TGS Life 27/08/2016

PUNE, AUG 27-SEPT 2, 2016 | www.thegoldensparrow.com

Bridging the gap between creativity and business

Start-ups today are going beyond just finding a way to make money.

TGS features five such ventures from the city that have stretched past the money game to help rural artisans reach urban markets

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AUG 27-SEPT 2, 2016 PUNE

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By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

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TGS LIFE

he kind of theatre we are willing to spend our money and time on is constantly evolving. As an audience, we demand something different, out-of-thebox and, more importantly, scripts that are content Purva Naresh driven. Ok Tata Bye Bye is one such play. Written by playwright, producer Purva Naresh and directed by Rabijita Gogoi, the play tackles the issue of respect and sharing, through the eyes of a highway sex worker. Crafted for a mature audience, the quirky drama revolves around Pooja and Mitch who come to India to shoot a documentary on the subject but have to face a lot of glitches in the process.

The play is a clever and an engaging commentary through a feisty sex worker named Seema, an irrepressible highway courtesan and journalist Pooja. Pooja and her partner Mitch who travel to this region of India hoping to document a sex worker’s life, soon realize that it will be anything but easy to get the desired result. Seema is uneducated, but intelligent enough to make them

After gaining much deserved appreciation internationally, Purva Naresh’s play Ok Tata Tata Bye Bye makes its way to Pune this weekend

A PLAY THAT HOLDS LIFE LESSONS

run around in circles. The 90-minute play in Hindi and English teaches you to respect, not judge, the other because of what they do.

It was when she actually met someone like Seema, that Purva was inspired to pen down this script. It was the cheerfulness and how happy the girls were in whatever little they had, that forced the story-teller in her to take their tale world over. “While interacting with the girls I realised that we as a society patronize and treat them differently. They actually consider themselves just as good as

someone working in a big corporate firm and the play aims at addressing this,” she says. It is just how free spirited and liberated they felt that inspired the idea, she adds.

Purva’s parents hail from a theatre background and so she always had a creative side to her. They advised her to get a degree in something that she did not already know so she did her graduation in Economics from Delhi University. She also holds a Masters in Music from Kahiragarh Music University and a Post Graduate Diploma in film production from

FTII. She started her career in the theatre world with Afsaneh: Bai se Bioscope Tak, in 2008 for Rajit Kapoor’s Rage Production. She is also the founder of Aarambh Mumbai Productions which has produced plays like Aaj Rang Hai, Umrao and Ok Tata Tata Bye Bye, among others.

Ask her what inspires her and she says, “People around me are responsible for the scripts that I deliver.

The experiences I have had add to this and my parents have also been sources of inspiration,” she says. Purva is currently translating an Iranian play,

White Rabbit Red Rabbit into Hindi and is writing another Hindi play Jatinga for Bake House, an Australian theatre house in Sydney. She is also working on adapting a book into a play for Curve Theatre Leichester, UK. She likes writing about subjects that bring unconventional issues into mainstream media and deliver messages that can bring some change or at least make people think.

When: August 28, 7 pm onwards Where: Nehru Memorial Hall, Camp salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

WHEN MUSIC DELIVERS A MESSAGE Mumbai-based band Unohu is all set to blow your mind with their peppy tunes and quirky style

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

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f you are looking for a fresh sound, then you must check out the alternative rock band from Mumbai Unohu, which plays songs peppered with a strong social message. The band’s sound is a combination of melody that is blended with heavy rock elements of punk and grunge. They’re all set to woo the audience with songs from their EP Babel and many more new songs that they have recently composed. The trio comprises of Sarthak Karkare as vocalist and guitarist, Yohann Coutinho as the bassist, and Shaswat Karkare as the drummer.

Their new EP Babel is everything the band is all about- variety, vibe, experimentation and punch. It stands as a lyrical response to frustrating inactivity coupled with political anxiety. “It is a break from our earlier EP Asunder, specifically in terms of moving beyond the college mold and carving our own sound” says Sarthak.

Unohu, formed in 2012 by brothers Sarthak and Shaswat, is one of the youngest rock bands.

“As kids, we would jam in our homes and that’s when we found our calling. I met Yohann

Coutinho in college, we had similar taste in music and so it just clicked for us,” says Sarthak.

Their songs are simple and carry strong social messages that are delivered beautifully through English lyrics. They have wisely used this medium of communication to talk about societal prejudices and issues that they feel strongly about. The four songs in the EP voices their opinion on political issues and asks people to wake up and get a reality check on the what’s happening around. “What holds us together is experimentation, heavy reliance on sound and of course, the energy,” he adds. Their track Caught Between a Rock and Your Face was featured in the sixth edition of the compilation album titled Stupiditties 6.

Even though the band members go through hectic college schedules to tonnes of assignments, nothing can dampen their spirits. “Managing classes and exams with long jamming sessions was always a challenge. Sometimes, it is very difficult to sync our schedules but I think our passion for music is what keeps us going,” he adds. The band’s influences are varied but amongst all Porcupine Tree, Incubus and Karnivool is what inspires them the most. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

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He’s excited to be playing the lead This young man from Delhi helped Shah Rukh with his character Gaurav in the film Fan and will now be seen in a film himself which might just be the turning point of his career

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

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he name Deepak Kalra most definitely rings a bell in your head. But if you are having a tough time figuring out who he actually is, let us help you out. Remember Shah Rukh Khan’s most recent release Fan and the character Gaurav who was the superstars Fan in the fi lm? A lot of what Gaurav did in the fi lm that made his character so relatable was based on the suggestions handed out by Deepak who himself is a big fan of Shah Rukh.

It was during the making of this fi lm that the young boy from Delhi came to light. After struggling in the industry for a while now, he will finally be seen as one of the leads in an upcoming fi lm and he could not be more excited about it. Sunshine Music Tours and Travels is a fi lm which depicts a journey from Kashmir to Goa. It’s a fi lm about dreams, friendship and love. It pays tribute to Bombay, Goa and to the much loved fi lm Dil Chahta Hai. In the fi lm, he plays the character of Karan, a blogger, who hails from Delhi and wants to become the number one EDM blogger in the world. Along with being a blogger, he is also a rapper and this is what sets him apart. “I didn’t choose the role, the role chose me. The character has many shades and layers. I studied several EDM bloggers to get the role right,” Deepak tells us.

Attracted to the cameras since childhood, becoming an actor was always a part of the plan.

When he was about 12 years old he used to

TGS LIFE AUG 27-SEPT 2, 2016 PUNE

ENTERTAINMENT specially visit the church every Christmas Eve because the media interviewed people there and he would stand in the background for his two seconds of fame, he remembers.

Shah Rukh’s character Om from Om Shanti Om and Ranbir’s from the fi lm Rockstar are two roles that this young man would love to play. Apart from this, he wants to do all genres and kinds of fi lms as he believes that versatility is the sign of a good actor. Becoming an actor is challenging especially when you have no godfather in the industry because you can easily get lost in the crowd. But it is this challenge that truly tests your determination to get to the top and how good you are at what you are chasing.

It is also what makes the feeling of being at the top so worthwhile.

Acting is something that makes him happy no matter what else is happening in his life. “An actor can make someone smile or cry and the love that you get from your fans is overwhelming. I want to live a life where I am always surrounded by my fans,” he says. Only 21 years old at the moment he has done about seven fi lms till date and over 35 advertisements.

