Blink issue 33 september13 2014

MEASURE OF CHANGE Goonj helps improve lives by running a clothfor-work initiative, where people are paid in clothes, not cash p4 saturday, september 13, 2014

PAUL NORONHA

Actor Naseeruddin Shah, known for candour rather than diplomacy, reveals the follies and triumphs of youth in a tell-all memoir p9

Ages of man

GONE IN 5 SECONDS A phone from the East has customers missing lunch and competitors perplexed p3

NO APPEAL The ex-CJI’s decision to defend himself in the court of public opinion was unwise p8

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saturday, september 13, 13, 2014 saturday, september 2014 CREATURE FEATURE

Sickness to health A flag hoisting ceremony at Annai Velankanni shrine r ravindran

Indian desert jird

What’s the buzz?

The furry brown mouse and its deep connection with the Mughals

A Bangalore museum dedicated to creepycrawly superstars

jugal tiwari

In army fatigues Metallic green leaf beetles harm crops

All are welcome

prakashlocks. for a child tie wooden cradlesk bhagya and even The night before feast day, Besant Nagar is he first time I saw an Indi- the sand buffers the jirds, toads, lizf you thought an insectarium aroundas them.

Prashant Mohanunrecognisable vast Dr crowds throng the an desert jird, it was noth- ards and the occasional hedgehog, was a kind of biology laboratoraj, principal scientist head, Distretch that’s been cordoned off and for the nighting more than a brown protects them from heat and cold. ry — one where a cockroach vision of Insect Systematics, longiscelebrations.

Gladys and Lily, who come blur of motion against Often, the deepest parts of a jird’s pinned to a board and itsfrom anat-Aminjikarai, narrates about the curious tale ofwith the their Cen14km away, brown sand. Indeed, almost every- network of burrows are located un- omy reproduced in a ‘diagram’ — family tral in American (scale) inentire tow, havecochineal camped out in front thing in this arid, heavily grazed, der ber bushes, likely deriving struc- nothing could be further from sect — and Dactylopius coccus, whichA of athe closed shop plan to stay the night.

Kutch-in-the-summer landscape tural support from the plants’ roots truth. An insectarium is a living mu- feeds cacti.

The redfor dyethe extracted tradition they on have followed last 20 was brown, and I didn’t give the jird and maybe cooling down from the seum of insects. And at the National it family was soisvalued that years. Herfrom entire dressed inthe the occusame a second thought. But jirds are nothBureau Agriculturally or every story of discord dew and that tension drips off the leaves.

But the Spanish rulers imposed a sus Christ.

The superhit filmofbrought the basil-Important shade of pying light saffron, a little ritual for “sucing if not persistent in grabbing Insectstown (NBAII), off Bellary Road inshe death in India, there are tales a peaceful ber’softart berries must also sentence on anyone attemptica in theattract little seaside of Velankanni cess”, explains. your attention — whenever I returneven those the who squirm coexistence of cultures, religions, lan- expanding birds and insects, an al- Bangalore, to smuggle the insect overseas into the spotlight, and by association It isn’t ing uncommon to find men and chiled, I couldn’t help but notice lit- ready at the mere sight of creepy-crawlies guages andthe practices that are so var-aggregation curious of ani-as well. the Americas.

The British ofChennai shrine dren withfrom tonsured heads smeared in sandaltle rodentsiedscurrying busily across themselves in theirinthrall, dis-paste. it defies all logic.

One among many mals.these And since Athis fered a princely reward of £2,000 to smallgroup church, afind replica of the Basilica wood This borrowing of cultural norms the sand, darting in and out of their covering insects benefitisagrithousands of instances is captured at the An- prey, comprises tasty it likely comanyone could smuggle it for Velankanni, was built in 1973 how at Elliot’s Beach, apparent at the who Velankanni shrine in Chenburrows. I’ve been enthusiasculture, and their incredible in them. nai never Velankanni church, on the El-raptors pelsshores snakesof and stop by at Theyaseven built a cactusputs farm andto has since expanded to accommodate the role nai mostly because, Father Lawrence it, tic about mice their ilk, but in- the jirds’ burrows offinflux liot’s and Beach in south Chennai. and on. in Madras inof devotees our whocollective swear byhistories its healing people worship in whatever way for theythe know spired by both my jird-adoring geographies.

Besant Nagar scoresfield high on Chennai’s When thescale Mughals first reached However, the repowers.

Also knownand as ‘Arokia Mata’ or Our La- best, and considering sects. that an estimated 60 assistant and the ani-snobbery — after all, the swishthe “Invertebrates, of pincode set deserts of Rajasdy of Health, this apparition of Mary isinoften per cent of the people ward who visit this remains Catholic mals themselves, I de-seaside suburb. And it’s all beauticluding lives by this than and Gujarat, tillfaiths, today.a referred to asBaLourdes of theinsects, East. make shrine are from other unclaimed religions and A termite has cided that upshrine over 98 cent of ful and these peaceful — except for about seven days bur was not impressed Coffee giant Starbucks, While the original of per Mary in Velanmélangequeen of traditions is expected. frantic balls furfirst week of September and close theits animal kingdom,” a year.ofCome by the climate. suf- for recently used kanni is“We revered powers of healing, more By nutritional early morning onwhich feast day, the crowds The jird’s burrows are protein per pound were worth says Abraham towatching. a lakh of devotees from Chennai and elsefered Chennai’s from three the insect-based shrine-of-a-shrine has itsVerghown fol- have lessened considerably; but by 7.45am,red Enclimate-controlled chicken beef and And it paid We their annual pilgrimage to things ese,people director, NBAII,trav- than whereoff. make the lowing. in Hindustan,” dye in frappuccino, It’s mostly for who cannot glish massorbegins thea sand-covered oases saw jirds Annai search for “Insects are keysays to our Velankanni church. he said, was theto Nagapattinam, wasupforced to withel “one all the way Father church grounds soon fill again with a few and collect small Situated at the southern end of this seaside heat, another, bitfollowing anwalk outLawrencethe Raj, who lives. was aDung par- beetles, for hundred draw people.

Devotees branches suburb, of shrubs, instance, this is where the annual feast of Mary ing wind, andat the Besant crystatue from animal ish priest Nagarfeed on maaround the of Maryrights with nibbling is furiously to In the eight days leading upthird, celebrated. to church the dust.”

Not nure and boost soil feractivists.that’s And reminisall this earlier. child, a practice dislodge and eat the 8, seeds.

We sawto be in a sustainable manner. Yet, drama September considered thedifferent date when too from what the aside jirds thetility an insect thatwomen is less Setting medieval centaround of temples, with young jirds chase after eachand other in celebrated a lot of stigma surMary was born hence thethe Mughals deal with, as and an inch long! colours ofdiscovblue andthere whiteisthat holding plastic baskets with Peopleand whofear pray for than jest, whilefeast adults tookthe their ownandered roundingofthese creatures.” of Mary, church its precincts that the are humanusually inhabitants the tales keepand coming.

You adornof depictions flowers, candles coconuts. health often And comethe back But chases more seriously.

But mostly to change filled with devotees and pilgrims of various Hindustan’s Northwest found a ininsectarium about silkworms non-viothe had Virgin Mary the West, aimsafter Volunteers, wearingand t-shirts that beingthat. healed learn we saw jirds interacting you get past the basics — a lentproclaim creeds, to eitherwith praytheir for hersolution intercession or the remarkably similar the silk extraction, wax worms used IndiantoMadonna isOnce draped ‘Ave Maria’, stand at levburrows —give poking their heads outanswered. of jirds’ burrow — the stepwell. firefly thanks for prayers Like the sari, research because in a traditional withisn’t the a fly, a silkworm isn’t a in medical el with the statue and lift thetheir basthem to survey — you learn about insects that immune This the year,landscape, the 10-dayre-programme started dig burrows, stepwells deep into system similar a huinfant Jesusthein worm her arms, kets close to isthe statuetobefore treating into the sound withthem a flagathoisting on of August 29 andlike ended ground; the extensive network or that research drosophicrowned in gold. prey on a specific type of bug and man’s, handing them back.on And once in approaching and ‘crowning digging of used fortheir ‘biological the a lia withcattle, a symbolic andburrows inof Mary’, shallower that surround (Drosophila melanogaster) has Pilgrims walk or are cycle from homescontrol’: to a while pilgrim will proffer up a child and away in the sand that invariably col- the are mass-bred cluded a grand car procession around jird’s Besant deepest burrow, the sometimes cen- insects bagged so many Nobel prizes, the church, dressed entirely in and saf- released they’ll oblige, lifting it close to the statuethey belapsed andNagar’s closed neighbourhood. off the entrances. tres of the stepwellsfron the diseased crop to rid them are surrounded now him/her ‘compete’back. withGarlands mice andatguias an external into symbol of their devotion. foreof handing the But at the hottest times of the day, by underground alcoves harmful without using statue’s pesti- feet neaare pigs in laboratories worldhandover.

Someand evenrooms shave their heads,bugs believing that an disbanded and flowers the jirds disappeared altogether. cides. Beetles essential Reel to shrine to escape the heat. And like the bur-is appropriate that a Some termite queendrop has itmore offering of hair — are either out ofin the edbioout to Or devotees. women into These burrows intoaswhich of the fuzzy whitebaskets, The church began a tiny shrine onthe thestepwells sandy could rows, be used by logical nutritional protein pertheir pound gratitude or devotion — a control ritual followed by their some tuck it into hair,than but the jirdsofdisappeared are inalmost shores the Bay of Bengal 1971 when Mary anyone — villagers to travellor beef.

There’s list pilgrims in Tirupati‘mealy as well.bug’ in crops like pumpkin, not beforechicken reverently touching it toeven theiraeyes. climate-controlled more recently, in enumerating appeared to Father oases PT Arulappa in a dreamto wandering ing merchants mys- apple economic value While attendance peaksand, around feast time, grapeBetween the baskets the of flowers, coconuts the wildly variable the vineyards of Maharashtra.

The tiandinasked for a shrine by thetics, sea.and Convinced even the occasional dacoit. (in dollars, most heads over aand billion) of the church sees a constant inflow of people and candles, the tonsured saffron of the desny trichogramma wasp,for whichclothing, feeds various aboutexpanse his vision, he set out to build but ofthroughout That the one harshest climes inspires insects.

It might be justways a tithe year.

People who pray there are seemingly countless ert, and are thus at- similar on the eggs of other insects, widecould only manage a small hut near Elliot’s health innovations in both rodent ny room,orfilled tiny creatures, often come back after being healed, of- isto show gratitude pray with for blessings, and all sheltersof Annai ly used biological control Beach. Ittractive took the release a feringthat and Velankanni, human is fantastic; theseof the butequally it goeswelcome a long here. way in proving a model curedfor body part — like of too. them are A uniquely to documenting just about the recently pressed into twist Tamil film miracles perinnovations foster the diversity andor a The thattofear of insects of is this unfounded, heart, liver handNBAII — covered in gold or itIndian the celebration catholic animal to protect crops of feast sugar-is a sight formed at any the shrine in Velankanni, to bring coexistence makes Rajput archi- at service and that bigger proving isn’t always silver, the displayed a museum on the church to behold, that better. after a fit in- Starring canewishes and rice. the churchthat intowill existence. the hearttect and jirds worthypremises. of admiration. (nbaii.res.in; in advance.)

Prayers and are written on certain point, religion call becomes immaterial — side them. Ganesan and Tamil pieces of paper and But the most exciting bit need is faith. throb of the ’70s Gemini tiedperhaps to the grill of the all you kamath organismic Simply dig- ambika aboutjust bugsa one Nadu’s own Amma, Jayalalithaa, the moviestudies shrine, or and sometimes longcannot thread(and need tara rachel thomas is a Bangaloreevolutionary University writer elizabethbased mathew into swatCouples is the wealth of anecdotes even had ging Kamaldeep Haasan in a cameo rolebiology as Je- at Harvard soaked in turmeric not) suffices. who wish

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The annual feast of Mary held at the Annai Velankanni church in Chennai shows the many hues of faith

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Up for grabs It’s every man for himself when a Xiaomi ‘flash sale’ is on — nearly 40,000 phones sold under 5 seconds. Beat that

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Game changer (clockwise from below) Hugo Barra, the global VP of Xiaomi, quit Google to take the Chinese company to new markets monica tiwari; the Xiaomi mascot; and screenshots of the ‘flash sale’

ive seconds, 40,000 phones and more than two lakh hopefuls scrambling for them… the countdown to the Xiaomi online ‘flash sale’ has begun, and at an IT firm in Bangalore, Deepak Rajanikanth and his entire team are riveted to their laptops — missed lunch-hour notwithstanding. So thick is the air with anticipation, one can cut it with a knife. Shoulders hunched, fingers on the mouse, they are all awaiting — in nerve-wracking silence — the India release of the Chinese manufacturer’s latest mobile phone, the Redmi 1S. A tech chimera that has eluded many an ardent fan.

“Since 1pm, people have been waiting for the 2 o’clock unveiling , praying to their favourite deities. Some of my colleagues even subscribed to the Flipkart First service and installed cheat codes to give them an advantage. Unfortunately, none of us were able to grab the phone this time,” says Rajanikanth.

Like Rajanikanth, thousands across India (if Facebook groups are any testimony) are ardent Xiaomi fans. The ardour is hardly unusual in this age of technophiles, except, the Chinese manufacturer is barely two months old in India. It had its first ever ‘flash sale’ here as recently as July this year.

Word power “Word of mouth is hugely underestimated,” says Manu Jain, head of Xiaomi India, who

earned his business credentials by co-found- hooks so far, but how good are the phones ing Jabong.com. “We rely a lot on it. We don’t themselves? Jain swears by their mobile softbelieve in brand marketing through paid ads. ware. “We have our MIUI firmware… We want You are never going to find an ad for Xiaomi to keep innovating and build India-specific on TV or even in digital spaces. What we do re- features.” And there are plans for an R&D unit ly on are social media platforms like Facebook, in Bangalore.

At a starting price of ₹5,999 (for Redmi 1S), Twitter and YouTube. We educate and interact with customers and take their feedback for fu- word has largely been in favour of the phones, ture releases and sales. For instance, thanks to going by the voluble endorsements online. As Rajanikanth puts it, “Their dethe feedback, last week’s sale invices have more features than cluded a free micro-sim adapter the latest Nexus and don’t cost and screen protector.” a king’s ransom. I am waiting The strategy is certainly You are never going to see their LED TVs go on sale, working in India, as it did earlito find an ad for Xiaomi as well as mobile accessories, er in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, on TV or even in which are currently only availaPhilippines, Malaysia, Singadigital spaces ble abroad.” pore and Indonesia. The comOthers see a mere hype in the pany is now eyeing the markets making. Anikit Kamal, an MBA in Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, graduate in Delhi, thinks it Turkey, Brazil and Mexico.

Its meteoric rise in China, after it was set up might fizzle out sooner than expected. “I’m reby serial entrepreneur Lei Jun in 2011, has been ally not sure if they’ll be able to continue at the inarguably overtaken by the speed of its same pace. Sometimes it’s frustrating that the growth in India(although the number of phones get sold out so quickly. I hope they phones sold is smaller). In its eight ‘flash sales’ bring in more.” But Bangalore-based actor Prahere so far, all routed through Flipkart, it sold teek Thakker, who uses a Xiaomi phone, is not out completely — 20,000 during the initial ready to write it off yet: “With the Micromax few and 40,000 later on. The first sale took a CEO stating that he has ‘never heard of this ‘leisurely’ 38 minutes, while the rest were brand’, Xiaomi has caught everyone undone and dusted in under 5 seconds (not min- awares. And it’s surely doing something right. utes!). “We realised that the retail-distributor While there’s always room for improvement, model can be expensive and wanted to bypass the phone is great value for money. I’m lookit through e-commerce,” says Jain. “We have ing forward to the Redmi note, which is exunderestimated the demand though, and are pected to be a sub-₹10,000 product.”

As for Xiaomi, popularly called the ‘Apple of trying to increase the quantity and sell more China’, looks like it’s unquestionably i for Ineach time.” dia at the moment.

A model phone?

Yes, Xiaomi has its competitors on tenter- sibi arasu

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Silver haul Sorting fish by the beach reuters/kham

Clothed in dignity Under Goonj’s cloth-for-work initiative, villagers help build local infrastructure in return for clothes, not cash; the group is now aiding flood relief work in Jammu & Kashmir

Catch of the day

New for old Goonj workers turn used cotton cloth into sanitary pads

Connected A bridge built in Uttarakhand under a ‘Cloth for Work’ project

The sleepy fishing village of Mui Ne on the southeastern coast of Vietnam is more than just picture-postcard perfect

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arely fours hours from the chaos of far too ill-equipped to handle bad weather or side calls for languid days, nay weeks, spent at Ho Chi Minh City, from the lost Gra- the rough, turgid seas — only to return to life its many isolated beaches. But our favourite ham Greenery of erstwhile Saigon, and land at dawn, when their wives take over. here is the Hon Rom beach, a short drive from we arrive in a different world alto- The catch is sorted and sold to local restau- the village past the Red Sand Dunes — another gether. It’s dusk in the tiny fishing village of rants and street food vendors in front of our unexpected spectacle of dunes by the beach! eyes — the scene not that differMui Ne and everything is It’s at the White Sand Dunes though, about ent from a trading floor on Wall 25km from Mui Ne, that we decide to go dune sheathed in a luminescent light.

Colourful boats bob on the glisStreet. Fishnets heaving with sea- bashing on rented quad bikes, until fatigue food are sprawled across the forces us to rest awhile by a lotus pond nearby. tening water for miles and the Buckets overflowing beach, buckets overflowing with And it is by its tranquil waters that we catch sunset bathes the landscape in a with live fish are live fish are bartered, shells are another of those Mui Ne sunsets one can never harmony of peaches, pinks and bartered strewn everywhere and raucous tire of. It’s a curtain call in technicolour. blues. As dumbstruck tourists drink in the vision, it’s just anconversation fills the salty air.

Fortunately for us, respite savi munjal blogs about her travels at other day for the fishermen go(and quiet) is around the corner. bruisedpassports.com ing about their daily business — unmindful of the cameras, chatter (often in The Fairy Stream mirrors the bucolic rhythm foreign tongues) and recurrent exclamations. of Mui Ne. Tucked between the beach and the Nothing changes, and yet everything does, village centre, the gurgling stream is framed when we head back again to the beach next by limestone formations; the rocks, a freesIn the bag Children use schoolof kitswind, made water from recycled Get there elemental expression and donated material at the crack of dawn to witness a Mui tyle, Liquid asset Members of Goonj join villagers to dig a well morning in Andhra Pradesh Ne sunrise from the local fish market — its earth. We wade through warm water, past The train from Ho Chi Minh City early morning chaos a surprising foil to the thickets of trees, to reach a waterfall where takes 4 hours to reach Phan Thiet, several languorous hours disappear of their slow-moving sun on the horizon. the closest city to Mui Ne. Tickets body.accord, His blind wife, Aamna, helped him load These(reserved incidents seating) left a lasting impression on hen massive earthquake unnoticed.

Every evening, thea fishermen set out forhit a own are priced at $16.

Uttarkashi in October 1991, it into rickshaw theyover drove only to him. In 1998, Gupta left his job as corporate night of fishing, effectively surrendering Nowthe hungry, we and amble to on Mui Ne’s Stay manager at Escorts to work stop atfruit the next body.

Anshu studying at huge market and find everything from communications themselves to the sea —Gupta their was small boats are Theoffour-star Pandanus Resort isdevelthe Indian Institute of Mass litchis Gupta spoke with them and learnedand thatpait on his idea using clothes to promote and mangoes to mangosteens located away from the touristy was their to stalls. collect bodies opment.

The following year, he Communication in Delhi. He bunked classes payas at itsjob many The pick of the lot? The villageand centre and has free shuttle based on information given his wife, Meenakshi, began for a few days and headed to Dehradun, about fuchsia-coloured dragon fruit.byWe saw entire buseswith and 67 bikes on rent.

The Redwarclothes from their six hours’ drive from Uttarkashi. As he went orchards the police, authorities or Ho Chi Minh onlocal our way here from Sanddrobe Dunes to arelaunch 2-minutes the away ‘clothonfor even and residents. around photographing the affected areas, he City, discover later that they taste much Every inch of cloth is Gupta spent a week observing work’ movement under Goonj came across a man who had covered himself better here than anywhere else in Asia. And foot (₹4,500; pandanusresort.com). turned into (now a registered society). with a gunny sack used to transport potatoes. since themfood at work, collecting is to travel whatbodies a fishnet is to a fishsomething. If nothing, Eat from within a 5km radiustool of of the trade In tatters, the cover was patched in many plac- erman — an indispensible we use it in a quilt Eateries at the village offer Dignity first es. The man was asking for clothes to protect without their house.

Theyone picked up 10hope to to net the which cannot scrumptious seafood “We didn’t want — to expect promote yet himself from the cold.

12 bodies day.sea — the dragon fruit turns best catcheach in the grilledanother red snapper (₹300), clams Later that year, in Delhi’s freezing winter, out“Jaadon mein badh jaata charitable organisation to be the firstkaam of our many delicious advenand mussels (₹200) alsoonsnakes, hai (Work increases duringcorner win- of Vietnam. as I was keen to as focus rural arGupta saw a rickshaw with a board announc- tures in this southeastern crocodiles and turtles on the ters),” Habib “In summer, the numdignity is paramount,” saysmenu.

