoni for the advertisement as this was the year he was going to return to IPL under Chennai Super Kings. With a loosely based concept taken from Baahubali, they shaped the ad and thus the motto "Who are you when you are hungry?" Change of mindset when moving from one industry to another is a big hurdle as many people try to change their mindset when trying to move from advertisement in food to an automobile or an electronics part of the industry. But Ambar Prakash was able to do it easily as he describes it to be a part of his daily life. If he thinks M&Ms, he gets the colour red and yellow in his mind. Knowledge is everything is the main motto he follows for him to switch from one industry to another. When asked about what companies he had worked liking with the most, unbiased, He named "Crompton" the complete range
for small appliances. This was a relaunch of the products from Crompton. He states that not one word, action or any part of the script would be changed because everything was perfect. Another company was "The Future Group" as he felt a part of the company and not a third person just coming to make an ad and then leave. A brand named "Just-I" was the time when he felt very comfortable and smooth. The process was very smooth and he felt protected and comforted that the ad came out spectacularly in 2012. This ad was the ad launch for the brand itself. A person who has won a lot of awards keeps his first radio award in Chennai, Radio Mirchi Award in 2006 at the top and his most special. The work he did in this was solely done by himself. An ad film he had done called "Eraser: won 8 awards and won wherever it entered. This becomes his second most treasured award right now. Currently working for ITC, M&Ms and pedigree, Ambar Prakash is working to improve and make more good advertisements. His main goal is to make a mark at a Global LEvel, becoming one of the few ad film directors to make a mark at a Global Level.
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COVER
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STAN T H E
M A N
“I used to be embarrassed because I was just a comic-book writer while other people were building bridges or going on to medical careers. And then I began to realize: entertainment is one of the mst important things in people’s lives. Without it they might go off the deep end. I feel that if you’re able to entertain people, you’re doing a good thing.”
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What are you most excited about in THE AMAZING SPIDERMAN 2?
Who is Peter Parker to you? Who is the quintessential character?
I’m excited about every new SpiderMan mov-ie that opens up. And for this one, I’m espe-cially excited, because Andrew Garfield now has that character so well in hand the way he plays him; and the idea of Jamie Foxx playing Electro, and the fact that there are some other super-villains in there also, this is a movie that people are just going to love. Anybody who likes Spider-Man and that includes everybody is really going to love this movie.
He represents the best of everyone. He cares about Gwen Stacy, he cares about his aunt and wants to make a good living so they’ll have enough money. He’s bright, and wishes he could spend more time on his studies but there are so many other things pulling at him. I think anybody would wish lived next door to them, or that his daughter would date.
What do you think Andrew brings to role of Spider-Man that’s new, and different for his generation? He is so perfect in the role, he’s really the way I envisioned Peter Parker being…and the idea of Jamie Foxx playing Electro oh, man I think that’s out of this world
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Let’s talk about the casting of Jamie Foxx’s character, as Electro. What are your thoughts about him in the role? Offbeat casting is always good. Jamie Foxx happens to be a great personality, great actor, and I think what he’s going to bring to this role will be sensational. I think he’ll make Electro one of the great villains of the superhero genre.
Npr.org
What we can expect from Electro, and who that villain is? You can expect some of the most incredible… scenes you’ve ever seen, because the power of electricity. He could destroy a city, he could destroy a building. Some of the visual effects are going to be unforgettable. You have been reinventing Spider-Man for each new generation. What is it about the character that always resonates? There are a number of things. One, he’s just a likeable guy. Besides that, he has a very unique superpower. And visually, he’s al-ways a treat, just to see what he does. He has a great personality, there’s a lot of humor in the movie. And he’s always torn between problems in his personal life and problems as Spider-Man. And that, I think, makes his sto-ries interesting. How is he going to meld those two? And most people in the audience while not as extreme as Peter Parker in Spider-Man the average person always has little problems. You magnify that problem by a thousand degrees, and you have Peter Parker’s life.
Both your villains and your heroes are of-ten flawed. Why is that compelling? What is it that led you to create your characters like that?
