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CINEMA, MUSIC & ART WITH THE

FEBRUARY 2012 VOL 02 ISSUE 05 ` 40

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base camper -Brad Pitt

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CINEMA, MUSIC & ART WITH THE

Creative Director 01 Mihir Ranganathan

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Art Director 02 Sibiraj Bastin Sr. Graphic Designer 03 Ajay Kumar

Dear Readers,

EDITOR’S NOTE

Hope everyone of you had a good start to the New Year (both personally and otherwise).

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This edition is in appreciation of great talent portrayed by people from different fields who work from the heart and have shown excellence in their profession and inspired others around them. Needless to say, they have touched lives around the globe.

On our cover this issue, we are proud to feature Brad Pitt in his ‘Moneyball’ avatar. Although baseball may not be very popular in India, we can make a connect with this Oscar nominated film in the sense that it talks of common themes as taking on the odds, succeeding as an underdog etc.

Sub-Editor 04 Poornima Nair Asst. Editors 05 Amrutha Anandanathan 06 Zayn Marie Khan 07 Sahana Senthil

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10 Operations 08 Tapass Naresh 09 Jai Kumananthaa Raaja

BRAND PARTNERS

Enamoured by the charisma and panache of this great legend, we pay tribute to Audrey Hepburn, an iconic figure in both cinema and fashion.

Promoting different music has been one of the foremost reasons why we launched a separate division called the Brew Records in November last year.

Moving forward, we take pride in having collaborated the efforts of Ed DeGenaro and Ujjayinee Roy as they release their new album ‘Holiday in Madras’, the experiences of which are featured inside.

Circulation & Sales 10 Seeman Ezhumalai

An artist, potter, architect, calligrapher, interior designer, landscape artist and Aurovillian, Dharmesh Jadeja gives The Brew an exclusive interview as well.

Off to brewing the next issue.

www.thebrewmagazine.com

Sameer Bharat Ram Editor

FOLLOW US>// http://www.facebook.com/ thebrewmagazine

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TO ADVERTISE: Call: +91 98409 39339 e-mail: info@thebrewmagazine.com

The Brew takes no responsibility for unsolicited photographs or material. All PHOTOGRAPHS, UNLESS OTHERWISE INDICATED ARE USED FOR ILLUSTRATIVE PURPOSE ONLY.

Edited and Published by Sameer Bharat Ram, and owned by SM BrandMuni Consulting Pvt. Ltd, Published from No.609, Lakshmi Bhavan, Anna salai, Mount Road, Chennai - 600 002. Tel.: +91 44 4208 9392.

Printed by K. Srinivasan at Srikals Graphics pvt, Ltd, No.5, Balaji Nagar, 1st street, Ekkattuthangal, Chennai - 600 032.

Editor: Sameer Bharat Ram

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CONTRIBUTORS AND ADVISORY BOARD Lord Jeffrey Archer Jeffrey Archer established himself as a literary force with the publication of his first novel, Not A Penny More, Not A Penny Less, in 1975. His third novel, Kane and Abel became a number one best-seller in hardcover and paperback all over the world and has sold over 3.5 million in the UK paperback edition alone. Now, 36 years later, Jeffrey continues to defy his critics and delight his fans. Published in 97 countries and more than 37 languages, Jeffrey Archer is firmly established, with international sales passing 250 million copies.

Kavita Baliga The young American Soprano, Kavita Baliga has sung in concerts around the U.S., Switzerland, Italy and India with repertoire ranging from Opera and Oratorio, Musical Theatre to Indian film. In 2008, Ms. Baliga joined A.R Rahman’s KM Music Conservatory as a faculty member and founded the KMMC Chamber Choir. She is presently developing performance programmes in India.

Ashok Verghese Is one of the youngest education entrepreneurs who is making a great difference in this field in the country.

He is the Director of the Hindustan group of Institutions, again one of the pioneering educational groups in the country. He supports the cause of promoting young talent in art and music.

Veejay Sai An award-winning writer, editor and a culture critic. He has written and published extensively on Indian classical music, fashion, theatre, food and art, and loves traveling, researching literary and cultural history. He is an editorial consultant with over 40 brands and designers in and outside India and is on the jury for several prestigious awards in the arts across the country.

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Venket Ram Venket Ram is a leading Indian celebrity & fashion photographer, who has shot principal photography stills for several notable films as well as portfolios. He quit his engineering studies to work with cinematographers for a while, then joined a course in Visual Communication at Loyola College. After that, he worked with photographer Sharad Haksar and in 1993, started his own studio. He recently released the first two editions of his annual calendars in 2011 and 2012 with an overwhelming response.

Mallika Sarabhai Educated as an economist and a business manager, Mallika Sarabhai is one of India’s best known Bharatanatyam and Kuchipudi dancers. She has taken her work and her company Darpana to not only over 90 countries around the world, but also to the farthest parts of India.

Neeru Nanda A graduate from Delhi University.

Passionate about writing, she freelanced as a feature writer for ten years before switching to publishing.

Author of a collection of short stories titled “IF” (Rupa & Co), Neeru is now working on two novels and a series of books for children.