Gupta. ing ‘laawaris laash uthane wala’ (transport for Nearly every told day,him. we trawl the network of eas, where Clockwork orange Under Goonj’s cloth-for-work initiative, vilunclaimed bodies). The photographer in him streets ber goesfor down to four or five.” Gupta realised freshly barbequed scallops with Women dry shrimp Tip on local infrastructure projects in made him follow the rickshaw and he saw it spring at onceonion that itand waspeanuts not the cold thatwith killed peo- lagers work drizzled a lemeven as the men in You can also play of a round at the the stopping near a body. The driver, Habib, took on, ple,sugar, but rather thedressing. lack of clothes and protec- return for clothes instead cash. “Across and salt boats bring in a new Tropical Minigolf course from out a two-meter white cloth and wrapped the tion The slowit.pace of life in Vietnam’s country- globe, the three basic needs are food, clothes load afp/hoang dinhnam

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Giving it all Anshu Gupta, founder-director of Delhi-based non-profit group Goonj vv krishnan

and shelter. Yet, clothing is neither a part of and finally dispatching them to rural areas. the Millennium Development Goals nor a priThrough co-branded campaigns, employority with development agencies,” he rues. ees of retail chains and corporates contribute Over the past two years, Goonj has under- material to Goonj. Additionally, there are coltaken nearly 1,500 village infrastructure pro- lection centres in several cities including Deljects, including cleaning of ponds, hi, Mumbai, Rishikesh, Bhubaneswar, construction of bridges and repairing Bangalore and Kolkata. Volunteers take care of schools, among others. the collection (the Goonj team is not involved One of its earliest projects involved digging in this process), which happens all year round, a well in Salidhana village in Madhya Pra- says Gupta. desh’s Khandwa district. The only source of More than half of the 1,000 tonnes of matewater there was a hand pump, which yielded rial Goonj collects annually comprises clothes water at a depth of 400 metres but became while the rest is made up of dry rations, stasubmerged during rains. Members of Goonj, tionery and books, computers, furniture, footalong with the villagers, dug the wear, and even toys and games. well to ensure year-round supMany hotels and stores send ply of water. unused items such as soaps, oils On average, Goonj provides and dry eatables. two pairs of clothes to each But more than collection, the It is about giving member of a family (not more real challenge is in the processequal respect to the than five members). ing. The collected material is person receiving aid “It is a dignified way of giving shipped to 21 states, and distrib— people work and people earn. uted according to individual It is changing the age-old, tradineeds. A well-defined coding systional practice of charity as it tem helps identify the contents of gives equal respect to the person receiving it,” each distribution bag. “We have a detailed syssays Gupta. tem of repairing and using every item. People Grassroots NGOs have been roped in as part- give what they have and not what others ners. “We go to rural areas, sit with partners need.” Goonj steps in to bridge this gap. and villagers, and decide what works are needAs urban men, on average, are about six ed. We also decide on the distribution metho- inches wider at the waist than their rural dology with the local implementing agencies. counterparts, Goonj alters clothes accordingIt is not a top-down approach,” he adds. ly. Every piece of cloth is judiciously used to Some villagers approach Goonj after hear- ensure there is no wastage. While western outing about projects in nearby areas. “But in di- fits like jeans and T-shirts are commonly used saster-affected areas, we enter on our own by urban women, saris and salwar-suits are without partners,” says Gupta. needed in rural areas. “We make school bags The organisation is currently aiding flood using old jeans, turn cotton material into sanirelief work in Jammu and Kashmir. People can tary pads… every inch of cloth is turned into donate blankets, woollens, tarpaulin, basic something. If nothing, we use it in a quilt.” medicines and other materials at Goonj cenEven tapes from old cassettes are reused, for tres besides making financial contributions. instance, instead of thread in handlooms. This fabric is used to make bags, conference kits, Collecting goodwill wallets, key chains, phone covers, folders and Goonj has a supply chain system that includes other products. Sold at prices ranging from collecting clothes and other material from ur- ₹25 to ₹600, this revenue is a boon for the notban areas, sorting, grading and packing them, for-profit enterprise.

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All clear Pond cleaning underway in an Odisha village

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Green Yatra: Under its ‘Zaroorat – A Need’ initiative, the NGO collects old household items like clothes, toys, books, stationery and durable goods from corporate houses, residential societies, shopping malls, cinema halls, schools and colleges. These are sorted, repaired, packaged, transported and distributed in rural areas and urban slums throughout India. www.greenyatra.org

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Xavier’s Foundation: The Guwahati-based NGO has founded a Clothes Bank in association with the North Eastern Development Finance Corporation (NEDFi). It collects clothes from people and distributes them to the needy through NGOs and other organisations working with the underprivileged. www.xaviersfoundation.org RK Foundation: Under its ‘Vastra – The Clothes Bank’ project, the charitable trust provides new and used clothing to the poor, irrespective of age, gender, race, or religion. It partners with other non-profit organisations working in the areas of health, education, human care and other services. www.rkfoundation.org

Revenue model “Since we are registered as a society, we get contributions from individuals as well,” says Gupta. Nearly half of its ₹4 crore annual budget is met from contributions, ranging from ₹20 to ₹2 lakh each. Goonj also earns revenues through its co-branded campaigns.

It has strict monitoring systems, including detailed auditing and surprise checks, to ensure partners are fulfilling the mandate. “We try to minimise pilferage,” he says.

From a two-people effort, Goonj today has over 180 full-time members across 10 offices.

From 150 tonnes in 2005, it today collects over 1,000 tonnes of material annually. But Gupta doesn’t count his achievements in these terms. He wants to inspire similar efforts. “We have to grow as an idea and not just as an organisation. Others should take initiatives and not go through the same hardships as we did,” he adds. rashmi pratap

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Quietly asunder The modern family

religion forbids the transfusion of any body fluids. If he isn’t transfused, he is unlikely to PRESENT IMPERFECT survive, and even if he does live, he could be rendered blind or immobile. His doctors see considerable chances of his survival if they could give him the blood he needs and therefore seek the court’s permission to do so against the wishes of the boy and his parents.

Although Fiona has dealt with complicated cases before, including a decision on which of n the last few years, it had begun to seem prime upholders of the Act. When we first a pair of Siamese twins deserves to live, she is like novelist Ian McEwan was pitching meet her, she has just been told by her hus- flummoxed by the many ethical questions prolificacy above all else. His 2007 work, band that he wants her permission to have an that Adam’s case raises. After hearing the arguOn Chesil Beach, while shortlisted for the affair. At 59, he feels their long marriage had ments on both sides, Fiona, without precedenBooker Prize essentially remained a short rendered them to the condition of siblings. He ce and entirely on an impulse, decides to go piece of fiction (or a long observation, de- wanted one “last shot” at an exciting sexual and meet the boy in hospital. She is at once pending which way you want to look at it) life before he dies. He did not want to sneak drawn to his sharp intellect and poetic talent.

It is thus through a ‘life and death’ situation about a honeymoon. The subsequent books, around behind her back and so was seeking The Children Act her permission upfront, even as he had a poof someone else that Fiona assesses her own out every couple of years, Solar and Sweet Ian McEwan Tooth, were barely worth ploughing through. tential partner ready and willing. Fiona is life, in the light of the changes that her husJonathan Cape Fiction band is proposing. After the first few days of Thus it was with an anticipation of disap- both hurt and outraged by this. ₹599 pointment that I started his latest, The Children Meanwhile, in the Court, she is hearing a fury and victimhood, she settles in to having Act. But boy, does McEwan surprise. particularly fraught case. A boy, Adam, three the house for herself, so much so that when The Children Act is a British law that seeks months short of his 18th birthday (and there- she finds him at the doorstep one evening, she to put the child’s welfare above anything else. fore of legal age to make his own decisions) is is quite saddened by the loss of her personal As a High Court judge who mostly hears cases suffering from leukaemia. Adam and his par- space and time. Yet, for someone who has in the family court, Fiona Maye is one of the ents are devout Jehovah’s Witnesses and their been in an otherwise complete relationship, writing off the marriage entirely is not an easy option either.

In many ways, The Children Act is a book about faith and self-doubt. Fiona — accomplished and articulate — is suddenly left wondering about her failings as a wife and a childless woman. Adam, who has spent his entire life believing in a god and a certain afterlife Kingdom, is torn between pitting his life over his faith. McEwan is deft and takes the reader through these primal human conflicts without much drama or hysteria. The book is soinstartlingly quiet, reading it feels like a Urban shadows As our cities grow and change rapidly, their elderly are left dazed and confused. They find themselves alone an alien environment REUTERS round of meditation. There is no doubt that Neighbourhood talkies Set in modern is aItmaster his craft, and with The wo weeks ago in Bangalore, a our values don’t approve of ‘shunting’ out our encesMcEwan to narrate. gave usofhope.” day England and based Act he that is most certainly back athad the top friend’s grandfather went missing. elderly, and even as they flailed at the edges, It Children is significant plenty of people on a real case, of his game.

The 95-year-old was at home, and they thought no one could look after him bethad similar experiences.

The number of elderMcEwan's new book is while his daughter was dealing with ter than them, despite the fact that there were ly who go missing in our cities is rising at an startlingly quiet veenarate. venugopal bloomberg/simon dawson some salesman who had dropped in, the likely to be small, inescapable lapses. This pro- alarming The Bangalore police informed grandfather picked up his wallet and walked vided them adequate reasons to justify beat- my friend that this is a very regular occurout of the house. It might have taken about 10 ing themselves up. rence. As our cities grow and change rapidly, minutes before they realised he wasn’t home.

Day four passed with no news and so did their elderly are left dazed and confused. They They searched the immediate neighbour- day five. The Facebook shares and Twitter men- often move to the city to be with their children hood, asked the security guards and neigh- tions added up exponentially. A lot of calls and find themselves alone in an alien environbours if they had seen him, and when there came through mentioning sightings of the ment. We hardly have any sidewalks, and was no sign of him by late evening, they began grandfather, but they all proved to be false where we do, we barely make room for them to panic. The police was informed, they set up leads. On day seven, a news story about the dis- as we rush past to our important meetings in road alerts and my friend bandied together a appearance appeared in a local tabloid. That our important lives. But worse than all this is of aarea. recluse has an found. indescribadent refuses to comment ontoany this, but group to searchhea life wider He wasn’t morning, a teenager had gone theoflocal the stigma of seeking help. Anyone who bleday, charm, stokesmedia an obsesLee inThe following she setwhich up a social park surprisingly, for a jog andHarper’s noticed older an oldsister manAlice cowerthinks of an external living situation because curiosity.

It is hard to ignore Millshim into questions their lives.but Three and they a campaign. Shesive created a Facebook page, sent the ing. vites He asked gotyears no reare unable to look after the elderly is imnumerous attempts we journalists story (rated B-plusfood

by Harper) out requests that her grandfather’s photo be plies.cover He offered him some from a later, kioskMills mediately cast as an ungrateful progeny. It is make to get a glimpse, however small, into the moves intoman Monroeville, shared widely.

The page went viral, many thounearby, but the declined two doors down no wonder that a study by of details their lives and what the went Lees with a sketchy sandsordinariness re-tweeted the on Twitter.

They they that from too. He home and idea for a book.

HelpAge India published in mighthospitals reveal. Ask Salinger, Bobby Fischer, The Leesand introduce Mills to their close-knit searched and nursing homes.

He Griread the paper it occurred June this year found that 50 gori Perelman even no theone North circle friends, to the history of a deeply rawas nowhere to be or found, hadPond, seen who to him thatofthe old man at the per cent of the elderly face It is fishing. time to look to come hiding afterin. nearly South; they goone outindining and him. was Dayforced two faded out,out dayofthree faded park cial might be the same abuse in their homes. By 2050, beyond the cliché decades.

Harper no stranger They So order British Hopethree shifted shape and took Lee newisforms.

If any to the story. he called thesitcoms, num- watch Janet Jackabout 20 per cent of the popof theSeyfamily standardgood response to tenacious son’s nip-slip at Superbowl and Philip newsthis. wasHer considered initially, by the reber mentioned.

My friend went ulation will be elderly, and being the ‘fabric butstarted hell, no. mour Hoffman’s thirdporters: day, theNot lackjust of no, news becoming to the park, searched superb every- turn as Truman these problems are only likely of Indian society’ Author of the Pulitzer a Capote (once Harper’s something to cling on to.

And all winning the while,To myKill where and found him trem-neighbour who be- This bird don’t to increase.

TheLee stigma of paid sing Harper in a 2007 photo Mockingbird, she is found notorious for ways bowing in To Killina Mockingbird).

Alice is the ap/rob carr professional care is a relic that friend and her mother several of out blingcame and Dill delusional a far of public life in 1965 and never writingBeagain. wise sister, Harper, wild one. Alice is “Attiblaming themselves for what happened. corner.

They rushed himthe to the we need to shed fast. she did make headlines, twice in 2013, it cus inwhere skirts”,hea formidable they friends are to Gregory Peck and causeWhen her grandfather was a sprightly 95-yearhospital is now historian of the learn how close “While and strangwas neighbours for the lawsuits she slapped on people.

South and still practising law in Monroeville why shethe was Harper Lee on the book cover old, the assumed he was simply recuperating. ers helped, extended family has spent the and The Mockingbird again? Why did she shun It is atincredible 90. Harperhow might be as curious as Scout not Nelleblaming Harper (her real name).

Harper goingWhy for adidn’t walk she andwrite saw nothing amiss about a 95-year-old turned up but last fortnight us for having lostBut him,” Next Door thethat limelight two central questions to any is 20km nervous about thehome. odd public appearance, remains tight-lipped the doesn’t speculation Life with Harper Lee the fact he was—alone.

In January this year nearly away from It is a wonder my friend says, explainingabout why she Marja Mills tome Lee, but answers to whichand canalhardly and the expectations others. herrevealed. sexuality, her drinking and though, heon had fallen in the bathroom that her he clothes spent seven days outdoors ofand al- wantaround her name The Indian family is atemNon-fiction be found in serious Marja Mills’ memoirs.

2001 cover story in Chicagofine.

Tribune per, the fractious though nothing happened, he was be- thoughMills’ hungry and tired, is otherwise much-lauded support relationship system. But with often,Capote, it Penguin Mills, a former ChicagotoTribune romance of to a chance encounter why she cost never again orinsensitivity. if the reception ₹699 ginningInto2001, lose his memory.

He tended fade re“The had mostthe positive thing come out of this,”with comes at the ofwrote unmitigated porter, Monroeville — the had fictional Lee, the first“is inthe nearly five decades.

But from of her book had her. Mills out once in arrives a while.inMy friend’s mother my friend says, generosity of friends As demographics andoverwhelmed lifestyles change, it is gets County to do a story after on Lee’s 17-month stinthelped in Monroeville, weoflearn any of other to tell not spentMaycomb two decades in the— cause of looking and her strangers.

People in all kinds timean to opportunity look beyond unlike the cliché the family hometown thrives on Mockingbird of in Harper and Alice’sbydaily routines just taleIndian but also Alice’s and she her husband.

In that the last two years especially, touways.more Friends the city helped joining the — being theHarper’s ‘fabric of society’, reas-delivrism.

Every summer, the townsure putshe uphad a stagecheese gritFriends dinners,outside coffee mornings ers an earnest, censored, dull account.

And unher life revolved around making search teams.

Bangaloreand gotfeedsess what’s best for us — the young, the old and version of medication the book at the county courthouse, the town’s ducks — and little about the his meals and on time.

They had theiring city-based acquaintances to help.

And I histhosesurprisingly, in between. Harper Lee is rather outraged at whereabout Atticus arguedit for Robinson’s of the that South, of Alabama, of Monroeville, its publication. wondered whether wasTom better for him acwas tory surprised quite a few people who Veena Venugopal is editor BLink and Scout watched some accurately portrayed in To Kill a Mockingbird t@veenavenugopal in anquittal, assistedwhile livingJem, facility.

Butand this Dill is India, called or messaged me had similar experiauthor of The Mother-in-Law from the gallery above. Its most famous resi- and still being documented by her sister. We priyanka kotamraju

Ian McEwan is back at the top of his game in this new novel

Anyone who thinks of an external living situation because they are unable to look after the elderly is immediately cast as an ungrateful progeny. Is that fair?

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Not just no, but hell, no Recluses are probably best left undiscovered, proves this account of Harper Lee

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The topi On how the brimless, non-functional headpiece that offered no protection against the elements in a tropical country became a cultural neurosis

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Ambarish Satwik is a Delhi-based vascular surgeon and writer

n those days everybody wore a topi?

All the time?”

It was in the middle of the limpidly uplifting Marathi film Harishchandrachi Factory (about the rather chaotic making of Raja Harishchandra by Dhundiraj Phalke), during a scene where Phalke is showing the outcome of his exertions to a bunch of bewitched locals in a tent theatre in Mumbai, that my seven-year-old son asked me that. Paresh Mokashi’s filmic images of Mumbai in the early 20th century are delicious and bring a sugar rush; and, indeed, there isn’t a bareheaded male to be seen on the streets of the city. The unexceptional Marathi chapeau is everywhere, almost part of the landscape of Mumbai, leading us to a silent cache holding the lives and stories of its peoples.

It is a topi that my son is familiar with — a kind of side cap stiffened by cardboard within its seams. A slightly reduced version of the topi that KB Hedgewar, the RSS founder, was often photographed in. And a stiff forerunner of the limp Gandhi-Nehru-Congress topi. He has seen it being squirreled out on festivals and birthdays to perform a ritual called aukshwan, where the male members of the family (perforce in their topis) are ennobled by the women in their lives by first dredging them with turmeric and vermilion, then moving around their faces a betelnut, gold ring and, finally, light from a ghee-soaked wick. It is a ritual common in most Maharashtrian households and introduces into the present an oddity that is distant and gauche, for which there is no room in everyday life — the topi.

In old photographs of crowds in Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nashik, an unbroken profusion of topis and other headwear can be seen.

Wearing a topi was a given, like wearing footwear. It wasn’t just an essential and integral part of the attire, it was the most prominent article of clothing on a man’s body. The oldest extant RSS ideologue, MG Vaidya remembers a time in his youth when topis were a social necessity. Men were unable to leave their homes without one: they couldn’t be seen in the streets bareheaded. Bareheadedness was a disturbing condition, a sign of wretchedness, an indicator of death in the family. The 13 days of postmortem mourning provided the only exemption from the chapeau.

Contemporaneously, it was quite the same with hats in America — the social pressure, the obligation of conformity. Hatlessness, at the dawn of 20th century, was viewed with alarm: the man was considered demented, or insolvent, or drunk, or even a sociopathic fiend of sorts. Or perhaps he had been robbed, or been in an accident.

Quite apart from all the utilitarian functions that hats served, they were wonderfully eloquent agents of expression: they were tipped, raised, tossed, handed, waved, tilted, snapped, cocked, passed. And these motions prolapsed their way into being social graces.

This never happened with the topi.

The topi’s particular burden is that, for some ineffable reason, it seems parochial. This

Cotton crown In old photographs of crowds, often an unbroken profusion of topis can be seen the hindu archives

is odd, as it has never been defined by the geo- twice-born (savarna) Hindus, not just memgraphical particularities of the regions where bers of the priestly brahminical genus. it prevailed. That a brimless, non-functional “By oblations to fire during the mother’s headpiece that offered no protection against pregnancy, by holy rites on the birth of the the elements in the tropics became an obses- child, by the tonsure of his head with a lock of sional cultural neurosis should be reckoned as hair left on it, by the ligation of the sacrificial a legitimate subject of historical inquiry. cord are the birth taints of the three classes Obviously, hard work is involved in the wholly removed.” (Chapter 2, verse 27) study of history and culture theory, and before The shikha was the vital Hindu appendage.

I could go scavenging in those precincts, I star- The spiritual antenna, without which yagna, tled myself by fortuitously locating the solu- charity, penance, suffrages, fasts and other tion in that other great conservatory of auspicious acts were fruitless (Katyayanasmriculture (where the top quintile never go) — re- ti: Chapter 1, verse 4). When a male child was gional television. In a televised blood meal in born, the father could handle him only on the Marathi on the life of the social reformer Ra- sixteenth day, rising early in the morning, afmabai Ranade called Unch Maazha Zhoka ter his ablutions, coming home with a wet (UMZ) or On the Swings and Soarhead, and pouring a few drops of ing, serialised on Zee Marathi. water from his sopping shikha Again upon some prodding from into the infant’s mouth. Savarna the seven-year-old, who was Hindu males were never meant The topi’s particular watching with me and asked: to have the unseemly vanity of burden is that, for “Why are all of them bald?” the display of hair. The tuft, howsome ineffable UMZ is about a family of Chitever, was important; it had to be reason, it seems pavan Brahmins in late 19th-censheltered. Ergo, the chapeau. parochial tury Mumbai, the same stock as Culture doesn’t arise out of an the Peshwas, who ruled pre-coloopinion-clogged handbook. It is nial Maharashtra. All the Ranade the prodrome, the sequela, of all men in UMZ have neatly shaved national life. The Puneri pagadi, heads, except for the occipital in an attempt to make it aspiratuft, the shikha. The tuft emerges from a thatch tional, was granted Geographical Indication of hair the size of a calf’s hoof and is kept tight- status in 2009. Currently, it is aired only at ly knotted. When the Ranades step out, they’re weddings. The residual functions of the topi never bareheaded; the tuft is manoeuvred un- form a triptych: the sacerdotal, the political der a Puneri pagadi or a topi for shelter. The and the rural. I know of at least three Marathi Puneri pagadi is a glorious thing: a prefabricat- priests in Delhi who treat their black topis as ed turban, a sort of operculum for the scalp, nearly animate parts of themselves. They’re first introduced by the Peshwas and subse- never to be seen without it. quently made fashionable by Mahadev Govind For citified Maharashtrians outside the tripRanade — Ramabai’s husband — and later, BG tych, the topi is a footnote, to be ritually imagTilak aka Lokmanya. ined through the aukshwan, by calling upon a Well, there aren’t too many letters of recom- sort of collective, cultural memory. mendation here. Manusmriti provides the only injunction. The shikha was mandated for all asatwik@gmail.com

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Stamp Rightofyet wrong, your honour creativity ELSEWHERE

manjula padmanabhan

Defending his unimpeachable appointment as Kerala governor, Justice P Sathasivam however submitted the judiciary’s image to a public trial

Artist CR Pakrashi’s memoir describes the birth of stamps, 56 in all, on his drawing board

somasekhar sundaresan

Who lives upstairs?

