SEP 2016
LIFESTYLE
Vol-1 ISSUE-3
TRUCKIN’ ON
WANDERING EARL’S LIFE ON ROAD
GLIMPSES BEYOND
A TRAVELOGUE ON AUSTRALIA
IN CONVERSATION WITH KALKI KOECHLIN
The Brew magazine is based on the Entertainment genre has seen stupendous growth in the past five years of its existence. Based on its tagline ‘Think. Create. Live’, the Brew magazine urges readers to contemplate, create and live- in that order. Featuring human interest stories, articles about the most famed artists and elite lifestyle stories, we are immaculately selective about our content. With the support of the advisory and contributory board comprising of a team of great individuals, we host a minimum of eight events a year as well. Sameer Bharat Ram Publisher & CEO The common man’s lifestyle can sometimes become a soulless, insipid endeavor. So, every once in a while there is a whisper in your ear and the subsequent hankering to reach out for something new. It is at this threshold that the extraordinary unfolds; a life that enthralls with each passing second. This is what most of us call Happiness. On that note, this month Brew brings to you the lives and stories of some of the wildest souls, this issue; those who genuinely believe in the notion ‘…there is no greater joy than to have an endlessly changing horizon, for each day to have a new and different sun.’ Brew emphasizes this very idea of living a life filled with epiphanies that lead to a better tomorrow. In line with which, our cover portrays Kalki Koechlin who is a perfect blend of that mirthful persona and myriad layers of everything else that makes her, her. A passionate individual with an infectious, high-spirited vivacity, she has been critically acclaimed for her unique choice of characters on screen.The Think section opens with a story on a solo women travellers movement that was set off by the hashtag Viajosola, which means ‘I Travel Alone.’ Followed by the story of a famous traveller, popularly known for his blog, ‘Wandering Earl,’ to a piece on photographer Rahul Saharan, there is a lot to reflect upon. As you flip the pages, the Create section takes you on a creative high with interviews from writers Rajeev Balakrishnan and Kanika Dhillon, each with their own, unique novels and in depth insights of their fictional characters. The Theatre section discloses the life and brief history of founder and CEO of Alchemy, an acting school that ameliorated media related career pursuits of people in the city and across. The Live section on another hand lets you indulge in the simple yet extraordinary pleasures of life. From an extensive article on the exquisite platters of Hyderabadi cuisine to a travelogue on Australia, there is a lot to read. VIDHYA ANAND EDITOR
“Based on its tagline ‘Think. Create. Live’, the Brew magazine urges readers to contemplate, create and live- in that order. Featuring human interest stories, articles about the most famed artists and elite lifestyle stories, we are immaculately selective about our content. ”
CONTRIBUTORS & ADVISORY BOARD Thota Tharrani A senior Indian film art director and production designer who has worked in Tamil cinema, Telugu cinema, Malayalam cinema and Bollywood. He has won two National Film Awards, two Filmfare Awards South and four Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. His work consists of paintings, murals, paper collages, wooden montages, installations and so on
G Venket Ram A leading Indian fashion photographer, who has shot principal photography stills for several notable films as well as portfolios. He quit his engineering studies to work with cinematographers for a while, after which he joined a course in Visual Communication at Loyola College. He then worked with photographer Sharad Haksar and in 1993, he started his own studio
Mallika Sarabhai Educated as an economist and business manager, she is one of India’s best-known classical dancers. She has taken her work and her company ‘Darpana’ to not only over 90 countries around the world, but also to the most remote parts of India
Neeru Nanda A graduate from Delhi University, she’s passionate about writing. She freelanced as a feature writer for ten years before switching to publishing. Author of a collection of short stories titled ‘IF’, she has also worked on novels and short stories for children
Ashok Verghese One of the youngest education entrepreneurs who is making a great difference in this field in the country. He is the Director of the Hindustan group of Institutions, one of the pioneering educational groups in the country. He supports the cause of promoting young talent in art and music
Veejay Sai An award-winning writer, editor and a culture critic. He has written and published extensively on Indian classical music, fashion, theatre, food and art, and loves traveling, researching literary and cultural history. He is an editorial consultant with over 40 brands and designers in and outside India and is on the jury for several prestigious awards in the arts sector across the country
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INTERNAL TEAM EDITOR Vidhya Anand FEATURES WRITERS Padma Murughappun Ajay Srikanth Nanditha Vijayaraghavan Aasha Sriram MARKETING MANAGER Reesha N DESIGN Sriram B COVER CREDITS SHIVA BALASWAMINATHAN
CIRCULATION K.Sathish kumar
We are pleased to announce that celebrity PRO Mr Nikkil Murugan officially gets on board as the public relations officer of BREW LIFESTYLE.
S T R A T E G Y
&
D E S I G N
Published by Sameer Bharat Ram, and owned by SM BrandMuni Consulting Pvt. Ltd, Published from New No. 68 / Old No. 63, Cathedral Road, Chennai - 600 086. Tel.: +91 44 4208 9392. Follow us http://www.facebook.com/ thebrewmagazine
Write to editor.thebrewmagazine@gmail.com for editorial queries/feedback marketing.thebrewmagazine@gmail.com for advertisement queries/feedback
Published from New No. 68 / Old No. 63, Cathedral Road, Chennai - 600 086. Tel.: +91 44 4208 9392.
SEP 2016 | Brew lifestyle| 6
CONTENTS
ISSUE 03
THINK
14 36
SOLO TRAVELLING VIAJOSOLA & ITS THINLY VEILED FOOTPRINT
10
TRUCKIN’ ON WANDERING EARL’S LIFE ON ROAD
14
SUITCASE TALES IN CONVERSATION WITH SUDHISH KAMATH
18
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS PHOTOGRAPHER RAHUL SAHARAN’S UNIQUE PROJECT
20
CREATE THE TRIUMPH OF HUMAN SPIRIT EXCERPTS FROM WRITER KANIKA DHILLON
24
THE DEATH SEEKING IMMORTAL AUTHOR RAJEEV BALAKRISHNAN SPEAKS
28
BURGEONING ACTING CAREERS ALCHEMY, A DISCLOSURE
32
THE COVER GIRL KALKI’S JOIE DE VIVRE
36
28 SEP 2016 | Brew lifestyle| 8
46
LIVE ASTRO FOOD RECIPE OF THE MONTH
44
THE NIZAM’S PLATTER EXLPORING HYDERABADI CUISINE
46
INTO THE BLU HOSPITALITY PERSONIFIED
50
GLIMPSES BEYOND A TRAVELOGUE ON AUSTRALIA
52
WHAT’S BREWING PICKS OF THE MONTH
62
52 SEP 2016 | Brew lifestyle| 9
THINK|Musings
VIAJOSOLA & ITS THINLY VEILED FOOTPRINT
We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next to find ourselves.We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will ever accommodate.We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again - to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more. BY NANDITHA VIJAYARAGHAVAN It has long been said that travel broadens the mind. Science has in fact proven that just the idea of getting away is an essential habit of effective thinking. It’s not about a holiday, or relaxation, or sipping daiquiris on an unspoilt tropical beach: it’s about the tedious act itself, putting some miles between home and wherever you happen to spend the night. In early March this year, a travel hashtag had piqued the interests of a zillion women on the internet. #Viajosola, Spanish for I Travel Alone, was sweeping the world wide web following the unfortunate deaths of two female Argentinian backpackers near Ecuador’s Pacific Coast of Montañita in February. Several internationally renowned public personalities took to the online milieu to express their unabashed disbelief on such unprecedented carcass.
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Unfortunately, some of them rebuked the two female victims themselves for inviting such trouble by travelling alone without a male companion. “There are parts of the world that aren’t ready for full freedom of women,” Argentinian psychiatrist Hugo Marietan tweeted after the news. “You are also responsible for your preservation.” Wait. What? The influx of such victim blaming post this barbaric episode received very strong resurgence from (solo) female travelers across the globe who took to popular social media forums to ventilate their obvious indignance. One Twitter user wrote, “I always travel alone, nothing’s wrong with that. It’s NOT an invitation for robbing, raping or killing. Not among sane humans. #Viajosola.” Her response sparked a powerful media campaign, where women all around the world leapt in to vocalize their support to adventures abroad and urge other young women to not be afraid to chase the unknown. Writing on Instagram, traveller Kristina Poljak said, “ The death of two innocent girls seems to put blame on all of us who are courageous enough to have done the same, but have been lucky enough to not have crossed paths with violence and trouble. I am saddened by the death of these two young women, we should all be more careful but also we shouldn’t give up doing whatever it is we want. Adding her support on Instagram, elinatervo said #Viajosola. I’m woman and I travel alone. #Freedom is to travel the world. Do not blame women, blame criminals! Posting on Twitter, TwitterlessDad said ‘#Viajosola because my love for seeing the world and its cultures shouldn’t be jeopardised by the fact that I am a woman.’