The fi lm Fan obviously played a major role in his life. It could have easily been the turning point of his career even though he wasn’t actually in it. He now has his fingers crosses about his upcoming fi lm since it is his first as a lead. As far as his future plans are concerned, other than Shah Rukh Khan, he would love the opportunity to work with absolutely everyone be it Salman Khan, Ranveer Singh or even Aamir Khan. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

A different love story This web series tell us a story of two young girls who fall in love amidst the chaos and innocence of an Indian urban city in the 90s

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

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or those who want a break from their daily dose of the on-screen romance and drama, there is a new love story on the web. Directed by Roopa Rao, The ‘Other’ Love Story will be India’s first web-series that revolves around a same-sex relationship. The 12-episode series is set in an urban Indian city back in the 90s when the world was not yet exposed to possibilities brought about by the internet or smartphones.

Roopa believes it is high time for people to openly talk about homosexual love and feels that it is important to break the notion of lesbianism being considered as porn. Th is is what inspired her to write a

love story between two girls in the most subtle and realistic way. “Th rough The ‘Other’ Love Story we attempt to dilute the taboo of same-sex love by portraying how an innocent, intense love story transcends gender and conquers hearts.

When you are in love, you feel like screaming out to world about how madly you love your special someone. But for someone who feels the same about a person from the same sex, the world sees them a lot differently,” she says.

The story revolves around Aadya and Aachal who fall in love during an era that

“This story follows how two neighbours meet, feel something and slowly find the courage to work on their feelings”

still rejoiced in handwritten love letters and conversations over landlines. It is about their journey into each other’s hearts and the drama that surrounds it. “It tells the tale of two women falling in love at a time when homophobia was much more rampant in India. The story is set in an era before the internet and mobile phones took over our lives,” she adds.

The money for the series was raised through crowd funding, which shows the appetite that Indian audiences have for off beat narratives.

The dialogues are in English, Hindi and Kannada. “Today, one can go online and find so much information and groups that support

them but back in the 90s there was nothing.

Th is story follows how two neighbours meet, feel something and slowly find the courage to work on their feelings.”

With the inception of the script eight months ago, Roopa has been working through the odds of finding the right team and turning every challenge into a victory. “The web is widely accessible by people of all outlooks and spans across geographies, so it seemed the obvious choice to tell our story. Also, the format of the narrative fits in perfectly into the episodic form,” she adds. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

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TRIPPING ON MUSIC

STAGE Brace yourself for power packed performance by the city based band Skylight Vision as they get ready to mesmerise you with their original number

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

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ead to Bluefrog to catch the very talented band Skylight Vision as bring to you the mix of their old and new songs. This high energy bands is a mix of progressive and pop rock music. Over the years they have managed to garner a fan base that keeps growing with the popularity of the post rock genre in India. This city based six piece band comprises of Gaurav Tophakhane on vocals, Aniket Ganoo and Bhushan Chitnis on guitars, Saurabh Kalokhe on bass, Shaunak Kulkarni on keyboards, and Pranav Wankhedkar on Drums.

It is difficult to categorise the type of music Skylight Vision plays as all the members have diverse influences. The band members follow various influences that enables them to achieve a unique sound that doesn’t fall under any particular genre. “However, it is really hard for people to comprehend or digest the concept of genre-free band which makes it even harder to promote. So we have tagged ourselves as a pop rock band,” says Gaurav.

The band was initiated by Aniket, Bhushan and Gaurav in late 2013. Aniket had composed a couple of songs as a creative

outlet and he soon realised the potential, and formed the band. “We believe in creating something different and making it sure that people will trip on it with their distinctly spacey, synth-laden sound. Our new songs are mostly about the life journey, love and human emotions,” he adds. They consider their true strength in making music that one can relate to independently.

Skylight Vision has already gained a good

amount of listeners through their music and their motto is to convey emotions through the songs to a wider audience. The band released its first single ‘Ember’ in 2014, and since then, the band has gone on to win the MTV RayBan Never Hide Sounds Series, through which the band collaborated with Monica Dogra and Randolph Correia’s Shaair and Func. “ I am proud to say that we were the only Pune band who played at Pune’s leg of the NH7

Strap on your dancing shoes Feel the adrenaline as you follow in the steps of Satyaki Saha while she dances to beats of Panama street music at her Reggaeton workshop this weekend

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part of the Latin Dance Community for about a decade now Satyaki Saha was in college when she joined Salsa classes. Something that started off as a hobby has now become a huge part of her life. Hailing from a middle class family becoming a dancer or a choreographer was not something that was well-accepted and so initially it never crossed her mind.

Then came a point when she realised that this is all she wanted to do for the rest of her life and there has been no stopping her since. A few days before she takes a Reggaeton workshop in the city, she speaks to TGS about her journey as a dancer and why her biggest challenge is running her dance studio. She also lets us in on what we can expect at the workshop.

Similar to the steps you would do if you were in a club dancing the night away, Reggaeton is an

intensive high energy dance form.

It finds its roots in the streets of Panama and Puerto Rico. It sets itself apart with some suave that it borrows from Latin routines, electrifying energy from Hip-Hop and DanceHall. Satyaki trained in Reggaeton when she was in Berlin.

“The dance form is still relatively new but it is catching up in the country. You need not know how to dance to be a part of the workshop, but you must be willing to learn and explore,” she says. This will be the second time that she will take a Reggaeton workshop in the city and the fact that a number of people who will be attending it for the second time says a lot about how much it is being loved, she adds.

Satyaki currently runs the dance studio Mambo City India in Kolkata along with her dance partner Sovit Biswal. While she would love to take up any Bollywood project that

comes her way, she would rather choreograph than dance, she tells us. The fact that she gets to meet so many new people and motivate them to take up a healthy lifestyle is what pushes her to do better every single day.

“Our biggest challenge is keeping all our classes creative to ensure that people want to keep coming back. For those who don’t like working out or following a diet, dancing is an easier and gradual way of heading to a healthier lifestyle and this is what we try to express through our workshops and classes every single day,” she says. Satyaki and her partner Sovit were also a part of Nach Baliye Season 5. They visit abroad at least once a year to learn something new or improve the skills that they already have.

When: August 27, 8 pm onwards Where: The Dance Floor, near JJ Garden, Camp

Weekender 2015. This was the peak moment for the band in 2015. The best moment for us is when we play our most popular number ‘Aadat Si’ and the audience sings along with us everytime. This gives us jitters,” he adds. The band is now working on their new album and many more singles are in the pipeline.

When: August 31, 9 pm Where: Blue Frog, Yerawada zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

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FREE YOUR MIND, THE REST WILL FOLLOW

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

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his Sunday, get ready to witness some super talented local and national artists at the Queer and Allies Art Festival. To be held at Donkey’s Arse in Koregaon Park starting at noon, the festival will feature well-known and budding artists across all mediums. So whether you love poetry, painting, stand-up, films or even dance, this will be the perfect place to end your weekend.

The event will have a mix of local

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FEATURES

queer and queer-friendly artists all under one roof. Organised by MIST, this is the second year of the festival that is completely run on donations.

MIST is an online forum of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender activities from across the country. The idea with the fest is to not only give the artists a much needed platform but to also talk about sexuality, diversity and rights. Last year, close to 200 people attended the festival in Pune.

TGS spoke to artists who are participating in the event to give you a heads up of what you can expect.

MUJEER PASHA

Attracted to cinema for a while now, Project Indian Bride is Mujeer Pasha’s third short film. His first two creations Just Two Steps Away and The Married Factor were just a few minutes long while Project Indian Bride is 32 minutes long. The film deals with the story of a transgender, transphobia, apathy to those that fall under this label and their acceptance. “Since my mother was from Mumbai, growing up I saw a lot of Bollywood films and this has largely influenced my work. Films are a great medium to communicate with the masses, simply because it’s so easily accessible too. Showcasing it at a festival like this helps spread the message even more,” he shares. Films give the audience and the people working on it an escape into a world which is sometimes make-belief giving them the hope that everything will work out in the end. The main aim with the film is to hopefully make viewers more sensitive to the way they treat those around them especially those belonging to the transgender community.