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hitta Ranjan Pakrashi is into his childhood in pre-independ94 years old. We meet ent Bangladesh, the original design him at his Kailash Colony of the Gandhi centenary stamp residence in New Delhi (1969) landed him in religion-relatover a typical Bengali mid-morning ed controversy. And while Mangal snack of tea and Marie biscuits. We Pandey’s sketch in the 1984 stamp are seated in his large living room, created to honour India’s freedom where his desk is overflowing with struggle raised doubts about its auig changes in the building! Robert, the tenant in the pencils, paintbrushes, drawing thenticity, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru flat above mine, has moved out. It’s got nothing to do sheets and books. He finishes his tea and Mahatma Gandhi’s portraits with the plumbing: he was in the military and has and points to two huge frames on a (1973) invited debates about copybeen transferred to another post. For a few days, I hear wall that grandly display the 56 right issues. the sound of prospective buyers tramping up and down, first commemorative stamps he has de“A lot of study and artistic precion the stairs and then right over my head. signed over the last 50 years. sion went into the designs. It took After a pause, suddenly there are renewed sounds of tramp“I came to Delhi in 1945 after grad- me days, and sometimes months to ing on the stairs. Now they are accompanied by the loud uating from Government School of craft the stamps because I didn’t rethumps and scrapes of furniture being moved up the stairs and Arts and Craft, Calcutta. I was em- ly on anyone for the research. I creatNotmoving another in. around in the flat. Clearly, a new tenant has started ployed as an industrial designer by ed multiple drafts until I reached a job’? Acting Even though this is a small building, with only six‘government units, we tenthe Ministry of Commerce. Stamp design that made me happy before chief justice of Kerala High ants maintain a polite reserve amongst ourselves.

Aside from designing happened completely by submitting it to the postal departCourt Ashok Bhushan my occasional coffee-mornings with my sparrow-like neighcoincidence,” says Pakrashi. ment,” he says. administers the oath of bour Pete, we don’t gossip about events in the building.

In his 10th year in Delhi his eye His research included visiting the office to Kerala Governor P Now, however, a whole new dimension opens up. The pti new caught a government advertise- Ramakrishna Mission in New Delhi Sathasivam person clearly prefers to leave her floors bare because I can hear ment inviting postal stamp designs for reference material to commemher footsteps wherever she goes. Even before I see her, I know for the 2,500th anniversary of Lord orate Swami Vivekananda’s historic ustice P Sathasivam to have a knack and plementary against Shah.” and I’m norguessing of Kerala.

The then president, that she’s aMrwoman she’s fairly young.

Why? Shankar Buddha. Confident he had the skills, seems Chicago address, spendingcharge sheet for being surefooted and firm in controThisand gaveLi-the impression of aIretired Dayal Sharma, experience and inBecause can telljudge from the sound of hercited heelstheir click-clacking Pakrashi delved into the mechanics hours in the Nehru Museum versial situations. thisand year, as chief so keen on governorship thatme hethat would sights into thehigh.

Constitution valuable assets. above the even shoes are punishingly An olderas woman of stamp designing.

He explored theEarlier brary Gandhi Darshan Museum justice of of India, he struck a firmdesign blow forpublicly defend his judicial decisions.

It is for offThat Beevi did not sail smooth in the would surely kick them the governor moment she got a chance! various representations Lord for a suitable the freedom against the lackadaisical mannerstamp. in which a valid reason that judges arehas required to inchoppy waters Tamilrelatives Nadu politics Barely she moved but a horde of of young come and quit Buddha without actually showing struggle mercy handled.Postage His judgement speak about only through herupposition much Sheila a-visiting.

They’re thudding and down thelike stairs likeDikshit, frisky is a stothe face or figure.

Hepetitions won firstare place stamp designing is a their decisions saved the of lives severalunique convicts death theirlinks judgements.

Theydinosaurs are answerable toThey’re ry foralso another day. all dayonly long. talking in loud shrieks, runfor his symbolic design theof Bodhi arton form with close to a row.

He was not swayed bynation’s the “collective conthe rule of law in the courts — not to the court Then there is theoff rather disingenuous and ning races, falling furniture and (banyan) tree with Mohenjo-daro heritage and history.

It reguiltyvisual of of public opinion. Had he exposed the hollow- petty argument that it week is shameful wailing.

The whole first passes for a reseals under ascience” moonlitranged night —against to de- convicts quiresheld not only skill but also assassinating a former the arguments against his candidature tired chiefItjustice sworn in as governor like this. causesto sobe much distress note that it was on such a night thatprime theminister. ability to captureness theofcentral Judges nirvana. are but human beings,within not robots. governor’s office and yet rejected the by High Should to athe restCourt of uschief in thejustice. building, thatrank matthe Buddha attained This theme a 3.55 x for 2.50the frame — Societalhim outrage canofseepthe into any human jobof offer, he would have scored a big hit for the ter, the chief justice of a High Court now, whenever we meet in the hall and a Suwork fetched the first standard print area a comSarah is brownmind.

A goodawards. judge stands firm in favour of From image of the judiciary.

Court are on par. or out in thepreme driveway, we judge stop and three national memorative stamp. carrying skinned and the the Pakrashi’s law rathermemoir, than populist notions jus- messages By publicly his judi- is muddy That apart, many an illustrious share complaints. relevant andofpithy from clarifying “brother” tice. remission deaththe sentences demon- to the cialrest decision, retired chief of India has The worst-affected are justice Pete next A The Stamp Is Born of (Niissuing country of the the retired judgewhite strated the world has the a everyday failed to dismiss the insinuation passedin awards resolving disdoor, and Rebecca, the flat directyogi toBooks), re- that world,India to serving purJudges are sophisticated judicial does not mails, with the contempt it deserved in same arbitration.

These ly above his.putes She’s the age as counts several system pose that of delivering stamps answerable only to flinch from the rule of law command even underaextraorandtheir instead be challenged — in me, works asawards a schoolcan librarian and interesting anecfollowing all own.offered a competing the rule of law in the dinarily interpretation it isturneda District Court, always lookssome neat States and well dotescontroversial from his five-circumstances.

While e-mails may have overtaken of a judicial view, courts — not to the Days ago, taking oath ashandwritten governor of Kerala, too of the highestout. court of sleep a wink,” she tells me, clutching subordinate to High Courts, “I can’t her forehead. decade career.

While letters inthat utility, Pakcourt of public Justice againrashi stood firm. the His postage the land. which canhave consider such chal“There’s so much banging and thumping?

They no idea the JaiSathasivam Bangla stamp is certain system opinion stance thatisthere was nothing wrongdie in out. a forThe idea of any occupant of a it sounds!” She’s met the girl, however. lenges. Decisions ofSaretired Suhow loud Her name’s (1973) a glimpse will never mer chief justice becoming Meanwhile, governor was highwill constitutional office preme Court judges rahtaking and the visitors are her sister and children.

The tall, gruffsitting in hislecreations congally impeccable. There was nothing unique up a government appointment indeed man who has been helping to move thetribunals furniture can is Sarah’s co- be chaltinue to capture the nation’s imagiabout his appointment to nation: cloud itsthe propriety. after for retirement can indeed tenant,be says Rebecca, “and her brother”.lenged in writ petitions before 1985 stamp the However, in the process, he put the image Congress’s of problematic. freshly minted High Court My nothing eyebrowsunique shoot up, though I say nothing.

One judges. reason to Indian National centen- But there’s the judiciary under trial inary thebearing court of portraits public of about governor’s job, which heightYet, the role of and a governor is hardly be surprised is that Sarah is brown-skinned the “brother” is one that all the sedate 60 opinion. There he erred. Congress presidents tillens thedate, problem.

It’s difficult to envisage retired CJI publicly muddyeven white.

But there’s ajustifies secondareason!

Known onlydefending to me. his juthat a Justice Sathasivam succeeded Congresswoany roomthe for conflict between of dicial decisions, breaking withtaking high tradition, Around 2the am,nature every night, I can hear energetic activities set of stamps to commemorate man Sheila Dikshit, who had been nudged out jobUnited of a governor and a chief Many a reandabove justifying why he should placejustice. in the bedroom directly mine.

It starts with aaccept rhyth-the job of50th anniversary of the Naof office barely six monthstions after entering it on Supreme appointedaccompanied to tri- fer. Abyrecent interview with mic is thumping, feminine squeals andSheila hootsDikshit in (1995), the stamptired to mark the Court judge the tail of a drubbing in the Delhi State eleccommissions that and go statutory the Business tells all: por“I had gone on for atbodies. least 10 minutes before Standard ending with a low, opening of one lakh bunals, post offices tions. Distraught, the Congress made a in Thehonour qualification criteria theseOfoffices of-I can’t there because I had been asked by the party cinefor grunt. course, swear that it’s the two co-tenants.

(1968),Party and the stamp of reckless insinuation, linking Justice Sathasi- Khan ten require of a they retired judge. and appointed by the and President...

Kerala is a do is their business.

But the sedate dignified Ustad Bismillah (2008),appointmentWhat vam’s appointment to his judicial in “Art While these ‘government jobs’, thehas changed. beautiful and I enjoyed it... I of the building This welcoming story’s not state. over yet, I among decisions many others. never los-are indeed tone cases relating to the (now)es BJP Amit governor is a constitutional authority. needed theasleep calm... it was a welcome break afmutter to myself, as I struggle to fall once more. itsPresident charm, and this form remains Shah. The retired judge publicly tookI hope the bait exclusive. my bookBesides, will be this of is not the first time that a Su- ter 16 years of hard work... I saw a lot of their thus: “At that time nobodyuse would have expect-designers, premeart Court been appointed gover-, author dance... their is very good...

PADMANABHAN and artist, tellsmusic us of her parallel life in I read a lot of to philatelists, stu-judge hasMANJULA ed that Mr Shah would become The chief but a Supreme Court column books... it or not, I ineven read Daphne US, in this fortnightly tbelieve marginalien.blogspot. dentsBJP andpresident. the general nor. public,” says justice isElsewhere We did not give Mr Shah the a clean chitstamp-maker. in the judge. In 1997, retired Supreme Court judge Du Maurier’s Rebecca again.” veteran case. In fact, I shifted the Sohrabuddin case to Fathima Beevi was made governor of Tamil NaMaharashtra. In the very same judgment, the is adu while retired Jammu and Kashmir High somasekhar sundaresan, lawyer and columnist, arunima mazumdar Delhi-based court had given liberty to the CBI to file a sup- Court Chief Justice SS Kang was made gover- is conscious he is often wrong when right journalist

Sounds from the floor above reveal more than they should

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Thumb-sized history (From top) The stamp designed by CR Pakrashi for the 2,500th birth anniversary of Buddha; a stamp released on July 1, 1968 to commemorate the opening of one lakh post offices in India; a Gandhi centenary stamp from a stamp is born, niyogi books

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A fine eye CR Pakrashi is a stampmaker and historian arunima mazumdar

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Every single fantasy I had, has been fulfilled Fools out of my way Naseeruddin Shah is not a fan of autograph seekers paul nornoha

Actor Naseeruddin Shah looks back at a younger self in a new memoir, revealing all that he did and all that he shouldn’t have done

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And Then One Day Naseeruddin Shah Memoir Penguin — Hamish Hamilton ₹699

ometime in 1978, filmmaker Shyam Benegal was shooting Junoon in a grand outdoor location in remote Bengal. Many elephants and horses were brought in to recreate the attack on a village by the British,during the 1857 Battle for Independence. Excited locals had gathered to witness this spectacle. Among them was the district magistrate and his wide-eyed son. The boy skipped across the set, autograph book in hand, to befriend the actor sporting the big hair and a long red beard. The actor, Naseeruddin Shah, was lost in concentration, perfecting his lines in his deep baritone. Seconds

later, the boy was seen fleeing the scene with tears rolling down his cheeks. No one knows what transpired between the two, except that Shah had planted a firm slap across the boy’s face. “The magistrate was very upset and threatened to call off the shoot. I saved the day by giving Naseer a solid dressing down in front of him. I knew I was being unfair to him, but we were at the mercy of that guy. Naseer could never forgive me for that,” says Benegal, with a laugh.

Seated on a sofa in his spacious Bandra apartment is a much older, calmer and affable Naseeruddin Shah. The 64-year-old flashes a

guilty smile when reminded of his famous temper, of which several actors and directors have been witnesses as well as victims. “There was a time I used to yell hysterically at actors I was directing. I realised it was a mistake. Being harsh with actors does not work,” he says.

Shah chronicles this more volatile self in his recently released memoir, And Then One Day. He had shared first copies of the book only with his two brothers and wife Ratna Pathak Shah, who was rather startled by some of its revelations. He embarked on the book in 2002 while shooting a “bone-wrenchingly boring” Hollywood film (The League of Extraordinary

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Being Homi Foul-mouthed, smart talking and with a knack for oddball characters, Homi Adajania has always been a filmmaker with a difference

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Sepia times (from top) Naseeruddin with his contemporary Om Puri; with wife Ratna Pathak Shah and then one day, penguin books; and with Shashi Kapoor in Junoon

Bawa of many hats Homi Adajania (top) might be a scuba instructor, but having just released his third film, Finding Fanny (below), he is now also a certified filmmaker

aking films is one of the many things that featured on Homi Adajania’s bucket list. He checked f that box in 2006 after directing the delightfully quirky Being Cyrus, and hoped to proceed down the list, which included opening a café by the sea and writing a book. With the release of his third film, Finding Fanny, this week, Adajania says he is now here to stay. “After three films I can say, ‘Chal yaar, I’m a filmmaker’. I can see myself as an old f****r sitting on a film set and still making a film,” he says.

Seated in his producer Dinesh Vijan’s Bandra office, Adajania laughs to himself while looking through stills of Finding Fanny on his laptop. The image of actress Dimple Kapadia bending over with her prosthetic derriere pointed to the camera seems to crack him up no end. Before we sit down to discuss the film, Adajania thinks it is only fair he warns me about what a frustrating interviewee he can be. “I just keep talking and talking. And I keep digressing. I will make your job very difficult.

You’ll keep thinking why doesn’t this guy shut up. I’m just a stupid bawa yaar,” he says.

There are some other ground rules as well.

“I find it very difficult to talk without profanities,” he states. One of the longest conversations he’s endured minus cuss words was the two-hour script narration with actor Pankaj Kapur, the only member of his cast he didn’t know before. He remembers watching Maqbool (2003) but had “no clue” about the ’80s detective series Karamchand. “We sat through the entire narration and he didn’t change his

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Gentlemen) and continued adding to it in fits and starts over the next 12 years. Writer and historian Ramachandra Guha, who was also privy to the initial drafts by the actor, encouraged him to complete it. “It’s a terrific book, the best memoir I have read in years. The selfdeprecatory wit is most appealing, and very un-Indian. Successful Indian males tend to be pompous and rather self-regarding, which makes Naseer’s ability to mock himself and his failures even more striking,” says Guha.

Recently, Shah attended a class reunion organised by his friends at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. It struck him that in a class of 22, only three had gone on to have noteworthy careers in acting or direction. He’s the only actor from his batch who is working successfully in film and theatre today. The rest have vanished, without a trace. “It made me realise that every single fantasy I had has been fulfilled. That’s a dangerous space to be in. Except going to the North Pole,” he adds, “I have to do that before I get too old.”

He survived his days at FTII on an empty stomach and emptier pockets, all the while believing that the directors who were not casting him then would regret it one day. Yet, there’s no bitterness or melodrama in his retelling of those years. “We were stone-cold broke. One day a friend and I sat in the canteen with an empty bottle and a placard that said ‘poor students’ fund’. Whoever passed by, put in four annas. Then after a point we started giving others change. We collected around ₹20 that day and bought breakfast,” he says, laughing at the memory.

Shah got his first film role and a substantial paycheque with Benegal’s Nishant. The filmmaker says, “I asked my friend Girish Karnad, who was the director of FTII at the time, if there were any promising actors graduating.

He said, ‘There’s this guy called Naseeruddin Shah. He’s a pain in the ass but a brilliant actor.’ He turned out to be exactly that.” expression even once. I cracked a joke and he unpredictable, rather crazy, streak into his showed me half his front tooth. I thought films Time out of joint as well; his earlier work Cocktail (2012) what a waste of time,” says Adajania. Within being Those trying years were spent in marijuana the obvious exception.

It atook a fair five days, Kapur committed to playing Don Pe- amount of cajoling haze. “A lot him of things to get to makeinvolved a ‘regudro, a has-been artist obsessed with painting lar’ film thatworking things in my Bollyhead reinforced everyout possible all things round and fat. In this case, Kapadia’s wood cliché and thenbook. performing it to myself, in the “I realised I was all too voluptuous posterior. whichitisbecause what I used do when I shying away from I wastocompletely Adajania is an engaging storyteller.

His was tripping alone.

Whatever unfamiliar with that kind of narrative and the I imagine young whackiest anecdotes are usually actors chapters money gotpure wefear. spent onI use of dance.we It was When are going tosong be and from his own life. He can rattle themthe offones withreading drugs instead It sat down introspected, I said of to food. myself, this andbloody little encouragement. Most of his tales begin big question my mind notadoing Cocktail on because you book and I’m‘C*****a hardlyyou’re a was with, “Once when my credit card had maxed whether should write about don’t know how to’,” heI says. good example out…” or “After I was arrested in Athens….” these things because I imagine With Finding Fanny, an English-Konkani film But the most intriguing hook has to be, “I was made on a faryoung going he’s to beback the more actors modestare budget, stranded in Ipswich near London after I mis- with his oddball onescharacters, reading this book and I’m a world he feels sed my boat back to India.” For those interest- more at homehardly with. a good example,” he says. ed in how that story ended, he One can always expect rather than At 44, nowhonesty that he’s zeroed in did make it back to the motherdiplomacy from Shah, especially when it on filmmaking as the profession land after five months and that comes to questions onto films and performanche’d like stick with, Adajania too on an airplane. He juggled es. He oncepromises raised eyebrows tempers to make and movies at a I find it very difficult odd jobs like babysitting in Lonwhen he questioned Amitabh Bachchan’s more regular pace.

He hasgodno to talk without don at £7 an hour to be able to aflike status, saying actorEven had only dearththat of the stories.

A-listone acprofanities ford the cheapest return ticket. or two great films in his entire “A lot in of tors, like the onescareer. he’s roped “I wonder which mad parents the films I’vefor been offered are what Mr BachFinding Fanny, are ready to would hire me to look after their chan turned take down.

I don’t a pay cuttouch to bethem a parteither,” of his child,” he asks. He now has two he says, half in jest. The only hitch is finding a world. young sons of his own.

To Shah’s credit, beento equally critical producer with the he’s courage bankroll his Of all his experiments, he was most pleased plans. about “I’ve his own life. Whileofstudying at are Aligarh got hundreds ideas that conwith his stint at an American adventure sports sidered Muslim too University, married Purveen Muoff-beat.heI’ve had producers tell company. For a year, he travelled across South me, rad,‘Are a Pakistani national years senior. By you f*****g mad? 14 Who willhis understand Asia, jumping off bridges, going on safaris and this?’” the time he was preparing to set off to New scuba diving. A certified scuba instructor, Ada- Delhi’s School of Drama, Murad was For a National while now, Adajania has been working jania has camped in the Andaman Islands on expecting child, Heeba. that age I a story their aboutfirst a mental asylum“At from which with groups of travellers, and made a living by everyone had no fondness no has run whatsoever away exceptfor forchildren, one person. training them to be divers. “Travel will never He fondness for anything myself. even tried writing but a book on The the enormisubject. be out of my system. I have this thing for wan- There ty of bringing a new intoyet. theBut world escapare no takers forlife it just if the film derlust. I find travel extremely educative. You does ed me and suppose any see entirely, the light of day,I Idon’t say it will be a mad feel alive because you’re not in your comfort one. amount of contrition could compensate for zone,” he says. my utterly insensitive treatment of the child chaudhuri Adajania’s forté is that he can channel this mohini when she was born, and when all she needed

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Analogue diaries An exhibition that captures 150 years of photographic history in the sub-continent

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t’s like walking into a darkroom. Except ers and colonial invasion. It is here, in this the vinegary odour of chemicals — which mountain kingdom, that the shift from early should hit your nose before your eyes can photography by military and medical officers adjust to the darkness, away from the to commercial photographers from the West noonday sun — never accosts you. You’re greet- and locals is best illustrated. Kathmandu is ed instead by the steady gaze of a life-sized still home to studios run by a community of Gujarati or Parsi matron. The hyperreality of chitrakars (scroll painters) taken to Europe by her painted maroon sari and the chintz uphol- the king to learn the art of painting with light. stery of the chair she is resting her arm upon, f the portraits are about the subject, about spectacular against her impassive, black-andthe distance between the lens and its muse, white face.

Sharing a corner of the twin galleries at Del- landscape photography in the region largely hi’s Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts appears to be about the photographer. What (IGNCA) with her are others more elaborately he (and it’s always a man) sees or chooses to dressed; their calm countenance belie the show is what you see. Dr John Murray, a civil weight of the royal finery and heavy jewels surgeon in the East India Company besotted they don. Embellished with sequins or paint- by Mughal architecture, shot the first highed over to include Palladian columns or dei- contrast, waxed-paper images of the Taj Mahal ties (in images from Nathdwara in Rajasthan, in the mid-19th century, the lines clinical and for instance), this unlikely durbar of men and orderly. Some of his photos also led historian Lady in red A gelatin silver print of a lady with watercolour and glitter by women who may have never crossed each oth- Abha Kaul to the ‘discovery’ of 50-odd Mughal D Nuserwanji of Bombay (1936) er’s path in their lifetime, is the opening act of gardens between the Taj and Agra Fort, now Royal colours Portrait of Maharana Fateh Singh of Udaipur with a painted Palladian ‘Drawn from Light: Early Photography and the lost forever. Others like William Johnson, a civcolumn in the backdrop (1869-1900); Indian Sub-continent’; a pictorial pageantry il servant in Bombay, chronicled the arrival of platinum print and oil paint by Bourne & the early migrants to the city, Kamathis and audacious in both intent and scope.