Dr. M. Lalitha and M. Nandini Internationally acclaimed, award winning Violin Maestros Dr. M. Lalitha and M. Nandini have been widely applauded as the ‘Queens Of Violin’ and have enthralled audiences across the globe. They have been selected as Cultural Ambassadors and dignitaries to the US and UK respectively. They have published books and written numerous articles relating to Music and religion..

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CONTENTS

VOL 02 ISSUE 05

FEATURES

COVER STORY

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not a saying !

base

art heals

- Dr. mini rao

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the marlon brando of

indian cinema

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Brewing with

Lord JeffREy Archer

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camper

INTERVIEW

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ed degenaro’s

holiday in madras

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building thoughts with

dharmesh jadeja

skrat

act 2

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wizard of

harmony - tracy chatelier

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ode to audrey

audrey hepburn - Diya Subramanian

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ART

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rt Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses art as a medium as its primary mode of communication.

Sometimes words are not good enough or the feelings are too strong and the circumstances are hard to define. The creative arts become a way of making the undefined definable and concrete.

You do not have to have knowledge of the art or be a practicing artist to benefit from art therapy. It is a kind of therapy which encourages the expression of emotions through artistic activities such as painting, photography, collage making, drawing or sculpture. The Art therapist works with issues such as; anxiety, depression, trauma-related issues, life

ART HEALS

not a saying!

transitions grief and loss.

Art helps us to come out with our thoughts and feelings by drawing, painting, sketching whatever maybe the form. Through art-making we draw out what we know deeply about ourselves. This is the strength of art therapy; one gains self awareness through creativity. Art therapy is about the metaphors and messages that come to us in gentle ways.

Through art one can bring out emotions like passion, anger, love, serenity, confusion etc. The symbols of the art tell many stories and the creative process connects one to his deeper self. Art has a healing potential and art therapists enjoy helping others discover themselves through this form of creativity.

For decades people involved in the health care industry from health-care providers, to artists to architects have insisted that artistic expression and welcoming environments can make a pivotal difference for ailing patients, but now that message is going mainstream.

What is Art Therapy? Art therapy is the intentional use of art to address psychological and emotional needs within a professional relationship. By creating art and reflecting on what has been created, one can increase one’s self awareness and also explore their personal issues and problems. It can be used as a primary form of therapy or as an accompanying treatment to other forms of therapy.

The professionals behind art therapy are master leveled professionals trained in both art and therapy. They are knowledgeable about human development, psychological theories, and clinical practice; as well as spiritual, multicultural and artistic traditions, and most of all the healing potential of art.

Art therapists use art as a way of helping people express difficult thoughts, feelings and emotions through their creative activities. An art therapist does not teach his patient art, he helps them explore, experiment with art materials like paint, paper,

clay and through this he aims to help clients to gain greater awareness of their feelings, better express themselves, work through their emotions, deal with difficult times in their life, make positive changes to their life. Art induces well-being and triggers memory, diminishes aggression and has a beneficial effect on behavior.

strong communication and listening skills, patience and commitment and emotional strength.

Some evidence of research reports the positive benefit of art on the recovery of patients. Art has many benefits. Art in every form could be a therapeutic factor in mental health. One experiment that was carried out recently involved studying patients going in for day surgery.

One group was exposed to art and music. The other group had none.

There was a significant effect on the blood pressure, heart rate and in the consumption of oxygen. There was a 48% reduction in the hormone cordisol which is linked to stress.

Art therapy can be done on a one on one session or in groups. It is especially good for children with learning disabilities, behavioral and emotional problems, speech and language difficulties etc. When it comes to adults, art therapy helps them deal with addictions, injury and illness. Art therapists can work by themselves or work closely with other healthcare professionals such as psychologists, nurses, social workers, occupational therapists and psychiatrists.

The overall aim of it an art therapist is to enable a client to effect change and growth on a personal level through the use of art materials in a safe and facilitating environment.

Different forms of art have been used as therapies consciously and unconsciously in India since the Vedic days. Sri Hanuman used the manjira, Lord Vishnu used the mridang, Lord Krishna used the flute and Lord Shiva’s dance, the Shiva tandava was a great example of the use of dance to achieve a goal. Art in temples was used to create a peaceful, serene and spiritual atmosphere as well.

The relationship in art therapy is not between the client and the art therapist alone, it differs from other therapies as it is a three way process- between the client, the therapist and the image or art. It offers the opportunity for expression and communication and can be particularly helpful to people who find it hard to express their thoughts and feelings verbally.

Art therapy is a diverse profession and it is important to ensure that those who practice it are maintaining the utmost standards of a professional body. Art therapy is a forward and focused approach to developing skills, performance and learning in our personal and professional lives and improvements in our personal lives is bound to have profound effects on our professional lives.

Art therapists have a considerable understanding of art processes and a sound knowledge of therapeutic practice and work with both individuals and groups in a variety of residential and community based settings. The art therapist’s work is challenging and calls for skill and sensitivity and for people opting for this career the following qualities are essentiala non-judgmental attitude, the ability to relate to people from all backgrounds, a strong interest or background in psychology, creativity, intuition and imagination, empathy and the ability to gain clients’ trust,

Art therapy may not be an exact science, but has proven merit. It is now a recognized profession and has the ability to touch and reach emotions and feelings through artwork. The goal of art therapy is to heal and the results have proven to be positive.