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Trying to be realistic. Except for myself, I don’t know anybody who is totally good and perfect. Most people, you spend your life trying to figure them out. You could be married to somebody for years, and you still spend your life trying to figure your mate out. I think it’s fun analyzing people, learning a little more about what makes them tick. And with Spider-Man, in every movie, I think we learn a little bit more about what makes him tick, and what makes the other characters tick. As long as the writing is realistic and it may sound funny, because he’s a superhero, who is fictitious but the idea is you have to suspend disbelief. You have to accept the fact that this is a young man with a superpower who can swing on a web. But apart from that, everything about him has to be as real as possible. You have to feel you know that guy. And the more you feel you know Peter Parker and the other characters, his Aunt May, Gwen Stacy, and certainly Electro the more the story draws you in, because it’s not just a two-dimensional character on the screen, but somebody you can relate to. You can imagine you’re witnessing a real life situation; it just happens to involve a couple of people who have superpowers. BREW LIFESTYLE I NOVEMBER 2018
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Infobae.com
You have a million Twitter followers-- that is remarkable!What does that con-nection with your fans mean to you? There are so many people in this country, I should have more than a million. I’m a little annoyed about that... Without fans, if you’re in the entertainment business, you have nothing. Fans are wonderful. And they make it very difficult for you, because fans can turn on you in a second if you do the wrong thing, or you let them down. When you know how important they are, you spend all your time trying not to do the wrong thing, and not to let them down. So, because of the fans, the product that you create is probably better than it might have been, because you’re so afraid of disappointing them. I love the fans. I go to almost every comic book convention, and I thank them. And they think I’m imparting information to them, but I’m learning a hell of a lot. In our business, whether it’s movies, television, comic books or what, the fans tell you what they think. So when I talk to fans, which I do all the time, I am really wanting to hear what they have to to say. I’m a big talker, but I try to hold to myself back when they say, ‘Mr. Lee, what do you think of so-and-such?’ I say, ‘Well this is my opinion, but what do you think?’ And that’s the important thing to me. After all these years, I pretty much know what the fans look for, how they feel, what they think, and that’s very important, because in the entertainment business, the more you know of what the fans want and expect, the better a job you do. All of us are fans. I, too, am a fan. I’m sure you’re a fan of something. I want actors to be a certain way. I want stories to be a certain way. So I’m always thinking of that with anything I do. You must not disappoint the fans, ever.
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What’s the biggest thing that you’ve learned about Spider-Man specifically, from your fans? Is there anything that has really surprised you? I think his popularity surprised me. I don’t know if you heard the story of how I came about to do Spider-Man? We had done the Fantastic Four, and maybe also the Hulk. And my publisher said, ‘Hey, why don’t you give me a new superhero? We’re on a roll.’ So I dreamed up Spider-Man, and I came to my publisher, and I said I have a new character for you. His name is Spider-Man, I want him to be a teenager, and he has a lot of personal problems. My publisher said, ‘Stan, that is the worst idea I’ve ever heard.’ He said, ‘First of all, people hate spiders, so you can’t call a hero Spider-Man. Heroes don’t have personal problems, don’t you know what a superhero is? And you want him to be a teenager? A teenager can only be a sidekick.’ So I didn’t have much chance. But a little bit later, we were killing a magazine called Amazing Fantasy, because it wasn’t selling that well. Now when you do the last issue of a magazine, nobody.
Infobae.com
cares what you put in it. To get it out of my system, I put Spider-Man in the book, and featured him on the cover.A month and a half later, when the sales figures came in, my publisher came running over to me. ‘Stan! Do you remember that character Spider-Man that we both liked so much? Why don’t you do a series?’ And that’s how it started. I learned another thing: don’t always trust the experts. They can be wrong. My publisher was the expert, and sometimes you have to go with your own feeling. You are constantly reinventing your characters, and especially Spider-Man. But you’re also reinventing yourself. How do you see yourself in the canon of entertainment? I wish were a little younger, I would have tried out for the role of Peter Parker, I would have been sensational. I could have at least played his uncle. I could have played Captain Stacy - I’m going to talk to those casting directors. But I see myself as very lucky. I had written a few stories, and somehow or other people seemed to like them, and they made movies of them. They’re doing a wonderful job, and I get a lot of credit for it, which I don’t deserve, so it’s a pretty good situation.