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Every year, thousands of women travel the world alone. Travelling can be a crucial step towards understanding the truly global nature of humanity. However, in many countries, women are not even allowed out of the protected precincts of their humble abode without a male member to escort them, let alone travel to foreign countries. What may seem normal for some, is considered dangerous and blasphemous for others. There is no denial that certain risks associated with being a solo female traveller in a foreign country, exist. However, what this viral campaign addresses is the fact that in the wake of the tragedy, many pointed fingers at the girls for travelling unaccompanied by a man and even questioned their parents for letting them travel independently. Instead of addressing the perpetrators of the murder, people attacked the victims and the notion that a woman should be allowed to travel on her own. Mark Jenkins, the award-winning travel and adventure writer, resonated just that, “Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world.The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both.This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and- white.” The beauty of this whole process was best described, perhaps, before people even took to frequent flying, by George Santayana in his lapidary essay, “The Philosophy of Travel.” The Harvard philosopher succintly described how we sometimes need to escape into open solitudes, into aimlessness, into the moral holiday of running some pure hazard, in order to sharpen the edge of life, to taste hardship, and to be compelled to work desperately for a moment no matter what. As a wanderlust globe-trotter myself, I cannot entirely disregard the perils of solo travelling but I often role-play into an adventurous wayferer, within the safe bounds of my vagabond circumference. I travel because… It guides me toward a better balance of wisdom, compassion and savoir-faire. It is my opulent escape of leaving all my beliefs and certainties behind, and seeing everything I thought I knew in a different light, and from a crooked angle. It whirls me around and turns me completely upside down, and stands everything I took for granted on its head. It shakes up my complacencies by seeing all the moral and political urgencies, the life-and- death dilemmas, that I seldom have to face otherwise. It is the ideal way I know of rescuing the humanity of places, and saving them from abstraction and ideology. It invokes the subtler beauty of enabling me to bring new eyes to the people and experiences I encounter. It fortifies my search of both self and anonymity — and, of course, in finding the one, I apprehend the other! At its heart, travel is just a means of resurrection to keep our minds mobile and awake. And even as the world seems to grow more exhausted, our travels do not. Travel, then, is a voyage into that famously subjective zone, the imagination, and what the traveler brings back is an ineffable compound of himself and the place, what’s really there and what’s only in him. It is, in a sense, about the enigmatic conspiracy of perception and imagination. We carry within us the wonders we seek without us. There is all Africa and her prodigies in us!
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(ACADEMIC YEAR 2016 - 17)
THINK|Mavericks
TRUCKIN’ ON
Imagine redefining what ‘home’ means to you every day, as you backpack across obscure streets meeting new people and painting the finest of legacies on every plateau.That’s Earl’s reality. After graduating from the University of Massachusetts, Derek Earl Baron decided to take a trip that would eventually become a journey across the world. BY AASHA SRIRAM
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THINK|Mavericks “The plan was to travel for three months, but when I reached Cambodia and celebrated the millennium back on Dec 31, 1999. I was just looking around at the local people and it took me less than a day to realize that I wouldn’t be getting back. I had no plan and no idea how I was going to make it happen, but that’s what I wanted to do. I wanted to have life-changing experiences for as long as I can,” says Earl flashing back on how it all began. Making this massive decision wasn’t easy for Earl to explain to his parents and at first, it didn’t really rest well with them. “My family was pretty upset. I had just graduated from a university which was extremely expensive. My parents thought I was just wasting my education and that the only way I could travel around was to be some kind of homeless person. Eventually, they accepted it and I go home three times a year to visit everyone,” says Earl, who’s living the dream. It wasn’t long before, that Earl began documenting his experiences and within no time ‘Wandering Earl’ became a phenomenal blog that caught the attention of people all over the world. Having travelled to more than ninety different countries, Earl captures the unique essence of every town, every quarry and every soul he’s touched over the years. To many, travelling is an unattainable fantasy, however Earl has been making it a reality by organizing the ‘Wandering Earl Tours’ to bring together people who are passionate about discovering the unexplored corners of the world. “It started because many of my readers emailed me that they’d love to travel. In the beginning, I thought it wasn’t realistic but I tried and put together a tour to see if people would come together. It worked! They are small group tours with ten people and the style of travel is the same as mine. The idea is to make the way I travel more accessible to people.” Most people are set in their ways, but Earl goes where the wind takes him. He wakes up in a new place every day, making new connections as he finds his way to his next destination. “For some people it’s scary, but for me, it’s very exciting. I’m open to any possibility. I might walk outside my apartment, and I have no idea where it’s going to lead. It could take my life in a new direction. I don’t want to know where I’m going.”
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Men may come and men may go When asked about the moving in and out of people’s life, watching them pass by, Earl says, “Some of the connections last ten minutes, it can be a beautiful conversation but that’s it.You go your own way. If it’s really something that is valuable beyond the experiences, it’s going to continue. I probably don’t remember a lot of people I met, but I know I’ve shared some great experiences with them.” Taken Disclosing one of his creepiest experiences, Earl pipes, “My flight arrived very late in Bangladesh, so I went outside to get a taxi and ended up getting kidnapped for three days. That was really creepy but lucky for me; they weren’t really good at it.” Memoirs of a nomad “One of my fondest memories is being on Socotra Island in Yemen. It’s one of the most isolated places on the planet, nobody ever leaves the island. I think about this place every single day,” says Earl looking back in time to one of his most unforgettable experiences. The Holy Grail While satiation of a particular land, its people and culture is an unavoidable juncture for every traveller, for Earl there is an exception. “I’ve gone to India a hundred times, but I can always see something different. I’ve believed that India gives people the best education just because even after going there a million times, it’s always going to be a new experience. I really like Varanasi because it’s all of India wrapped into one, and I always have a powerful experience there.” EXCERPTS: What’s it like to be in a new place every day? Have you ever felt like you needed to get away from it all? To walk around new corners and meet new people and places I’d never known had existed is amazing. That excitement and those possibilities were enough to keep me motivated to continue moving around and getting to places. I didn’t really get homesick because I enjoy it too much, it’s like a drug. I’m addicted to it and having these experiences is all I ever think of. Does being detached from the virtual world get to you? It was quite challenging at first, but I’ve gotten used to it. Everyone is getting on their phones now and while it’s strange at first, I think it’s extremely healthy. It’s good to step away from the world and look up to see what’s around us. What are some of the challenges you face while travelling? Constantly travelling to places means constantly changing your mindset.You get used to a country, and the way people think and behave and their traditions, and suddenly you’re somewhere else and you have to re-learn everything about that place. The biggest thing I miss is a sense of community because I’m always moving around.
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THINK|Mavericks
SUDHISH KAMATH’S SUITCASE TALES There are often very many epiphanies at crucial junctures in life that consciously or unconsciously lead to intrepid decisions. However, how far could a person go in doing so? Would you dare to wake up one morning, give up your comfortable lifestyle only to travel back to back for months and shoot those films that you always wanted to? On your iPhone? And, live out of your suitcase in the meanwhile? While that might be continuous denials for most of you, Sudhish Kamath, the popular Indian film critic and an Independent film maker decided to do just that. In an interview with the Brew magazine just before his travel began, he delves into what brought about the need for such a powerful change, its challenges and the dreams that it overflows with. BY VIDHYA ANAND
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“I turned 39 on February 8 this year. The last two and a half years of my life was spent on an ambitious experiment that didn’t pay me a buck. And I have a wish-list of completing four films before turning 40. To make up for lost time - I decided to move out of my flat by midyear, live out of a suitcase and use the rent money to shoot my films. With just an iPhone 6S Plus,” says Sudhish on his blog that records his experiences and progress. With one of the quirkiest, intimidating and dauntless plan in mind, he set off on that once in a lifetime travel experience. Here’s what he had to say about it. Your travel plans are ambitious, extremely uncompromising and intimidating to the common man. How excited are you about them? Did you know you had this part of you, a part that would wake up one morning and get on the road, for months together? Or was it a recent revelation? With three months of rent money, what if you can afford three weeks of a holiday in Istanbul and Tokyo (a week or ten days each). What would you choose? Especially if you have talented actors you can collaborate with in these cities and a script you have lived with for over a year? There were a bunch of cheques I was expecting that didn’t come for assorted reasons. So, I decided to live within my means. It’s as simple as that. I was mentally prepping myself for this for six months. We need to keep a cut-off date for chasing our dreams. Without a deadline, we are going to be happy chilling at home paying rent. I’m more scared than excited because there’s so much planning that goes into movies and it’s not as simple as planning a holiday. Which is why I spent half a year just figuring out a slate of films I wanted to shoot, available resources, feasibility, actors, technicians etc. Is there a particular project in these few months that you look forward to? All of them. With each of these films, I’ve tried to explore a different style of storytelling. I’ve made a feel good coming of age film, a phone call romance as a conversation film, a mystery/psychological thriller as a serialised anthology so far. So now, I’m trying to make a musical, a silent film, a road film and a Matrix-y sci-fi drama set in the post-apocalyptic world. I don’t want to name any of them yet since they are all work in progress. At the end of this, would you want to go back again? Wake up yet another morning and pack off, onto the road? I have no plans beyond the next six months or a year, unable to see that far yet. But hopefully this road will let me figure out what next. Whatever I do, I’m sure exploring the world will be a part of it. Tell us a little more about your plans. I want to figure out how to make indie filmmaking feasible without having to take favours from cast and crew. I am paying all my actors and crew Some token amount, like theatre does, or offering them a stake in the project because I believe it’s important not to exploit people. Having been at the receiving end from studios, this is the least I can do. I hope to create a non-exploitative working model for independent filmmaking. That’s how we can make it feasible.