Shepherd, Calcutta From Godot to gaudy Naseeruddin Shah practised long andAnd hard it forishis dance sequence The Dirtyeye Picture here, under the in watchful of the Goan Christians, Banias of Surat and ‘Brahmans of Dakhan’, sans stereotypMaharana of Udaipur and the ing. Murray, Johnson and Samuel Begum of Bhopal, that curator from me was to be hugged and comforted,” Rahab Relatively early in life, made his peace temper and Bourne understandably (who setwanted up one to of stay the Allana guides a Shah motley writes Shah. He goes on to confess his “crush- with that he didn’t have the charisma, clear of the firing “Everybody wasin soIndia, nervfirst line. commercial studios crew the of fact dreadlocked backpackCaptain Greenlaw ing disappointment” at fathering a daughter, good looks or students, dancing chops to be a conven- ous around him but they were surin Calcutta), werepleasantly part of comers and eager journalcreated the first and not a son like he had hoped. “I have no tional hero. His early teens were prised at howplex easyand he was to work with. When extensive photographic ists andBollywood amateur photographers visual cryptograph idea in what sort of light I will appear, if I say spent in aping Shammi to an that end, first he wanted to do cultures developed in through 150-odd years ofKapoor photo-till he discov- his part came that for an unconsciously long time I felt noth- ered writers likeinSamuel Beckett and Anton more,” says Luthria.

Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. graphic history India, Nepal, ing whatsoever for the child Heeba, but it is Chekhov.

“I Sri realised I can’ta do a Dil deke There are several inexplicable contradicBut perhaps the most interestBurma and Lanka.that Coddling number but I—can necessary that I confess it. She didn’t figure at dekho That’s also what makes an pictorial mapping of him the era rare daguerreotype therecite first ‘Friends, Ro- tions in Shah.ing countrymen’.

I’m more home doing intriguing all, it was almost as if she didn’t even exist,” he mans, subject for a Alexander book. He Greenlaw can elocan be traced to Captain photographic prototype that at used a copper Zoo Story than polished I am do- quently abstraction fromaa layer writes. Heeba is now in Mumbai and an im- an recite Shakespeare onA stage but who still of the 46th Madras Infantry. linguist, plate covered with of finely anto emotional scene—from a Hindi portant part of Shah’s theatre group Motley. ing tell theand difference between saw Hampi Vijayanagara withaapronoun modern silver ‘fix’ an image in his whitemovie,” gloved can’t TheAllana Old Man admits.

“She’s a bit apprehensive about the book,” he he and his an subject adverb. matter In school, fromhea hands like aWatching magician’s, talks of the in- eye, he often shot that if an in the late low angle to allow and the Seaoftaught says solemnly. got the in Enthe highest sense of score grandeur to tersection art andhim photography with rather He admits that he has become more inter- actor glishTo let Literature but it grow and risefailed like a 19th and early 20thunconventional century. The beady eyes of pervade the frame. like Spencer ested in other people in the last 15 years, ever looks grammar.

Also, the actor object unaware of itshates own his audience though,Tracy followcould the daguerreo- living, breathing Whenever I’m asked suchMarsham a great Havelock-Allan, screen since he had his sons, Imaad and Vivaan. “Rat- command commercial entertainers beThe stiffness of documentype of Henry his power and beauty. what my name is, I First impressions A rare tinted daguerreotype of Marsham Havelock-Allan then too stood naHenry brought us all together, and today I realise presence, cause of their complete susconspicuous by its absence, breast bereft yetmaybe of thehe Victoria Cross he would tary photography say ‘Girish Karnad’ (1850); photographer unknown chance making the worth of family. I’m grateful to her for awin of and disbelief.

But he’s formality posturing was sevenof years later it. in “He 1857.looked Perhaps, a last air- at a time whenpension Welcome of the that,” he adds. Shah’s autobiography ends at a so currently filming and in portraits landingreal, for he thisalmost prizedsmelt likeness of sea.

Havelock-Allan the common patina (expected toofrelease in the tattered stage which would qualify as the interval of a The within this frame reference that sunburnt straddled face, the private and the public scapes. And it isBack a sequel to aspirit, hareDecember),uncommon feet, the calloused movie. He’s in his early 30s, his career has just clothes, space forthe 164bare years — from a personal memen- that one sees Greenlaw’s comedy He looked exhibit like he — had his life on brained, started to show promise, and he’s finally hands. his sense tasteless of humour, as he called createsWelcome what is to to a ‘common’ thespent daguerreotype “There’s tons of money it and I had thisto was actor?!” writes.Its (2007). found lasting love in his wife Ratna Pathak. Ru- this probably the world’s first visualincryptograph will boat. finallyAnd retire theanprivacy ofhe a vault. donethe a movie like that in aand long time. It’s Yet, heplates did try his luck a handful of commour has it that Shah might be roped in for a copper — where artist is concealed revealed in stolen awayineven from the cau- not kindwork. of film I’d never see. I’m hamming entertainers, which cameofand went so the second part to the book, but he appears least mercial his own Perched in a two-storey pavilion tious 60W lighting and the hum dehumidito glory,” heGreenlaw says, withappears a wide grin. that theyand didn’t affectlike his career.

The away interested. “That was the most interesting discreetly in Vijayanagara, to wink at fiers in museums galleries this one.

(1989) His biggest quirk is hisahead. healthy disregard of them part of my life. After that, it was smooth sail- most Hitchcock decades Thememorable women though, withwas the Tridev exception of Alfred oye a floppy hat for fans who approach him for autographs he grooves to Oye ing. If I write another book, I would have to where courtesans and nautch girls inin Ram Rehman’s with a red feather awkwardly sticking of it. and photos.

Most actors dread receding aught between such timelessness andinto the talk about film after film and play after play.” images from Lucknow, or in gildedout frames “The audience waspalace surprised thatofthis Shah, onof the other may no yellowing skies POP, salthand, and albumen that never left the grounds the guy roy- the sunset. doesn’t have three left andAnd cannowhere laugh. I longer you for approaching him withstill an prints, slap the visitors soon disperse, some Post interval als, rarely transcend the feet private. it did well. cannot find any autograph book, chancesattention. are, he will look trying to get thebut curator’s Others Today, Shah divides his time equally between think is thisthat’s more why evident than in Iamateur photogbecause film madeHisno the otherphotos way orwith worse, refuse iPad to oblige you.a clicking a ‘fixed’ against films and his theatre group Motley. He consid- other rapherexplanation, Darogah Abbas Ali’s the An Illustrated he says.of the Rajahs and Talukdars of “Many thembackdrop. don’t even who I am. paintedofstudio Orknow peering through ers not attaining super-stardom a mixed bless- sense,” torical Album The including Dirty Pic- Most More recently, filming often, I am mistaken Nana old Stereocard Viewers that for merge 2DPatekar. images ing as it allows him to pursue the kind of roles Oudh (1880), withwhile 250 photo cards, hethe hadfaces to relive the horror of doing It’s compliment for Nana. doesn’tcarbon upset intoa3D. A lone woman leafs It through he genuinely loves. One of his most acclaimed ture some(2011) where of women are stamped song-and-dance again.that A me at all In fact, whenever I’m asked prints ofanymore.

Parsi lensman Shapoor N Bheedwar, roles was in Masoom (1983), a family saga aover by medallions. routine A purdahonce of finality woven around the discovery of a child from a month ahead of filming song Ooh la la what I say ‘Girish Karnad’,” he stagedmy andname styledis,like the paintings of Raja Ranone could breach in overthe a century. co-staratVidya Balan, actor religiously short-lived love affair. Director Shekhar Kapur with As hewho getswas older, if people don’t vi Varma, setting up his ownrecognise studio in Trailing the end of athe shifting tailback of says. his steps every morning.

Onand the day says, “The biggest regret of my life as a film- rehearsed at all,athe says he’dIt’s happily embrace a life Calcutta the time... a perfect picture.

A visitors, the curator’s voice unhurried rev- him the shoot, was to made ridiculous of maker is that Naseer and I have not worked to- of anonymity. very fortunate I’m in a proquiet chaos of “I’m reversals and counter-reversals erential, you he pause taketoindon thea objectified Monumental documents A large waxed-paper negative of the Masoom.

Taj Mahal byInJohn that film, he created mythological costume a purple dhoti fession gether after where no retirement age. You played out in athere’s darkroom.

A room where no beauty of a Tamil girl in Sri—Lanka or the brutal Murray (1858-1862) not just a character, but a being so human that teamed with garishin gold belt and armlets. better youwatching get older,” one can tellas who’s who.he says. And crucifixion of adacoits a village in Burma by get 30 years later, three generations of film-goers Director Milan Luthria howwonthe there’s nofrom better example that than30Nasee‘Drawn Light’ runs tillof September (Monwar photographer Feliceremembers Beato. You also still respond to the experience of watching crew tiptoed Shah, gri- ruddin Shah.at IGNCA, Delhi. days closed) der atmembers the power of thearound medium thatwho allowed him on screen... as if the film was made yester- maced his shiny armlets lensmenevery fromtime the West to enter Nepalpoked then chaudhuri day. He is one of India’s greatest actors.” him. had all heard taleswary of his volatile mohini soity banerjee ruledThey by the Ranas, famously of foreign-

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Crowd-puller

Desert hues Artisans from Rajasthan create a replica off

Maker’s maker An artist gives the final touches to an idol in Goregaon

Ganeshotsav is still the most ‘Mumbaiya’ of festivals. We look back, a week after the city bid farewell to the elephant god

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rowing up in the Bombay of the ’70s, I used to look forward to the Ganeshotsav. In our locality in Girgaum, whenever the festival arrived, signalling an end to the monsoonal torpor, my brothers and I used to hop into our Marathi neighbours’ Ambassador car along with their children. Their father used to drive us all down to the beach for the immersion. While the celebrations back then were more low-key and traditional — without the corporate fanfare that marks it today — it was still a great excuse for a day at the beach.

This year, across Mumbai, there were more than 11,500 Ganeshotsav mandals. While the Lalbaughcha Raja mandal is still the most popular, and one of the largest, mandals are now spread across the city and so are the idol-makers. Once the last bastion of all such celebrations, south Mumbai is now outdone by almost every other neighbourhood in the city during those two weeks, until the chants of ‘Ganpati bappa morya, pudchya varshi laukar ya (come soon next year)’ bring it all to a high-pitched end.

Even today, the festival is a quintessential Mumbai festival rather than a Hindu one, which somehow retains its cosmopolitan nature. A legacy, perhaps, of the vision of Lokmanya Tilak, who first brought the festival out of the privacy of homes in 1893 and onto the street, where community and egalitarianism found a new ideal.

paul noronha

Sea to sea A 21-foot idol starts the slow march to the G

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f a Jaipur palace in south Mumbai

The king of good times Lalbaugcha Raja, near Parel

Hanging garlands Shoppers at the bustling Lalbaug market

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Until next year Ganesh idols being immersed in the sea near the Girgaum Chowpatty beach

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saturday, september 13, 2014

Being Homi Foul-mouthed, smart talking and with a knack for oddball characters, Homi Adajania has always been a filmmaker with a difference

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Sepia times (from top) Naseeruddin with his contemporary Om Puri; with wife Ratna Pathak Shah and then one day, penguin books; and with Shashi Kapoor in Junoon

Bawa of many hats Homi Adajania (top) might be a scuba instructor, but having just released his third film, Finding Fanny (below), he is now also a certified filmmaker

aking films is one of the many things that featured on Homi Adajania’s bucket list. He checked f that box in 2006 after directing the delightfully quirky Being Cyrus, and hoped to proceed down the list, which included opening a café by the sea and writing a book. With the release of his third film, Finding Fanny, this week, Adajania says he is now here to stay. “After three films I can say, ‘Chal yaar, I’m a filmmaker’. I can see myself as an old f****r sitting on a film set and still making a film,” he says.

Seated in his producer Dinesh Vijan’s Bandra office, Adajania laughs to himself while looking through stills of Finding Fanny on his laptop. The image of actress Dimple Kapadia bending over with her prosthetic derriere pointed to the camera seems to crack him up no end. Before we sit down to discuss the film, Adajania thinks it is only fair he warns me about what a frustrating interviewee he can be. “I just keep talking and talking. And I keep digressing. I will make your job very difficult.

You’ll keep thinking why doesn’t this guy shut up. I’m just a stupid bawa yaar,” he says.

There are some other ground rules as well.

“I find it very difficult to talk without profanities,” he states. One of the longest conversations he’s endured minus cuss words was the two-hour script narration with actor Pankaj Kapur, the only member of his cast he didn’t know before. He remembers watching Maqbool (2003) but had “no clue” about the ’80s detective series Karamchand. “We sat through the entire narration and he didn’t change his

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Gentlemen) and continued adding to it in fits and starts over the next 12 years. Writer and historian Ramachandra Guha, who was also privy to the initial drafts by the actor, encouraged him to complete it. “It’s a terrific book, the best memoir I have read in years. The selfdeprecatory wit is most appealing, and very un-Indian. Successful Indian males tend to be pompous and rather self-regarding, which makes Naseer’s ability to mock himself and his failures even more striking,” says Guha.

Recently, Shah attended a class reunion organised by his friends at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. It struck him that in a class of 22, only three had gone on to have noteworthy careers in acting or direction. He’s the only actor from his batch who is working successfully in film and theatre today. The rest have vanished, without a trace. “It made me realise that every single fantasy I had has been fulfilled. That’s a dangerous space to be in. Except going to the North Pole,” he adds, “I have to do that before I get too old.”

He survived his days at FTII on an empty stomach and emptier pockets, all the while believing that the directors who were not casting him then would regret it one day. Yet, there’s no bitterness or melodrama in his retelling of those years. “We were stone-cold broke. One day a friend and I sat in the canteen with an empty bottle and a placard that said ‘poor students’ fund’. Whoever passed by, put in four annas. Then after a point we started giving others change. We collected around ₹20 that day and bought breakfast,” he says, laughing at the memory.

Shah got his first film role and a substantial paycheque with Benegal’s Nishant. The filmmaker says, “I asked my friend Girish Karnad, who was the director of FTII at the time, if there were any promising actors graduating.

He said, ‘There’s this guy called Naseeruddin Shah. He’s a pain in the ass but a brilliant actor.’ He turned out to be exactly that.” expression even once. I cracked a joke and he unpredictable, rather crazy, streak into his showed me half his front tooth. I thought films Time out of joint as well; his earlier work Cocktail (2012) what a waste of time,” says Adajania. Within being Those trying years were spent inIt atook marijuana the obvious exception. a fair five days, Kapur committed to playing Don Pe- amount of cajoling haze. “A lot him of things to get to makeinvolved a ‘regudro, a has-been artist obsessed with painting lar’ film thatworking things in my Bollyhead reinforced everyout possible all things round and fat. In this case, Kapadia’s wood cliché and thenbook. performing it to myself, in the “I realised I was all too voluptuous posterior. whichitisbecause what I used do when I shying away from I wastocompletely Adajania is an engaging storyteller.

His was tripping alone.

Whatever unfamiliar with that kind of narrative and the I imagine young whackiest anecdotes are usually actors chapters money gotpure wefear. spent onI use of dance.we It was When are going tosong be and from his own life. He can rattle them offones withreading bloody drugs instead It sat down introspected, I said of to food. myself, the this and little encouragement. Most of his tales big question my mind notadoing Cocktail on because you bookbegin and I’m‘C*****a hardlyyou’re a was with, “Once when my credit card had maxed whether should write about don’t know how to’,” heI says. good example out…” or “After I was arrested in Athens….” these things because I imagine With Finding Fanny, an English-Konkani film But the most intriguing hook has to be, “I was made on a faryoung are going he’s to beback the more actors modest budget, stranded in Ipswich near London after I mis- with his oddball onescharacters, reading this book and I’m a world he feels sed my boat back to India.” For those interest- more at home hardly with. a good example,” he says. ed in how that story ended, he One can always expect rather than At 44, nowhonesty that he’s zeroed in did make it back to the motherdiplomacy from Shah, especially when it on filmmaking as the profession land after five months and that comes to questions onto films and performanche’d like stick with, Adajania too on an airplane. He juggled es. He once promises raised eyebrows tempers to make and movies at a I find it very difficult odd jobs like babysitting in Lonwhen he questioned Amitabh Bachchan’s more regular pace.

He hasgodno to talk without don at £7 an hour to be able to aflike status, saying that actorEven had only dearth of the stories.

A-listone acprofanities ford the cheapest return ticket. or two great films in his entire “A lot in of tors, like the onescareer. he’s roped “I wonder which mad parents the films I’vefor been offered are what BachFinding Fanny, are Mr ready to would hire me to look after their chan turned down. don’t take a Ipay cuttouch to bethem a parteither,” of his child,” he asks. He now has two he says, half in jest. The only hitch is finding a world. young sons of his own.

To Shah’s credit, been to equally critical producer with the he’s courage bankroll his Of all his experiments, he was most pleased plans. about “I’ve his own life. Whileofstudying at are Aligarh got hundreds ideas that conwith his stint at an American adventure sports sidered Muslim too University, married Purveen Muoff-beat.heI’ve had producers tell company. For a year, he travelled across South me, rad, ‘Are a Pakistani national years senior. By you f*****g mad? 14 Who willhis understand Asia, jumping off bridges, going on safaris and this?’” the time he was preparing to set off to New scuba diving. A certified scuba instructor, Ada- Delhi’s School of Drama, Murad was For a National while now, Adajania has been working jania has camped in the Andaman Islands on expecting child, Heeba. that age I a story their aboutfirst a mental asylum“At from which with groups of travellers, and made a living by everyone had no fondness no has run whatsoever away exceptfor forchildren, one person. training them to be divers. “Travel will never He fondness for anything myself. even tried writing but a book on The the enormisubject. be out of my system. I have this thing for wan- There ty of bringing a new intoyet. theBut world escapare no takers forlife it just if the film derlust. I find travel extremely educative. You does ed me I Idon’t suppose any see entirely, the light and of day, say it will be a mad feel alive because you’re not in your comfort one. amount of contrition could compensate for zone,” he says. my utterly insensitive treatment of the child chaudhuri Adajania’s forté is that he can channel this mohini when she was born, and when all she needed

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Analogue diaries An exhibition that captures 150 years of photographic history in the sub-continent

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t’s like walking into a darkroom. Except ers and colonial invasion. It is here, in this the vinegary odour of chemicals — which mountain kingdom, that the shift from early should hit your nose before your eyes can photography by military and medical officers adjust to the darkness, away from the to commercial photographers from the West noonday sun — never accosts you. You’re greet- and locals is best illustrated. Kathmandu is ed instead by the steady gaze of a life-sized still home to studios run by a community of Gujarati or Parsi matron. The hyperreality of chitrakars (scroll painters) taken to Europe by her painted maroon sari and the chintz uphol- the king to learn the art of painting with light. stery of the chair she is resting her arm upon, f the portraits are about the subject, about spectacular against her impassive, black-andthe distance between the lens and its muse, white face.

Sharing a corner of the twin galleries at Del- landscape photography in the region largely hi’s Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts appears to be about the photographer. What (IGNCA) with her are others more elaborately he (and it’s always a man) sees or chooses to dressed; their calm countenance belie the show is what you see. Dr John Murray, a civil weight of the royal finery and heavy jewels surgeon in the East India Company besotted they don. Embellished with sequins or paint- by Mughal architecture, shot the first highed over to include Palladian columns or dei- contrast, waxed-paper images of the Taj Mahal ties (in images from Nathdwara in Rajasthan, in the mid-19th century, the lines clinical and for instance), this unlikely durbar of men and orderly. Some of his photos also led historian Lady in red A gelatin silver print of a lady with watercolour and glitter by women who may have never crossed each oth- Abha Kaul to the ‘discovery’ of 50-odd Mughal D Nuserwanji of Bombay (1936) er’s path in their lifetime, is the opening act of gardens between the Taj and Agra Fort, now Royal colours Portrait of Maharana Fateh Singh of Udaipur with a painted Palladian ‘Drawn from Light: Early Photography and the lost forever. Others like William Johnson, a civcolumn in the backdrop (1869-1900); Indian Sub-continent’; a pictorial pageantry il servant in Bombay, chronicled the arrival of platinum print and oil paint by Bourne & the early migrants to the city, Kamathis and audacious in both intent and scope.

Shepherd, Calcutta From Godot to gaudy Naseeruddin Shah practised long andAnd hard it forishis dance sequence in The Dirtyeye Picture here, under the watchful of the Goan Christians, Banias of Surat and ‘Brahmans of Dakhan’, sans stereotypMaharana of Udaipur and the ing. Murray, Johnson and Samuel Begum of Bhopal, that curator from me was to be hugged and comforted,” Rahab Relatively early in life, made his peace temper and Bourne understandably (who setwanted up one to of stay the Allana guides a Shah motley writes Shah. He goes on to confess his “crush- with fact that he didn’t have the charisma, clear of the firing line. “Everybody wasin soIndia, nervfirst commercial studios crew the of dreadlocked backpackCaptain Greenlaw ing disappointment” at fathering a daughter, good looks or students, dancing chops to be a conven- ous around him but they were surin Calcutta), werepleasantly part of comers and eager journalcreated the first and not a son like he had hoped. “I have no tional hero. His early teens were prised at howplex easyand he was to work with. When extensive photographic ists andBollywood amateur photographers visual cryptograph idea in what sort of light I will appear, if I say spent in aping Shammi to an that end, first he wanted to do cultures developed in through 150-odd years ofKapoor photo-till he discov- his part came that for an unconsciously long time I felt noth- ered writers likeinSamuel Beckett and Anton more,” says Luthria.

Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. graphic history India, Nepal, ing whatsoever for the child Heeba, but it is Chekhov.

“I Sri realised I can’ta do a Dil deke There are several inexplicable contradicBut perhaps the most interestBurma and Lanka.that Coddling number but I—can necessary that I confess it. She didn’t figure at dekho That’s also what makes an pictorial mapping of him the era rare daguerreotype therecite first ‘Friends, Ro- tions in Shah.ing countrymen’.

I’m more home doing intriguing all, it was almost as if she didn’t even exist,” he mans, subject for aAlexander book. HeGreenlaw can elocan be traced to Captain photographic prototype that at used a copper Zoo Story thanpolished I am do- quently abstraction fromaalayer writes. Heeba is now in Mumbai and an im- an recite Shakespeare but who still of the 46th Madras Infantry.onA stage linguist, plate covered with of finely anto emotional scene—from a Hindi portant part of Shah’s theatre group Motley. ing tell theand difference between saw Hampi Vijayanagara withaapronoun modern silver ‘fix’ an image in his whitemovie,” gloved can’t TheAllana Old Man admits.