- Dr. Mini Rao

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MUSIC

Ed DeGenaro’s Holiday in Madras.

A perfect combination of East meets West or should we say, West seeking East, for well known guitarist Edward DeGenaro approached Indian musician Ghatam Karthik and singer Ujjayinee Roy to collaborate on his newest offering ‘Holiday in Madras’.The Brew Magazine catches up for a conversation with ‘Ed’ and Ujjayinee on the experience.

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1. How did you come up with “Holiday in Madras”?

Ed: The Title? This album went through a slew of working titles, from “I Like Cows”…which I really do, to the phonetic pronunciation of Ed when said by Tamilians…which sounds like “[Kh]Ed”, then it went to be called “Now”, etc. Along the way I saw the movie Outsourced and was joking that we should call it Holiday In Goa. Ujjayinee remarked that seeing that my last two times in Chennai for work was more of a vacation than anything else we should call it “Holiday in Madras”. The concept? I had started with recording Tutu and 57 Progosaurus, but something was missing. After that I was at one of Ujjayinee’s sessions as a Playback singer for a Tamil movie and was totally blown away by her singing.

That’s when we started to write Meera.

It was actually done as an example for the students at SAM to see how I approached writing music. This went so well that we went to Aura Studio and recorded it there. The results had

me so excited about this collaboration we then added “Tutu” and “57 Progosaurus”.

Ujjayinee: For a long time Ed was hell bent upon using “I Like Cows” as a title for the album. And I kinda wondered if people would get the humour in it.

So one of those evenings while we were watching Outsourced on skype together, Ed said something about a holiday in Goa. So I had this sudden brainwave and told him why not have the title as Holiday In Madras. It made sense both musically and on a personal level. But trust me I had to fight my case just to make him give up the idea of “Khed” and “I Like Cows” as an album title.

2. How did you decide to collaborate with each other?

Ed: Ujjayinee was wanting to work with me after hearing stuff of my last album “Less Is Seldom More”. I was apprehensive – until I sat down and jammed with her. Every song I had her sing no matter how hard I made her job, she just improved.

Ujjayinee: Ed had this weird notion that he’d never work with someone he was in a relationship with. And that was the time when we had just about started seeing each other. I had heard his previous albums “Doghouse” and “Less Is Seldom More” and one of the tunes, “Brother” kept playing inside my head like a broken record. It was a different sound for me, something which I had never done before and I knew I had to work with him because he had gained my respect by then, both as a musician and as a man. But as it is with everything about Ed, it was a fight to convince him that working together and making music would only strengthen the personal aspect of our relationship. The first track “Meera” was more like a demo for the students at SAM. But the more we worked on it the more we realized how we as musicians were evolving and discovering each other. There was no going back after that.

3. Why is Madras so close to your heart?

Ed: That’s simple…it’s where my first

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experience with India was, I should say this is where I fell in love with India immediately.

Ujjayinee: When I came to Madras in the year 2003 and was trying to make an entry into the industry as a playback singer I hardly knew anyone, leave aside the language. From then to now there has been a mammoth size transformation in my life. Not only is Madras home for me but this is the city which has given me recognition for my work. I have found friendship and love, gone through the challenges of being an artist and also diversified myself as a musician and performer.

The funny thing is every time I go back to Agartala where my parents live, I feel out of place after a day or two. It doesn’t seem right till I hear Tamil spoken around me.

4. Were you in Madras when you came up with each song?

Ed: Most of this actually was written across 10,000 miles, with us on skype throwing ideas back and forth, then me recording the music, later Ujjayinee recording the vocals with me supervising on Skype. We couldn’t have done it without Skype. “Kolonkini Radha” for example was something Ujjayinee suggested after me saying I wanted to redo a Bengali folk song.

She sang and and played it on acoustic guitar and I recorded it over Skype.

Then I used that as my guide track writing all the parts around it before having her record the vocals for real.

Ujjayinee: Tedious as it may sound, the entire process was fun and now we miss it tremendously. With terrible internet connectivity and clarity it can be quite an ordeal until and unless two minds are completely in sync with each other. Our recording sessions used to be fun, hilarious at times too. Leaving Meera, 57 Progosaurus and Tutu, the vocals of which were recorded while Ed was still in India, the rest of the songs have been written, produced and recorded while he was in Los Angeles and I was in Madras.

Ed: Just with any relationship, personal, business or otherwise there are problems. That is a given. The question should be have Ujji and I figured out how to deal with them. The answer…obviously…just listen to this album, you can’t come up with this kinda stuff when there are bad vibes.

It also helps that we have the highest respect for each other’s musical opinions. I refer to Ujji as my ears.

Ujjayinee: It also helps when two musicians can shed their ego and build a camarederie between themselves.

This album is important to me on different levels. It is through the working of this album that we handled pangs and confusions of being in a long distance relationship, in two different time zones and also of coming from two different musical worlds. It is also while we were working on this album that we worked towards becoming best of friends.

6. Would you think of making another indo-western fusion album?

Ed: If it’s well received, which I certainly hope it will be…absolutely. If not, absolutely.

Ujjayinee: I’ll go with the mister on that!