Follow Sudhish’s column ‘Suitcase Tales’ on Wishberry to know more about his personal experiences.
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THINK|Changemakers
THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS
No one really knew what an acid attack victim goes through, and no one really bothered to find out, until Rahul Saharan brought them into the spotlight with his iconic photoshoot showcasing an acid attack survivor’s wardrobe designs. How does an ordinary Chandigarh boy grow into a popular photographer in Delhi? Is the silhouette of painting fading in the light of photography in this digital era? How important is it to choose your own path rather than fulfilling your ‘destiny?’ Rahul Saharan gives us all these answers and more, in a conversation with Brew. BY ABHISHEK JC
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Born and brought up in Chandigarh, Punjab, Rahul has been living in Delhi for the past seven years. Not limited to merely photography, his resume is quite impressive, as it includes filmmaking, social activism, script writing and documenting. He emerged into the spotlight in 2015 when he did a photo shoot featuring acid attack-survivor women as models. “My main goal is to work for social change. An attack by acid is fatal, and even when women survive they are subjected to disdain and rejection everyday. But one such victim called Rupa rose above these hurdles and went on to make a name for herself.Victims of such attacks often develop a fatalistic attitude and isolate themselves from society. However, in order to be accepted by society they first need to accept themselves,” says Rahul. THE PERFECT PICTURE A photograph is much more than the picture you see and it takes a lot more than just a good camera for that perfect picture. When asked about how he achieves that, Rahul articulates, “For me to even begin a proper photoshoot, it is very important for the timing to be right. I didn’t just go and shoot them on the first day we met. It would be easy for me, but then their personality wouldn’t be manifested the way it was, and the whole idea would be redundant. It takes time to come to terms with your situation and be comfortable and open. I spent three years understanding and interacting with them, only then did I propose the photoshoot. Even today if I have to work on a shoot the first thing I do is get the timing right. It is important if I need to simulate exactly what I have in mind.” Photography can mean different things to different people. For some, it’s a passion they strive to pursue, for some it is a career choice and for some it is a love affair. Given the stigma for such a profession in current Indian society, it takes a dauntless attitude to stay rooted to it. Reminiscing what made him choose photography, Rahul says, “I come from a not-so- affluent family and there was no one to counsel me about what I should do in life. I didn’t have much to lose, so I experimented with many known options, kept switching and mixing to find my true calling. Photography was my last experiment. I needed a way to express myself, and in photography I found my medium.”
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THINK|Changemakers
PHOTOGRAPHY, A CAREER PURSUIT In today’s world of virtual reality, painting, as an art form and as a medium of expression might seem like it’s breathing its last. But photography is also basically digital painting, without the subject having to stay frozen for hours while the artist works. Rahul begged to differ. “Photography is inspired from paintings. Before a painter starts his career, he already has a deep understanding of lighting, composition, shadows and highlights, things that any photographer understands towards the end of his bildungsroman. Ask any photographer; they all look to paintings for inspiration and style which they then break up to call their own. Besides, paintings are a status symbol, so they won’t die out any time soon,” he elucidates. With the increase in the number of youth inclining towards fields like entrepreneurship and art, especially in our country, the monetary value that those fields have might not be very desirable. Speaking of job securities in fields of art which require passion more than settlement Rahul says, “Focusing on a goal regardless of the times and opportunities available is ignorance.Very rapidly machines are replacing people, and a computer is doing the so-called desk jobs. Things which seem relevant today might become redundant a few years from now.” KNOWLEDGE IS POWER Rahul Saharan has one thing in common with Lord Baelish from Game of Thrones - he believes knowledge is power. “If you have the know-how of anything at all, it is easy to find your way. With photography many people try randomly to get good pictures, but it doesn’t work like that; what you learn on your own in five years, a photography school will teach you in just one.” He conducts workshops in many parts of the country, and has studied under many national and international photographers himself. His story is truly inspiring, and makes you realize with the right amount of risk, knowledge and confidence, nothing is really beyond reach.
SEP 2016 | Brew lifestyle| 22
CREATE|Literature
“THE TRIUMPH OF HUMAN SPIRIT�
Passionate, crude, sassy and determined, Rajjo has more than one streak of grey. Growing up in a milieu of deceit and betrayal, Rajjo has come to become a hauntingly beautiful and a potent woman. Kanika Dhillon is at her professional high with the release of her third novel The Dance of Durga.With Rajjo as its protagonist and Kanika as its writer,The Dance of Durga is a powerful melange of desire, love and faith. Read on to know if Rajjo followed destiny or wrote her own future in a conversation with the author. BY PADMA MURUGHAPPUN
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Screenplay writing and novels essentially consists of characters and creating a story around them. But how different are these two from a writer’s point of view? From a writer’s point of view - as an author I have to create a world with my words between the covers. That means the details need to be etched out. I should be able to convey the atmosphere, setting, character, mood, emotion and even describe the colour of the shirt and the smell associated with it to my reader. Authors need words to reconstruct the visual image in the head of the reader. Whereas in a screenplay, I can set a mood and the mood can be interpreted and executed by the director and other HOD’s in different ways. On page the screenplay is not necessarily all inclusive in terms of the final imagery that will appear on screen unlike the book. Also, the self-expression of a writer is greater in a novel as he is the sole creator of the work that the reader experiences. Rajjo is portrayed as a powerful character with a determined nature. How much of Kanika is reflected in Rajjo? All the characters that I write –be it for a novel or a screenplay definitely have a part of me. But as they evolve in the story and face situations, react to circumstances around them, they begin to have an identity of their own. They say a writer lives a life twice, once in present tense and then in retrospect. Perhaps my characters too reflect a part of me in retrospect. Having said that, it’s also important as an author that I completely understand the characters I create. Only then can I write about their journeys and their trials and tribulations. My characters need to be people in my head to whom these stories have happened. And I need to know them intimately. So Rajjo is someone I know very closely and deeply. I identify with her pain and her judgements, her ambition and her vulnerabilities as I would identify and empathise with someone who is very close to me.Yes her opinions to some extent could be mingled with what I believe or could be what I know of Rajjo. The lines are blurred. However, I as a person am determined. Your writing seems very descriptive in nature, be it the environment around the character or character description, it’s brought to life through words. Why do you choose descriptive writing? The world needs to come alive, and for me to focus on the details and descriptions is important to root my stories in a realistic narrative. Hence, the descriptive nature.
Which requires more descriptive writing – screenplays or novels? Definitely novels as the written word in the novel needs to convey the imagery and experience the reader should have. A screenplay is converted into a visual medium and you have a visual imagery to convey the story. Rajjo has very strong opinions about a lot of things, especially about the supernatural forces. What is your take on it? Do you agree with Rajjo? I definitely believe in the divine cosmic design if you can term that as a supernatural force. I agree with Rajjo’s learning that faith is not about the object you place your faith in but the journey and belief one has.You are born with trust and faith as a child, and you need to protect it as you go through life. Rajjo is a path-breaker, going against the odds of the society. Is revolution the only way for reaching Rajjo’s state? To reach Rajjo’s state of rebellion, defiance, vengeance, and atonement- to reach her state of faith and faithlessness one needs to fall in love deeply and feel passionately. I would not call it revolution but would describe it as resurrection. The universal theme of life stories is birth, death and resurrection and thematically that is what Rajjo’s story arch follows.