ALEX VICTOR A dancer for the last eight years, Alex Victor’s three-and-a-half minute performance is something one must absolutely not miss.

While this is not something that he does professionally his passion for the art form has kept him hooked onto it for years and has over time learned quite a few dance forms. One of the main reasons he

decided to perform belly dance at the event was to break stereotypes.

“There is a stigma attached with men doing belly dancing since it is considered to be more feminine in nature. Dance is an art form that can be used in multiple ways and it is because of reasons like this that artists don’t get the boost they need,” he says.

It is not just about presenting a

visual experience to the audience but also about expressing and spreading a message for this young man who hails from Bengaluru. The fact that he has in the past had people walk up to him and compliment him for his belly dance performances, he knows that there is scope to change the way people think. He hopes to be able to use dance as a weapon to break stigma.

SRIJITH SUNDARAM While it hasn’t been long that he has taken to performing plays himself, Srijith Sundaram loves everything that the medium has to offer. A cinematographer, ad-film maker and LGBT activist for the last 12 years he has always believed in the power of art as a medium to communicate and spread messages that will bring about a difference. At the festival, he will perform the Tamil play Yeriyum Ninaivugal, which means Flaming Memories. He runs the theatre group Kattiyakkari which has produced various socially sensitive plays like Avamaanam (Insult) and Molagaapodi (Chili Powder). “The play explains how sexual orientation is not a choice. It is a story of a girl whose dreams were shattered when she finds out that her husband is gay on the first night after their marriage. The play is about how she and her husband deal with the whole situation,” he says. The play is 30 minutes long and is Srijith’s solo performance. Since something similar happened to one of his friends, he was inspired to turn it into a play and use theatre as a medium to spread the right message. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

TEJAS GAIKWAD

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Mamma’s boy all the way

As a child Sanjib Das had only one goal in life that of making people happy with his food, just like his mother

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

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ike others around him, he was never confused about what he wanted to be when he grew up. Sanjib Das, head chef at Terttulia in Koregaon Park, always wanted to be like his mother. He saw the happiness that his mother was able to spread through the food she made and this was inspiration enough. He would spend hours in her kitchen trying to understand and learn what she was cooking and how she was doing it. For the young boy back then the culinary world started and ended with his mother.

Once he finished schooling from Kolkata, he pursued his graduation in hotel management and has since then has worked at restaurants in Kolkata, Mumbai and Pune.

From making a Caesar’s salad when he was 12 years old to heading the kitchen for Terttulia, Sanjib has come a long way. The most difficult thing about this journey of his has been that of serving food that appeals to all. “When my mom would make food it would make all our friends and family happy since we all liked similar kind of food.

It’s a completely different ball game

when you run a restaurant. You compete with yourself and so many others every single day to serve food that will strike a chord with everyone,” he shares. This for him is the only challenging part of his job.

Once he sees satisfied and happy faces after they have had his food, all the efforts seem worthwhile.

One of the most important qualities he believes to be a good chef is to be happy yourself. What you feel often reflects in your food and so if you as a chef are happy your food will also be able to make other’s happy, he tells TGS. European cuisine is chef Sanjib’s favourite. That so many dishes in European cuisine are grilled is something that the health conscious in him likes.

“If you are just starting up then the only thing to remember is that getting success in the culinary world like any other place is a process. Experience, trial and error and failure are all a part of the package. What definitely helps is knowing your basics well,” he says.

Being calm and aware of everything that is happening in your kitchen is something else that makes a world of difference in the kind of food that you send out, he adds. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

YOUR CHOW AROUND TOWN flavours of Spain where guests can spend pleasant monsoon evenings experiencing appetizing finger foods paired with the perfect fruity accompaniment, Sangria.

The specially curated menu brings the delectable flavours of the Mediterranean nation to heighten the spirits in the bar. The bartender specialities include Kiwi sangria, Red Velvet sangria, Sweet cherry sangria, strawberry rose sangria and more.

When: Ongoing Where: Fishbowl at Hyatt Pune Kalyani Nagar

DIY burgers

Revisit your activity rich childhood days, as you construct your own burger, just like those Lego blocks. Use the ingredients on offer at The Irish House and slake your burger cravings. You can select from a variety of 10 mouth watering patties of your preference right from roasted mushroom to hot cottage cheese to pepper chicken tenders, spicy crumb fish, and more. Top it up with any 4 of your favourite toppings from caramalised onions, fried egg, pickled veggies, house slaw, homemade jalapenos, cheddar cheese and a lot other varieties. To make your lunch more exciting, you can pair it with a mug of beer or with a glass of Sangria.

When: Ongoing Where: The Irish House, Viman Nagar

International Beer Month Delectable Barbeque dinner

Rejoice your Wednesday and Thursday with unlimited Beer and Barbeque at MoMo café with Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan this season. Enjoy unlimited drinks and food at Alfresco with the touch of nature and some heavenly DJ music. So come along and keep you stress aside to spend quality time at MoMo Café this monsoon season!

When: Ongoing Where: MoMo Café, Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan

Get your fix of Sangria

Fishbowl at Hyatt Pune Kalyani Nagar celebrates exotic

Traveling for beer is a sentiment echoed across countries, with beer enthusiasts willing to cross continents in search of the finest pint. But you don’t have to go the extra mile to savour your favourite brew! The Beer Cafe does it for you by bringing together a collection of over 50 beers from 18 nations under one roof!

The Beer Passport gives you the opportunity to try distinct styles from four countries- Belgium, Holland, U.K. and Germany and to avail the fifth one from any country of your choice, complimentary. And that’s not all, you can also spread the joy by sharing your Beer Passport with friends and colleagues to complete the journey.

When: Ongoing Where: The Beer cafe, Kalyani Nagar

NO MORE RUCKUS OVER FOOD

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By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

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ave you got a fussy eater in your house? You’d know exactly how hard it is to find recipes to tempt them.

If you are tired of jumping through hoops to please your picky eaters at meal times, these recipes will help sort you out.

MUSHROOM PARCELS IN PESTO

SOYA AND SPINACH GALETTES WITH MASALA BARLEY AND BAKED POTATOES This is one recipe that every vegetarian and vegan health freak would love to try, as you

SPANISH PAELLA

This exotic starter works very well during house parties. It combines mushroom with fresh basil and nuts with a dash of olive oil and garlic, resulting in a pesto sauce that has an intense flavour and rich texture.

Ingredients For covering Dough Maida 2 cups Salt 1/2 tsp Oil 1 tbsp Water to knead For stuffing Chopped mushroom 2 cups Grated mozzarella 1/2 cup Chopped garlic 1tsp Italian seasoning 1/2 tsp Freshly crushed pepper 1tsp Olive oil 1tbsp Salt to taste For pesto Fresh basil leaves 2 cups Freshly grated Parmesan 1/2 cup Extra virgin olive oil 1/2 cup Walnuts or cashewnuts 1/3 cup Garlic cloves 3 Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Method Knead soft dough for the covering and keep aside to rest.

Stuffing: Heat a pan and add olive oil. Sauté garlic then add chopped mushrooms. Add salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Sauté for 3-5 min till mushrooms are cooked and water from mushrooms is left behind. The stuffing is now ready.

For parcels: Roll out small, thin rotis. Stuff one spoon of the above mushroom stuffing and make small potlis.

Deep fry them and serve with pesto.

For pesto · Blend basil leaves and cashewnuts in a food processor and grind. Add the garlic and Parmesan cheese and grind to a paste. · While the food processor is running, slowly add olive oil in a steady small stream. Adding the olive oil slowly, while the processor is running, will help it emulsify and help keep the olive oil from separating. The pesto is now ready.