I Think Everybodyneeds An Idol And Sometimes You Have To Go To Fiction To Find Those People
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”
A Tribute to Stan Lee
Creator of the Marvel Universe
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Prajapragathi.com
Prashanth Saravanan
“Three or four moments, that’s all it takes” was what Colossus said in one of the Deadpool movies. It took just one moment to realize the legacy you’ve left behind, the joy you brought to this world and the void that would be in the hearts of millions and millions of people across the world. Not just this Universe, but the others too. You could be anything in other Universes, even selling a Superman comic, but I thank you for being the Stan Lee you are in this Universe, the Stan Lee that drew a figment of his imagination which turned out to be the Marvel Universe. And that is coming from a DC fan I’m no Marvel fan. I’m not. I have watched Avengers and X Men over a hundred times and I’d rather meet Robert Downey Jr. as Iron Man and not Sherlock Holmes (if I ever got the opportunity, that is), and I’m still no Marvel fan. The only comic book I’ve ever owned was X Men: The Supreme Sacrifice, and I still remember Ice Man holding a club made out of ice. The book may be in tatters, but not the nostalgia and the memories that came along with it. If this were the plight of a person who’d prefer The Joker over Doctor Doom, I can only imagine the plight of those who waited in line to catch a glimpse of a comic book release, those who attended Comic Cons and those who can say every single birth child of Mystique in their sleep.
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Farandula.com
Mr Stan Lee, to us, you’re not just the creator of a hundred superheroes, no. You taught us to dream. You taught us that entertainment was the single most important thing in this world, and to do that is nothing short of being extraordinary. You made sure even with their superpowers, no superhero was larger than life. You brought hope and courage and bravery in every single child out there. In the Black Panther movie, all the women were portrayed to be strong. Not because of the adversity they were facing, but just because they were strong. Representation is the need of the hour, every person needs someone to look up to, and someone who inspires us, and you gave us just that. You helped us see ourselves in the characters you create and the situations and hardships you put these superheroes into, you gave us the strength to fight the evil in our lives even when all the odds are stacked against us.
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wallpapercraft.site
In one of your interviews with Playboy you said “You know, my motto is ‘Excelsior’. That’s an old word that means ‘upward and onto great glory’. It’s on the seal of the state of New York. Keep moving forward, and if it’s time to go, it’s time. Nothing lasts forever.” If I have to be honest, I have never ever heard of the word “Excelsior”. Until today. But thinking of it, that’s not why you killed off Wolverine, right? That’s not why The Phoenix had to die, right? That’s not why Cyclops had to die, right? That’s not why you died, right?
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wall2born.com
Mr Lee, we owe you. The whole world owes you. But on a personal note, thank you. Not for the tons of arguments I’ve had with my friends over the more dominant Comic Universe- Marvel or DC, not for the debates where my friends say Quicksilver is faster than Flash and I’d disagree, but for giving me an excuse to watch every Marvel movie. Which is you. True to your word, I’m one of the few who goes to theatres to watch your cameos, along with the rest of the movie. And now, I’ve run out of excuses. Adieu, and Excelsior! BREW LIFESTYLE I NOVEMBER 2018
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LIVE
Alternate
Diwali Gayathri Krishnaraj
Shmoozie’s is Chennai’s only Hand-Crafted Ice cream store. They make all their flavours in-house without the use of artificial colours and essences. Flavours are completely made from scratch. Shmoozie’s introduced the idea of gifting ice creams for Diwali, a concept never tried before and has popularly run for two years. This year, to make it bigger and nudge people to try different and mindful gifting, in collaboration with, Sudarshana and Veena who are environmental consultants at Two’s Company India, hosted- Alternate To. This is a community-based event to spread the idea of conscious and mindful gifting. a little more about the event below. 50 BREW LIFESTYLE I NOVEMBER 2018
This Diwali, to set an example on how one can strike a balance between the fun, sanctity and mindfulness and celebrate the occasion consciously, Shmoozies hosted ‘Alternate to’ - an initiative by like-minded millennials to spread joy this Diwali by stepping out of our conventional way of celebration and finding happiness in alternate forms that are exciting, responsible and supports local. In other words, gift and uplift. The second-hand and zero - waste lifestyle products sale is a part of this initiative, where they brought our community together and hosted a fun day while tackling the bigger issue at hand. It is a great way to reuse and reduce while actually giving the buyer a sense of acquiring something new. While it is largely practised around the world, India trails behind in following this concept and this event was an attempt to make it a practice and revive it. Their zero - waste products are relatable, affordable and accessible and are designed to help anyone lead a low impact lifestyle with ease. The event also featured a few other creative solution providers. BREW LIFESTYLE I NOVEMBER 2018
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Amruta Varshini : A young architect who has a passion for art and creation. She runs Grey Matters- handmade and painted cement /concrete home decor items. Grey Matters Creative is a range of home decor products that are minimalistic, contemporary and peaceful. It started off with a half empty bag of cement and an innate craving to create and express art through all the right shades of grey. Why so Grey? - The color, the texture and the stark appeal of concrete is like poetry, striking the right chords and orchestrating the perfect symphony bringing Grey Matters Creative to life.