7. What are other genres you would like to experiment with?

Ed: Well, there aren’t that many genres we haven’t touched on this one…but given the means I would love to produce an album that has my typical stuff, with Indian influences and a full sized orchestra and African tribal voices.

Ujjayinee: Given my love for opera, Indian folk and Celtic music that’s something I would want to add to my kitty. I also know for a fact that to add anything operatic he’ll also need a lot of convincing from me. Well I am used to it by now and something tells me he’ll give in (wink).

5. Were there a lot of problems along the way?

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CINEMA Sivaji.

the dinner hosted to honor Ganesan, the mayor of the city, Greg Lashutka, honored him by announcing him as a ‘Honorary Citizen’ of Columbus City . On the same occasion the mayor of Mount Vernon read out and gave him a special welcome citation.

The ‘Columbus Tamil Sangam’ was formulated on that day, and Ganesan was made the honorary president of that association.

Sivaji Ganesan had his film debut with the film ‘Parasakthi’ in 1952. The script was written by Ex chief minister Karunanidhi. From there on Sivaji Ganesan’s career rocketed forward and there was no turning back. He went on to be the first Indian actor to win the best actor award in the afro asian film festival in Cairo in 1960.

He has won the presidents Award 12 times since parasakthi.He has also won the Hounarary Doctorate

V

iluppuram Chinnaiahpillai Ganesan Manraya or more popularly known as Sivaji Ganesan was one of the biggest starts the tamil movie industry had witnessed. He started his career during the latter half of the 20th century and created a revolution . He is know as the Marlon Brando of Indian cinema. He went through his career in tamil cinema for over 5 decades acting on over 300 films in kannada, telegu ,tamil ,malyalam and hindi .

Sivaji was born in a tamil middle class family from Villipuram. His talented for acting was in his blood , for example at the age of seven he was offered to act on stage for a Touring Drama company and he took it up with out his fathers consent.At the age of 10 he moved to Trichy to join the drama troupe ,Sangiliyandapuram.He was then trained in Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Manipuri. His absolutelybrilliant performance of the character of Chhatrapati Shivaji in the play “Shivaji Kanda Hindu Rajyam” got him the title

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Sivaji went on to diversify from the acting forum and got into the political

from Annamalai University , and the Kalaimamani from the Government of Tamil Nadu in 1997.

Sivaji Ganesans popularity spread like wild fire. During his tme and much after there was a extremely small minority of people who hadn’t heard of him. There was a time when the president of Egypt had come to India and sivaji was the only person who was allowed to host a part for him. He was the first artist to visit the united states in the cultural exchange programme of the US Government, in 1962, where he established a good impression as Indian cultural ambassador. During his visit there, he was honored by being made the ‘honorary mayor’ of Niagara Falls City for one day and was presented the golden key to the city. On March 12, 1976 he went over to Mauritius on an invitation from prime minister Ramagoolam and took part in their independence day celebration and stayed as their government guest for four days. During his visit to the USA in June 1995, he visited Columbus, the capital of Ohio. Participating in

scene . Until 1955 he was a hard core supporter of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhgam . But his views soon switched when he started to become a strong supporter of the Indian National Congress. He entered politics on a low note has his rival MGR had succeeded in politics causing him to loose two consecutive elections. He was made a member of the Rajya Sabha in 1983 , but Indira Gandhis Death in 1984 brought that too an end . HE then left the congress and started his own party called the Thamizhaga Munnetra Munnani . But unlike his acting career his political career did not take off and it soon came to an end.

Sivaji Ganesan suffered from respiratory problems and was admitted in hospital on july 21 2011. he had been suffering from a prolonged heat ailment for about 10 years. He died that same evening. His funeral was attened by thousands of viewers, politicians and personalities from the South Indian film fraternity. . A documentary, Parasakthi Muthal Padayappa Varai was made to commemorate Sivaji Ganesan’s legacy.

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CINEMA

base camper Dip into Brad Pitt’s DVD collection and you’ll discover that the actor has a penchant for classic, American, directordriven films from the 1970s. At the top of the pile sit the likes of Milos Forman’s heart-rending One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Coppola’s esoteric Vietnam picture Apocalypse Now, and Alan J. Pakula’s tightly wound thriller All the President’s Men. They are timeless movies, films that seem to get better with each passing year, pieces of cinematic brilliance that don’t conform to standard Hollywood requirements.

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“That’s why I love them,” begins Pitt.

“I’m really drawn to the films I grew up on, where it wasn’t so much about character arcs and clean stories, and ‘someone learns something in the end, and everyone’s happy and everything’s explained’. You know these guys were kind of the same beasts at the end of the film as they were in the beginning.

It is not so much that they change but they change something around them and I feel drawn to that.”

Since his last adventures in big budget filmmaking earlier this decade — with his sword-swinging turn in Troy — the 47-year-old actor has redefined his career trajectory, employing his superstar status to unearth, develop and explore perennially fascinating roles. In recent years he’s brought us Babel (2006), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007), The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008), Inglourious Basterds (2009) and The Tree of Life (2011).

with $240 million payrolls. It is an unfair game, and so it forced these guys to back up and say, ‘We’ve got to re-examine the sport and where we place value.’ And in that process they found great inefficiencies in how people were judged. They were then able to exploit that and put together a formidable team.”