This vegetarian paella is so moist, full of flavour, and substantial, that you will scarcely notice it is meat-free. The green, red, and yellow bell peppers add a vibrant splash of colour to the pale rice, while the tangy tomatoes and delicate peas ensure that this vegetarian paella will satisfy even the most avid carnivores.

Ingredients Mixed veggies (coloured bell peppers, peas, mushrooms, broccoli, tomatoes, baby corn) 2 cups Risotto rice 2 cups Chopped onion 1 Tomato purée 1 cup Chopped parsely 1 tbsp Chopped garlic 1 tbsp Soaked and par boiled chickpeas 1/2 cup

get a good amount of protein, starch and carbohydrates all on the platter.

Just cook soya and spinach on a slow flame till it is completely cooked, then season it with salt and pepper and mix a little potatoes to make a galette, and fry it in a non-

Saffron threads soaked in water 1 tsp Vegetable stock Olive oil 3 tbsp Salt and pepper Method Soak the saffron threads in water for some time.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a paella pan or wide, shallow frying pan and cook the onion over medium heat, stirring for 2-3 minutes, or until softened. Add the garlic, chickpeas and all the mixed veggies and keep stirring frequently, for five minutes.

Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, or until glossy and coated.

Pour in the stock and add the tomatopurée and saffron water, salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, shaking the pan frequently and stirring

VEGETABLE HALEEM WITH SAFFRON PARATA Halem is a stew which is generally prepared during Ramadan. It provides protein, fibre and carbohydrates from the various combinations of grains and pulses and vegetables. Saffron has known to have anti-oxidant, digestive, anti-convulsant qualities. This dish comes across as mixture of right amount of carbohydrates and nutritions.

Ingredients Dalia 1 cup Masoor Dal 1/2 cup Urad Dal 1/2 cup Moong Dal 1/2 cup Chana Gram 1/2 cup Carrots (grated) 2 Soyabean 1/2 cup Pumpkin (grated) 100 gram 100 gram Bottle Gourd (grated) Big Onions 2 Ginger Garlic paste 1 tbsp Dhaniya powder 1 tbsp Red Chilli powder 1 tbsp Pinch of Turmeric Garam Masala Salt Lemon

Method · Boil the Dalia for up to four whistles in the cooker. Keep aside. · In the cooker, add 2 tbsp oil and 1 onion (chopped). Once the onion gets brown in color, add ginger garlic paste and allow it to fry · Now, add all the above mentioned ingredients except 1 onion and the lemon · Add 4 cups of water and close the cooker. · Allow it to cook till four whistles. · Take the reserved onion (chopped lengthwise) and fry. Once brown, keep aside on a plate. · Once the steam is released from the cooker, add the Dalia to the cooker and mix well. · Serve hot and garnish it with fried onions and lemon. · Serve hot with saffron parata with some fried onion, green chilly and a piece of lemon wedge.

Recipe by, Chef Sathish Reddy, senior sous chef, Courtyard by Marriott Pune Chakan)

stick pan. Hand mix the boiled barley with chopped tomatoes, onions, coriander, ginger, green chili and a little olive oil. When ready, serve it with baked potatoes and sour cream.

ChefGaurav Anand, Executive Sous Chef

occasionally, till the rice is cooked. Add chopped parsely and serve hot.

Recipes by Aarti Bafna, founder of FOODYFIX, a venture started to innovate and educate healthy food recipes in a fun and creative way.

Bridging the g

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creativity an

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By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

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beautiful warli painting on the wall or a soft silk sari that you own, each has a story to tell. If you listen carefully, you’d hear of rural artisans

CHAPPERS From helping out his father in their transport business to reading entrepreneurship books, this young boy did all he could to find his true calling. Harshwardhan Patwardhan was absolutely in love with Kolhapuri chappals since his college days and wore them to parties and even to his lectures when he was in the UK. It was when he was reading the books that he realised of his inclination towards a business that was deeply rooted in the Indian culture and started exploring the idea of making Kolhapuris. He wanted

to change the roadside image that they had and trade them around the world with a brand name.

When he visited Kolhapur, he saw that all the shops showcased the exact same chappals and this is the first thing he wanted to change. “I remember waking up at 4.30 am and catching the first state transport bus to Kolhapur to meet the manufactures there and bring back samples. I then found a way to make them more comfortable and colourful, and honestly my research is still not complete,” he tells us.

He currently has seven artisans from Kolhapur and their well-being is his priority. He pays them double of what they would make otherwise and thereby ensures a safe and secure future for their family.

One of the most challenging aspects of started Chappers was to convince people around him that just because he came from a reasonably well-off family and was selling chappals did not mean that he was conning them. He also had zero background in the footwear industry and so failed numerous times before he could figure out even basic things.

“At Chappers, we are improving the life of our craftsmen, earning respect for Indian products in the international market and building an Indian fashion brand that promotes the local art of shoe-making all at the same time. It’s an India-centric business and it will always work towards changing the perception of people around the world regarding Indian products,” tells us the young boy.

TRULY TRIBAL She left her IT job when her passion of painting murals started calling out to her. Growing up along the tribal belt in Madhya Pradhesh, Shweta Menon knew of a lot of rural artisans but she did not value them much. She has grown up seeing them work endless hours to create beautiful handicrafts and later also saw them being exploited when it came to selling their products. This somehow stuck with her and so when she was thinking of an alternate venture, it was not too difficult.

“My agenda with Truly Tribal was twofold. Not only did I want to create a space where all art forms would be available under one roof but I also wanted to protect the rural artisans.

They deserve much more than what they actually get and its affordable to us too since most of us don’t mind paying for it when it has a

sweating it out in their houses to best possible work. Haggling with a him give you a heavy discount is s do, not realising that the only on it is the poor artisan bent over his Attempting to get rid of the innu

AR Sh beg a th It Ra thi exi ad fro kin the to

tak art do for the ma res the do lot

big brand name on it,” says Shweta. Truly Tribal currently collaborates with about 45 artisans from all over the country and promotes about nine art forms.

Just like every other venture of this nature, the problems were a part of the journey right from the beginning. Apart from reaching out to artisans who live in the interiors of the villages, even reaching out to the urban crowd and making them aware of her brand and what they did was quite the task for her. “I had to unlearn everything from my time in the corporate world to work with artisans. It has been a great journey so far and has helped me grow too,” she says. All her artisans have complete freedom in the kind of handicrafts that they wish to create.

Increasing awareness about lesser known art forms and giving artisans the right platform is all Truly Tribal aims at, she adds.

gap between

produce some of the a shopkeeper to make something that we all ne getting affected by work desk for hours. umerable middle men

that are a part of the chain, entrepreneurs from the city took it upon themselves to build a business that ensured that what you pay for the products directly reaches artisans. TGS talks to some of them to find out what challenges they face along the way and what inspired their ventures.

RT ETC he was a nutrition graduate who later gan working as an ad-maker and he heatre personality from Chandigarh. was their work that inspired Maya ao and her husband Narendra to ink about the various art forms that ist in the country. While working on documentary that showcased artisans om across India they realised the nd of labour that went into creating e handicrafts and this pushed them start Art Etc. “We realised that a lot of us ke the artisans, who create the tefacts, for granted. We wanted to o something to preserve the dying art rms in our own small way and give e artisans a place in the contemporary arket,” tells us Maya. Part of their search came from the making of e documentary and the rest was one during their travels. They met a t of people during their travels from

different regions and talking to them, understanding the history behind their art was what most of their work was all about before starting the venture, she added. They currently have more than 20 artisans on board from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Orissa and West Bengal.