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CREATE|Literature
Rajjo follows her heart and is honest in her dishonesty as well. She is naive and manipulative at the same time. She is a conformist and a rebel.You hate her and you root for her. This inherent contradiction in her character may come across as a path breaker but Rajjo is just trying to be honest to what she feels. She can be bold, dishonest, manipulative and wicked- but she is also a survivor. Because she survives life. Just like all of us. She is a naive girl from a rural village in Punjab who wages a war against God, and questions the definitions of love, power and faith. Rajjo seems to be in a juxtaposition trying to accept as well as fight against what comes her way. Do you think acceptance of one’s destiny showcases cowardice? Accepting one’s destiny takes a lot of strength. It’s not an act of cowardice. But what are the reasons and terms of acceptance? If the acceptance comes from peace and resolution - it is a sign of evolution. But if it comes from escaping reality and giving up your struggle because of fear and uncertainty, from strife and unrest - then it’s better to fight it. It’s a very personal journey and only you can define if it is an act of bravery or cowardice. Only you can define your struggle. Rajjo chooses her battles and fights them with all that she has. She is not at peace with what her destiny brings her, she will not rest without a fight. What usually inspires you as a writer? What inspires me as a writer is to capture the triumph of human spirit. In everything big and small. Life inspires me. Its tragedy and beauty. Exploring human mind and emotions is fascinating. The Dance of Durga has a lot of conflicting scenarios. What was the purpose of such injections? Did you wish to make a point? Life is conflicting. There is nothing simple about everyday life. These injections and narratives mirror that quagmire. There is immense love and there is immense betrayal. There is purity in sibling love yet there is jealousy and sibling rivalry as we see with Rajjo and her sisters. There is mother’s love that is unconditional but even a mother’s love can be biased. She can favour one child over the other- like Saroj does. There is romance and divine love that can be completely cruel and unethical when seen from a prism of the society- like Rajjo and Harsh’s love. The point of these conflicting scenarios was to examine these beautiful relationships against the backdrop of harsh reality.
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CREATE|Literature
REDEEMING THE DEATH SEEKING IMMORTAL
Every reader who reads a book perceives it in many different ways.The message that the author is trying to convey sometimes might reach them in the right manner but sometimes could lose its purpose too. Rajeev Balakrishnan chose to make his perspective of the Indian epic Mahabharata into his first full-length novel through the eyes of Ashwathama, the “Death Seeking Immortal.” Read on to find out more. BY PADMA MURUGHAPPUN
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M
ahabharata is many things to many people – a religious text that a man must take life lessons from, just a story that could be a good movie or a book that’s simply existing in our grandparents’ shelves that they are passionate about. Many fail to attempt to analyse the underlying essence of this epic. Rajeev Balakrishnan in his book “Death Seeking Immortal” narrates the age-old epic in a multi-layer form through Ashwathama’s version of what actually happened. When asked why the Mahabharata, Rajeev replies, “Ramayana is very interesting. But it I have always felt it is uni-dimensional. In the sense that the entire story revolved around Rama rescuing his wife Sita. Whereas in the Mahabharata if you look closely it is more a colourful collection of stories that dissect human nature much more vividly than the Ramayana. It’s not just the 5 Pandavas or the Kauravas, there are other characters at play and then there are more stories that reflect human nature through anecdotes like Nala and Damayanti. So the number of stories that are there peel away the outer layer of the human physicality and then concentrate on the integral aspect makes it a lot more vivid and accepting. That’s the premise that I find more interesting in the Mahabharata.” THE TWISTED PLOT The book, right from its Prologue, takes an interesting turn. An author who is intrigued by the fact that the sole survivor of the Mahabharata war from the Dvapara Yuga, Ashwathama, is still alive, goes in pursuit of this man to hear the epic in a first hand manner as it happened. As Rajeev weaves the story that way, getting ready to expose the truth to the world, he says, “I wanted to write it in this manner for a reader to get intrigued by the fact that someone from that period is actually alivenow. If he were to tell his story how different would it be? And then you can also somewhat classify it as the difference between the hearsay and the truth. When I have written it, am trying to present it as the truthful version from Ashwathama.” The reason why these epics were not in the written form and were narrated is what has convened such interpretations of the epics to be born. “The way Veda Vyasa has written that is in the olden days it was not in the written form it was narrated. The whole purpose of these epics was to debate.” As we speak about it in this manner, a question arises when we realise that Veda Vyasa himself has let fall enough and more hints to showcase the unvirtuous tasks of the Pandavas too. When probed about this the author says, “The whole idea was that there is a larger meaning to this entire epic, which was no person is constant in his behavioural approach. I think mainly this was done to show that he was trying to equate–Kauravas were deviants by sending the Pandavas to the forest and so they acted unethical during war.” MORE ON ASHWATHAMA
As one delves into the book, we are hit by many questions: Why Ashwathama? Why is he punished so much? What is so unforgivable that he has been singled out? And did he really deserve this treatment? At a point of time we might also question ourselves if Ashwathama was really partial or was he pushed into doing the things that he did. In response to our ponderation, Rajeev replies, “Ashwathama was Guru Drona’s son and was very close to both the parties. Even before the war was declared, Duryodana is actually the one who is kind to him. So he becomes a good friend to Duryodana. Now it is natural. When you have just one good friend and everyone else is ganging up against him, you would try to stand up for him. That’s exactly what Ashwathama does. And throughout my story narration he is able to see the flaws not just in the Pandavas but sees the flaws in the Kauravas also. He narrates it as truthfully as possible. And he sees flaws in himself as well. So it’s a very honest kind of a narration where he says people are what they are from within and they are imperfect.” Ashwathama feels angry and betrayed and feels that some kind of injustice has been done to him. He thinks of immortality as a curse that is weighing down upon him in a manner that is unbearable. In the book Rajeev has exquisitely brought out the conversation that Ashwathama narrates that he has with Lord Krishna venting, berating and out rightly accusing him of being responsible for his current state of life. As we dig in a little deeper and we can discern that there can be numerous reasons why Ashwathama could have done what he did.
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CREATE|Literature The general outlook about Ashwathama’s character that is created in the epic is that he is dominated by wickedness and evil and with absolutely no intentions. “The times that they lived in was a different Yuga where they naturally wanted good to kind of prevail over the wicked. But he also drops in hints sufficient enough to say that it was all not hunky-dory but that was left for the reader to discern between the lines. Now what happens is when Ashwathama says this he says I will narrate this story on the one condition that you will actually reprise this story to other people. Because I have to change that perception. And then the story starts where Ashwathama narrates the tale,” argues the author. IN ACTUALITY While talking about the central reason why this book was written, Rajeev explains, “My view was to look at it more like a commentary on the times that they lived in and also a narration on why each of them behaved exactly the way they did with Ashwathama’s perspective being thrown in. For me, the purpose of writing this book was to have an open-enquiring mind. What am seeing is, increasingly our society is becoming intolerant to the acceptance of another belief or another religion’s point of view which is very sad. This book is not just a narration it is also wanting to tell people don’t be quick to judge others. Because Ashwathama was judged to be a bad person, evil and wicked. But one must think what made him do those things and why he did those.” The captivating cover with Ashwathama covered in darkness inside the silhouette of the elephant Ashwathama is an enthralling play on design showcasing the tipping point of change in Ashwathama’s character. The one white lie changes him, his life and even his destiny. He flies into a rage at the news of the death of his father Drona and wants to fight fire with fire. In light of the inner philosophical meaning for his book, the author says, “We are very quick to judge other people, this is true in our society as well. But when it comes to ourselves we always beg for understanding. One human life is not at all important than the other. Because each of us are born with a different set of aspirations.” ON A CLOSING NOTE The epic is filled with instances and anecdotes that rake our mind and compel the reader to perceive various versions of it every time one reads it. The magic of the story, the magic of its writing and the controversial instances is what intrigues writers in the likes of Rajeev Balakrishnan to take up such endeavours. While looking at the bigger picture, as much as it gives them a feisty plot to work around, the epics are also inherent with meanings and circumstances that hold good in the current social scenario too.