“She’s a bit apprehensive about the book,” he he and his an subject adverb. matter In school, fromhea hands like aWatching magician’s, talks of the in- eye, he often shot that if an in the late low angle to allow and the Seaoftaught says solemnly. got the in Enthe highest sense of score grandeur to tersection art andhim photography with rather He admits that he has become more inter- actor glishTo let Literature but it grow and risefailed like a 19th and early 20thunconventional century. The beady eyes of pervade the frame. like Spencer ested in other people in the last 15 years, ever looks grammar.

Also, the actor object unaware of itshates own his audience though,Tracy followcould the daguerreo- living, breathing Whenever I’m asked suchMarsham a greatHavelock-Allan, screen since he had his sons, Imaad and Vivaan. “Rat- command commercial entertainers beThe stiffness of documentype of Henry his power and beauty. what my name is, I First impressions A rare tinted daguerreotype of Marsham Havelock-Allan then too stood naHenry brought us all together, and today I realise presence, cause of their complete susconspicuous by its absence, breast bereft yetmaybe of thehe Victoria Cross he would tary photography say ‘Girish Karnad’ (1850); photographer unknown chance making “He looked the worth of family. I’m grateful to her for awin of and disbelief.

But he’s formality posturing was sevenof years later it. in 1857.

Perhaps, a last air- at a time whenpension Welcome of the that,” he adds. Shah’s autobiography ends at a so currently filming and in portraits landingreal, for he thisalmost prizedsmelt likeness of sea.

Havelock-Allan the common patina (expected toofrelease in the tattered stage which would qualify as the interval of a The within this frame reference that sunburnt straddled face, the private and the public scapes. And it isBack a sequel to aspirit, hareDecember),uncommon feet, the calloused movie. He’s in his early 30s, his career has just clothes, space forthe 164bare years — from a personal memen- that one sees Greenlaw’s comedy He lookedexhibit like he — had his life on brained, started to show promise, and he’s finally hands. his sense tasteless of humour, as he called createsWelcome what is to to a ‘common’ thespent daguerreotype “There’s tons of money it and I had thisto was actor?!” writes.Its (2007). found lasting love in his wife Ratna Pathak. Ru- this probably the world’s first visualincryptograph will boat. finallyAnd retire theanprivacy ofhe a vault. donethe a movie like that in aand long time. It’s Yet, heplates did try his luck a handful of commour has it that Shah might be roped in for a copper — where artist is concealed revealed in stolen awayineven from the cau- not kindwork. of film I’d never see. I’m hamming entertainers, which cameofand went so the second part to the book, but he appears least mercial his own Perched in a two-storey pavilion tious 60W lighting and the hum dehumidito glory,” heGreenlaw says, withappears a wide grin. that they didn’t affectlike his career.

The away interested. “That was the most interesting discreetly in Vijayanagara, to wink at fiers in museums and galleries this one.

(1989) His biggest quirk is hisahead. healthy disregard of them part of my life. After that, it was smooth sail- most Hitchcock decades Thememorable women though, withwas the Tridev exception of Alfred oye a floppy hat for fans who approach him for autographs he grooves to Oye ing. If I write another book, I would have to where courtesans and nautch girls inin Ram Rehman’s with a red feather awkwardly sticking of it. and aught photos.

Most actors dread receding between such timelessness andinto the talk about film after film and play after play.” images from Lucknow, or in gildedout frames “The audience waspalace surprised thatofthis guy the sunset.

Shah, onof the other may no yellowing skies POP, salthand, and albumen that never left the grounds the roydoesn’t have three left andAnd cannowhere laugh. I longer you for approaching him withstill an prints, slap the visitors soon disperse, some Post interval als, rarely transcend the feet private. it did well. cannot find any autograph book, chances are, he will look trying to get thebut curator’s attention.

Others Today, Shah divides his time equally between think is thisthat’s more why evident than in Iamateur photogbecause film madeHisno the otherphotos way orwith worse, refuseiPad to oblige you.a clicking a ‘fixed’ against films and his theatre group Motley. He consid- other rapherexplanation, Darogah Abbas Ali’s the An Illustrated he says.of the Rajahs and Talukdars of “Many thembackdrop. don’t even who I am. paintedofstudio Or know peering through ers not attaining super-stardom a mixed bless- sense,” torical Album The including Dirty Pic- Most More recently, filming often, I am mistaken Nana old Stereocard Viewers that for merge 2DPatekar. images ing as it allows him to pursue the kind of roles Oudh (1880), withwhile 250 photo cards, hethe hadfaces to relive the horror of doing It’s compliment for Nana.

It doesn’tcarbon upset intoa3D. A lone woman leafs through he genuinely loves. One of his most acclaimed ture some(2011) where of women are stamped song-and-dance again.that A me at all In fact, whenever I’m asked prints of anymore.

Parsi lensman Shapoor N Bheedwar, roles was in Masoom (1983), a family saga aover by medallions. routine A purdahonce of finality woven around the discovery of a child from a month ahead of filming song Ooh la la what I say ‘Girish Karnad’,” he stagedmy andname styledis, like the paintings of Raja Ranone could breach in over the a century. co-staratVidya Balan, actor tailback religiously short-lived love affair. Director Shekhar Kapur with As hewho getswas older, if people don’t vi Varma, setting up his ownrecognise studio in Trailing the end of athe shifting of says. his steps every morning.

Onand the revday him says, “The biggest regret of my life as a film- rehearsed at all,athe says he’dIt’s happily embrace a life Calcutta the time... a perfect picture.

A visitors, the curator’s voice unhurried the shoot, was to made ridiculous of maker is that Naseer and I have not worked to- of anonymity. very fortunate I’m in a proquiet chaos of “I’m reversals and counter-reversals erential, you he pause taketoindon thea objectified Monumental documents A large waxed-paper negative of the Masoom.

Taj Mahal byInJohn that film, he created mythological costume a purple dhoti fession gether after where no retirement age. You played out in athere’s darkroom.

A room where no beauty of a Tamil girl in Sri—Lanka or the brutal Murray (1858-1862) not just a character, but a being so human that teamed with garishingold belt and armlets. better youwatching get older,” one can tell as who’s who.he says. And crucifixion of adacoits a village in Burma by get 30 years later, three generations of film-goers Director Milan Luthria howwonthe there’s nofrom better example that than ‘Drawn Light’ runs tillof September 30Nasee(Monwar photographer Feliceremembers Beato. You also still respond to the experience of watching crew tiptoed gri- ruddin Shah.at IGNCA, Delhi. days closed) der atmembers the power of the around mediumShah, that who allowed him on screen... as if the film was made yester- maced his shiny armlets lensmenevery fromtime the West to enter Nepalpoked then chaudhuri day. He is one of India’s greatest actors.” him. all heard taleswary of his volatile mohini soity banerjee ruledThey by thehad Ranas, famously of foreign-

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Stamp Rightofyet wrong, your honour creativity ELSEWHERE

manjula padmanabhan

Defending his unimpeachable appointment as Kerala governor, Justice P Sathasivam however submitted the judiciary’s image to a public trial

Artist CR Pakrashi’s memoir describes the birth of stamps, 56 in all, on his drawing board

somasekhar sundaresan

Who lives upstairs?

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hitta Ranjan Pakrashi is into his childhood in pre-independ94 years old. We meet ent Bangladesh, the original design him at his Kailash Colony of the Gandhi centenary stamp residence in New Delhi (1969) landed him in religion-relatover a typical Bengali mid-morning ed controversy. And while Mangal snack of tea and Marie biscuits. We Pandey’s sketch in the 1984 stamp are seated in his large living room, created to honour India’s freedom where his desk is overflowing with struggle raised doubts about its auig changes in the building! Robert, the tenant in the pencils, paintbrushes, drawing thenticity, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru flat above mine, has moved out. It’s got nothing to do sheets and books. He finishes his tea and Mahatma Gandhi’s portraits with the plumbing: he was in the military and has and points to two huge frames on a (1973) invited debates about copybeen transferred to another post. For a few days, I hear wall that grandly display the 56 right issues. the sound of prospective buyers tramping up and down, first commemorative stamps he has de“A lot of study and artistic precion the stairs and then right over my head. signed over the last 50 years. sion went into the designs. It took After a pause, suddenly there are renewed sounds of tramp“I came to Delhi in 1945 after grad- me days, and sometimes months to ing on the stairs. Now they are accompanied by the loud uating from Government School of craft the stamps because I didn’t rethumps and scrapes of furniture being moved up the stairs and Arts and Craft, Calcutta. I was em- ly on anyone for the research. I creatNotmoving another in. around in the flat. Clearly, a new tenant has started ployed as an industrial designer by ed multiple drafts until I reached a job’? Acting Even though this is a small building, with only six‘government units, we tenthe Ministry of Commerce. Stamp design that made me happy before chief justice of Kerala High ants maintain a polite reserve amongst ourselves.

Aside from designing happened completely by submitting it to the postal departCourt Ashok Bhushan my occasional coffee-mornings with my sparrow-like neighcoincidence,” says Pakrashi. ment,” he says. administers the oath of bour Pete, we don’t gossip about events in the building.

In his 10th year in Delhi his eye His research included visiting the office to Kerala Governor P Now, however, a whole new dimension opensSathasivam up. The pti new caught a government advertise- Ramakrishna Mission in New Delhi person clearly prefers to leave her floors bare because I can hear ment inviting postal stamp designs for reference material to commemher footsteps wherever she goes. Even before I see her, I know for the 2,500th anniversary of Lord orate Swami Vivekananda’s historic ustice P Sathasivam to have a knack and plementary against Shah.” and I’m nor of Kerala. then president, that she’s aMr woman guessing she’sThe fairly young.

Why? Shankar Buddha. Confident he had the skills, seems Chicago address, spendingcharge sheet for being surefooted and firm in controThisand gaveLi-the impression of aI retired Dayal Sharma, experience and inBecause can telljudge from the sound of hercited heelstheir click-clacking Pakrashi delved into the mechanics hours in the Nehru Museum versial situations. thisand year, as chief so keen on governorship thatme hethat would even are sights into thehigh.

Constitution valuable assets. above the shoes punishingly An olderas woman of stamp designing.

He explored theEarlier brary Gandhi Darshan Museum justice of of India, a firmdesign blow forpublicly defend his judicial It is for offThat governorshe Beevi not sail smooth in the woulddecisions. surely kick them the moment gotdid a chance! various representations Lordhe struck for a suitable the freedom against the lackadaisical mannerstamp. in which a valid reason that judges arehas required to inchoppy waters Tamil Nadu politics Barely she moved but a horde of of young relatives come and quit Buddha without actually showing struggle mercy handled.

His judgement speak about through her much Sheila a-visiting.only They’re thudding upposition and down thelike stairs likeDikshit, frisky is a stothe face or figure.

Hepetitions won firstare place Postage stamp designing is a their decisions saved the of lives severalunique convicts death theirlinks judgements.

Theydinosaurs are answerable toThey’re ry foralso another day. all dayonly long. talking in loud shrieks, runfor his symbolic design theof Bodhi arton form with close to a row.

He was not swayed bynation’s the “collective conthe rule It of relaw in the courts — not to the court Then there is theoff rather disingenuous and ning races, falling furniture and (banyan) tree with Mohenjo-daro heritage and history. guiltyvisual of of public opinion. Had he exposed the hollow- petty argument that it week is shameful wailing.

The whole first passes for a reseals under ascience” moonlitranged night —against to de- convicts quiresheld not only skill but also assassinating a former the arguments against his candidature tired chiefItjustice sworn in as governor like this. causesto sobe much distress note that it was on such a night that prime the minister. ability to captureness theofcentral Judges nirvana. are but human beings,within not robots. for the governor’s office and yet rejected the by High Should to athe restCourt of uschief in thejustice. building, thatrank matthe Buddha attained This theme a 3.55 x 2.50 frame — Societalhim outrage canofseeptheinto any human jobof offer, he would have scored a big hit for the ter, the chief justice of a High Court now, whenever we meet in the hall and a Suwork fetched the first standard print area a comSarah is brownmind.

A goodawards. judge stands firm in favour of From image of the judiciary.

Court judgeand are on par. or out in thepreme driveway, we stop three national memorative stamp. carrying skinned and the the Pakrashi’s law rathermemoir, than populist notions jus- messages By publicly his judi- is muddy That apart, many an illustrious share complaints. relevant andofpithy from clarifying “brother” tice. remission death sentences demon- to the cialrest decision, retired chief of India has The worst-affected are justice Pete next A The Stamp Is Born of (Nithe issuing country of the the retired judgewhite strated the world has the a everyday failed to dismiss the insinuation passedin awards resolving disdoor, and Rebecca, the flat directyogi toBooks), re- that world,India to serving purJudges are sophisticated judicial does not mails, with the contempt it deserved in same arbitration.

These ly above his.putes She’s the age as counts several system pose that of delivering stamps answerable only to flinch from the rule of law command even underaextraorandtheir instead be challenged — in me, works asawards a schoolcan librarian and interesting anecfollowing all own.offered a competing the rule of law in the dinarily interpretation it isturneda District Court, always lookssome neat States and well dotescontroversial from his five-circumstances.

While e-mails may have overtaken of a judicial view, courts — not to the Days ago, taking oath ashandwritten governor of Kerala, too Pakof the highestout. court of sleep a wink,” she tells me, clutching subordinate to High Courts, “I can’t her forehead. decade career.

While letters inthat utility, court of public Justice againrashi stood firm. the His postage the land. which canhave consider such chal“There’s so much banging and thumping?

They no idea the JaiSathasivam Bangla stamp is certain system opinion stance thatisthere was nothing wrongdie inout. a forThe idea of any occupant of a it sounds!” She’s met the girl, however. lenges. Decisions ofSaretired Suhow loud Her name’s (1973) a glimpse will never mer chief justice becoming Meanwhile, governor was highwill constitutional office preme Court judges rahtaking and the visitors are her sister and children.

The tall, gruffsitting in hislecreations congally impeccable. There was nothing unique up a government appointment can indeed man who has been helping to move thetribunals furniture is Sarah’s co- be chaltinue to capture the nation’s imagiabout his appointment tonation: cloud itsthe propriety. after for retirement can indeed tenant,be says Rebecca, “and her brother”.lenged in writ petitions before 1985 stamp the However, in the process, he put the image Congress’s of problematic. freshly minted High Court judges.to My nothing eyebrows unique shoot up, though I say nothing.

One reason Indian National centen- But there’s the judiciary under trial inary thebearing court of portraits public of about governor’s job, which heightYet, the role of and a governor is hardly be surprised is that Sarah is brown-skinned the “brother” is one that all the sedate 60 opinion. There he erred. Congress presidents tillens thedate, problem.

It’s difficult to envisage retired CJI publicly muddyeven white.

But there’s ajustifies secondareason!

Known onlydefending to me. his juthat a Justice Sathasivam succeeded Congresswoany roomthe for conflict between of dicial decisions, breaking withtaking high tradition, Around 2the am,nature every night, I can hear energetic activities set of stamps to commemorate man Sheila Dikshit, who had been nudged out jobUnited of a governor and a place chief justice.

Many a reandabove justifying why he should in the bedroom directly mine.

It starts with aaccept rhyth-the job of50th anniversary of the Naof office barely six monthstions after (1995), entering it stamp on tired Supreme appointedaccompanied to tri- fer. Abyrecent interview with mic is thumping, feminine squeals andSheila hootsDikshit in the to mark the Court judge the tail of a drubbing in the Delhi State eleccommissions that and go statutory the Business Standardwith tells all: por“I had gone on for atbodies. least 10 minutes before ending a low, opening of one lakh bunals, post offices tions. Distraught, the Congress made a in Thehonour qualification criteria theseOfoffices there because I had been asked by the party cinefor grunt. course,of-I can’t swear that it’s the two co-tenants.

(1968),Party and the stamp of reckless insinuation, linking Justice Sathasi- Khan ten require of a they retired judge. and appointed by the and President...

Kerala is a do is their business.

But the sedate dignified Ustad Bismillah (2008),appointmentWhat vam’s appointment to his judicial in “Art While these ‘government jobs’, thehas changed. beautiful This and welcoming I enjoyed it... I of the building story’s not state. over yet, I among decisions many others. never los-are indeedtone cases relating to the (now)esBJP Amit governor is a constitutional authority. needed theasleep calm... it was a welcome break afmutter to myself, as I struggle to fall once more. itsPresident charm, and this form remains Shah. The retired judge publicly tookI hope the bait this is not the first time that a Su- ter 16 years of hard work... I saw a lot of their exclusive. my bookBesides, will be of thus: “At that time nobodyuse would have expectpremeart Court been appointed gover-, author dance... their is very good...

PADMANABHAN and artist, tellsmusic us of her parallel life in I read a lot of to philatelists, designers, stu- judge hasMANJULA ed that Mr Shah would become The chief but a Supreme Court column books... it or not, Iineven read Daphne US, in this fortnightly tbelieve marginalien.blogspot. dents BJP andpresident. the general nor. public,” says justice isElsewhere We did not give Mr Shah the a clean chitstamp-maker. in the judge. In 1997, retired Supreme Court judge Du Maurier’s Rebecca again.” veteran case. In fact, I shifted the Sohrabuddin case to Fathima Beevi was made governor of Tamil NaMaharashtra. In the very same judgment, the is adu while retired Jammu and Kashmir High somasekhar sundaresan, lawyer and columnist, arunima mazumdar Delhi-based court had given liberty to the CBI to file a sup- Court Chief Justice SS Kang was made gover- is conscious he is often wrong when right journalist

Sounds from the floor above reveal more than they should

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Thumb-sized history (From top) The stamp designed by CR Pakrashi for the 2,500th birth anniversary of Buddha; a stamp released on July 1, 1968 to commemorate the opening of one lakh post offices in India; a Gandhi centenary stamp from a stamp is born, niyogi books

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A fine eye CR Pakrashi is a stampmaker and historian arunima mazumdar

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Revelry in chaos A masked dancer performs during the Newari New Year parade, held in November, in Kathmandu reuters/navesh chitrakar

Every single fantasy I had, has been fulfilled Fools out of my way Naseeruddin Shah is not a fan of autograph seekers paul nornoha

HOMESPUN

A byzantine city Kathmandu might not be the most attractive of capitals, but life here is compelling, appealing even

thomas bell

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t would be wrong to call Kathmandu attractive, although it possesses undoubted charm, because it is, in fact, quite a desperate place. For example, the city, like the country, is hopelessly mal-administered. But while the rest of the country is emptying of migrants, many going abroad, Kathmandu is filling with them, from the rest of the country. It’s a mess; and in this, and the things which cause it, and the things it entails, it’s nothing unusual.

I came here as a journalist to cover the Maoist war. I hadn’t given the place a moment’s thought before that, and I didn’t expect to stay more than a couple of years. Now, arguably middle-aged, I realise it’s been the scene of most of my adult life.

I was immediately affected by what seemed to me the romance of its society, and in this I was influenced by various circumstances besides youth at the time. I had studied history: social and political history, and then architectural. So I’d been trained to try swallow the city whole. ometime Shyam Or, I was primedinto1978, see itsfilmmaker current churning Benegal wasdrama. shooting in a as a great historical WhatJunoon distinguishgrand outdoor location in remote es Kathmandu is that it is an ancient capital, and alsoBengal. a smallMany town, elephants which has and beenhorses transwere brought in to recreate the attack on a vilformed into an unmanageable conurbation lage bylast thefew British,during the forfor Inin the decades. This is1857 longBattle enough dependence.

Excited locals and had the gathered to a great deal of turbulence, obliterawitness thiscity spectacle. them wasuntil the tion of the as it hadAmong been preserved district and his son.same The recentlymagistrate by its isolation.

Butwide-eyed it’s only the boy skipped across set, autograph in length of time as athe man’s career, andbook there’s hand, to befriend the among actor sporting thewho big been great continuity the people hair a long red you beard. actor, haveand careers.

What seeThe seems to Naseerudbe the last din Shah, lostthe in latest concentration, stand, but was is only iteration ofperfecteverying his lines hisbefore. deep baritone. Seconds thing that has in gone

A friend who’d been here gave me an ad- and, although I tend to think that such procdress before I arrived, so I happened to rent esses are not the best way to govern a city, I rooms in an old part of the city. I was aston- find this life compelling and partly appealing. ished by the intricacy of the buildings, and of These are some of the things I find most parthe pattern of passages and squares. I was at- ticular about the city, and are among the reatracted by the constant round of festivals, ei- sons I’m attracted to it. The reason I still live ther spectacular or tiny. I was deeply here is not necessarily to do with any of them, impressed by the monuments, and traditions but rather the fact that I met my wife here and which — I read — were in many cases almost it’s where she’s from. We talk about moving frozen in time in the late 18th century, when sometimes, but so far it hasn’t happened. the Shah dynasty conquered the city and I’m still fascinated by the place and it exforged today’s Nepal (replacing the city-kings cites me. I’m arguably a little obsessed with it. around whom the festivals had But in this, in my different way, I developed). may not be at odds with many of Now, in their turn, the Shahs Kathmandu’s original inhabitand their class were battling ants. Everyone is painfully aware What you see seems ‘bourgeois democrats’ in Kathof the exodus of middle-class chilto be the last stand, mandu and Maoist guerrillas dren to study abroad and that they but is only the latest in the countryside. never come home. But there are aliteration of I adored the hard-drinking, so many who could leave but everything that has occasionally riotous nightlife don’t, who are in love with their gone before in the ground-floor rooms of hometown. It’s conventional for houses that sold rice beer and such people to lament ‘the chaos’, moonshine, and small bars but sometimes they celebrate it, when reminded of his famous later, boy was seenthe fleeing wherethe someone knew own- the scene with guilty smileand I think they’re hooked on how of which several actors and directors tears rolling knows er, and dancedown bars, his andcheeks. hotels No andone parties.

It temper, things go. what transpired between the Kathmandu two, except that been witnesses as well victims.

“There was partly my age, but I think was have Eventually it happens, if as you’ve lived in a Shah a firm slap across the boy’s time enough I used to—yell at actors quite had wildplanted during the conflict, when there was was placea long if ithysterically has the things you’reI face.

“Theor magistrate was drunk very upset and was directing. was a mistake.

Being no taboo sanction against driving. interested in, Iifrealised most ofitwhat’s important to actors notever-more work,” he says. threatened call off the shoot.