Since they were setting up a business for the first time and were not too well versed with the modalities of running it, the challenges were humungous. “It was a huge risk to shift out of our comfort zone and set up a venture in a new city. We did have some hurdles along the way, but our passion for the art forms kept us going," says Narendra. Meeting with talented artisans who have exquisite skills, spending days with them to evolve a product and then the joy of showcasing them in the store is what they consider as the best part of their job.

TGS LIFE AUG 27-SEPT 2, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

PICS BY RAHUL RAUT

nd business

Start-ups today are going beyond just finding a way to make money.

TGS features five such ventures from the city that have stretched past the money game to help rural artisans reach urban markets

BEAUTITUDE Running her venture for just about three months now, Akanksha Shukla loves every moment of doing what she does. It took her quite some time to actually implement her plan, but now that she has, she could not be happier about how smoothly everything is working out. She worked non-stop for days as she did everything from setting up the website, to finding artisans and collaborating with designers, among other things. Through Beautitude, she believes she has found a way to do something that satisfies her creative and business side, along with being able to help the artisans.

“There is a lot of talent in the interiors of the country that is waiting to be explored. Someone needs to bring it all to the masses, without exploiting the artisans and I am more than happy to do so,” she tells us. Her main motive behind this venture was not to make money out of it but to find a way to help the craftsmen. She currently has

about five of them on board and they come from all over India. She is also in talks with several others to increase the number of art forms that she can present.

Her biggest challenge running Beatitude is raising enough capital to continue to get more artisans on board. Currently, she does everything from sourcing the material to packing and delivering it. Hiring help would mean either raising the end-cost to the consumer or lowering the cut that goes to the artisans. Teaching Mathematics to international students online she finds a way to manage her expenses and so her share from the venture is almost negligible at the moment. “I have grown up in tough situations, where we had one earning member, my grandfather Gopal Singh Kanwal, who fed 12 mouths. I relate to the artisans and their struggle which is why this is so much more closer to my heart,” she explains. This, to a large extent, keeps her motivated and pushes her to deliver her very best.

“There is a lot of talent in the interiors of the country that is waiting to be explored. ”

FABRICS OF INDIA Coming from a completely different background that had nothing to do with fabrics or textiles, it was a challenging task for Shipra Alam to identify authentic producers.

Fabrics have always been something that caught her attention and travelling to explore for her start-up kept her motivated through all the hurdles she faced along the way.

Before starting the venture, she looked through a lot of different NGOs and SHGs who work with these weavers to give them a sustainable livelihood. She also interacted with weavers and artisans themselves to understand more about their craft and the challenges they face. “The biggest challenge I faced was to make people understand that handlooms are expensive because they are made by hand.

Also, people have to look beyond the discount culture when they are buying these products,” she shares. The handloom industry is still very unorganized and operates through traders and middlemen. Identifying and segregating weavers from traders was another daunting task. To get

in touch with weavers and artisans was difficult, especially while she was in Pune, she tells us.

Shipra currently has about 50 weavers working with her.

All of them are primarily from Bhuj, Mundhra, Ajrakhpur in Gujarat and from Udaipur, Barmer, Sanganer, Akola and Jaipur in Rajasthan, Kalamkari painters from Srikalahasti in Andhra Pradesh, Telia Rumaal weavers from Puttapaka in Chitoor district, weavers from Sambalpur and Naupatna in Odisha, Kantha work embroiderers from Burdwan and Bolpur in Kolkata, Linen, Muslin Khadi and Khadi weavers from Murshidabad in Bengal.

“Ours is not just a store. It is a concept to promote handlooms and handicraft that originate from different states of India. It is an experiential store where the aim is to make people aware of the rich heritage that we have through a display of select fabrics,” she says. Prior to this venture, Shipra has worked as a corporate communication professional for nearly 16 years. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

TGS LIFE AUG 27-SEPT 2, 2016 PUNE

THRILL OF DRIVING

QUICK DRIVE: 2016 AUDI A4 30 TFSI

Small engine, big efficiency, technology and comfort.

The new A4 stands for polish, not revolution

By Tushar Burman

A4s before it. There are some creases and nods to aggression and sportiness in the design, but ach time I drive an Audi, I’m substantially, the same shape pops immediately comfortable. out.

But that’s not to say all Same basic shape as old A4s, of them have a plush ride. The with some tweaks. Note the familiarity they breed never seems door-mounted ORVMs: good for to tend toward contempt. The new visibility and aerodynamics A4 is no different in this respect, While the car increases in though it is in many others. dimensions over the outgoing For 2016, the A4 comes model, it is also 95kg lighter than with the now ubiquitous LED the predecessor, which is a very headlamps. Though they don’t significant drop. Just as well, officially call attention since the petrol version to them like with the we drove comes with Audi A4 A6 ‘Matrix’, I did a tiny (for this 30 TFSI notice a few cluedsize car) 1.4 litre + Efficiency, in potential buyers turbocharged suspension, tech already referring engine generating - Unremarkable, to it as the “A4 150hp and down on power Matrix”. So be it; 250Nm of torque. it certainly doesn’t Acceleration is TGS rating hurt the car. Also claimed at 8.5 ;;;`2 new are the sharply seconds for the 0–100 raked LED DRLs within run. We didn’t test this the lamp housing, giving the ourselves, but we’ll take their front of the new car an aggressive word for it. For us, the interior stance. If you notice little else new was more of a revelation than at fi rst glance, you’d be forgiven. the performance numbers or the The new A4 looks like many other understated tweaks to the exterior. @tburman

E

If you intend to be chauffeured in the new A4, you won’t be disappointed by the space available at the back. There’s plenty of knee room for rear passengers, and the ride is about as plush as it could get before becoming bouncy. It’s an excellent package of comfort and handling, and we felt no crashes coming through the shocks even on rough roads. That said, the interior trim is underwhelming despite the smart slate colour. The immediate impression is of plastic, but there’s soft-touch materials everywhere.

Audi has included some faux wood trim to class up the cabin, but we could take it or leave it.

For the driver, the new console system is lovely. Audi includes a large 12” TFT screen where the speedo and tacho would normally be, just like the Audi TT. The display can be configured in a myriad ways, displaying all sorts of useful information without needing to glance away from the road for too long. We enjoyed keeping the navigation playing on the driver binnacle, while our co-driver for the day played with the technology bits on the main MMI screen.

The jog-dial system remains, and now has a capacitive touch surface which can be used to input queries via handwriting. Gone are the jumbo-jet level button panels for every function, simplified into a small navigation console with some key functions getting their own controls.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration make a lot of sense. The MMI system also gets a big boost with the inclusion of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which takes smartphone integration to another level. Audi have even put a wireless charging system into the storage box under the centre armrest, which is just darn clever. Also new is an airconditioning vent system that goes across the entire length of

the dashboard, though we didn’t detect much air exiting the central vents. The climate control system is now three-zone.

Enthusiasts of big, brawny engines will not enjoy the new 1.4 litre TFSI unit in the new A4, though it makes almost as much horsepower as the old 1.8 units. There’s plenty of torque available too, and the car does not feel sluggish. It’s deceptively fast while cruising, in fact, thanks to the 7-speed dual-clutch S Tronic transmission that keeps things at a quiet RPM level. Shifts are quick enough and paddle shifters are offered. New is the “coasting” mode, which essentially puts the transmission into neutral when you’re off the gas. We weren’t able to figure out what specific conditions it must encounter to decide when it goes into this mode, but it was entirely transparent to the driving experience. Audi is claiming over 17kmpl, undoubtedly helped along by this feature.