“For me, the purpose of writing this book was to have an open-enquiring
mind.What am seeing is, increasingly our society is becoming intolerant to the acceptance of another belief or another religion’s point of view which is very sad.This book is not just a narration it is also wanting to tell people don’t be quick to judge others”
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Velammal
Medical College Hospital & Research Institute
Velammal, with its humble beginning in the year 1986 with just 183 students and 13 staff members has become a heavenly abode for 70,000 students and 6000 staff. The illustrious Velammal banner with its vision for excellence in all aspects of education and impeccable scholastic and non scholastic records has branched out widely with 13 Matriculation schools, 7 CBSE Schools, 1 International and Residential School each. Our remarkable transformation within a short span of 27 years has earned us a unique opportunity to feature ourselves in the Guinness Book of World Records 2013 for the highest student strength in an Educational Trust. The incomparable transition, plenteous accolades and burgeoning success personify the visionary with the Midas Touch, the Founder Chairman, Shri M.V. Muthuramalingam. His magical hands have transformed many dreams into reality and many hopes into vision. His resolute dedication, staunch conviction have left no mission or avenue unexplored. Personal loss of losing his father at a young age and no financial back up never deterred him from his chosen goal in life. At the age of 64, he is a self made man maintaining a low profile private life but a highly acclaimed and successful professional career.
“Velammal Village” Madurai – Tuticorin Ring Road, Madurai – 625009 Phone : 0452 2510000
CREATE|Theatre
ALCHEMY LIKE NO OTHER
Having set up a remarkable acting school in the midst of a performing arts-resistant milieu,Vijay Viswanathan, the founder and CEO of the famed brand Alchemy Kids Theatre has helped change the lives of many artists and played a vital role in the evolution of acting as a career choice in the city and across the nation. Read on as he opens up about his journey to the present, his love for the art form and much more in a conversation with the Brew Magazine. BY VIDHYA ANAND
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Vijay Viswanathan is a highly sought after, intriguing personality who inspires you in subtle ways to strive hard for the dreams you believe in. His journey is luminous and insightful. From having set up an acting school in times where others were shutting down to a strong, substantial growth history in the past fourteen years is what sets his brand apart. His story is symbolic of how you find your way home to that one thing you love doing despite living in a world filled with conundrums. INCEPTION While Vijay’s passion lay in the performance arts industry, theatre becoming a huge part of his life was serendipitous. “I guess theatre was an accident. I was introduced to performing arts at a very young age of seven or eight via classical dance, Bharatanatiyam. It went on till the mid-twenties. It started in Kerala, my first dance classes, however it was later that I moved to Chennai for want of a good dance school and teacher. That’s when I joined Guru Dhananjayan’s, who I have been with for twelve plus years. It was a great opportunity to travel and perform in various platforms. Parallel skills that developed in this time was writing. I used to love writing for myself, stories, poems and everything. Although it wasn’t professionally inclined it was growing,” he says. It was during one of these phases that he realized he felt the strong urge to express himself. Following a suggestion from his Guru to take up theatre,Vijay chose the same in order to reach the common man, and what better way to do so but via theatre, and through that journey Alchemy came into existence. OF LEARNING AND TEACHING Alchemy holds two important creative visions. One, they work with children on a theatrical platform called Alchemy Kids Theatre. Soft skills, moral values are enhanced as a part of the curriculum they hold. Over forty plus schools currently use Alchemy’s education program modules. Ranging from production planning, set ups to lighting planning to sound engineering, there is a lot that goes into building of each student at the school. To give an example of how fruitful such learning experience is, Vijay talks about a theatre play Drishti that is to be performed by children including back stage work. Another division they possess is the Academy of Theatre Arts for kids who are 18 and above. “Here we look at the perfoming side of the media industry. We have a huge alumni list, who have been placed really well. Some of them include, Ma Ka Pa Anand, Regina Cassandra, Director Balaji Mohan, Harish Kalyan. Also, the range of people’s age who have come to Alchemy is vast, we have people from 18 years to 81 years,” he explains. With students taking up all the nuances of theatre and engaging in real time production, the student body and the rippling effect of success that comes by is incredible. To focus on one, Alchemy has won the Mylapore Fine Arts best actor award for three years in a row. “We had a shoot recently, and an aspiring director was working with a student of ours. He called back once the shoot got over saying ‘It was so nice working with your talent, the minute we said action, he swung into character and delivered what we wanted,’ and we receive these compliments from a lot of people,” he adds.
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CREATE|Theatre
ACTING,THE ART Delving deeper into the nuances of acting as a form of art,Vijay explain what really could be the best form of art. “Every form of art has a power of expression. But yes, acting does have its reach. When it comes to communication, acting yes, is the most powerful form of art. If it’s a painting the person is viewing it should be able to understand the metaphorical explanation of the artist. It may not be easy to demystify a painting, travel into it,” he elucidates. While art and its inferences are subjective to every individuals knowledge and ability to relate, to him acting would take the pedestal when it comes to art in terms of reach and communication. Come to think about it, it isn’t without a reason that the history of world cinema is massive, intricate and ever-evolving. It is a form of art that is here to stay. According to Vijay that one important attribute for an actor is observation. “As an actor you are constantly portraying someone else.You are not yourself.Your act becomes realistic to the audience only when you really become somebody else.You need a lot of observation for this. This is something that is missing in a lot of aspiring actors, you can see fake expression. How an expression really happens is when you can influence your mind that you are the character for which you need detailing,” he says. With regard to the million dollar question ‘Can anyone act or is it something a person is born with?’ Vijay says, “It’s both. Some people are born with it. But just being gifted with that talent by birth is not enough.You need somebody to groom and guide you. Anybody can become an actor, just that the turnaround time would differ. It comes down to transformation and how much they want to become an actor, their acceptance of change. I have to mention, I worked with a student called Tushara Chandrasekar who is India’s first deaf and dumb actress and model. We trained her, I got her out into the industry and she did a couple of ads with Amitabh Bachchan, she went ahead to do a Tamil film and quite a few ad films. Anybody can be trained, the question is whether you want to be there.” PHILOSOPHY OF LIFE As the conversation tapered to a conclusion,Vijay talks about the driving force that makes dreams come true. “Believe in yourself, if you can see that blueprint, just keep moving forward. It goes very true with Alchemy. I was a fashion designer at a point. I did my short term training at NIFT, that was a period when you dabble with creativity, shuffling between things. That period where you go through that frustration, an idea is born out of it.You are surrounded by a system that is constantly comparing. So it was during that period my creativity, the love for colours found initiation. I did a lot of work, and then I moved to Marks and Spencers in London for two years. I quit that job and came here to set up Alchemy. I’m saying this here because, I believed in that blueprint, but those two years gave me the time to build the blueprint for Alchemy. And I don’t come from an entrepreneurial background. People even said, ‘So you are going to become a Drama Teacher?’ There was a lot that was happening; my students go through such pressure even now. Because, people say ‘Cinema happens only by luck, acting happens only by luck.’ Yes, but you need to work through to that luck, Alchemy happened that way, yet a lot of thought went into it. My wife Radhika has been very cooperative of the set up, so have my parents. So, yes, if you have a blueprint, believe in it and move forward,” he smiles.