Pitt, “is that this kind of film could easily dissolve into convention. But I think why it stands out is that it’s got a real authenticity to it and this is down to Bennett, this is all to his credit.”

The book from which the film is drawn carries no standard narrative; it is a work of non-fiction. And yet such was Pitt’s passion for the project that he

“I think Jonah is terrific. We had a real ‘bro-mance’ on this movie,” laughs Pitt. “No I think he is wonderful in this role and there’s a truth in his performance.”

The filmmakers’ bid for authenticity and truth extended across their own recruitment drive: many of those filling the backrooms, and the scouting tables, on screen are real players and scouts. “These are guys from the business,” says Pitt. “These people are not actors. You don’t want them trying to be actors; you want them to put it in their own words, because they know this world.”

The most recent project to grab Pitt’s attention and flourish into a highly effective and affecting movie is Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game a 2003 book by Michael Lewis that charted how the Oakland Athletics baseball team put together a record-equally 20-game winning streak in the 2002 season, despite fielding a team thatoperated on a just a fraction of the budget of its main competitors.

“I became obsessed with this book

by Michael Lewis, which was about these guys questioning and going up against a system,” explains Pitt,who takes on the central role of Billy Beane, a former player turned General Manager, who assembled a team of cast-offs and misfits using a ‘sabermetric’ statistical approach.

His methods caused controversy at the time, challenging the entire architecture of how the multibillion dollar game was run. Now teams across every sport apply the techniques that he championed to assess players’ value.

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Director Bennett Miller made his name with the 1998 documentary Cruise and the stirring character feature Capote (2005), which earned Philip Seymour Hoffman an Oscar win, and he does indeed bring an authenticity to the picture. His use of real-life footage is remarkable, driving the movie’s pace without ever taking the viewer out of the picture.The film’s boosted by expert performances from Pitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman and Jonah Hill, the latter shining in a strong, dramatic role.

persevered with the production despite the complications and with a final script worked by the expert hands of Steve Zaillian and then Aaron Sorkin, the actor and his director, Bennett Miller, have truly stepped up to the plate. Moneyball is a tight and character-driven drama, imbued with an honesty and integrity to the truelife story. For all the emotion evoked by the characters’ journey, this is not a movie with a typical Hollywood conclusion.

“The thing with Moneyball,” continues

On screen, the discussion among the management and scouts about their first wave of player recruitment is a case in point. “Even though we have a really strong script we used that just as a starting point in some areas — you’ll see in the scenes with the scouts and players that there’s a lot of stepping on each other, talking over each other’s lines. It’s got a really nice feel to it. Our approach was keep a constant vigil on the story, being in the moment, reacting to the real people who know what they’re talking about.

In that way Bennett is really similar to Terrence Malick.”

Pitt worked with cinematic luminary Terrence Malick on his most recent picture, The Tree of Life, which won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Cannes

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Film Festival. “I was really pleasantly surprised and happy for Terry,” Pitt smiles. “That was a personal story for him. I love him greatly. I don’t expect awards. I never expect it. It is fine when your number comes up. It is fine when a friend’s number comes up. But more importantly it is a quality film, a film that has legs, longevity, a film to be proud of.”

Born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, in 1963, Pitt was raised with brother Doug and sister Julie in Springfield, Missouri.

He’d always enjoyed film although it was only when studying journalism at the University of Missouri that he suddenly decided go West, to LA and to Hollywood. He soon won a small role

in 1991’s Thelma & Louise and from then his star rose quickly.

His output in the 1990s is punctured with iconic characters and memorable movies, including the likes of A River Runs Through It (1992), True Romance (1993), Interview with the Vampire (1994), Legends of the Fall (1994), Seven (1995), 12 Monkeys (1995), Sleepers (1996), Fight Club and Being John Malkovich (both (1999)). Each film asked something different of Pitt and many a less-courageous actor might have been daunted by the potential risks involved.

“I think my choices have been smart on the whole, not risky,” says Pitt.

“If you look close enough and are able to work with directors who are much smarter than you, then that’s a smart thing to do, because they have the ultimate hand on the pen; they’re writing the story.”

Pitt’s own interest in storytelling saw the foundation of his production company, Plan B, which launched with Troy back in 2004. Its subsequent films include Angelina Jolie’s A Mighty Heart (2007), and Pitt’s own The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, The Tree of Life and his forthcoming Marc Forster picture World War Z, adapted from the post-apocalyptic horror novel by Max Brooks.

“We want to specialize in more obscure films,” says Pitt of Plan B, “which have a harder time making it to the screen, or interesting, new filmmakers. We’re not a big money production company.” He says, however, that he has no interest in stepping behind the camera himself.

“In regards to directing, I have no aspirations to do that whatsoever. I would be tormented.

“I think that I would make a good movie but that also it would take three years of agonizing and pain and sweat, and I wouldn’t see my family much during that time. It wouldn’t be healthy for me.” He smiles. I’m pretty happy with the gig that I’ve got.”

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ART

With

Lord

JeffREy Archer When is a silent movie not silent...

What a privilege to join a private view of the Lucian Freud Portraits exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery yesterday, and to join my colleagues from the House of Lords to see the David Hockney show at the Royal Academy this morning.