Tightly-packaged 1.4 litre turbo motor makes less power than its predecessor, but is about as quick to 100kmph The engine note, while accelerating, sounded

unnecessarily gruff to our ears, though as the speeds rise, you can forgive this as an aural confi rmation of what your body is experiencing. We suspect an aftermarket exhaust will make this engine sound sweet. There was always power available on demand for quick overtaking procedures, and the spectacular coastal road from Bhubaneswar to the Konark temple made for some good longhaul testing. Th at said, the power quickly falls off near the redline, so it’s best to keep things in the meat of the torque; downshifting imprudently just produces noise.

We can confi rm that the new A4 will be an excellent intercity cruiser, whether as driver or passenger. Even within the city, the tight turning radius, light steering and soft ride made it an easy car to get along with.

There are no headlinegrabbing features with the new Audi A4, nothing to write eff usive praise about. Potential buyers may be put off by the smaller engine, but when modestly driven, it’s a good package. Key, of course, will be price which we will know at the launch, scheduled for September. tushar@goldensparrow.com

TGS LIFE AUG 27-SEPT 2, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

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BEHIND THE SCENES

Here’s what it takes to make a perfect dhol, an integral part of most festivals in the city. To begin with, artisans start work on leather tops for the dhols. It takes hours to shape a leather sheet into a top.

Then comes the process kneading the ink, which is then applied in the centre of the skin. Once the skin or leather parchment is ready, it is fixed on a drum, specially designed for a dhol.

TGS LIFE

MAGICAL BEGINNINGS

AUG 27-SEPT 2, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

Meet Master Joshua Raj who wows spectators with his superb sleight of hand

By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab

W

e have heard the phrase ‘It’s never too late’ but for 12-year-old Joshua Raj, it’s never too early. He might be a little too young, but this talented wonder kid is already giving professional magicians a run for their money. The budding star, who has been practising magic tricks since he was 10, can boast of card tricks that many wouldn’t have even heard of.

The pint-sized performer left audiences spellbound at the recently held event at Ishanya Mall and is now much in demand as an illusionist, even though his hands are too small to hold a deck of card in his palm.

He performs a range of card tricks like Card Hiding, Two Card Monk, Here And There, Psychic and many more. “I have to practice every day when I have a show coming up and it can take me up to a month to learn a new trick, but I know so many tricks now. I love what I do,” he beams.

His shows push the audience to the edge

of their seats as he displays his tricks. When asked about the tricks, he promptly replies, “I can’t reveal how they are done.”

Joshua got inclined towards the art while he was surfing YouTube for his school projects and happened to see a ‘magic’ video.

He started researching magic tricks out of curiosity and this soon turned into one of his interests. “I was very impressed with the magician Dynamo and soon started following each of his shows. I watch magic videos and try to figure out how the tricks are executed,” says the self-taught young magician.

He is home-schooled and a regular day in Joshua’s life is just like any other pre-teen’s only a lot cooler. Besides magic, he loves to play drums and has cleared grade 3 with English Contemporary style of Rock (UK). His love for drums began when he was four years old.

He happened to see a snake charmer on the street playing a damroo and this made him curious about the sound of the instrument. “I want to become a world class drummer one day and earn a Visharad in tabla,” he adds. zainab.kantawala@goldensparrow.com

Women writers unite

A

uthor Sudha Menon is all set to launch WWW (Writing With Women), a unique project that will see women from diverse backgrounds and age groups come together and share their experiences through writing and telling their stories.

She will be joined by a group of sterling Pune women including former Thermax Chairperson and social change activist Anu Aga, INTACH Pune convenor Arti Kirloskar, and Forbes Marshall Director Rati Forbes who will write with her at the launch of the project. “Imagine what the world will lose if PV Sindhu, Sakshi Malik and Deepa Karmakar don’t write their stories. When women write down their stories, it is not just about them. Th rough their stories we get a peek at social milieu of the timesfamily structures, gender equations.

Unfortunately, far few women think

of documenting their experiences,” says Sudha, the author of three non-fiction books. The project will then move to other cities including Mumbai and Bangalore, where she plans to organise WWW events.

Given the high pressure lives we live today, most of us lead largely isolated lives with little time to nurture our souls. Our thoughts and feelings remain within us, unexpressed.

Unlike earlier times when mothers and grandmothers wrote letters to us, we don’t even have that precious legacy in the sms and whatsapp world that we live in, shares Sudha. She will use a combination of memory mining and writing prompts to take workshop participants in parts of their life they want to capture.

When: Saturday, August 27, 11am-5pm Where: The Oak, Hyatt Regency, Nagar Road

Journey to the gates of a realm H

ave you always wanted to escape to another world or get a transcendental ride across galaxies and realms seldom known to mankind? Author Prashant Wason’s new book The Unknown Realm would do just that to you.

Prashant has spun a gripping fiction around the life of Sam, who leaves a monotonous life with two of his friends Jack and Salzaar. His world revolves around his friends, school, his part-time job, and football. One fine day, while playing football, the boys hear mysterious voices within them. These voices have started to surface after they have befriended a girl named Elizabeth. Sam and his friends soon realise that the voices they hear within them are those of their souls, which are trapped in this world and can reach theirs through Sam and his friends. “Now Sam, as well as his friends, has to embark on an epic journey to the gates of a realm that nobody knows exists. They must release their souls into the world meant for the immortals,” says Prashant.

The book revolves around Sam, who must encounter tons of hurdles, legends and mysteries along the way. “Upon death of humans, it is just this part which leaves the body and takes on another.

Remaining part stays in the Eratosthenes Galaxy in Parallel Dimension with its soulful and magical world

around it.

In this unknown realm, the everlasting rule of Sasha, the self-proclaimed queen of the entire galaxy, is on the decline,” he adds.

Meanwhile on the Earth, a young boy named Sam is leading his monotonous life fi lled with his best friends Jack and Salzaar, school, part time job and football. On one of the practice days, while on the football field, they hear mysterious voices within them, voices which lead them to a win in the game.

Prashant is a ninth-grader and loves penning down his thoughts. With this book, he marks his entry into the world of published writing. He writes poetry as well. The essence of his poetry reflects upon the insights of the world around us. He is currently working on the sequel, and also preparing for his IGCSE exams. “The books climax includes Frazen overcoming his sorrow of losing his mentor and teacher. He now knows who the true enemy is. He and his friends get ready for the next level of action, guided now by few words from ancient prophecy and lessons from the teacher. And what happens next will be in the sequel edition,” he says. Journey to the gates of a realm.

While solo performers have existed forever, the world of theatre has, in the recent times, seen a tremendous rise in the number of people who are opting to perform by themselves

By Salonee Mistry @Salonee Mistry

T

he fact that theatre evolves every single day is not something new. If you are an avid lover of the art form, it is hard to miss the fact that the kind of plays being staged now are different than those that were being performed a few months ago. Apart from being more content driven and experimental in nature, not only is the treatment of these plays different but it is soon becoming a ‘one man show’ too. It has moved from a time when people would dramatize the art of storytelling to make it look theatrical to actually performing plays that have been written for just one person. While it definitely has a lot to do with convenience and time constraint, it is also about having the freedom to interpret and express stories and scripts differently with each performance and every artist. TGS spoke to a four theatre artists to find out how different it is to be the only one on stage. They told us about the challenges they face, advantages of being solo artists and how they were attracted to the art form to begin with.

FALLING IN LOVE WITH THEATRE Her father used to do theatre in Baramati, which is her native place. As a child, Sushama Deshpande would love to attend the rehearsals and with every play her interest only grew.

There was this one time when her father could not find anyone to play the role of a girl for one of his plays and he decided to cast his own daughter. Acting and being on stage be it when she was in school, college or even after that soon enough became routine for her. Till date, although she has done innumerable plays, Vhya Mi Saitribai and Tichya Aaichi Gosht Arthat Majhya Aathvanichi Fad are her only two solo plays.