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CREATE|Zeroed In
HER JOIE DE VIVRE Kalki Koechlin carries within, a disposition that is unique, exquisite and hard to come by. Iridescent as she speaks, she is unbelievably sorted in her perception of life, career and everything in between.Thriving with many critically acclaimed roles to her credit, she is among those few performers who leave an eternal mark in the pages of history, unhindered by time. BY VIDHYA ANAND
PHOTOGRAPHY BY
SHIVA BALASWAMINATHAN
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Kalki resonates with an underlying vibe of positivity that cannot escape your eye. Her demeanour is casual, yet powerful. She converses with a strong sense of philosophy and grit, however manages to have a hearty laugh as the dialogue tapers to a closure. It’s alluring how a woman can mean business and remain vivacious, all at once. Read on as Kalki Koechlin talks about her life, love for acting and much more in a conversation with Brew magazine. Why did you choose theatre? Did you have any other plans to pursue, if not for theatre? No, much to the fear of my parents I did not have any other plans. I went to study theatre in London for three years –Travel and theatre studies BA. For me, it was just a natural progression of that. I came back and I wanted to continue doing theatre. It’s not that I did not want to do films, I wasn’t interested in becoming famous, I was just into acting. So, I kept in touch with whoever I knew here, from theatre such as Rajit Kapoor, Atul Kumar and Ajay Krishnan. So I was in Bombay… you know you are auditioning five times a week, you’re going for ads. That was part of the process. I got lucky in the sense that, I think it was Rucha Patel from UTV at that time, she went through my CV and she saw that I had studied theatre and stuff and she was pushing for me to come to the audition for Dev.D, of course. How was it auditioning then? Did you really think you will make it? No I didn’t. Because, I went for the audition and it was in Hindi, the script. It was in Devanagari also. I told them I can’t do this properly, and that I can’t do the audition. So then they were like, we have a script in English as well. Do it in English for now. So I did it in English. A few minutes later I got a call from them saying, ‘Come back, Anurag wants to meet you.’ He wasn’t at the audition; it was only the casting team. So I went back and he said, ‘You can act. Do you think you can learn Hindi in two months?’ I said, ‘Yes I can!’ Tell us a little about ‘The Printing Machine.’ That actually came about through a friend of mine, Jayashree Jeganathan. She used to be the editor of India Today. She was making a book of poems on women in a basically very angry perception, with regard to the state of women in India today and she wanted some guest writers. So, printing machine originated for that. And then I felt that it was a piece that was very good for performance. So I asked her, ‘There’s a performance poetry session happening at the Hyatt, do you mind if I use these poems there?’ She said, ‘No no, please do.’ So, I performed it live, and ‘Culture Machine’ came up to me and were really interested in making a video. They came up with the whole idea, the newspaper clippings and everything else. You know different languages, have you ever wanted to explore South Cinema? Yes, I’d definitely like to do something here; I’ve just not been offered anything. I have always been offered the foreigner girl role, the Russian girlfriend. Not that there is anything wrong with that, just that it wasn’t very substantial as a role in a film. Because I’d already kind of become established, I’m a bit greedy now. When and if the time comes, it will happen organically. I’m not someone who is a go-getter. If I don’t find work, I start writing, I start creating my own work, picking up a play, doing something. So I think these things happen on their own a little bit. What do you do outside of acting, when you are not performing? I write, especially when I’m unemployed and depressed (laughs). I’ve written a play which I’m touring with, it’s called the ‘Living Room.’ It’s a comedy on death. And, I wrote another play long back called the ‘Skeleton Woman,’ a friend and I co-wrote that. I’ve written like a lot of these poems and short poems. I write articles once in a while as well. I enjoy writing, but it’s not a fulltime job for me. They are more like, things that need to get out of my system, it’s like therapy!
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CREATE|Zeroed In
CREATE|Zeroed In
Do you very consciously pick out your scripts? If not, is it something that just happens to you? I think that it is a bit of both. Because people also start picking you. They have an image of you, so they come to you. So now, I get all those scripts with women oriented issues or all those scripts about child abuse. It’s because I talk about these issues, so there is also that trap where you get stuck in an image. For me I’m an actor and it is really important that I diversify all the time. I don’t want to be boxed in any sort of image. That’s the fun of being an actor. But having said that I have gotten some exciting roles because of whatever image I’ve formed. So yes, I don’t know how much I really choose. Of course I do decide this is something that could excite me. Usually I try not to repeat what I have already done before. I do not want to get stuck in a rut of doing the same things over and over again. And then, if the story is original and I feel like it is something that hasn’t been done before or told before, I’d go for it. So, that’s exciting. What’s the most exciting role you have done so far? A role that sort of changed you as a person. ‘Margarita, with a Straw’ is a big one for me. The subject it talks about, bisexuality and disability. But it was also the rigor of working that way. I mean for six months we trained and did workshops, it’s rare for a film that you get that kind of practice. It just changed the way I am as an actor; in the sense that the idea of riyaz, the idea of daily practice really frees you. Because you are not thinking about the lines, you are not thinking about how your character should move.Your soul memorises it, rather than your brain. Only when you don’t have the time, and you jump into a role, your brain is still translating it. It’s like your mother tongue, if it is a different language it takes a while to process. So when you work for six months on riyaz of a character then it’s like your mother tongue. Who has been you most favourite actor? I watched a lot of Tabu’s earlier work. I think she is incredible. In the contemporary world, I think Kangana Ranaut is really amazing. Also, Paulet Julio Bueno’s work, I think she is really good; Daniel de Louis and Irfan Khan. Nazir, of course. I’ve worked with him and he is incredible. He’s amazing and I love him. He’s my favourite. What would you have become, if you had not gotten into theatre? A criminal psychologist. I’ve always been interested in psychology and the way the mind works. I think maybe that’s why I’m also an actor. I think that would be a really interesting job.
“It just changed the way I am as an actor; in the sense that the idea of riyaz, the idea of daily practice really frees you. Because you are not thinking about the lines, you are not thinking about how your character should move.Your soul memorises it, rather than your brain. Only when you don’t have the time, and you jump into a role, your brain is still translating it. It’s like your mother tongue, if it is a different language it takes a while to process”
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Did you have a culture clash growing up? Yes (laughs), I was very confused, I was this blond haired, white kid, in the middle of a South Indian village called Periyamudaliyar Chavadi in Pondicherry and I was quite a run-around, barefooted, tom-boy sort of kid. I always felt I was Indian and Tamilian, I didn’t really feel like an outsider. As I grew up, I started feeling the differences, especially after I went to boarding school and everyone started speaking in English and English was the cool language, you know. I had to get rid of my Tamil and my French. So all those things started happening, overtime. So yes, I don’t know what my identity is now when people ask me because, I say I’m Indian and they say I don’t look Indian. I say I’m French, they say I don’t sound French. I don’t know, I’m just like, I’m Kalki, the last avatar of Vishnu (laughs). How is Showbiz? Does it intimidate you sometimes? I guess you take it with a pinch of salt, I’ve learnt with time how to handle it. Of course, in the beginning I used to get really upset if a critical article came out about me or if rumours were going on about me, which weren’t true. So I’ve learnt to handle it, I just don’t read them anymore. Because there is so much that comes out on a regular basis. There’s no point fighting those battles, those aren’t the important ones. I think that the only way to counter that side of fame is to let your work prove itself. The more work you do, people realize that you are a more established person and that you do quality work. Do you have any fears? Yes! I fear every time I do a role, ‘Will I get it? Will I pull it off?’ Many times we don’t get to rehearse with our co-actors, we are just thrown into the scene and this might be your husband you are playing opposite to, and where is that connection? There’s nothing! But I do have those fears, but they are good fears. They make you stand on your toes and work harder. I think this fear of being an image which make people exult you for is the same reason they pull you down. Irom Sharmila right now, you know, she’s spent 16 years of her life dedicated to a cause and now when she, I mean she is still going to fight for the cause, but when she chooses to live her life and marry her boyfriend, everyone’s criticizing her. I think these things, like martyrdom and stardom, we shouldn’t don’t do too much of that, that we don’t exult people to some godly level. We are all human beings, I think that is how I try to stay a little more real. Working in theatre and travelling, these are things that put you back into reality where you are not in five star hotels or your vanity van all the time. Because if you don’t keep getting those new and real experiences in life then you also have nothing to get inspired by in your job. How do you balance working for art and making a movie a commercial success? Promotion is like my punishment for loving my job as an actor. When I’m promoting a film, it’s like going to war, you are going to get all the controversial questions thrown at you and you find humour or whatever way to deal with it. That’s like a 15 day period which you have to suffer. I used to be like, I’ve done my work, I’m an actor I’ve done by job in the film, now I’m done. But painfully I learnt that people need to know that your film is there, so I need to balance it out.
“I don’t know what my identity is now when people ask me because, I say I’m Indian and they say I don’t look Indian. I say I’m French, they say I don’t sound French. I don’t know, I’m just like, I’m Kalki, the last avatar of Vishnu”
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CREATE|Zeroed In
LIVE|Food
RECIPE FOR THE MONTH SEPTEMBER FROM GRT HOTELS & RESORTS
NAARTHANGAI KOVAKKAI PERATAL INGREDIENTS n 50 gms citron pickle --------------------------------------------------------------------------n 200 gms ivy gourd --------------------------------------------------------------------------n 100 gms green capsicumcut into dices --------------------------------------------------------------------------n 20 gms coriander leaves finely chopped --------------------------------------------------------------------------n 10 gms green chilli chopped --------------------------------------------------------------------------n 5 gms garlic chopped --------------------------------------------------------------------------n Salt to taste --------------------------------------------------------------------------n 25 gms grated coconut ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
2 coriander sprig ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
METHOD n Boil ivy gourd with salt. Strain and reserve. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------n Toss the remaining ingredients together. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------n Add the citron pickle and mix well. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------n Check the seasoning. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------n Add crushed pepper powder and salt. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------n Garnish with grated coconut and coriander sprig. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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LIVE|Food
A PEEK INTO THE NIZAM’S PLATTER
The cuisine of Hyderabad is an intriguingly delectable mix. From the irresistible Biryani to the simple Irani chai, find out more about some of the best places in the city which serve best platters.While traditional food continues to thrive, the emergence of new cuisines does have an effect on the former. BY G VARUN
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A city unlike any other, Hyderabad is a place with its own quirks and tastes. The people, Dakhini, a curious dialect of Urdu spoken by them, and of course the food, are the little big things which give the city its charm. The word ‘Nizam’ is derived from ‘Nizam ul-Mulk’ which means Administer of the Realm. This title was conferred upon Asif Jah I, the Viceroy of the Deccan, by the Mughal Emperor. He then started his own dynasty which came to be known as the Nizams of Hyderabad. Along with the Nizams came their culture. It wasn’t much like the other cultures which prevailed in the subcontinent at the time. An important component of this culture which still lives on to this day is the food which the Nizams brought along with them. Some of these dishes are so famous that they have become a symbol of recognition for the city. The first recipe that comes to mind is the Biryani. It is believed Biryani was first introduced during the Mughal dynasty as a wholesome meal made especially for the soldiers as their regular meal seemed inadequate. It is made of rice which is fried, meats and the whole. Few spices are also infused in the dish to give it that distinctive taste and mouth-watering goodness. Biryani to a Hyderabadi is of great importance. They wouldn’t mind having it three times a day, for breakfast, lunch and dinner! It is quite obvious that there are a large number of restaurants serve the delicacy, but only few franchises measure up to be called the best of the lot. Café Bahar in Basheer Bagh is an iconic place to enjoy this delicious treat. The meaty dishes are packed with flavour. Another outlet is the Bawarchi in Nallakunta. They serve the best mutton biryani in Hyderabad. Hotel Shadab situated near the High Court Road is yet another restaurant where you can taste the city’s best biryani. Paradise has one of the most well-known biryani restaurants in the city. It has branches in other cities as well.You can find it in Secunderabad.