The Hockney is such a massive show, with so many vibrant pictures, that I had several favourites. It is a visual delight, and well worth a visit.

One of the advantages of going away, is that there are so many things to catch up on when you’re back. I noticed from this morning’s papers that The Recruiting Officer, the opening production at the Donmar Warehouse, under its new Artistic Director, Josie Rourke, is receiving great critical acclaim, so I’ve quickly added that to my list of ‘must-sees’. And last night, I finally went to see The Artist. I often think that a film or play that’s had so much good publicity before you get to see it may be harmed by expectation (and remember I’ve been away for seven weeks), but not a bit of it. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only thing that spoiled it for me was the man sitting next to me, loudly munching his way through the largest bucket of popcorn I’ve ever seen. It took him an hour.

With permission from Jeffrey Archer’s Blog

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ART

building thoughts with dharmesh jadeja From calligraphy, pottery, writing, civil engineering to architecture ,as varied as his interests may seem Dharmesh Jadeja has donned different avatars especially well, he is what you call an artist in his own right. Originally trained as a civil engineer, he has made a mark in architecture with his sustainable and green architecture projects that has now become a well accepted trend.

He has been recognized as one of the best calligraphers in India, so much that his calligraphy has appeared along with that of the best from around the world in a recent postal stamp that was launched to promote the age old tradition of writing letters. He is also the first artist of his ilk to be invited to be a part of the residency at the University of Suderland in the United Kingdom. Having achieved so much the best part is that he isn’t into the commercial rat race to prove himself because his work is the testimony to the fact that he needn’t even try!

You’ve done a lot of great work, which do you think is best in terms of sustainability, environmental impact and energy management?

Best is yet to come. Our work is ever evolving & like in some ways, the effort is to try and get more and more simpler & to achieve simplicity is a very complex process. We are still far from perfect & we continue our efforts to achieve these qualities. We try and define these terms in our work through its local context, minimum impact on its immediate surroundings in all aspects & minimising its energy requirements.

One would call your approach to architecture ‘holistic’. Would you agree with that?

Any good work needs to be seen in its totality; this means if your approach is right, its got to be holistic; sustainability or minimalism in design or architecture cannot be seen only in terms of look or feel; it has to achieve this in its social, cultural & economic context; you cant get away with anything less.

What kinds of ‘alternative material’ do you use in your projects?

We do not see ourselves as an alternative. We believe this is the way to build; thus using anything that is immediately local, with minimum impact in all its aspects, including social, cultural, ecological & environmental aspects of design & materials.

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How much of a difference to the environment does it make to use these?

Anything that is relevant to its immediate & local context will have minimal adverse impact on its environment in all its various aspects.

Is it feasible for a majority of the population to build with a sustainable, local, eco-friendly approach?

This is how the traditional societies & civilisations have evolved & sustained themselves. While they reached out to the world in all its splendour, they always rooted themselves in its indigenous environment for all its sustenance needs.

For budding architects that are inspired by your work, how much of a formal education is required to get into the line? Or is it more intuitive?

Not only are you an architect, but a potter, an interior designer and a calligrapher. Has this broadened the horizons of architecture for you?

While formal education gives you tools to work with, your intuitive approach takes you deeper into the finer nuances of your profession. My approach has largely been intuitive combined with in depth enquiry into our own cultural ethos. This has helped me develop an understanding of the world around me that is rooted.

I still have not managed to do justice to all these fields. A long way to go, still. But nevertheless, my approach to architecture has evolved with the understanding and practice of other fields, such as calligraphy. I am trying to spend more and more time with other disciplines I have been working in & hope to arrive at some synthesis of all these creative fields in my lifetime. This remains to be seen.

How important is it in architecture to be an artist at heart?

Its all about the right ingredients, at right time, in right proportions. There are no short cuts, there are no simple formulae.

For those of our readers that want to go green with their construction, what would you suggest they incorporate in their plans?

Study some old buildings in your vicinity where probably you will find some of the simplest and most beautiful techniques used in construction. Try and question the local context of the design and materials of construction. While the form may be contemporary and universal, the spirit can be very rooted & local. Simply going for a label or a certification of a construction by some council does not mean anything, what matters is the honest spirit behind trying to achieve something authentically green.

Name one architectural technique/ style that you’ve always wanted to try your hand at.

Simplicity. Humility.

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MUSIC

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SKRAT Act 2 Hindustan University supports young talent in Music and art.

This initiative with The Brew magazine is to get young bands noticed and promoted.

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e’ re in 2012,Chennai has bands mushrooming almost everywhere so much that being a band member became all about head banging and having a uber cool guitar. Almost like the pseudo photographers who are licensed to the title only because there is a canon 550d garlanded around them! And just when its getting a degree higher, we have a band, no “The” Band that is now off their sabbatical and back on stage to show them exactly how it is done, presenting- Skrat!

What started off as a college level band went on to an international platform. In 2006,Skrat, a Chennai based rock band was conceived but unlike others, Skrat didn’t label themselves with one genre and turned experimental with their debut album –design which widened their fan base and their great stage presence only added more points to their popularity.