For Aarti Tiwari, Omkar Govardhan and Mahindra Walunj, theatre became a part of their lives much later on. It was either during their school or college days that they took part in plays and fell in love with being on stage. Participating in competitions like the Purushottam Karandak and Firodiya Karandak got Aarti hooked. Just one solo play old, she has already done 14 shows of Mansha Ki Shaadi across Pune, Sidhi, Amboli, Kolkata and Nashik.

“Theatre is a powerful medium for expressing ideas. It is also a way for me to escape everyday life and enter a new world where I can express myself in an unrestrained manner. It gives people a sense of community and belongingness. It is a powerful medium for exposing problems and this power has always attracted me towards it,” she says.

Omkar who has performed several recitations over the last 12 years since he has been doing theatre and has also performed the much acclaimed play Mahadevbhai, produced

by Aasakta theatre group. He is the first from his family to venture into this field and, just like Aarti, loves that it gives him the chance to explore and express himself.

Mahindra has done the solo plays Shilak and Upasha which are also a part of Aasakta theatre group and says, “Doing solo plays and theatre more importantly changed me considerably.

THE RISE OF THE SOLO PERFORMERS

TGS LIFE AUG 27-SEPT 2, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

Sushama Deshpande

Aarti Tiwari

Mahindra Walunj

Omkar Govardhan

It brought in a lot more confidence and over time my knowledge of the medium has grown tremendously.” Along with doing theatre he is also working as a printing supervisor with Aay’s advertising at the moment.

THE GOOD AND THE BAD The biggest challenge doing a solo play, all the artists tell us, is to capture the attention

of the audience by yourself and holding it for the entire play. “While any and every play is difficult as there are many angles and technical factors to consider, being the only one on the stage comes with an added responsibility. If you make any mistake there is no one to cover up for you or draw the audience’s attention away from you and this is the biggest challenge,” tells us Sushama.

“When I started off doing solo plays in 1989 there was a lot of discussion about it and that’s when I realised that I had done something different. Till then most of the solos were

done to only make the audiences laugh and so bordered along the lines of stand-up comedy rather than it being theatre,” she adds.

Agreeing with her, Aarti also feels that getting everything perfectly right from the script to the set design, lighting design, and all the other aspects of the play, in solo performances is the actor’s job. While this can be tiring, it is a fun process too. Talking of the advantages, she loves the fact that when you do solo plays you get the opportunity to read and research on different and complex topics and interpret it in the way you understand it.

The first few minutes is what makes or breaks a solo performance believes, Mahindra.

If you aren’t able to grasp your audience’s attention in the beginning there is nothing else that will get them interested again as you will be the only one on the stage throughout and this is the biggest challenge for him personally. On the other hand the fact that it is extremely flexible and can be performed absolutely anywhere is what he likes about it.

There are two types of solo performances, explains Omkar. One is of the intense kind where there is no involvement of the audience and this makes performing it relatively easier.

The second kind is where communication with the audience is vital and this is a true test of the artist’s capability. “There is a lot of freedom in terms of expression when one is doing a solo play. But this can be dangerous too. When there are more people you tend to take cues from each other and complete the performance to pack a proper punch. With solo plays, this is not possible and that makes it challenging enough,” he tells us. The performer must know how to use the freedom he has in just the right places and not overdo it, he adds.

The fact that they don’t have to squabble over rehearsal timings and can perform almost anywhere, is something that is attracting artists to solo plays in huge numbers. Competitions that are arranged almost every other month also encourage these artists. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

AUG 27-SEPT 2, 2016 PUNE

SHOPPING

PICS BY TEJAS GAIKWAD

SP

TGS LIFE

BRING OUT THE PASTELS Uber cool, sophisticated and trendy is what defines 22-year-old student Devyani Bapat’s style quotient. Spoilt for options she picked the best five pastel outfits from her wardrobe

Go Chic

The pleated orange crop top when paired with skinny black jeans and stilletoes is enough to make a statment at any and every party you attend. Simple studs or even sleek danglers are a good add on.

Crop Top: Busy Bee, Rs 750 Jeans: Allen Solly, Rs 1,200

Simply Classy

This simple yet classy pale blue hi-low dress is a great pick for any evening party. Pair it with either silver or golden heels and a mtching clutch and you are all set to make a statement Where: Forever New Price: Rs 2,500

Make heads turn

An ideal combination for a fun day out, the white shorts and red top are both fun, sassy and stylish. You can pair it will flats or oxfords.

Shorts: Zara, Rs 2,000 Top: Colaba Causeway, Rs 750

Minty Green

Your brunch dress

Have a brunch to attend? No problem. This simple pale yellow short dress is just what you need to get heads turning. You could pair it with a neckpiece or long earrings. A sling bag matching your heels or flats is a must.

Where: Forever 21 Price: Rs 1,500

Cool on the eyes and comfortable to wear, the mint green top and black shorts combination is suitable for almost every casual event. You could wear it to a movie, for lunch or dinner and even when you go clubbig. Flats go best with this combination.

Top: Colaba Causeway, Rs 750 Shorts: Fling, Rs 1,000

— Compiled by Salonee Mistry

14

RAHUL RAUT

‘FITNESS IS A LIFESTYLE’

A final year BBA student, a fitness freak, a mamma’s boy and a national level football player, this young boy has achieved more than most 21-year-olds dream of

for him. He also gives credit to Neha Oza for playing a huge role in helping kickstart and maintaining his diet initially.

MY DAILY ROUTINE I have a very hectic routine and tight schedule as my day starts at five in the morning. My fi rst meal of the day is at around 5:30am which consists of two full eggs and three egg whites along with a cup of green tea which gets me going. I start training people at the gym by six which usually goes on till 10:30 am. In between, I have a cheese sandwich and two eggs again, one full and one without the yolk and take a scoop of protein shake with milk. The idea is to fuel myself enough so that I have the energy to workout, which I do around 10:45 am. Just 15-20 minutes before my workout I like taking a cup of black coffee which helps boost my metabolism.

Once I am done with my workout, I mix a scoop of protein with five gram glutamine in water. Th is is very important to help repair torn muscles as a result of the routine.

I then head to college and, after my lectures, have my next meal at around 3:30 pm. Th is includes about 100-140 grams of rice with tofu, paneer or soya, depending on my mood. After this, I again need to get to the gym at around 6 pm as I have a few more clients and, on certain days, I head for my football practice. Right before my training sessions with clients in the evening, I have six boiled eggs, all of them without yolks and a glass of chocolate milk.

Dinner is around nine and mostly includes egg whites again, no specific number, along with a handful of almonds and a medium-sized fruit. Right before I sleep, I have a scoop of casein protein in water with five grams glutamine as it is a slow digesting protein best suitable for bedtime. I change my diet plan according to my goals. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com

EXPERT SPEAK OMKAR SINGH SEEMA Age: 21 Weight: 72 kg Height: 5’8

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

O

mkar Singh Seema is your typical boy next door. Like everybody else, he too aims at being better at whatever he does and manages to achieve his goals too. For him, life is all about the process of learning, which never stops. He has your typical lame sense of humour and is extremely fun loving apart from being focused towards his daily routine. His mother is his number one priority. He is quite the athlete as well as a fitness freak and works out every single day. He is also a psychology enthusiast and has done a course in Sports Nutrition too. A gym instructor and personal trainer himself, Omkar believes that getting fit is possible only if you love yourself and pushes all his clients to think this too.

Apart from his love for football, other activities he undertakes to remain fit include a combination of power-lifting, strength training, endurance and resistance training, cardio and power yoga. “Fitness is a life style.