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LIVE|Food OF IRANI CHAI, HALEEM AND MORE While Biryani is definitely the most famous dish served in Hyderabad, it isn’t the only one. There are other delicacies which form an essential part of the Hyderabadi cuisine. Haleem, Irani chai, Sheer korma, Double-ka- meetha, Khubani-ka- meetha are few of the other succulent dishes on the menus of most Hyderabadi restaurants. Savoured during the month of Ramadan Haleem is a dish which keeps you waiting eagerly for that time of the year! Haleem is had during Iftar, in the evening to break the days long fast. A kind of broth made with many spices similar to the ones used in biryani, it is almost a meal in itself, loaded with calories. The spices give the Haleem its exquisite taste. It’s made with pounded wheat and meats, generally mutton or chicken. All these ingredients are cooked in a large pot or bhatti with ghee and milk. Undoubtedly it is a dish that draws you in at the mere mention of it. During the month of Ramadan Haleem is had almost as much as biryani in the city. It is during this time of the year, that restaurants make the best Haleem. Relishing a hot bowl of Haleem during the chilly monsoon time is among those little things to live for. A little Sheer korma is also had as a Ramadan special. It’s a vermicelli pudding often served with milk. A little cardamom, almonds or saffron are also added for better taste. During Ramadan one cannot go too far without stumbling upon a stall selling Haleem in the metropolitan, but as was the case with biryani there are only few restaurants which reign supreme when it comes to serving the best platters in town. Pistah House in Charminar, Old city is one place where you can find throngs of people buying Haleem to break their fast or just to soothe the soul. Shah Ghouse Café and Restaurant in Charminar, Sarvi located in Banjara Hills are also famous spots for Haleem. Another very traditional item on the list of Hyderadi foods is Irani chai. Sitting for hours in a small café, coupled with conversations on anything and everything over a cup of Irani chai is a very common pastime for most people in the city. Café Niloufer in Ladkikapul is one of the most famous tea joints of the city. The buns and biscuits served along with the tea is fresh and absolutely delightful. Having been in business since 1952, Sarvi is serves some reputable for its Irani chai as well. However, Garden Restaurant is among the best places for Irani Chai. It is situated near Clock Tower, Secunderabad. To add to the list, another restaurant which existed few years ago and was famous for its Irani chai is Embassy café in Basheer Bagh. AMIDST OLD AND NEW These traditional foods have prevailed amongst the people since the early days of the city. As globalisation continues at a steady pace, the introduction of many cuisines occurs subsequently. This has brought about the establishment of many famous restaurants in the city like Ohri’s, or Nanking in the more recent parts of town. With most of the populace residing in these parts, these restaurants become a popular option for an outing. Ohri’s Banjara is one of the most famous and loved restaurants in the city. With a wide variety of choices, each dish is luscious in its own way. Despite the rapid growth in the number of continental and fast-food restaurants and their ever rising popularity amongst the people, the traditional Hyderabadi cuisine remains everyone’s favourite. The cities food balances between the traditional cuisine which has existed for decades and the new restaurants with their unique and exquisite cuisines from other parts of the world. A well-maintained balance between different cuisines is significant in the city of Nizams.
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LIVE|Food
OF WARM TEAS, EXOTIC SPAS AND INDULGENT PLATTERS
Majestically set amidst the busy airport lane, the GST Road, Radisson Blu is a signature hotel that stands tall in the bustling city of Chennai. Offering one of the best hospitality experiences in the metropolitan, it holds to its credit more than the international panache that it is popularly known for. BY VIDHYA ANAND
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alking into the plush lobby of Radisson Blu, we were welcomed by Mr. Makendra, the Food and Beverage Manager, the Assistant Spa Manager Mrs.Vijaya, and Mrs. Rukshana Shabin, the Director of Housekeeping and Spa who beamed vivaciously as they watched us approach them.
After exchanging greetings, and a quick tour of the premise, Radisson Blu’s hospitality experience began. A ten-minute head massage by the some of the finest spa experts was to commence at Bodhi Spa. Before we were taken into the fragrant interiors, we were first served warm cups of honey, green tea in their relaxing waiting lounge. Two young ladies named Mami and Mapuii gave us perhaps one of the best head massages we had ever experienced, easily perching their place as one of our favourite spa experts in the city. Rejuvenated is an understatement for what followed; refreshed beyond belief, we walked across to a beautifully lit array of tables that made up the famed Salt .Co. No. 531 restaurant. Picking a table with a view and one engulfed in enough sunshine, we settled waiting to be served some of the best delicacies the restaurant was famous for.
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THE CITY’S QUIRKY FAMILY RESTAURANT Salt .Co. No. 531 is conceived as an eclectic and quirky family restaurant with a strong personality in a comfortable laid –back bohemian ambience to let loose and relax. It offers open kitchens to interact with the chefs and make your food as you love it. To match its personality the restaurant offers traditional Comfort Foods culled from old family recipes with an inspired modern twist to leave you with a happy feeling throughout the meal experience. You choose Comfort foods to positively pique emotions, to relieve negative feelings and increase positive feelings of comfort. When you are feeling sad or tired, you can reach out for comfort foods such as chocolate, ice cream, or chips. Macaroni and cheese might mean comfort to you. Perhaps your source of succour is Biryani, Chicken soup or Udon noodles. The makers have evidently researched all the comfort foods of the world to offer the same to customers in the menu. The Inspiration for modern comfort foods in the restaurant comes from the most simple but significant ingredient, salt. It has a history dating back to more than 2000 years. Without salt, life in itself would not be possible. Salt, you need to realise is as important to life as oxygen and water. To give further insights of this ingredient and its connection to the restaurant, Executive Chef Abhiram Gona joined us at the table. His elucidation on the philosophy behind Salt.Co.No.531’s conception is everything a food lover would yearn to hear. His in-depth knowledge about the chemistry of food is intriguing. “We’ve got everything, Indian,Thai, Korean, Chinese, Oriental, you name it. The cuisine is basically gourmet foods from around the world, basic foods, comfort food. Here, we basically do not use any table salt in our food. We use curated gourmet salts and Himalayan Pink salt slab for cooking. It looks like a mountain,” says Abhiram pointing at the beautiful, blushed slab of salt at our table. He explains that the salts used at the restaurant are healthier than the table salt that is commonly used, wherein the former contains 82 percent sodium chloride as opposed to the latter’s 99 percent. A UNIQUE EXPERIENCE What allows Radisson Blu to stand out is its distinctive hospitality experience. It isn’t every day that you are treated to a revitalising massage coupled with an exotic lunch spread that will leave you spoilt for choice. From the customer perspective it is bountiful offered for an affordable price. A brand often thrives only as a result of evolving ideas that are conceptualized and put to practical use. Radisson Blu does exactly that. Their therapy sessions coupled with a lunch menu is one such. Consistently coming up with quirky, fresh ideas, keeps them at the pinnacle of offering best hospitality experiences in Chennai. Mr. Makendra talks about the same “Salt Co.No.531 is always known as a quirky family restaurant. There is always fun that is infused here, our staff are trained to dance in regular intervals of 45 minutes. Also, this is the first time in India that the Himalayan Pink Salt block cooking is happening, and it is right here. That’s the soul of the restaurant. Furthermore, we have now introduced the lunch therapy specifically for the corporate crowd.You need to provide great food and our lunch buffet does that. It always has. An added component here is the express reflexology, which is non-messy, non-sticky which allows guests to go through a therapy without having to undress or having to go to a private room. It’s fun. It helps corporates go back to work feeling refreshed.” As our hospitality experience tapered to a close following a brief meeting with Mr. Sasikumar, the Senior General Manager, we took leave surprised and satisfied by the warmth of the people and their services offered.