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Kevin : Kevin is a singer-songwriter from Chennai whose acts are predominantly in the realm of pop/rock, who kept the audience enthralled with his music . Mridula Ganesan : Mridula is a Textile Design graduate from NIFT, Chennai. Founder of Hew and Frost, freelancer / graphic designer and a letterer. Hew and Frost was started out of passion a couple years ago, while wanting to give everyone a one of a kind experience with carefully curated desserts. Hew and Frost; a name with a word play, Hew means to cut or carve, also refers to Hue and Frost refers to the silky smooth frostings that go on the cake.
Vidhya Bhat : Vidhya runs Chittaara. After collecting the used liquor glass bottles from junk shops, Vidya infuses life into them through her art . With lights inside the bottles they become unique home decor pieces - An ideal gift for colourful Diwali The event focused on making new friends, co-brand small local businesses, women entrepreneurs support and uplift each other and promote the idea of secondhand selling thus indirectly promoting reusing, reducing, sharing, swapping, conscious living and a mindful lifestyl
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LIVE
Guide TO
GANDIKOTA Praburam Srinivasan
Founder, Navigoto.
Picture this - Sunrise in midst of Reddish-brown scenery while you stay perched on a huge rock, mountains on both sides with a beautiful desi river flowing through it. Sounds magical? Well it is.
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We all know that the locations in Sir Maniratnam’s movies are a visual treat and leave us mesmerized. This is one such location which took more than 25 minutes of the screen time in the climax of the movie Chekka Chevantha Vaanam. Piqued your interest? Well it should. Yes, I’m talking about Gandikota, a beautiful village in the district of Cuddapah, Andhra Pradesh. Located at approx. 320km from Namma Chennai, this isolated wonder is a very less explored travel destination which will instantly please anyone who pays a visit.
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Fort :
The view : In the past year, we have been there thrice this is one of the best spots to set up camp. Ideally located on top of the gorge, the view from the tent is unbelievable. All you see is a vast strech of massive gorge with Pennar river passing through it with the sun rays gleaming over the river. The sheer serenity of the place makes you forget time as you sit down and watch the sun play peek-a-boo with the clouds above. Though the climb to the top maybe enticing, the rocks might also become a danger for faint hearted. If successful, you would be
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greeted with stunning views of the canyons. This is the part where you get to pose as Bahubali on the edge of the gorges The higher you climb from the gorge the better is the view but remember to climb according to your own strength as you must climb down, and this can become tricky sometimes. After walking around and climbing the boulders in the scorching, the pennar river welcomes you for a dip which soothes you almost instantly.
Gandikota’s history is as complex as its structure. The massive Gandikota fort sits atop the gorge. Built in the 13th century in red sandstone, one can take a lovely walk through time observing its intricate carvings, understanding its colorful history and unearthing hundreds of stories encapsulated in its ruins. There’s also an old 13th century temple, the Raghunathswamy temple which is an architectural treasure with a ‘complex network of pillars and hallways. The temple remains a mystery as there are no idols placed here.