I saved the day The bettertoI understood it, I was absorbed in harsh you iswith there, anddoes when of your Shah chronicles this more volatile self—inthat his by giving Naseer a the solidbyzantine dressing quality down in what seemed to me of friends and your memories are there front of him.the I knew I was being unfairthe to him, released memoir, And One Day. everything: family connections, gos- recently city becomes a habit, which is Then to say you’ve but we were at thethe mercy of thatthe guy.factions, Naseer He had shared the book only sip, the rumours, jockeying, made your homefirst andcopies it’s tooofdifficult to think could never forgive me for that,”asays Benegal, two brothers anda wife Pathak the strategies.

It’s undoubtedly weakness in with abouthis moving, at least for whileRatna longer. who was rather some the of its with a laugh. a reporter not to be a ferocious networker, but Shah, (In this monthly series,startled authors by chronicle ciHe embarked on the book in 2002 a Kathmandu sofa in his even spacious in Seated a villageon like I can Bandra be bet- revelations. ties they call home.) apartment a much older, and affable ter pluggedis into a web of calmer connections than while shooting a “bone-wrenchingly boring” Naseeruddin Shah.

Thecity 64-year-old flashes of Extraordinary thomas bellfilm is the(The authorLeague of Kathmandu anyone is in the British where I was born;a Hollywood

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Actor Naseeruddin Shah looks back at a younger self in a new memoir, revealing all that he did and all that he shouldn’t have done

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And Then One Day Naseeruddin Shah Memoir Penguin — Hamish Hamilton ₹699

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Quietly asunder The modern family

religion forbids the transfusion of any body fluids. If he isn’t transfused, he is unlikely to PRESENT IMPERFECT survive, and even if he does live, he could be rendered blind or immobile. His doctors see considerable chances of his survival if they could give him the blood he needs and therefore seek the court’s permission to do so against the wishes of the boy and his parents.

Although Fiona has dealt with complicated cases before, including a decision on which of n the last few years, it had begun to seem prime upholders of the Act. When we first a pair of Siamese twins deserves to live, she is like novelist Ian McEwan was pitching meet her, she has just been told by her hus- flummoxed by the many ethical questions prolificacy above all else. His 2007 work, band that he wants her permission to have an that Adam’s case raises. After hearing the arguOn Chesil Beach, while shortlisted for the affair. At 59, he feels their long marriage had ments on both sides, Fiona, without precedenBooker Prize essentially remained a short rendered them to the condition of siblings. He ce and entirely on an impulse, decides to go piece of fiction (or a long observation, de- wanted one “last shot” at an exciting sexual and meet the boy in hospital. She is at once pending which way you want to look at it) life before he dies. He did not want to sneak drawn to his sharp intellect and poetic talent.

It is thus through a ‘life and death’ situation about a honeymoon. The subsequent books, around behind her back and so was seeking The Children Act her permission upfront, even as he had a poof someone else that Fiona assesses her own out every couple of years, Solar and Sweet Ian McEwan Tooth, were barely worth ploughing through. tential partner ready and willing. Fiona is life, in the light of the changes that her husJonathan Cape Fiction band is proposing. After the first few days of Thus it was with an anticipation of disap- both hurt and outraged by this. ₹599 pointment that I started his latest, The Children Meanwhile, in the Court, she is hearing a fury and victimhood, she settles in to having Act. But boy, does McEwan surprise. particularly fraught case. A boy, Adam, three the house for herself, so much so that when The Children Act is a British law that seeks months short of his 18th birthday (and there- she finds him at the doorstep one evening, she to put the child’s welfare above anything else. fore of legal age to make his own decisions) is is quite saddened by the loss of her personal As a High Court judge who mostly hears cases suffering from leukaemia. Adam and his par- space and time. Yet, for someone who has in the family court, Fiona Maye is one of the ents are devout Jehovah’s Witnesses and their been in an otherwise complete relationship, writing off the marriage entirely is not an easy option either.

In many ways, The Children Act is a book about faith and self-doubt. Fiona — accomplished and articulate — is suddenly left wondering about her failings as a wife and a childless woman. Adam, who has spent his entire life believing in a god and a certain afterlife Kingdom, is torn between pitting his life over his faith. McEwan is deft and takes the reader through these primal human conflicts without much drama or hysteria. The book is soinstartlingly quiet, reading it feels like a Urban shadows As our cities grow and change rapidly, their elderly are left dazed and confused. They find themselves alone an alien environment REUTERS round of meditation. There is no doubt that Neighbourhood talkies Set in modern is aItmaster his craft, and with The wo weeks ago in Bangalore, a our values don’t approve of ‘shunting’ out our encesMcEwan to narrate. gave usofhope.” day England and based Act hethat is most certainly back athad the top friend’s grandfather went missing. elderly, and even as they flailed at the edges, It Children is significant plenty of people on a real case, of his game.

The 95-year-old was at home, and they thought no one could look after him bethad similar experiences.

The number of elderMcEwan's new book is while his daughter was dealing with ter than them, despite the fact that there were ly who go missing in our cities is rising at an startlingly quiet veenarate. venugopal bloomberg/simon dawson some salesman who had dropped in, the likely to be small, inescapable lapses. This pro- alarming The Bangalore police informed grandfather picked up his wallet and walked vided them adequate reasons to justify beat- my friend that this is a very regular occurout of the house. It might have taken about 10 ing themselves up. rence. As our cities grow and change rapidly, minutes before they realised he wasn’t home.

Day four passed with no news and so did their elderly are left dazed and confused. They They searched the immediate neighbour- day five. The Facebook shares and Twitter men- often move to the city to be with their children hood, asked the security guards and neigh- tions added up exponentially. A lot of calls and find themselves alone in an alien environbours if they had seen him, and when there came through mentioning sightings of the ment. We hardly have any sidewalks, and was no sign of him by late evening, they began grandfather, but they all proved to be false where we do, we barely make room for them to panic. The police was informed, they set up leads. On day seven, a news story about the dis- as we rush past to our important meetings in road alerts and my friend bandied together a appearance appeared in a local tabloid. That our important lives. But worse than all this is of aarea. recluse has an found. indescribadent refuses to comment this, but group to searchhea life wider He wasn’t morning, a teenager had goneontoany theoflocal the stigma of seeking help. Anyone who ble charm, stokesmedia an obsesLee inThe following day, she setwhich up a social park surprisingly, for a jog andHarper’s noticed older an oldsister man Alice cowerthinks of an external living situation because curiosity.

It is hard to ignore vitesasked Millshim into questions their lives.but Three a are unable to look after the elderly is imcampaign. Shesive created a Facebook page, sent the ing. He gotyears no re-and they numerous attempts we journalists story (rated B-plusfood

by Harper) out requests that her grandfather’s photo be plies.cover He offered him some from a later, kioskMills mediately cast as an ungrateful progeny. It is make to get a glimpse, however small, into the moves intoman Monroeville, shared widely.

The page went viral, many thounearby, but the declined two doors down no wonder that a study by of details their lives and what the went Lees with a sketchy sandsordinariness re-tweeted the on Twitter.

They they that from too. He home and idea for a book.

HelpAge India published in mighthospitals reveal. Ask Salinger, Bobby Fischer, The Leesand introduce Mills to their close-knit searched and nursing homes.

He Griread the paper it occurred June this year found that 50 gori Perelman even no theone North circle friends, to the history of a deeply rawas nowhere to be or found, hadPond, seen who to him thatofthe old man at the per cent of the elderly face It is fishing. time to look to come hiding afterin. nearly South; they goone outindining and him. was Dayforced two faded out,out dayofthree faded park cial might be the same abuse in their homes. By 2050, beyond the cliché decades.

Harper no stranger TheySo order British Hopethree shifted shape and took Lee newisforms.

If any to the story. he called thesitcoms, num- watch Janet Jackabout 20 per cent of the popof theSeyfamily standardgood response to tenacious son’s nip-slip at Superbowl and Philip newsthis. wasHer considered initially, by the reber mentioned.

My friend went ulation will be elderly, and being the ‘fabric butstarted hell, no. mour thirdporters: day, theNot lackjust of no, news becoming to the park,Hoffman’s searched superb every- turn as Truman these problems are only likely of Indian society’ Author of the Pulitzer a Capote (once him Harper’s something to cling on to.

And all winning the while,To myKill where and found trem-neighbour who be- This bird don’t to increase.

TheLee stigma of paid sing Harper in a 2007 photo Mockingbird, she isfound notorious for ways bowing in To Killina Mockingbird).

Alice is the ap/rob carr professional care is a relic that friend and her mother several of out blingcame and Dill delusional a far of public life in 1965 and never writingBeagain. wise sister, Harper, wild one. Alice is “Attiblaming themselves for what happened. corner.

They rushed himthe to the we need to shed fast. she did make headlines, twice in 2013, hospital it cus inwhere skirts”,hea formidable they friends are to Gregory Peck and causeWhen her grandfather was a sprightly 95-yearis now historian of the learn how close “While and strangwasneighbours for the lawsuits she he slapped on people.

South and still practising law in Monroeville why shethe was Harper Lee on the book cover old, the assumed was simply recuperating. ers helped, extended family has spent the and The Mockingbird again? Why did she shun It is atincredible 90. Harperhow might be as curious as Scout not Nelleblaming Harper (her real name).

Harper goingWhy for adidn’t walk she andwrite saw nothing amiss about a 95-year-old turned up but last fortnight us for having lostBut him,” Next Door thethat limelight two central questions to any is 20km nervous about thehome. odd public appearance, remains tight-lipped the doesn’t speculation Life with Harper Lee the fact he was—alone.

In January this year nearly away from It is a wonder my friend says, explainingabout why she Marja Mills tome Lee, but in answers to whichand canalhardly and the expectations others. herrevealed. sexuality, her drinking though, heon had fallen the bathroom that her he clothes spent seven days outdoors of and al- wantaround her name The Indian familyand is atemNon-fiction be found in serious Marja Mills’ memoirs.

2001 cover story in Chicagofine.

Tribune per, the fractious though nothing happened, he was be- thoughMills’ hungry and tired, is otherwise much-lauded support relationship system. But with often,Capote, it Penguin Mills, a former ChicagotoTribune romance of to a chance encounter why she cost never again orinsensitivity. if the reception ₹699 ginningInto2001, lose his memory.

He tended fade re“The had mostthe positive thing come out of this,”with comes at the ofwrote unmitigated porter, Monroeville — the had fictional Lee, the first“isinthe nearly five decades.

But from of her book had her. Mills out once in arrives a while.inMy friend’s mother my friend says, generosity of friends As demographics andoverwhelmed lifestyles change, it is gets County to do a storyafter on Lee’s her 17-month stinthelped in Monroeville, weoflearn any of other to tell not spentMaycomb two decades in the— cause of looking and strangers.

People in all kinds timean to opportunity look beyond unlike the cliché the family hometown thrives on Mockingbird of in Harper and Alice’s routines taleIndian but also Alice’sand and she her husband.

In that the last two years especially, touways.more Friends the city helped bydaily joining the — beingjust theHarper’s ‘fabric of society’, reas-delivrism.

Every summer, the townsure putshe uphad a stagecheese gritFriends dinners, coffee mornings ers an earnest, censored, dull account.

And unher life revolved around making search teams. outside Bangaloreand gotfeedsess what’s best for us — the young, the old and version of medication the book at on thetime. county courthouse, the town’s ducks — and to little about his meals and They had theiring city-based acquaintances help.

Andthe I histhosesurprisingly, in between. Harper Lee is rather outraged at whereabout Atticus arguedit for Robinson’s tory of thethat South, of Alabama, of Monroeville, its publication. wondered whether wasTom better for him acwas surprised quite a few people who Veena Venugopal is editor BLink and Scout watched accurately portrayed in To Kill a Mockingbird t@veenavenugopal in anquittal, assistedwhile livingJem, facility.

Butand this Dill is India, calledsome or messaged me had similar experiauthor of The Mother-in-Law from the gallery above. Its most famous resi- and still being documented by her sister. We priyanka kotamraju

Ian McEwan is back at the top of his game in this new novel

Anyone who thinks of an external living situation because they are unable to look after the elderly is immediately cast as an ungrateful progeny. Is that fair?

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Tea country The topi BAWDY LINE

head cook. Out of a job, he is now making plans to leave Makaibari to shore up his savings. The estate currently employs nearly 500 workers, a majority of whom work on the plantations. Dileepda made ₹100 per day; his wife, who works at the crèche for the workers’ children, makes ₹95 — much less than daily agricultural wage. Throughout July this year, the tea workers’ union held negotiations with the owners for revision of wages to around ₹300 a day. The talks eventually broke down last month when both parties refused to budge. It was then that a kilo of tomatoes became a luxury for Dileepda and his wife.

From the slurp-gargle-spit routine at tea tastings to making momos and friends at the Makaibari tea estate, On how brimless,it’s non-functional nearthe Darjeeling, a holiday wellheadpiece reclaimed that offered no protection against the elements in a tropical country became a cultural neurosis

“I

n those days everybody wore a topi?

All the time?”

It was in the middle of the limpidly uplifting Marathi film Harishchant the factory, Rajah Banerjee still comes to drachi Factory (about the rather chaotic work every day at 7am, sporting a cowboy making of Raja Harishchandra by Dhundiraj hat, gumboots and green overalls. “The group Phalke), during a scene where Phalke is showhas just acquired a stake,” says Banerjee, who ing the outcome of his exertions to a bunch of continues to manage the garden. Lama gives bewitched locals in a tent theatre in Mumbai, us a tour, explaining how the leaves are that my seven-year-old son asked me that. Pacleaned, dried, crushed and separated. He tells resh Mokashi’s filmic images of Mumbai in us the difference between the first and second the early 20th century are delicious and bring flushes, the white and green teas, and introa sugar rush; and, indeed, there isn’t a bareduces us to the Makaibari special, Silver Tip. headed male to be seen on the streets of the Plucked on full moon nights, or so the tale city. The unexceptional Marathi chapeau is evgoes, the silver tip is their most expensive erywhere, almost part of the landscape of brand. Janie, a 24-year-old researcher studying Mumbai, leading us to a silent cache holding at the National Institute of Tea Management, the lives and stories of its peoples. is at Makaibari for three months of field work.

It is a topi that my son is familiar with — a She conducts a tea tasting session for our kind of side cap stiffened by cardboard within group of three. We slurp mouthfuls of the first its seams. A slightly reduced version of the toflush, gurgle it at the back of our throats and pi that KB Hedgewar, the RSS founder, was ofspit into the sink. As we wait for the aftertaste ten photographed in. And a stiff forerunner of to settle, she thunders, “Can you feel the the limp Gandhi-Nehru-Congress topi. He has breeze in the meadow when this was seen it being squirreled out on festivals and plucked?”

“Can thethesweetness Cotton crown In old photographs of crowds, often an unbroken profusion of topisyou can feel be seen hindu archivesof the birthdays to perform a ritual called aukshwan, bud?”… We repeat the routine — slurp, gargle, where the male members of the family (per- is odd, as it has never been defined by the geo- twice-born spit — for the second flush, thejust white tea and (savarna) Hindus, not memTop attractions force in their topis) are ennobled by the wom- graphical particularities of the regions where bers the green.

When we drain our cups filled with of the priestly brahminical genus.

The toy train makes en in their lives by first dredging them with it prevailed. That a brimless, non-functional Tip, Janie rolls her eyes “BySilver oblations to fire during the dreamily mother’s and its way up from turmeric and vermilion, then moving around headpiece that offered no protection against pregnancy, says, “Can theon mystical, magical by you holyfeel rites the birth of theslumKurseong to he final boarding call was antheir faces a betelnut, gold ring and, finally, ber?”

We walk out, suitably impressed plantation workers however, the situation the elements in the tropics became an obseschild, by the tonsure of his head with a lock of but Darjeeling; and (right) nounced. Paying to it,sional I continues light from a ghee-soaked wick. scant It is aheed ritual thankful theligation estate’sofshop run out of to worsen.

Sincebe the shuttingasdown cultural neurosis should reckoned hair left on it, that by the the has sacrificial the Makaibari tea focused instead onhouseholds a plate of hot, common in most Maharashtrian of tea estates, began inquiry. in 2003-04, more a legitimate subjectwhich of historical cord the aremost-expensive-tea-ever-made. the birth taints of the three classes estate priyanka kotamraju a comforting remind- Obviously, and introducesrubbery into the idlis; present an oddity that ₹10 shared-taxi ride than 100 hard workers haveisdied of starvation. work involved in the The wholly Aremoved.”

(Chapter 2, takes verse us 27)to the Kurseer of my land. was at there a deserted, is distant andnative gauche, forI which is no rainong railway famous its Himalayan I wasand visiting, two workers neigh- The studyweek of history culture theory, andfrom before shikha wasstation, the vital Hindufor appendage.

Dumdum in Kolkata, heading roomed-out in everyday life —airport the topi. toy trainsantenna, and a Unesco World Heritage bouring villages had committed suicide.

I could go scavenging in those precincts, I star- The spiritual without which yagna, tag, east and into more rain.

But when the In further old photographs of crowds in Mumbai, which it risks suffrages, losing. Built between 1879 and At Makaibari, a hamlet of around housetled myself by fortuitously locating the 30 solucharity, penance, fasts and other systemNashik, took my for the fifth time,tion I holds, Pune,PA Nagpur, an name unbroken profusion 1881, the 81km, line now runs betea other workers haveconservatory been offering of homein that great auspicious acts werehigh-altitude fruitless (Katyayanasmritumbled into action and hurried a stays of topis and other headwear can be towards seen. culture tween 1,Kurseong Darjeeling, and was New Jalto tourists, students andgo) researchers (where the top quintile never — re- ti: Chapter verse 4). and When a male child half-empty aircraft. wedding Wearing a topi was a given,AlikeBFF wearing foot- had andcould Gayabari, after original since 2005 to theirmeal meagre gional television.

In supplement a televised blood in inborn,paiguri the father handle himthe only on the line to an Kolkata; a sudden inspiration wear.brought It wasn’tme just essential and integral between and Jalpaiguriaffell incomes.

Nayan Lama, the coordinator of the Marathi on the life of the social reformer Rasixteenth day,Darjeeling rising early in New the morning, to reclaim myitvacation was taking part of the attire, was the thereafter, most prominent to disrepair. we attempt to buy tickets, programme, introduces to my host Dileepmabai Ranade called Unchme Maazha Zhoka ter his ablutions,When coming home with a wet me to Makaibari in Darjeeling district. (UMZ) A da, article of clothing on a man’s body. The oldest Kurseong tells us that I’mSoartold, is the talk of the the stationmaster orwhose On thecooking, Swings and head, andof pouring a few drops of the homestay at a tea-worker’s, tea extant RSS ideologue, MG Vaidya remembers a ing, serialised onvillage. leave three later than its We follow him down the train might Zee Marathi. water from his hours sopping shikha sessions andtopis a ride on the time tasting in his youth when were a social ne- Again upon some hill departure or, perhaps, at all. Fifto his cottage, prodding from where he lives scheduled into the infant’s mouth. not Savarna Darjeeling traintobeckoned, cessity.

Men weretoy unable leave their homes the seven-year-old, he were sprints down the platwithwho his wife, father and two chil- teen minutes was Hindulater, males never meant Get there The topi’s particular and one: the only standing be- in the watching with me without theything couldn’t be seen form to give me the a ticket saying,vanity “It’s leaving dren.

Theasked: guestroom, the largest and to have unseemly of There are direct flights from Delhi is that,now!” for tween me and Bareheadedness my little getawaywas a dis-Just“Why streets bareheaded. room in the house,burden has been are all of them bald?” the display of hair. The tuft, howlast week and Kolkata to Bagdogra. Shared some ineffable An hour wascondition, an ill-timed nostalgia for all Makaibari turbing a sign of wretchedness, an later, engine hisses Stuffed bears lounge UMZ is about a made familyready. of Chitever, wasthe important; it hadtotolife, be and tea became and private taxis ply from the reason, it seems things indicator of Hyderabadi. death in the family. The 13 days of we wave sheltered. our goodbyes. the smiling on the bed, next to a small heap pavan Brahmins in late 19th-cenErgo,But thesoon, chapeau. the most expensive airport to Kurseong and Darjeeling.postmortem A shortmourning flight later, the holiday provided the only exthey’ve attached the engine warm blankets.

Theirparochial family officials realise stock as Culture doesn’t arise out of an to tea intury the Mumbai, world theofsame still from intact, wechapeau. landed in Bagdoemption the end of the train.handbook.

If, like me, your adorn the glass shelf; a the wrong the Peshwas, who portraits ruled pre-coloopinion-clogged It is imwhen it was sold for Stay gra. An hour’s drive away, justthe same$1,850 Contemporaneously, it was quite Darjeeling toy has been visitors’ book lies open on the ta- age of the nialper Maharashtra.

All the Ranade the prodrome, thetrain sequela, of all conkg At Makaibari homestays shy of the—town of Kursewith 5km hats in America the social pressure, the men in UMZ haveble. from picturesque scenespagadi, from Barfi At his kitchen table by the structed national neatly shaved life. The Puneri (makaibari.com). For ₹700 a night, ong, Makaibari is theHatlessness, oldest tea at the heads, except forwindow, obligation of conformity. such charming a pot of Makaibari first and Parineeta, the occipital in an abandon attempt to make it aspira-fantathree meals and countless cups ofdawnestate in century, Darjeeling. of 20th wasEstablished viewed with alarm: tuft, the shikha. Theflush sieswas now.

The train behaves more like a slow brews alongside a steamtuft emerges from a thatch tional, granted Geographical Indication chai, it’s a steal. Or if you’re fussy,the man in 1859 the Banerjee family,or insol- of hair the size of aing was by considered demented, passenger a World SteamatWagbowl soup WaitightWai, percalf’s hoofofand is kept status in 2009.than Currently, it Heritage is aired only there’s the three-star Cochrane vent, Makaibari is the first tea factory in theof world. or drunk, or even a sociopathic fiend on, coughing its way up the hilly terrain. fectly offsetting rain beating on the ly knotted.

When the the Ranades step out,down they’re weddings.