While many people have different theories when it comes to being fit, I personally

Atul Godbole Founder and Head Trainer Motiv8 Coaching

believe in dedicating an hour daily for at least four days in a week. Th is ensures that it does not become a burden no matter how busy I am,” he says. Couple this with a good, balanced diet and you have nothing to worry about, he adds.

FITNESS MANTRA Omkar believes in following a traditional workout along with modern day techniques and a session of power yoga once every week.

Being a football player under contract with a professional team, cardio is not an escape for this young boy. “I strictly believe in the fact that your fitness regime should be 70 per cent based on your diet and 30 per cent on your workout. Eat right and get the desired success is my motto,” Omkar says.Working out is not something that a lot of people have a problem with but following a diet is always the issue, he points out. One other thing that he feels will help anyone stick to their fitness routine and make the process easier is when they have someone to share their goals with.

His workout partner Robinson Nanao is instrumental in making sure that he does his workouts on time and with the correct form and technique, while Omkar does the same

One thing that strikes me is that a lot of processed protein is being eaten. Try to substitute some of that with natural sources of protein. Also try to get your protein from a variety of natural sources - I see a lot of eggs being eaten. I would recommend 30 minutes of easy running or 60 minutes of spinning/biking, 2 times per week as a part of your endurance training.

Expert rating: 8/10

TGS LIFE AUG 27-SEPT 2, 2016 PUNE

FEATURES

Say yes to jewellery J

ewellery is the perfect way to bring life to an outfit and enhance your best features. Aakash Barmecha, Jewellery Designer for Yoube Jewellery shares some tips to get that perfect look. · Big, bold, extra-large even oversized statement pieces are in trend. Be it multi-strand, multi-layered necklaces, chunky rings, dangling earrings or elaborate cuffs expect some serious innovation. · The newest addition to the charts is body jewellery. The meek long chain pendants are the most popular as of now however chunky body Aakash Barmecha chains, ear cuffs, nose cuffs, palm cuffs, waist-cinching buckled belts are all increasingly being used as body-rockers. · Keep your personal appearance in mind while buying jewellery. Just because a particular style looks good on a model or on your friend, does not mean that it will suit you. Different skin tones lend themselves to either gold or silver jewellery and if you’re not sure then ask for some advice. The same rule applies if opting for a coloured stone, depending if you have a fair complexion or olive skin for example, find out which colours suit you best and stick to them. · While picking your earrings, keep your hairstyle in mind. If you are going to wear your hair down, pick longer earrings. For a bun, choose medium length earrings which will look elegant, but will still not overpower your face. · Full parure jewellery (an entire wardrobe or suite of jewellery, often designed to be worn all at once) can never go out of fashion. The trend is to mix and match. The most important thing to keep in mind is to be yourself. If you are not the kind of person who dresses up too much or wears too much jewellery, follow the same thumb rule here.

Keep your jewellery elegant and simple and it will definitely work.

Must have jewellery pieces for every woman · The classic round brilliant cut solitaire diamond ring · Stacked rings, preferably in different gold hues · Modern diamond ear-cuffs · An elegant pair of single line diamond bangles · A statement long diamond necklace

SUKRITI TO SING FOR SUNNY LEONE'S NEXT

TGS LIFE AUG 27-SEPT 2, 2016 PUNE

BUZZ

By Salonee Mistry @SaloneeMistry

O I want to do a light romantic film now: Pooja Hegde

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aving made her Bollywood debut with heavy-duty Mohenjo period film, Daro actress Pooja Hegde feels a light-hearted love story as the next project would be an ideal choice for her. "Ideally, I would want to do a fun romantic movie. Though I don't mind another period film because I always go for the story and my role more than the genre, I do feel working on something light and easy would be better right now. I want to do a film where I can walk in jeans on the sets," she said.

The 25-year-old actress says as a viewer she has enjoyed watching films like Dil Chahta Hai and Band

Baaaja Baaraat and would want to do movies with contemporary setting. "I loved watching Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Band Baaja Baaraat and Dil Chahta Hai. These are the kind of movies I want to do. I like romantic dramas, love stories are my favourite genre. I have watched Kuch Kuch Hota Hai more than 100 times. And now, I like all Imtiaz Ali films. I would love to do something like that."

Despite the poor critical response to the Hrithik Roshanstarrer, Pooja is happy that people liked her look and performance in the movie. "I have read a lot of reviews on social media and yes,

there has been mixed response to the film. But I am happy that people have liked me."

The actress feels it is hard to establish oneself in the industry as an outsider but she is keen to sign her next project soon. "I know it is not easy for outsiders in Bollywood but I am mentally prepared for the struggle."

Hegde was full of praise for Hrithik, saying the actor helped her during the shooting of film.

"He has been very gracious and kind towards me even during the promotions, though he didn't need to be. That shows his nature and character."

Akshay is the most energetic person in B-town: Ranveer

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he ever vibrant and enthusiastic actor Ranveer Singh feels Akshay Kumar is the most energetic person in Bollywood.

"Everyone's energy in Bollywood is amazing.

When it comes to being energetic the first name that comes to my mind is of Akki sir (Akshay Kumar). He is very energetic and this is because he doesn't smoke and drink, also he gets up at 5 am.

He leads a healthy life," Ranveer told reporters here at a promotional event.

The 31-year-old actor is now being addressed as a 'superstar' by many and Ranveer says he is grateful to his fans for showing immense love towards him.

"I will take that (the superstar tag) as a compliment. I go mad when I hear this. I thank my fans for all the love that they have given me till now."

On being as who has the most best and beautiful smile in Bollywood, Ranveer asked his fans to answer the question.

The fans, who had gathered at the event, kept shouting Deepika Padukone. "Janata ne apana faisla kar liya hai! (audience has taken its decision)," quipped the Ram Leela actor.

ne of the happiest girls you will meet, Sukriti Kakkar is ambitious, passionate and independent. She started singing at the age of six but had absolutely no idea back then that she would make a career out of her hobby. She was always surrounded by music at home and this played a huge role in building her interest around the art form. She started performing on stage once she turned 16 and has voiced over 70 commercials, not to mention some memorable Bollywood numbers like Kar Gayi Chull from Kapoor & Sons, Labon Se from Scandal, Rustom Vahi from Rustom and Pehli Baar from Dil Dhadakne Do. Her most recent song Rustom Vahi is very special since it was a solo track and also the theme song for the film. We asked her about how she chooses what songs to sing for and she says, “As singers we are at the receiving end, so most times we never get to pick out projects or decide which one to take up. We are called to the studio to try a song and it could be anything so we have to put our best foot forward. It never really matters whether I like a song or not, if my voice doesn’t fit the actresses then I am not right for it.”

Sukriti’s love for music stems

from her mother who has been a music teacher for over 15 years.

Her elder sister Akriti has been a playback singer for over a decade now, while her twin sister Prakriti and she started their journey just five years ago. The most fun and challenging part about her job is that it's different every day, the talented singer tells us. Having some amount of consistency in ones projects is also very challenging.

“Playback singing requires a lot of patience since sometimes it takes over a year for a song to release and sometimes it's a matter of just a few days. Also the challenging part is you don't know what you're in for next. So it's important to work on your craft and versatility and be ready to take the plunge,” she adds.

There are many people who have influenced her and she looks up to Sunidhi Chauhan for the ultimate diva that she is and for her body of work. Vishal Dadlani and Shankar Mahadevan she believes are extremely good at what they do and so are Amit Trivedi and Arijit Singh. Up next for Sukriti is a song from Beiimaan Love featuring Sunny Leone and a few more projects that she could not talk about right now. Apart from Bollywood, she is also writing some of her own songs that she hopes to release next year. salonee.mistry@goldensparrow.com