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Belum Caves - photographers galore The most fascinating thing to do here is to explore the Belum caves which is a must visit destination for anyone who wishes to explore unique places in India. One fascinating piece of information about Belum caves is that there are evidences that prove these caves were inhabited way back in 4500 BC Surprisingly, there is a Musical Chamber where the stalactite formations in this compartment mimic musical notes when these are hit with a wooden stick or knuckles of fingers. Truly nature is the master of melody! Isn’t it? End your day at the Rayalacheruvu Lake, believed to have been established by emperor Sri Krishnadevaraya using water from the Pennar river. Watch the sun go down, and the evening twilight cast an eerie shadow over the gorges. Gandikota at night is just another mesmerizing sight to behold. Gandikota is a relatively unexplored area, unspoiled by a flock of tourists. To let it flourish in all its natural charm, we encourage responsible tourism. Please do not litter or encourage people who do. Let us support and promote responsible tourism.
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We have not been to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon. In fact, it’s our pride that we don't travel to Foreign countries. Instead, there are a million destinations like Gandikota which is yet to be discovered. I don't know whether the view Arizona is as stunning as Gandikota, but instead of calling Gandikota as the Grand Canyon of India, I prefer to call Arizona's Grand Canyon as the Gandikota of America.
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LIVE
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Emotion Cricket An Which isn’t contained within boundaries of gender Akila Sridhar
since everyone told me how it was impossible for a girl. I wanted to challenge that notion.
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Photo Credits : Abdul Hanan
From a girl’s perspectiveTo be honest I’ve not really been the active kid on the block. I’ve stuck to my books and on occasions fancied a game or two with the bat. To be honest, I’ve learnt a lot from the streets and my brother. Since I was the nerd with the glasses and pseudo intellectual, I didn’t really have many friends. I barely had a verbal filter and minimal tolerance to nonsense. That guaranteed solitude and bullying. My brother always stood for me supporting me and guiding me when I needed him. He taught me how to play cricket and asked me to stand up for myself. I started off with a stick for a bat and crushed paper for a ball. Or certain days even the writing pad at home became our bat. To translate, he gave me determination and willpower as a bat to all the obstacles thrown my way. It was the fire they lit in me to learn this and master this since everyone told me how it was impossible for a girl. I wanted to challenge that notion. Nights were spent on practicing and reading up on the techniques since I had a lot to cope for. The inferiority complex that was instilled in me took time to be broken. The game was a way for me to express myself -what’s yours? It’s not Just about me and it’s definitely not merely a session of advice, on how you shouldn’t really be bullying in the first placebut it’s about how cricket changed my life hence forth. I gradually
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became a regular member to the team of boys. Cricket isn’t merely a game but some thing that taught me about life. The strokes and the field work taught me planning and hard work. It taught me the need to maintain my cool and how to aim for success as a team. It might seem funny how I’m exaggerating a simple play of stick and the ball on the road at a young age, but trust me to a person who had none other than that to look forward for- it saved me. It taught me what years of books couldn’t – confidence and the confirmation that I could face any ball life throws at me. Be it a spinner or a fast bowler- few seconds of calm and clear mind can divert any hinderance to a boundary- to victory. Personification taking me yards ahead, it took me a while to break the shackles at home that prevented me from playing. It was looked down on since I mingled more with the opposite gender. It was seen as a shame since I wasn’t very girl like in my choices but it was a price I chose to pay for. It was all worth it. The lessons of success and failures I was taught at the hands of the ball , strengthened me for the rough future. Whatever is worthy of keeping, never comes easy.
Photo Credits : Arpit Panda It took the gang more than a few matches to name me as their own and get me a bat to play with. They taught me more than they realised. Be it topics like gender equality, feminism, sportive attitude , from how to play a game to being a fitness freak , from having a hobby to developing a career. It taught me to believe in self and that wealth and family background doesn’t take you places – attitude does. One should always look ahead and see their goal.