They started playing in colleges like mcc, jce, ssn engineering college, vit, band hunts, justice rocks concert and Chennai sangamam to name a few and in no time they played over 90 shows in cities like Chennai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Bombay, Pondicherry and more. Skrat has also broken into the international scene soon after their

hundredth gig in Haddows park at Chennai.Their landmark performance was the 2011 Fig Jam Caversham Fest - Reading – England-UK. Among their note worthy shows is their opening act for the Iron Maiden Tour in Bangalore which got the crowd high on music.

Tapass “Tapper” Naresh:

The man grew up being glued to rhythm and he did not beat around the bush. Mirudangam origins that still hold forth, brought him to the drums set with a brief stint on the lesser cousin (pads). Heavily influenced by various directions from the likes of carnatic and hindustani to Punk, electro and death metal translates into a pool of ideas in and out of the box. The only one who’s education formed around his craft, puts him at an advantage in the music business!

Satish “Sat” Narayanan

The quiet one in the band with simple tastes and influences wields the bass guitar. A favorite in the music scene, His repertoire in resume has a wide range having worked with various musicians and bands ranging from funk, hard rock, pop, new age indian and western forms. The young engineer completes the tight rhythm section as he known to “lock” with the drummer to make them sound like one massive instrument.

Sriram “TT”

The voice of the band. Having grown up in a country - blues atmosphere, uses his instruments the guitar and microphone to tell that story. His Influences are based on songwriters and guitarists world wide ranging from Johnny Cash and Mark Knophler to Dave Grohl and Jack White. Known to be more of a lunatic entertainer on stage and a simple musician, brings the end to the main stable of skrat’s character list.

Abhinav “boobsquad” Krishnaswamy

The Guitar virtuoso, known primarily for his unorthodox styles of playing the guitar brings up the finishing touches to the band. Also a part of bands like, blacklisted and Adam & the fisheyed poets, Abhinav’s direction remains planted in a lightly off-mainstream path less traveled. Helping out in the jam room and on stage, his Heavy blues influences and out of the box ideas set him apart from the other musicians!

Skrat’s debut album “Design” fetched them rave reviews. They set in high expectations as they were now seen in a new light and well noticed by music critics who can differentiate potential and popularity.With experimental compositions, they defined a class of their own in the Indian rock scenario.

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MUSIC

Wizard of Harmony —Tracy Chatelier

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s it possible that Southern India has a Sinatra of it’s own?

Classics have always tickled our bones, reminding us of how it all began, what music and entertainment was truly based on.. they’re the best! And right here in India, we’ve recognized a man who will go down in history as a classic musician, an Indian Frank Sinatra, to be more precise.

M.S.Viswanathan of Keralite descent first sang on a stage at age 13.

Though his family went through many hardships such as his father’s death and financial crisis he would later be one of the most famous and inspiring musicians to have made a lasting impact on Indian Music by his dominating position in film music composing in the South Indian film industry during the 60’s and 70’s.

After teaming up with T.K.Ramamoorthy the first movie ‘Panam’ was released, directed by N. S. Krishnan. It was the second film for Sivaji Ganesan and for first time their names appeared as ViswanathanRamamurthy.

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M.S.Viswanathan was given the title ‘Mellisai Maargal’ which translates to Kings of the Light Music.

In 2004 he was awarded ‘The lifetime achievement’ award by Sangam Kala group and in 2005 the award he received was the ‘Madhavapeddi Satyam’ Award and the ‘Gold Remi’ Award for best music for the movie ‘Vishwa Thulasi’, while in 2006 he received his doctorate, awarded by Sathyabama University along with the honorable ‘Paramacharya Award’ meaning ‘The Ultimate Guru’.

my ears and heart with his music.

Whatever I try to give him as a fee, it will be short of what he deserves. I stand poor left with nothing to give to Annan MSV. I place my fruit and fame under MSV’s feet and respect him; This is the only fair thing I can give him!” while A.R. Rahman has to say “”There is no Tamil Film composer without MSV’s influence. There is not one composer in the Tamil film industry today, who has not been influenced or inspired by the music of the ‘Mellisai Mannargal’

He was the first person in the state to introduce orchestra on to stage and he is the only South Indian music director whose compositions are included in the music subject of the world renowned Harvard University in USA.

Thanks to M.S.Viswanathan and musicians of his kind, turns out India did have a classical jazz of its own kind after all!

His fans and the media describe him as ‘The University of Music’ and he was given the Seventh Kamukura Award by Kerala Cultural Ministry.

Illayaraja comments “Wow! In how many songs has he melted my heart; Made me lose myself; Each song of his is a Gem, a Diamond, a Ruby; What can I give back to this man for filling

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CINEMA “I decided, very early on, just to accept life unconditionally; I never expected it to do anything special for me, yet I seemed to accomplish far more than I had ever hoped.

Most of the time it just happened to me without my ever seeking it.”

— Audrey Hepburn

A

udrey Hepburn was born on May 4th 1929 in Belgium into a wealthy family. Her father was a English banker and her mother was a Dutch baroness. Audrey Hepburn was a humanitarian as well as an actress.

More than anything Audrey Hepburn made her name in the fashion world making her THE fashion icon of the twentieth century.

Ode to

After her parents divorced she moved to London with her mother and went to a private school. She then moved back to the Netherlands with her mother and attended a private school there as well.

Although her life seemed to be perfect, Audrey went through a very hard time during the rule of Hitler. He took over the town she was vacationing in.