The residual functions of the topi But Palace nearby (imperialchai.com). sorts.Sprawled over 120 hectares, the or estate Or perhaps he had been robbed, beenoccuDHR-778 the navigated the 45km stretch at roof. The neighbourhood cat, curled nevertin bareheaded; the tuft is manoeuvred un-up on formasa triptych: sacerdotal, the political Or you could stay at Darjeeling. in anpies just one-third of more than 700 hectares accident. more thanI know 7,000of feet sea level, a group doormat, sleeps contentment. der athe Puneri pagadi or a in topi for shelter. Two The othand the rural. at above least three Marathi of tropical rainforest In June,funchowever, Quite apart from all theland. utilitarian break into song, justblack like intopis the movies. er pagadi homesisplay host tothing: visitors — a student on priests a of girls Puneri a glorious a prefabricatin Delhi who treat their as Buy Banerjee sold offwere 90 per cent of the estionsRajah that hats served, they wonderfully Theanimate locomotive chugs along, billowing smoke three-month stay and a couple ed turban, a sort of operculum forfor thea night. scalp, This nearly parts of themselves.

They’re Stock up on the first and second tate toagents the Luxmi Group — a deal four years in eloquent of expression: they were making pit stops, lean season, says.and In springtime, first is introduced

by Dileepda the Peshwas subse- neverclouds, to be seen without it. skirting sleepy hamflushes, most preferred by Indians. theraised, making and one that waved, marks the end of tipped, tossed, handed, tilted, and passing throughoutside the hearts others, when thefashionable leaves that by make up the first flush Forlets quently made Mahadev Govind citified Maharashtrians theof tripA special diabetic tea is also family-based ownership of tea estates in snapped, cocked, passed.

And these motions kiranato stores andimagfootball are—plucked, tourists arrive—in droves.

Ranade Ramabai’s husband and later, BG tych,brushing the topi is past a footnote, be ritually available at the Estate shop.

Norththeir Bengal. ailing Darjeeling tea indusprolapsed wayThe into being social graces. picking up schoolchildren andavegeWeLokmanya. make momos, boil soup and grind hot Tilak aka ined matches, through the aukshwan, by calling upon try has only recently started to see a revival in This never happened with the topi. table vendors returning home, and gently letchutney.

Dileepda’s 14-year-old daughter Well, there aren’t too many letters of recomsort of collective, cultural memory.

Tip andparticular exports. Just last week Makaibari Thetrade topi’s burden is that, for tea makes here. a faceManusmriti and says, “I don’t likethe working mendation provides on- in ting the mountain traffic pass it by.

If you’re staying longer, enrol for Ambarish Satwik is a Delhi-based asatwik@gmail.com mostitexpensive tea in the ineffablethe reason, seems parochial.

Thisworld the kitchen”.

Until recently, Dileepda, ly injunction.

The shikha was mandated for 45, all was the Nepali classes at Makaibari. somebecame vascular surgeon and writer when it was sold for $1,850 per kg. For the tea employed in Rajah Banerjee’s household as priyanka kotamraju

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Silver haul Sorting fish by the beach reuters/kham

Clothed in dignity Under Goonj’s cloth-for-work initiative, villagers help build local infrastructure in return for clothes, not cash; the group is now aiding flood relief work in Jammu & Kashmir

Catch of the day

New for old Goonj workers turn used cotton cloth into sanitary pads

Connected A bridge built in Uttarakhand under a ‘Cloth for Work’ project

The sleepy fishing village of Mui Ne on the southeastern coast of Vietnam is more than just picture-postcard perfect

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arely fours hours from the chaos of far too ill-equipped to handle bad weather or side calls for languid days, nay weeks, spent at Ho Chi Minh City, from the lost Gra- the rough, turgid seas — only to return to life its many isolated beaches. But our favourite ham Greenery of erstwhile Saigon, and land at dawn, when their wives take over. here is the Hon Rom beach, a short drive from we arrive in a different world alto- The catch is sorted and sold to local restau- the village past the Red Sand Dunes — another gether. It’s dusk in the tiny fishing village of rants and street food vendors in front of our unexpected spectacle of dunes by the beach! eyes — the scene not that differMui Ne and everything is It’s at the White Sand Dunes though, about ent from a trading floor on Wall 25km from Mui Ne, that we decide to go dune sheathed in a luminescent light.

Colourful boats bob on the glisStreet. Fishnets heaving with sea- bashing on rented quad bikes, until fatigue food are sprawled across the forces us to rest awhile by a lotus pond nearby. tening water for miles and the Buckets overflowing beach, buckets overflowing with And it is by its tranquil waters that we catch sunset bathes the landscape in a with live fish are live fish are bartered, shells are another of those Mui Ne sunsets one can never harmony of peaches, pinks and bartered strewn everywhere and raucous tire of. It’s a curtain call in technicolour. blues. As dumbstruck tourists drink in the vision, it’s just anconversation fills the salty air.

Fortunately for us, respite savi munjal blogs about her travels at other day for the fishermen go(and quiet) is around the corner. bruisedpassports.com ing about their daily business — unmindful of the cameras, chatter (often in The Fairy Stream mirrors the bucolic rhythm foreign tongues) and recurrent exclamations. of Mui Ne. Tucked between the beach and the Nothing changes, and yet everything does, village centre, the gurgling stream is framed when we head back again to the beach next by limestone formations; the rocks, a freesIn the bag Children use schoolof kitswind, made water from recycled Get there elemental expression and donated material morning at the crack of dawn to witness a Mui tyle, Liquid asset Members of Goonj join villagers to dig a well in Andhra Pradesh Ne sunrise from the local fish market — its earth. We wade through warm water, past The train from Ho Chi Minh City early morning chaos a surprising foil to the thickets of trees, to reach a waterfall where takes 4 hours to reach Phan Thiet, several languorous hours disappear of their slow-moving sun on the horizon. the closest city to Mui Ne. Tickets His blind wife, Aamna, helped him load These (reserved incidents seating) left a lasting impression on hen massive earthquake own accord, unnoticed.

Every evening, thea fishermen set out forhita body. are priced at $16.

Uttarkashi in October 1991, it into rickshaw theyover drove only to him. In 1998, Gupta left his job as corporate night of fishing, effectively surrendering Nowthe hungry, we and amble toon Mui Ne’s Stay manager at Escorts to work the next body.

Anshu studying at stop hugeatfruit market and find everything from communications themselves to the sea —Gupta their was small boats are Theoffour-star Pandanus Resort isdevelthe Indian Institute of Mass litchis Gupta spoke with them and learnedand thatpait on his idea using clothes to promote and mangoes to mangosteens located away from the touristy to stalls. collect bodies opment.

The following year, he Communication in Delhi. He bunked classes was payastheir at itsjob many The pick of the lot? The village centre and has free shuttle on information given and his wife, Meenakshi, began for a few days and headed to Dehradun, about based fuchsia-coloured dragon fruit.byWe saw entire buseswith and 67 bikes on rent.

The Redwarclothes from their six hours’ drive from Uttarkashi. As he went the police, authorities or Ho Chi Minh orchards onlocal our way here from Sanddrobe Dunes to arelaunch 2-minutes the away ‘clothonfor residents. around photographing the affected areas, he even City, and discover later that they taste much Every inch of cloth is Gupta spent a week observing work’ movement under Goonj came across a man who had covered himself better here than anywhere else in Asia. And foot (₹4,500; pandanusresort.com). turned into (now a registered society). with a gunny sack used to transport potatoes. them at work, since food is to collecting travel whatbodies a fishnet is to a fishsomething. If nothing, Eat a 5km radiustool of of the trade In tatters, the cover was patched in many plac- from ermanwithin — an indispensible we use it in a quilt Eateries at the village offer Dignity first es. The man was asking for clothes to protect their house.

Theyone picked up 10hope to to net the without which cannot scrumptious seafood “We didn’t want — to expect promote yet himself from the cold.

12 bodies day.sea — the dragon fruit turns best catcheach in the grilled red snapper (₹300), clams Later that year, in Delhi’s freezing winter, out“Jaadon mein badh jaata another charitable organisation to be the firstkaam of our many delicious advenand mussels (₹200) alsoonsnakes, (Work increases duringcorner win- of Vietnam. as I was keen to as focus rural arGupta saw a rickshaw with a board announc- hai tures in this southeastern crocodiles and turtles on the “In summer, the numdignity is paramount,” saysmenu.

Gupta. ing ‘laawaris laash uthane wala’ (transport for ters),” NearlyHabib every told day,him. we trawl the network of eas, where Clockwork orange Under Goonj’s cloth-for-work initiative, vilunclaimed bodies). The photographer in him ber goesfor down to four or five.” Gupta realised streets freshly barbequed scallops with Women dry shrimp Tip on local infrastructure projects in made him follow the rickshaw and he saw it at onceonion that itand waspeanuts not the cold thatwith killed peo- lagers work spring drizzled a lemeven as the men in You can also play of a round at the the stopping near a body. The driver, Habib, took ple, but rather thedressing. lack of clothes and protec- return for clothes instead cash. “Across on, sugar, and salt boats bring in a new Tropical Minigolf course from it.pace of life in Vietnam’s country- globe, the three basic needs are food, clothes out a two-meter white cloth and wrapped the tion The slow load afp/hoang dinhnam

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Korma connection Giving it all Anshu Gupta, founder-director Delhi-basedfrom non-profitKorma, group GoonjKheer vv krishnan & Kismet Putting to test a muttonofrecipe by blogger-turned-author Pamela Timms

and shelter. Yet, clothing is neither a part of and finally dispatching them to rural areas. the Millennium Development Goals nor a priThrough co-branded campaigns, employority with development agencies,” he rues. ees of retail chains and corporates contribute Over the pasthat twocould years, be Goonj hassuspect under- associate more material towith Goonj. thereinaremost colraraAdditionally, gosht, a staple taken nearly 1,500 village infrastructure pro-a north than a book on Old Delhi by lectionIndian centres in several cities including Delmenus. jects, including cleaning of ponds, hi,TheMumbai, “trailing spouse” expat?

Rishikesh, Bhubaneswar, recipe is inspired not by the much-feted construction of A bridges repairing book on and Old Delhi by a kitchens Bangaloreofand Kolkata.

Volunteers take care of Karim’s or Al Jawahar near the Jaschools, among others. “trailing spouse” expat who cooks. That the ma the Masjid, collection Goonj team is not involved but(the by the nondescript Ashok and Oneisoftitled its earliest book Korma,projects Kheer &involved Kismet —digging a word Ashok in this process), which all yearRun round, Meat Dhaba inhappens Sadar Bazaar. by a wellthe in greenest Salidhana village incurl Madhya Pra- friends, even Indophiles their stiff says Gupta. rumoured to be musclemen-turneddesh’s lips Khandwa district. onlyworse. sourceAnd of restaurateurs, upper at — only makesThe matters More than half the 1,000 tonnes of matetheofshop appears to benefit as water a hand apump, which yielded yet, it’sthere hardwas to dismiss food memoir

by Pa- much rial Goonj collects annually comprisesthe clothes from the secrecy surrounding korwaterTimms. at a depth of 400 metres but who became mela A blogger-turned-writer has ma while therecipe rest isismade of dry rations, sta(the neveruprevealed) as it does submerged duringthrough rains. Members Goonj, earned her chops columns of and blog from tionery and books,backstory computers, furniture, footthe dubious and character of along with dug the for anything its gruff, unyielding posts that the canvillagers, be picked apart wear, and even toys and games. owners. wellatolack ensure year-round sup-And honest it but of honesty and grit. hotels stores send A fortuitous Many meeting with and Goggia Uncle, “a ply ofthis water. is… rambling chronicle of five seasons small, taciturn unused items such aswith soaps, oils man in his sixties bright On eating average, Goonj provides spent in the warrens of the Walled City, orange hennaed and dry eatables. hair”, followed by his unsuptwo pairs clothes tolaced eachwith dirt, where foodof is inevitably morethe than tutoring twocollection, Ashoks in the It isdraabout ported giving claim ofBut member of a family (not where more the equal ma and nostalgia.

A place authorrespect fi- arttoof real challenge is in the processmaking the korma, eventually lead the than five members). nally manages “to embark on theperson culinary ing.sheThe material is Timms callscollected an “identical” version receiving aidto what “It isofa dignified way of engage giving quest a lifetime” and shipped to 21 states, and distribof the original.

Whether that’s — people work and earn. with an India she people is otherwise uted according to the individual the case (or not), recipe It is changing age-old, tradidenied by herthe expat status and needs. well-defined standsAto test. Sure coding it’s notsysas tional practice ofbubble charity— as it by the New Delhi “like tem helps identify contents of spectacular as onethe hopes it will gives equal respect to the person it,” each some potentially dangerous spe- receiving distribution “We of have detailed sysbe — bag. a fallout theaexpectations In a country where says Gupta. cies… marshalled into the extem of repairing every the and storyusing drums up,item. and People of the andaaz or estimation Grassroots NGOs have been roped in asispartpensive residential ‘colonies’ of give what they have and not what others absence of sights and sounds the guiding ners. “We go to rural areas, sit with partners South Delhi.” stepshave in toearned bridge this the gap. korma its principle inneed.” everyGoonjthat and villagers, decide what workskitchen, are need-a recipe Offering upand what is perhaps As can urban men, on average, are are about six street-cred.

But these minor ed. We also decide on the distribution methoher most hard-won discovery yet at the waist than their in a large, slick rural caulnever beinches the widerquibbles dology with the local implementing agencies.

— Goggia Uncle’s ‘Ashok and Ashcounterparts,dron Goonj alters clothes accordingof delightfulness. last word It ismutton not a top-down ok’ korma —approach,” in the veryhe adds. ly. Every piece of cloth in is ajudiciously usedanto Besides, country where Some villagers approach Goonj after hear- ensure there daaz first chapter, Timms endears is no or wastage.

Whileiswestern outestimation the guiding ing about nearby areas. “But in di- fits like jeansprinciple herself to projects us withinher earnest and T-shirts are commonly in every kitchen, aused recisaster-affected areas,handling we enter prose and her clever of on our own by urban women, and are pe cansaris never besalwar-suits the last word. without partners,” says the insider-outsider rift.Gupta.

Notwithstanding the Even needed rural “We make school in in this one,areas.

Timms appears to havebags disThe organisation is currently aidingtoflood odd reference to EM Forster’s A Passage India pensed using old jeans, cotton material into saniwith theturn flavourings that Goggia Unrelief work in Jammu and Kashmir.

People or to spotting an elephant on her first daycan in cle tarycarries pads… every inch of cloth turnedmeat into with him to add to theisminced donate blankets, woollens, tarpaulin, basic at the country. something.

If nothing, weituse it in ataste, quilt.” the butcher’s.

So tweak to your presmedicines other materials atin Goonj cen- sure The only and non-vegetarian recipe the book Even tapes old cassettes are reused, for cook it from (for about 30 minutes), if you tres besides making financial contributions.

— barring the roast chicken with pasta and to- must, instance, of thread in handlooms. andinstead add larger quantities of garam This mamatoes that sits awkwardly in an otherwise salas fabric(whole is usedand to make bags, conference powdered) and chilli. kits, For Collecting list goodwill all-Indian — the korma is a simple, if time- good wallets, keydeserves chains, phone folders and food all the covers, personal attention Goonj has a supply thatfor includes consuming, dish tochain make.system Unusually a kor- it other products. Sold at prices ranging from can get. collecting clothes other ma though, it usesand keema ormaterial minced from meaturas ₹25 to ₹600, this revenue is a boon for the notbanerjee banbase areas, grading andone packing them, the forsorting, the gravy — a trick has come to soity for-profit enterprise.

W Korma, Kheer & Kismet Pamela Timms Aleph Non-fiction ₹395

All clear Pond cleaning underway in an Odisha village

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Goggia Uncle’s ‘Ashok and Ashok’ Mutton Korma Serves 6-8 Ingredients

Helping hands

6tbsp ghee Green Yatra: peeled Under itsand ‘Zaroorat 2 onions, grated– A Need’ initiative, the NGO collects old of household 4 thumb-sized pieces ginger,items like clothes, stationery and durable peeledtoys, andbooks, grated goods from corporate houses, residential 6 garlic cloves, grated societies, shopping malls, cinema halls, schools 1tbsp garam masala and colleges. These are sorted, repaired, 1 brown cardamom packaged, transported and distributed in rural green areas5and urbancardamoms slums throughout India.

6 cloves www.greenyatra.org 10 black peppercorns ■ Xavier’s Foundation: The Guwahati-based 500gm minced mutton sure NGO has founded a Clothes Bank(make in association meat Eastern is as finely mincedFinance as with the the North Development possible) Corporation (NEDFi). It collects clothes from people and distributes themoftomixed the needy through 1.5kg small pieces shoulder NGOsand andrack otherof organisations mutton working with the underprivileged. www.xaviersfoundation.org 2tsp turmeric ■ 1tsp heaped of chilli RK Foundation: Under its powder ‘Vastra – The Clothes Bank’ 2tsp saltproject, the charitable trust provides new and used clothing to the skinned, poor, 10 medium-sized tomatoes, irrespective age, gender, or chopped religion. It seeds of removed andrace, finely partners withslices other of non-profit A few ginger organisations and coriander working in the areas of health, education, human to garnish ■

care and other services. www.rkfoundation.org

Method 1 Melt the ghee in a large pan.

2 model Add the onions, ginger and Revenue garlic cook until “Since we areand registered aswella society, we get browned, 10-15 minutes. contributions from individuals as well,” says 3 Add the garam masala, brown Gupta. Nearly halfcardamoms, of its ₹4 crore annual and green cloves and budget is met from contributions, peppercorns and stir well.ranging from ₹20 to ₹2 Goonj also earns revenues 4 lakh Add each. the minced mutton and throughmutton its co-branded campaigns. pieces, coating well with It hasthe strict monitoring systems, including spices.

Stir in the turmeric, chilli detailed5 auditing and surprise checks, to enpowderare andfulfilling salt, thenthe cook on a “We sure partners mandate. low flamepilferage,” for about he 20says. minutes try to minimise everything effort, is well Goonj browned.

Fromuntil a two-people today has 6 Add the chopped tomatoes over 180 full-time members across 10 offices. and enough water to cover the From 150 tonnes 2005, itgently todayfor collects over meat, theninsimmer 1,000 tonnes of material But Gupta 1-1.5 hours till the annually. gravy is thick doesn’tand count glossy.his achievements in these terms. He wants to inspire similar 7 Check seasoning and addefforts. more “We oraschilli, if required. have to salt grow an idea and not just as an orga8 Others Garnish should with slivers chopped and nisation. takeofinitiatives ginger and not go through thefresh samecoriander hardshipsand as we did,” he adds.serve with roti. pamela timms rashmi pratap

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saturday, september 13,13, 2014 saturday, september 2014 CREATURE FEATURE

Sickness to health A flag hoisting ceremony at Annai Velankanni shrine r ravindran

Indian desert jird

What’s the buzz?

The furry brown mouse and its deep connection with the Mughals

A Bangalore museum dedicated to creepycrawly superstars

jugal tiwari

In army fatigues Metallic green leaf beetles harm crops

All are welcome

prakashlocks. for a child tie wooden cradlesk bhagya and even The night before feast day, Besant Nagar is he first time I saw an Indi- the sand buffers the jirds, toads, lizf you thought an insectarium aroundasthem.

Prashant Mohanunrecognisable vast Dr crowds throng the an desert jird, it was noth- ards and the occasional hedgehog, was a kind of biology laboratoraj, been principal scientist head, Distretch that’s cordoned off and for the nighting more than a brown protects them from heat and cold. ry — one where a cockroach vision Gladys of Insect long is celebrations. and Lily,Systematics, who come blur of motion against Often, the deepest parts of a jird’s pinned to a board and itsfrom anat-Aminjikarai, narratesabout the curious tale ofwith thetheir Cen14km away, brown sand. Indeed, almost every- network of burrows are located un- omy reproduced in a ‘diagram’ tralinAmerican (scale) inentire—family tow, havecochineal camped out in front thing in this arid, heavily grazed, der ber bushes, likely deriving struc- nothing could be further from Dactylopius coccus, which of athe closedsect shop—and plan to stay the night.

A Kutch-in-the-summer landscape tural support from the plants’ roots truth. An insectarium is a living mu- feeds on cacti.

The redfor dye extracted tradition they have followed the last 20 was brown, and I didn’t give the jird and maybe cooling down from the seum of insects. And at the National was soisvalued that years. Herfrom entireitfamily dressed in the occusame a second thought. But jirds story are nothBureau Agriculturally or every of discord dewand thattension drips off the the pyingsaffron, Spanish rulers imposed susleaves.

Christ.But The superhit filmof brought the basil-Important shade of light a little ritual for “suc-a ing if not persistent in grabbing Insects (NBAII), off Bellary Road in India, there are tales a peaceful ber’sof tart berries must also death sentence on anyone attemptica in theattract little seaside town of Velankanni cess”,inshe explains. your attention — whenever I returneven those the who squirm coexistence of cultures, religions, lan- expanding birds and insects, an al- Bangalore, to smuggle the insect overseas into the spotlight, and by association It isn’t ing uncommon to find men and chiled, I couldn’t help guages but notice lit- ready at the mere sight of creepy-crawlies andthe practices that are so var-aggregation curious of ani-as well. the Americas.

The British ofChennai shrine dren withfrom tonsured heads smeared in sandaltle rodents busily themselves in theirinthrall, dis-paste. iedscurrying it defies all logic.across One among many mals.these And since Athis fered princely reward of £2,000 to small group church, afind replica of the Basilica wood Thisa borrowing of cultural norms the sand, darting in and out of their covering insects benefitis agrithousands of instances is captured at the An- prey, comprises tasty it likely comanyone could shrine smuggle it for Velankanni, was built in 1973 how at Elliot’s Beach, apparent at the who Velankanni in Chenburrows. I’ve been enthusiasand their incredible in them. nai never Velankanni church, on the El-raptors pelsshores snakesof and stop by expanded at culture, They built a cactus farm and to has since to accommodate the role nai mostly because, aseven Father Lawrence puts it, tic about mice and their ilk, but in- the jirds’ burrows off our collective liot’s Beach in south Chennai. and on. in Madras ininflux of devotees who swear byhistories its healing people worship in whatever way for theythe know spired by both my jird-adoring geographies.