Positivity ain’t merely a text book concept or what is unsaid. in meditation halls- it is optimism- a sense of hope and something that steers us ahead- something to lean on. What is cricket entirely about? A stick and a ball game developed in the early 1400s by the English to pass their time and to showcase their wealth or to rather bring about differentiation based on wealth. It was brought to India when it was colonised and dumped upon us to show them our game. The game as a whole went through tremendous changes to show how change isn’t always something to be feared for. However today it is more than a game- it is an emotion to the masses. Movies like Lagan and chennai 28 brought about a revelation to the cricket fans. Movies like MSD and Tendular- a million dreams left no stone unturned to document the victories and appreciate those chosen you gsters who’ve achieved great heights through this sport. They made it their life and now many lives choose this sport. The most prevalent stereotype is that cricket is for the male and the females are fit for the cheer leading- with all due respect to cheering and that being a form of encouraging dance, it is the same
sport for the girls out there. Our Indian team is the documented Evidence for success and breaking all stereotypes. Agreed that there are girls who are unaware of the captain and or even the number of yards it takes for a run I’m just saying there are also a few who know this sport and more than that, they play it right. The world around us is changing and the maximum we could do is, facilitate it if not join it. There is a separate joy in being the one bringing about the change. Change is for the good but being the change is even better. Years of preaching now brought it into practice. The idea of this being a gender orientated game changed into parents volunteering to let their child learn this art form to see how far one travels. Sports are no longer seen as an activity played in the free time from studying. It is seen as a successful career choice. The ones respected after the law force are the cricketers in India. The amenities they get once they have found their footing is immeasurable. And coming from the background like million others- without much facilities to count for, the government steps forward to encourage the under privileged. We always have a shoulder to count for and a step to move forward – skill and passion are the price we need to pay for success.
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Do you have the passion? Do you want to break the gender barriers? Do you play? Let’s play. Even for a girl, it’s not Merely a sport, it’s an emotion.
WHAT’S BREWING
The Off Road Sports’18
The Off Road Sports (ORS), an adventurous ATV sport center which is unique of its kind, was started on October 2009. To meet the growing demand for an outdoor sports activity center, ORS introduced ATV rides on off-road track and on enthralling beach trials.ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) is a quad bike, a four wheeler.
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As the name implies, it plays well in almost all terrian, especially the sand terrian. ATVs ranges from 90cc bike to 1000cc RZRs. Riding an ATV is an ultimate excitement for all age group of people. All our ATVs are high-quality Polaris (US brand ) vehicles, with different ranges to suit kids, families or adventure enthusiasts. The event is held on 15th November 2018 from 10 am to 7pm at dolphin city, East Coast Road, Chennai
The first sport center in India to be recognized by Polaris USA, the ATV brand. We are the first and only ATV club that provides rides on the beach and in the midst of a forest-like terrain with thick tree cover. Similar to the UAE sand safari using desert terrain, Off Road Sports uses the coastal sand terrain for providing a unique experience within the country. Trainers will be available to guide the new users. Safe enough to allow your entire family to enjoy. We invite you to delight and amaze your family with this adventurous sports.
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Cinema Soul
Cinema Soul is a journey through the feisty and soulful music of Rekha Bhardwaj. A narrative that traverses the arc of her career as a playback singer, the performance will also be a celebration of the many characters and choreographies that have come alive through her music, allowing the music to become a story, and the story to become a sensation, and thereby a memory that lasts forever. The event is held on 17th November in Music Academy, TTK Road, Chennai. The event is also happening in multiple other locations.
Bombay Jayashri Ramnath and Abhishek Raghuram
Drawing inspiration from their own training, influences and experiences, classical music maestros, Bombay Jayashri Ramnath and Abhishek Raghuram’s collaborative performance is a sensitively curated homage to the musical traditions of India. Traversing seamlessly across these many musical forms, the performance is also inclusive in its premise and philosophy. Sharing space with the vocalists are artistes who literally own their instruments - tabla, mridangam, flute and sarangi - and together, they will add a fascinating dimension to the overall musical narrative allowing audiences to appreciate the beauty of individuality and the magic of a collaboration. The event is held on 16th November 2018 in Music Academy, TTK Road, Chennai.
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