She suffered from depression and malnutrition. After making it through this difficult period she went to ballet school in London on a scholarship and soon began her career in modelling.

Her modelling career took off and seemed to be the ideal career for

Audrey

Audrey until she met film producers.

After being spotted by a producer she was signed to a bit part in the European film Dutch in Seven Lessons in 1948.

After appearing in several British films and starring in the 1951 Broadway play Gigi, Hepburn gained instant Hollywood stardom for playing the Academy Award-winning lead role in Roman Holiday (1953). Later performing in Sabrina(1954), The Nun’s Story (1959), Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961), Charade (1963), My Fair Lady (1964) and Wait Until Dark (1967), Hepburn became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood’s Golden Age who received Academy Award, Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations and accrued a Tony Award for her theatrical performance in the 1954 Broadway play Ondine.

Hepburn remains one of few entertainers who have won Academy, Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Awards.

In the Italian-set Roman holiday (1953), a film she would later call her dearest movie, Hepburn had her first starring role as Princess Ann, an European princess who, escapes the reins of royalty, falls in love with American newsman, Gregory Peck.

While producers initially wanted Elizabeth Taylor for the role, director William Wyler was so stunned by Hepburn’s audition that he cast her in the lead. Due to the instant fame and stardom that came with the film, she was signed to a seven-picture contract with Paramount with twelve months in between films to allow her time for stage work while creating history with what became known as the Audrey Hepburn “look” after her illustration was placed on the September 1953 cover of TIME magazine.

Three months after the birth of her son in 1960, Hepburn began work on Blake Edwards’ Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The film is loosely based on the Truman Capote novella but due to many changes it is far from the original.

The director states that Audrey was terribly miscast. Despite the lack of sexual innuendo in her character, her portrayal was nominated for the

1961 Academy Award for Best Actress and became an iconic character in American cinema. Often considered her defining role, Holly Golightly, Hepburn’s high fashion style and sophistication within the film became synonymous with her.

Hepburn’s reverence as a fashion icon has continued long since her death, proved by accruing the titles “most beautiful woman of all time” and “most beautiful woman of the 20th century” in polls by Evian and QVC respectively. Her style was partially the result of meeting the couturier Hubert de Givenchy, who designed her dresses for Sabrina in 1954. Givenchy was always amazed that, even after thirty five years of collaboration, “her measurements had not changed an inch.” Givenchy remained Hepburn’s friend and ambassador, and she his muse, throughout her life.

Audrey Hepburrn was well known for her social work and got great recognition for it. Hepburn was appointed Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF. Then-United States president George H. W. Bush presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in recognition of her work with UNICEF, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences posthumously awarded her the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award for her contribution to humanity, with her son accepting on her behalf. Grateful for her own good fortune after enduring the German occupation as a child, she dedicated the remainder of her life to helping impoverished children in the poorest nations.

Audrey Hepburn was admitted in December and diagnosed with abdominal cancer. Instead of forming a tumour, it had formed a thin layer over her small intestine and nothing could be done. After coming to terms with the gravity of Hepburn’s illness, her family decided to return home to Switzerland in order to celebrate her last Christmas. On January 20th 1993 she died in her sleep at her home in Tolochenaz, Vaud, Switzerland to the cancer.

- Diya Subramanian

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Snippets

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rom the Mad Hatter to Sweeney Todd, Willy Wonka to Captain Jack Sparrow, is there any other bizarre character that Johnny Depp is yet to play? Introducing Barnabas Collins, an eighteenth century blood thirsty vampire who’s about to give Edward Cullen a run for his money. Depp who has given us a number of much loved characters over the years, plays Barnabas Collins in Tim Burton’s upcoming adaptation of Dark Shadows, a gothic TV soap. The movie also starts Michelle Pfeiffer and Eva Green. Depp who started off his film career playing Edward Scissorhands has set expectations high. It is no doubt that his latest transformation will meet them.

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Johnny Depp Steals the Spotlight Once Again

hen 3 Idiots released in 2009, it received wide acclaim and praise. The Indian audience loved it and the film made the phrase “Aal izz well” a part of our vocabulary. So, it comes as no surprise that the Gemini Film Circuit decided to buy the rights of this film. The film which stars Vijay, Jeeva and Srikanth saw its worldwide release last month. It sure does seem like a month filled with remakes of old blockbusters! Agneepath, directed by Karan Johar, the remake of the 1990 film with the same name received positive reviews from critics.

Agneepath (2012) stars Hrithik Roshan in the memorable role played by Amitabh Bachan and he definitely does justice to the character. The film features Sanjay Dutt and Priyanka Chopra. Will Agneepath and Nanban live up to their predecessors?

Agneepath, NanbanRemakes of Blockbusters

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he world does not remember second place but it sure does remembers third, at least in the case of One Direction. The British-Irish music band that came in third during the seventh season of The X Factor has started a worldwide craze. These five talented young boys, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne, Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, released “What Makes You Beautiful” which debuted on the UK Singles Chart at number 1. The band has a cult like following, with numerous fan sites dedicated to them and millions of pictures up on the internet. They have already published three books, a calendar and endorse a number of products. The band which has captured the hearts of many young teenagers is not slowing down anytime soon.

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