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LIVE|Travel
A GOOD OL’ RIDE TO THE LAND FROM DOWN UNDER How can the colour blue be a feeling? It is hard to describe, but you know it. Everything is different here, in many ways – the air holds more life and sounds touch you.You don’t just come alive diving into the deep, blue ocean, you also rediscover life walking through the multi-cultural streets, helping yourself to vegemite. Because, sometimes a place you visit just might stay with you, forever.That’s how you know it’s a feeling. Australia is not a place just to see, it’s a place to feel. Come join us as we savour the beauty of this vast landmass as we sip wine in the middle of the ocean. Come, feel Australia. BY PADMA MURUGHAPPUN
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e have all heard Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman talk in the ‘sweet as’ Aussie accent but that’s not the end to what this magnificent country is all about. With their obsession with condensing words to their love for Kangaroos, Australia and its ‘fair dinkum’ people are more than welcoming in demeanour. Huge masses of land, surrounded by oceans in various shades of blue, beautiful landscapes silhouetted by the serenity of the sun, hosting a variety of fauna including cute koalas and dangerous inland Taipans, this country has more to it than what it portrays. As much as the world has to thank them for the invention of Ugg Boots, we must also be grateful to the Aussies for the list of inventions they have made - the Black Box in the airplanes, notepads, and the first refrigerator to mention a few.
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The Indian-Aussie food network connection was officially made when Matt found mor molagai and Gary fell in love with dosa all over again. The show and its star judges is probably why we fell in love not only with cooking but also Australian cuisine. Crunch on Macadamia nuts and Anzac biscuits, munch on witchetty grubs with hot pea and ham soup, and wash down meat pies and chicken parmigiana with a Penfolds Grange to have a hearty Australian meal. SYDNEY – THE HARBOUR CITY Capital city of New South Wales and the most populous city of the nation, Sydney is a vibrant place that seems to have something going on around every corner all the time. This happening place might surprise you with its numerous spots of historical importance showcasing the country’s history while keeping you hooked to the current era with its lively food scene, endless beaches and what not. Sydney is the hyper energetic hotspot for aspirants in various fields due its fast-moving nature. Make sure to get a seat by the window on your flight to Sydney because day or night, this city’s a ‘real beaut mate!’ WHAT TO SEE Take the two-hour all-access tour to Australia’s hugest World Heritage landmark on the Circular Quay, the Sydney Opera House. Stroll through the various National Parks starting with the Sydney Harbour National park and watch the Aboriginal carvings, scenic lookouts and much more. WHAT TO DO It would be a sin to leave the sleepless city of Sydney without a dip in the Bondi beach. Join the sun-glazed bodies at the shore for a day filled with surfing, swimming, skinny-dipping and much more. Have a quiet swim at the Manly Beach, ferry your way to the fauna of the country in Taronga Zoo or while away a sunny evening at the Royal Botanical Garden.
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LIVE|Travel
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MELBOURNE – THE CITY OF SECRETS Famously known as Australia’s cultural capital, Melbourne is a city with many faces to it. Sports being the top-priority leisure activity of the people (with the MCG here, we can’t blame the people) the city has more than the Grand Prix and the World Cups to offer. Lively bars, cafes, multi-cuisine lavish restaurants, industrial buildings with revamped rooftops and an air of a recently developed history, Melbourne has its fair share of cosmopolitan outlook and dynamism. WHAT TO SEE Land in Melbourne in January, start your journey with a sophisticated tennis match at the Australian Open. A trip to a foreign land is never complete without eating the local food. Join the diaspora of people from around the world at the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Complete your experience as a local by witnessing the fast-paced Australian Grand Prix in March. Start your excursion from the Victoria Federation Square and jaunt your way to the Bohemian Brunswick Street.Visit the Mornington Peninsula for the quickest weekend getaway, indulge in numerous activities in the sun at its beaches. Your expedition to the city of secrets won’t be thorough without a little snooping. Try and find your way through the secret laneways and hidden allies and satisfy the Sherlock Holmes in you. WHAT TO DO Melbourne is a city of choices. While the city’s streets might lure you into their secrecy, try to wake yourself up from the reverie and look up to have the time of your life at the famous rooftop bars of Melbourne. Shop till you drop at the local boutiques and labels as you dress yourself up in Australia’s Chanel. Experience life on the Saint Kilda Esplanade. Take a tram ride, enjoy a pizza or have a quiet walk with your loved one on this beautiful bay.
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LIVE|Travel
PERTH – THE MODERN CAPITAL CITY Perth is a modern city that is situated across the Australian desert in Western Australia. Widely acknowledged as Australia’s friendliest metropolis, Perth has a simple, yet modern bearing. The easy-going nature of the people, beautiful landscapes and a wonderful weather is more than welcoming for a peaceful and a relaxing vacation. With its endless list of various activities and places, Perth has no dearth of places to visit or things to do. WHAT TO SEE With an energy almost synonymous with the fast-running Swan River, Perth has a passion towards the past and energy for the future.Visit the one-of- a-kind Pink Lakes that’s almost edible filled with a top layer of bubble gum pink. Take time off at the country’s oldest wine region at the Swan valley, north of the Swan River. Fascinate yourself knowing the history of the place at Fremantle eating heritage food on the heritage-listed winding alleys. Take a four-wheel drive through the Indian Ocean Drive and discover seasonal wildflowers break out their brightest colours during the season. WHAT TO DO Explore the hip wine bars, walk down the world-famous Perth precincts to find yourself an eclectic collection of cafes, bars and boutiques. Challenge yourself to name all the animals at the sanctuaries and the zoo while you get to know the place better at their galleries. Pump up your adrenaline in this sober town by taking to Perth’s Barba Gallo Raceway on a V8 or surf at the town’s best beaches at Scarborough, Trigg and North.
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Brew|Gallery
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LIVE|What’s Brewing
LAGAN LAUNCHES THEIR AUTUMN/ WINTER 2016 COLLECTION FOR THE UPCOMING WEDDING SEASON Lagan – the very epitome of men’s designer boutique stands apart as a brand with unmatched excellence in its male fashion attire with designs that beautifully manifests the richness of the Indian tradition combining it with the contemporary. Lagan draws its inspiration from history, fantasy and mythology to create the ultimate magnum opus. The designers engaged by the store are among the best in the industry with a fine sense of artistic outlook. Each garment is crafted to finesse with scrupulous attention at all times. “Lagan”; has launched its finest line of sherwani’s and Indo-Western sets for the upcoming wedding season that is classy and has superfluities that would remind one of the era of yesteryears. The look and cut is envisaged to bring out the royalty and elegance of the bygone era, the line consists of Sherwani, Indo-Western, Jodhpuri, turbans, mojiri’s. Also, for the cocktails session the store has unveiled a high-octane range of western and designer wears in blacks that is simple yet making a statement.
PALAM SILKS UNVEILS ITS LATEST DIWALI CONCEPT COLLECTIONS 2016 Sri Palam Silk Sarees unveiled their latest line up of concept sarees for the upcoming festive season. At the event held at a popular café in the city, Palam showcased three innovative concept collections –High Rise, Double Delight and Blend’n Trend 2,representing the latest trends in the world of silks. The saree brand also presented their unique collections for Diwali, Light Up 2016. Speaking on the occasion, Mrs. Jeyasree Ravi, owner of Palam Silks said, “It is with great pleasure that we launch our collections for the upcoming festive occasion of Diwali. Today, we present three varied concept collections, which further strengthen our commitment to making innovative and trendy sarees in silk.”
Published by Sameer Bharat Ram, and owned by SM BrandMuni Consulting Pvt. Ltd, Published from New No. 68 / Old No. 63, Cathedral Road, Chennai - 600 086. Tel.: +91 44 4208 9392. Printed by NPT Offset Press Pvt Ltd., at New No.11, Old No. 77 & 78, Avvai Shanmugam salai, Royapettah, Chennai- 600 014.
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