Besant Nagar scoresfield high on Chennai’s When thescale Mughals first Also reached However, the 60 repowers. knownand as ‘Arokia Mata’ or Our La- best, and considering sects. that an estimated assistant of and the ani“Invertebrates, pincode snobbery — after all, the swish the set deserts of Rajasremains dy of Health, this apparition of Mary isinoften per cent of the people ward who visit this Catholic mals themselves, I de-seaside suburb. And it’s all beauticluding make lives by this than and Gujarat, tillfaiths, today.a referred to as BaLourdes of the insects, East. shrine are from other unclaimed religions and A termite has isCoffee cided that these — except for about seven days upshrine over 98 per cent of ful and peaceful bur was not impressed giant Starbucks, While the original of Mary in Velanmélangequeen of traditions expected. nutritional frantic balls furfirst week of September and close theitsanimal kingdom,” a year.of Come by the kanni climate.is“We suf- for recently used revered powers of healing, more By early morning onwhich feast day, the crowds The jird’s burrows are protein per pound were worth towatching. a lakh of devotees from Chennai and elsefered Chennai’s from shrine-of-a-shrine three says Abraham the but insect-based has itsVerghown fol- have lessened considerably; by 7.45am, red Enclimate-controlled chicken beef and And it where paid off.

We their annual pilgrimage to the ese, director, NBAII,trav- than make thingslowing. in Hindustan,” dye the in a sand-covered frappuccino, It’s mostly for people who cannot glish massorbegins oases saw jirdsAnnai search for “Insects are keysays to our Velankanni church. he said, theto Nagapattinam, wasup forced to awithel “one all thewas way Father church grounds soon fill again with few and collect small Situated at the southern end of this seaside heat, another, draw following anwalk outLawrencethe Raj,bitwho lives. was aDung par- beetles, for hundred people.

Devotees branches suburb, of shrubs, instance, this is where the annual feast of Mary ing wind, andat the Besant crystatue from animal ish priest Nagarfeed on maaround the of Maryrights with nibbling is furiously to In the eight days leading upthird, celebrated. to church the dust.”

Not nure and boost soil feractivists.that’s And reminisall this earlier. child, a practice dislodge and eat the 8, seeds.

We sawto be in a sustainable manner. Yet, drama September considered thedifferent date when too from what theaside jirds thetility an insect thatwomen is less Setting medieval centaround of temples, with young jirds chase after each other in celebrated a lot of stigma surMary was born and hence thethe Mughals deal with,as and an inch plastic long! baskets with colours ofdiscovblue and there whiteisthat holding People and whofear pray for than jest, whilefeast adults tookthe their ownand ered roundingofthese creatures.”

And the of Mary, church its precincts that the are human inhabitants the tales keepand coming.

You usually adornofdepictions flowers, candles coconuts. health often come back But chases more But mostly to change filledseriously. with devotees and pilgrims of various Hindustan’s Northwest found a ininsectarium about silkworms non-viothe had Virgin Mary the West, aimsafter Volunteers, wearingand t-shirts that beingthat. healed learn we saw jirds interacting you get past the basics — a lentproclaim creeds, to eitherwith praytheir for hersolution intercession or the remarkably similar the silk extraction, wax worms Indianto Madonna isOnce draped ‘Ave Maria’, stand atused levburrows —give poking their outanswered. of jirds’ burrow — the stepwell. firefly thanks forheads prayers Like the sari, medical research because in a traditional withisn’t the a fly, a silkworm isn’t a in el with the statue and lift thetheir basthem to survey wormarms, — you learn about insects that immune This the year,landscape, the 10-dayre-programme burrows, started stepwells dig deepJesus into thein her system similar a huinfant kets close to is the statuetobefore treating into the sound withthem a flagathoisting on of August 29 andlike ended ground; the extensive or that research drosophicrownednetwork in gold. prey on a specific type of bug and man’s, handing them back.on And once in approaching and ‘crowning digging ofofMary’, are used fortheir ‘biological the a lia with cattle, a symbolic andburrows inshallower that surround (Drosophila melanogaster) has Pilgrims walk or cycle from homes control’: to a while pilgrim will proffer up a child and away in the sand that invariably col- the are mass-bred and released cluded a grand car procession around jird’s Besant deepest burrow, the sometimes cen- insects bagged so many Nobel prizes, the church, dressed entirely in safthey’ll oblige, lifting it close to the statuethey belapsed andNagar’s closedneighbourhood. off the entrances. tres of the stepwellsfron the diseased crop to rid them are surrounded now him/her ‘compete’ withGarlands mice and as an external into symbol of their devotion. fore of handing back. at guithe But at the hottest times of the day, by underground alcoves harmful without usingstatue’s pesti- feet neaare pigs in laboratories worldhandover.

Someand evenrooms shave their heads, bugs believing that an disbanded and flowers the jirds disappeared altogether. cides. Beetles essential Reel to shrine to escape the heat. And like the bur-is appropriate Or that a Some termite queendrop hasitmore offering of hair — are either out ofin the ed bioout to devotees. women into These burrows intoaswhich controlfollowed of the by fuzzy their whitebaskets, The church began a tiny shrine onthe thestepwells sandy could rows, be used by logical nutritional protein per pound gratitude or devotion — a ritual some tuck it into their hair,than but the jirdsof disappeared are inalmost shores the Bay of Bengal 1971 when Mary— villagers anyone to in travellor touching beef. There’s list pilgrims Tirupati‘mealy as well.bug’ in crops like pumpkin, not beforechicken reverently it toeven their aeyes. climate-controlled oases more recently, in enumerating appeared to Father PT Arulappa in a dreamto wandering ing merchants mys- apple economic value While attendance peaksand, around feast time, grape Between the baskets the of flowers, coconuts the for wildly variable the vineyards of Maharashtra.

The tiandin asked a shrine by thetics, sea.and Convinced even the occasional dacoit. (in the dollars, most heads over aand billion) of the church sees a constant inflow of people and candles, tonsured saffron of he theset desny trichogramma wasp,for whichclothing, feeds there aboutexpanse his vision, out to build but ofthroughout That theone harshest climes inspires various It might be justways a tithe year.

People who pray areinsects. seemingly countless ert, and are thus at- hut on the eggs of other insects, could only manage a small nearinnovations Elliot’s health similar in both rodent ny room,orfilled with tiny creatures, often come back after being healed, of- istowideshow gratitude pray for blessings, and all shelters ly used biological control too. are Beach. Ittractive took the release of Annai andVelankanni, human is afantastic; theseof the but it goes a long here. way in proving feringthat a model curedfor body part — like of them equally welcome A uniquely to documenting just about the The NBAII recently pressed into twist Tamil film miracles perinnovations fosterthe diversity andor a hand that of insects of is this unfounded, heart, liver — covered in gold or it Indian to fear the celebration catholic any shrine animal to protect crops of feast sugarformed at the in Velankanni, to bring coexistence makes Rajput the archi- at aservice and that biggerproving isn’t always silver, displayed museum on the church is a sight to behold, that better. after a fit in- Starring canewishes and rice. the church that into will existence. the hearttect and jirds worthy of admiration. (nbaii.res.in; call in advance.) premises.

Prayers and are written on certain point, religion becomes immaterial — them.Ganesan and Tamil pieces of paper and tied But perhaps the most exciting bit need is faith. throb of theside ’70s Gemini to the grill of the all you kamath organismic Simply dig- ambika aboutjust bugsa one Nadu’s own Amma, Jayalalithaa, the moviestudies shrine, or and sometimes longcannot thread(and need tara rachel thomas is a Bangaloreevolutionary writer elizabethbased mathew into not) swat is the wealth of anecdotes even had ging Kamaldeep Haasan in a cameo rolebiology as Je- at Harvard soakedUniversity in turmeric suffices.

Couples who wish

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The annual feast of Mary held at the Annai Velankanni church in Chennai shows the many hues of faith

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Eating smart The Chinese can now use chopsticks to tell if their food is contaminated

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n a year of food scandals involving fox meat, toxic mooncakes and chemicals, it seems that Chinese Internet search engine Baidu might have an answer. Smart chopsticks. The device, claims the firm, can tell people if their food is safe or not. An idea born out of an April Fool’s video, the device was revealed last week. Sensors in the chopsticks can detect the cooking oil’s temperature and its fitness for consumption, flashing a red light if the oil is inedible. The news of this invention has been met with a certain cynicism though. Social media users lamented that such an invention had become a necessity and if they carried these chopsticks around in their pocket, they might “die of hunger”.

Jails for hire Collecting rent on prison cells, Dutch-style

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hat do you do when there are too many convicts and too few prison cells? Call the Dutch. Following the example set by Belgium, Norway, known for its humane prison system, has struck a deal with the Netherlands whereby Norwegian prisoners will be completing their sentences in the Oranje country. As the Scandinavian country renovates its prisons, spending over $700 million from its coffers, more than 1,300 prisoners are rendered homeless. The Dutch though, seem more than happy to accommodate the new prisoners, especially since their jails have been running low on inmates. At last count, there were 11,000odd inmates. Oranje is the new black!

All things weird

Up for grabs

A dapper solution

It’s every man for himself when a Xiaomi ‘flash sale’ is on — nearly 40,000 phones sold under 5 seconds. Beat that

Diapers that refuse to biodegrade? Let’s grow mushrooms on them

FScotland’s what?

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t is estimated that the average toddler ive seconds, 40,000 phones and more goes through at least 8,000 disposable than two lakh hopefuls scrambling diapers during its infancy. These diapers for them… the countdown to the are also made out of some of the most inXiaomi online ‘flash sale’ has begun, destructible materials in the world; they and at an IT firm in Bangalore, Deepak Rajanilie in landfills for hundreds of years, rotkanth and his entire team are riveted to their ting the environment. In an innovative solaptops — missed lunch-hour notwithstandlution to this peculiar baby issue, a group ing. So thick is the air with anticipation, one of researchers in a Mexican university (incan cut it with a knife. Shoulders hunched, fincidentally, Mexico is the third largest congers on the are all awaiting in proposed break-up of the UK is that there hemouse, buzz in they Washington DC about—the sumer of disposable diapers) started nerve-wracking silence — thedepartments India releaseofofthe US government were caught unawares is no buzz.

Various growing a particular kind of mushroom the Chinese manufacturer’s latest for mobile when newspapers called them comment, even as a new poll showed the Yes on them — one that degrades the diapers. phone, the Redmi 1S. A tech chimera that hasto 49. Continents away, India’s External Afcampaign surging ahead at 51 per cent The Pleurotus ostreatus or oyster mushso far, howconstituents good are theofphones eluded many an ardent fan. Swaraj, pursuing Modi’s earned his business credentials by co-found- hooks fairs minister Sushma economic diplomacy, was puzzled room eats upbut certain the Jain swears their by mobile softing Jabong.com.

“We rely a lotrecovery, on it. We don’t themselves?

“Since 1pm, people have been waiting for Though when asked about Scotland’s referendum.

Swaraj made a quick diaper and reduces theirby weight 80 per “We havethe our MIUIreason firmware…

We want the 2 o’clock unveiling , praying to theirforeign favou- policy believe in brandThe marketing through she gave away this government’s priorities. referendum is im-paid ads. ware. cent. Though main for growing innovating andwas build India-specific rite deities.

Some of mytoo, colleagues sub- You arefor never going to find ad for Xiaomi to portant for India as it willeven strengthen claims independence in an Kashmir, thekeep oyster mushrooms to reduce the And there are plans for an R&D unit scribed to is the Flipkart First both service and andonQuebec’s TV or even in digital spaces. What we do re- features.” which closely following Scotland moves. diapers’ weight, make them biodegradable Bangalore. installed cheat codes to give them an advan- ly on are social media platforms like Facebook, in and save the environment, the researchers At a starting (for Redmi tage. Unfortunately, none of us were able to Twitter and YouTube. We educate and interact decided to tasteprice someofof₹5,999 their crops as well.1S), largely favour of the phones, grab the phone this time,” says Rajanikanth. with customers and take their feedback for fu- word Somehas would call been this ain tasty solution.

Like Rajanikanth, thousands across India (if ture releases and sales. For instance, thanks to going by the voluble endorsements online. As Rajanikanth puts it, “Their deFacebook groups are any testimony) are ar- the feedback, last week’s sale invices have more features than dent Xiaomi fans. The ardour is hardly unusu- cluded a free micro-sim adapter the latest Nexus and don’t cost al in this age of technophiles, except, the and screen protector.” a king’s ransom. I am waiting Chinese manufacturer is barely two months The strategy is certainly You are never going to see their LED TVs go on sale, old in India. It had its first ever ‘flash sale’ here working in India, as it did earlito find an ad for Xiaomi as well as mobile accessories, Record holds a fewthis records as book recently as July year. of its er in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, on TV or even in which are currently only availaown. It is the best-selling copyrighted Philippines, Malaysia, Singadigital spaces ble abroad.” bookWord of all power time and one of the most pore and Indonesia. The comOthers see a mere hype in the frequently Also starring inunderestimated,” this “Wordstolen. of mouth is hugely pany is now eyeing the markets making. Anikit Kamal, an MBA year’ssays list —Manu the furthest arrow on India, who in Thailand, Vietnam, Russia, Jain, head ofshot Xiaomi graduate in Delhi, thinks it target using feet, the heaviest weight Turkey, Brazil and Mexico. lifted by a beard and the biggest usaIts meteoric rise in China, after it was set up might fizzle out sooner than expected. “I’m reble golf club that measures 14.5 feet. by serial entrepreneur Lei Jun in 2011, has been ally not sure if they’ll be able to continue at the And it’s not over yet: 50,000 odd inarguably overtaken by the speed of its same pace. Sometimes it’s frustrating that the claims are yet to be verified! growth in India(although the number of phones get sold out so quickly. I hope they phones sold is smaller). In its eight ‘flash sales’ bring in more.” But Bangalore-based actor Prahere so far, all routed through Flipkart, it sold teek Thakker, who uses a Xiaomi phone, is not out completely — 20,000 during the initial ready to write it off yet: “With the Micromax few and 40,000 later on. The first sale took a CEO stating that he has ‘never heard of this ‘leisurely’ 38 minutes, while the rest were brand’, Xiaomi has caught everyone undone and dusted in under 5 seconds (not min- awares. And it’s surely doing something right. utes!). “We realised that the retail-distributor While there’s always room for improvement, model can be expensive and wanted to bypass the phone is great value for money. I’m lookit through e-commerce,” says Jain. “We have ing forward to the Redmi note, which is exunderestimated the demand though, and are pected to be a sub-₹10,000 product.”

As for Xiaomi, popularly called the ‘Apple of trying to increase the quantity and sell more China’, looks like it’s unquestionably i for Ineach time.” dia at the moment.

A model phone?

Yes, Xiaomi has its competitors on tenter- sibi arasu

The nation’s proposed independence draws a blank in the US and India

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Long tongues and leaping cats in the Guinness World Records

Game changer (clockwise from below) Hugo Barra, the global VP of Xiaomi, quit Google to n the oddball hall of fame that is the take the Chinese company to new World Records, this year Guinness tiwari; markets sees monica a super-long tongue, a leaping the Xiaomi mascot; cat and collectors of Bond memorabiand screenshots of the liasale’ and plastic food. If Californian ‘flash

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Nick Stoeberl’s tongue measures four inches, Akiko Obata of Japan has the largest collection of plastic food — over 8,000 items that include giant plastic burgers. Launched in 1955, the

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saturday, september 13, 2014

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cornerstone in-faq by joy bhattacharjya Refused

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our British publishers passed on George Orwell’s Animal Farm, before it was finally published in 1945. And at least one American publisher refused it on the grounds that ‘there was no market for animal stories.’ This week’s quiz is on famous refusals and turn-downs.

1

In his characteristic modest fashion, who accepted a Nobel Prize in 1925, but refused the £7,000 cash award, saying that “The money is a lifeboat thrown to a swimmer who has already reached the shore in safety?”

2

Which Indian actor refused his Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor for the film Be-Imaan after the same film pipped Pakeezah to the post for Best Musical Score that year?

3

“Two reasons: one, I wouldn’t go through the pressure and publicity I went through with ____ for any amount of money. Second, I have said what I wanted to say and I will not say it again.” Who, reportedly, said this regarding a decision never to write another novel? And fill in the blanks with the (four word) name of the novel.

4

Which 20th-century American president refused the Democratic nomination for the US Presidency shortly before accepting the Republican nomination and winning by a handy margin?

the new york times crossword-1215

two outs

5

Who was arrested in the ’60s for refusing to follow government orders and made the following statement: “The real enemy of my people is here. I will not disgrace my religion, my people or myself by becoming a tool to enslave those who are fighting for their own justice, freedom and equality”?

6

Very rarely have four actors refused a film role before the fifth took it on and delivered a hit. Raaj Kumar apparently declined the offer because he did not like the smell of the director’s hair oil, Dharmendra had no dates, Dev Anand wanted to sing his own songs and Rajesh Khanna thought it would hurt his image.

Who was the fifth choice, and what was the name of the film?

7

Two groups were auditioned on January 1, 1962, at studios in West Hampstead for a recording contract. After a lot of deliberation, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes were chosen.

Which group was turned down?

8 9

To which company did Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak offer the Apple 1 computer five times, only to be turned down all five times?

Which classical great controversially refused the Padma Vibhushan in 2000, calling it an insult and saying he would not accept any award that other sitar players had received earlier? In his words, “If there is any award for sitar in India, I must get it first.”

10

In 1945, who refused the British government award of the Order of the Garter, explaining that “I can hardly accept the order of the Garter from the king after the people have given me the order of the boot?”

Answers

1. George Bernard Shaw, who also refused a knighthood.

2. Pran 3. Harper Lee; To Kill a Mockingbird 4. Dwight Eisenhower 5. Muhammad Ali; his reason for not serving in Vietnam.

6. Amitabh Bachchan; Zanjeer 7. The Beatles; the recording company was Decca 8. Hewlett Packard 9. Ustad Vilayat Khan 10. Winston Churchill, who had just been trounced in the general elections.

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joy bhattacharjya is a quizmaster, director Kolkata Knight Riders, and author of Junior Premier League — The First XI t@joybhattacharj

ACROSS 1 Palindromic band name 5 Tosca’s feeling for Cavaradossi 10 Spring for a vacation 13 Hawaiian tourist purchases 17 “___ yourself” 19 Cowcatcher 20 Red-wine drinker’s paradise?

22 Employee at the Ron Paul Archive?

24 Pitch that fixes everything?

25 “Strange Magic” band, briefly 26 Dollar bill featuring a portrait of Duran Duran’s lead singer?

28 IRS Form 5498 subject 29 Street caution 31 Ball with a yellow stripe 32 Shiner?

33 Willowy 37 Like a robot’s voice 39 Still 41 Architect Saarinen 42 Blue expanse 43 Follow closely 44 Hair-raising shout 46 “___ teabsolvo” (priest’s phrase) 47 The one puppy that can

read?

53 Creator of perfect whirlpools?

56 Baath Party member 57 Uncommunicative 59 Political title of the 1930s-’40s 60 Counter formations 62 Mix in a tank 64 Overextend oneself?

68 Classical guitarist Segovia 70 Adds to the batter, say 72 In a kooky manner 73 Buttonholed 75 Given a home 77 Triumphant song 78 “This isn’t making sense” 80 Whom John Bull symbolizes 82 Have an objection 83 Minor-league championship flag?

86 Alienate a New Jersey city?

88 Biblical priest of Shiloh 89 Blue expanse 90 “Man of Steel” actress Adams 92 Sully 93 Go on strike 95 Film crowd 97 CBS spinoff that ran for 10 seasons

102 How sports cars are contoured 105 “Cover ___ Face” (P. D. James’s first novel) 106 Distress 107 Actor Jack of oaters 108 Cousin of a crumble 109 Begat a soft place to sleep?

112 Burlesque garment 113 “Charge!,” to Duracells?

117 Satisfying finale coming to pass?

119 Labeled idiotic?

120 First name in photography 121 Nickname for Palmer 122 “Don’t be a spoilsport!”

123 Savory condiment 124 Variety-show fodder 125 Trader ___ DOWN 1 Most qualified 2 Relative of S.O.S 3 Galoot 4 One-hit wonder?

5 Friend of d’Artagnan 6 Thick bunch?

7 Venture a thought 8 Unfeigned 9 Miranda of the Miranda warning

10 Avoid 11 Course listing 12 Percussion instrument in “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” 13 Sophisticated 14 Automaker that started as a bicycle company 15 Bent pipe 16 “She’s a good old worker and a good old pal,” in song 18 Med. workplaces 20 Tea go-with 21 “Days of Heaven” co-star 23 Would-be singers’ liabilities 27 Little town 30 Site of a 1963 J.F.K. speech 33 Chargers and coursers 34 Forest game 35 “By that logic” 36 Boarder’s domain 38 Director Daniels of “The Butler” 39 Of the lymph glands 40 Signet-ring feature 45 Dropper?

47 Steven Bochco series 48 Youngest of Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” 49 Eldest Best Actress winner 50 Acronymic aircraft name

51 Wistful remark 52 With a will 53 It’s “well regulated” in the Constitution 54 Quarrel 55 “Lovergirl” singer 58 Pulsation 61 Morally degraded 63 Fish hawks 65 Cross-promotion 66 Streetcar sound 67 Chrissie in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 69 Start of a George Eliot title 71 N.B.A. team originally called the Americans 74 Elephant’s opposite, symbolically 76 URL component 79 Zeus swore oaths upon it 81 Excited Oscars attendee 83 Nave furniture 84 Airline that doesn’t fly on religious holidays 85 Khartoum’s river 87 Run headlong into

90 Datum in a house listing 91 ___ Vineyard 94 Confined 96 “I thought ____ never leave!”

97 Pile on the floor 98 Soothsayers of old 99 Person prone to sunburn 100 Last Hitchcock film with Tippi Hedren 101 Some Google search results 103 Hot pot locale 104 English film-festival city 106 It “hits the spot,” per old radio ads 109 Begin to show wear 110 Yarn quantity 111Hair strands?

113 “EastEnders” network 114 Shot spot 115 Metaphysical concept 116 Fortune cover subj.

118 Longtime Sixers nickname

By Patrick Berry / Edited by Will Shortz

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