WITH LOVE FROM IRAN PG 8-9
DRESS TO IMPRESS PUNE, NOV 5-11, 2016 | www.thegoldensparrow.com
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TGS LIFE NOV 5-11, 2016 | PUNE
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Conquering with abodh confidence
TGS LIFE NOV 5-11, 2016 PUNE
He is not a tourist, an engineering dropout or a terrorist. He is a storytelling conqueror of the comedy scene, one dastan at a time
By Gulal Salil @gulalsalil
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akir Khan quit his job in Delhi in April 2015 and hit the national scene by appearing in ‘On Air With AIB’ in the month of August that same year. AIB was searching for a Hindi writer. From every corner, one name came up in echoes — Zakir Khan. To reach that point of recognition by the viral phenomenon that was AIB, Zakir Khan had toiled and still does, as he says, “300 pratishat more than other people.” The stand-up comedian and writer has a layered history of fortunes and potholes but the boy from Indore has grown up and his wings are now perpetually spread in fl ight. Zakir narrates his conversion from a local hero in his city to a hero on stage starting right from his childhood, “Apan kya hai chotey sheher se badey sheher aaye toh apne bahut dostt the pehle se.
But when you come to a new city you start looking around thinking, bhai apni vatt toh hai hi nahi idhar. Kya karein? Pehle do teen saal toh berozgaar (jobless) the.” The comic reached Delhi looking for a brighter future than what staying back in Indore may have offered. He says with clarity, “I had one thing set from before. Mujhe na toh DJ banna tha Rang De Basanti se aur na Tere Naam ka Salman Khan,” adding with a laugh, “If I would have stayed back, jaise mere kayi samkaleen logon (contemporaries) ne kiya, I would have still been bossing around 19year old boys and solving their fights.” Zakir dropped out from a biotech degree because he wanted to perform comedy. He found a shortterm course in radio in Delhi and went ahead. “Dilli mein apan ko thankfully log badey acche miley,” he continues, “Apan ko pata tha ki shakal hai nahi toh hero nahi bann sakte. Lekin radio pe batoley toh de sakte hain na yaar. Apne paas abodh
confidence tha yaar, which is what people saw and gave me work.” It was during this struggle in Delhi while Zakir continued writing comedy, that his friend told him about an Open Mic happening in the city and that he should go. “I reached the stage with Bhopali-Indori type acts, and within two minutes of my performance I was booed down. The Delhi audience didn’t understand it I guess,” he says, with the realisation that his comedy branches from his hometown which is not at all cosmopolitan. “But then, I was a copywriter, so I was like, chalo theek hai, tumhe aisi comedy chahiye apan aisi de denge,” indicating that he could write universal acts for the cosmo audience as well. In 2012, Zakir Khan was recognised in the stand-up circuit after he won the title of ‘India’s Best Stand Up Comedian’ in a competition hosted by Comedy Central. His funda to grow as a writer has been simple, “I don’t eat
White rabbit, red rabbit A play without a director, rehearsal and any information about it absent from even the acting circle makes it sound like an impossible performance. The Natak Company is making it happen By Gulal Salil @gulalsalil
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assim Soleimanpour wrote a solo performance play in an attempt to turn his global isolation around. White Rabbit, Red Rabbit is written by the natively censored Iranian writer. After he objected to becoming a part of the mandatory-for-men Iranian military service, the government had clamped down on his travel abroad. So he came up with a plan to reach out. He wrote this act, which required no director or rehearsed actors, and although that
sounds like a deal of providence, it is actually a colossal challenge. All the performance would need as long as the secret story of the script doesn’t spill out, is a different actor each time performing without any set, who would also be reading the script for the fi rst time on stage. Since its debut in Edinburgh in 2011, the play has traversed the globe with actors young and old, popular and new performing it. Its website, which states that ‘the play you are about to see is sealed in an envelope’ also boasts of a plethora of actors who have previously performed it. A few out of those are
Patrick Wilson, Whoopi Goldberg and Wayne Brady. Quasar Padamsee got the play to India three months ago in August under his banner QTP to be performed at The Hindu Theatre Fest 2016 in Bengaluru. Veterans like Arundhati Nag, Darius Sunawala and Rajit Kapur have performed it, clueless about what it held in store for them as well. In collaboration with QTP, The Natak Company’s Siddhesh Purkar who is a Marathi actor and writer has translated the script to Marathi for the local audience of Pune. “I have gotten a lot of questions from the press about what the theme is and what the genre is, but I can’t talk about it,” he states, clearly excited, also mentioning that the play has been copyrighted, which keeps moving production to production. What makes this an entirely
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food. I eat people, their accents, and their actions. So when I went to Delhi, I didn’t check out how tall Qutub Minar was. I checked out how far people can cover the city.” He is at least partially satisfied with what he has achieved up till now, as he says, “I wanted to bring drawing room conversations into comedy. Mereko nukkad comedy karni thi. Dastangoi, kissey, that is my interest. I think i have begun establishing that.” The comic, who is coming to Pune this weekend for an act, concludes the conversation by stating his connection with his new abode — Mumbai. He remarks, “Bombay tumhe paas bulata hai.” He says that the city has a place for everyone to do something or the other, impersonating it as if Mumbai is sternly asking him,”Idhar aao! Star banoge?” When: November 6, 7 PM Mahatma Phule Where: Auditorium, Pune unseen experience is that, as Siddhesh says, “The script is the same, but the performer changes every time. Th is makes the play
new for not just the audience, but for the actors as well.” Surprisingly, audiences who have attended the play as well as social media have maintained the veil by not leaking the play’s inner details. Marathi actor Abhay Mahajan has previously acted in the Punebased production and Alok Rajwade who directed Sindhu, Sudhakar, Rum anee Itar for the 8th edition of the Vinod Doshi theatre festival in February, will be performing in the one being held this weekend. As he gears up for his firsthand performance, he says that he won’t be thinking about the play beforehand, “I’ll just be there in the moment.” The production still has a long list of actors, including Sai Tamhankar, Athul Pethe and Amey Wagh who will be performing White Rabbit, Red Rabbit till the end of the year as the production carries on. A message borne out of censorship has reached far and wide, and will hopefully, continue to do so unless someone decides to play spoiler.
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TGS LIFE NOV 5-11, 2016 PUNE
STAGE When Jane Bentley discovered her passion for drums, it was only a matter of time before she decided to use it to help lift people’s spirits By Caroline Felicia D’Almeida @iCaroline21
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t was a nine year old Jane who resonated with the rhythms of the percussion instrument when it was played at her school assembly; however it was only as an adult that she fully delved into the art of playing drums. It was a vague vision at the start of her career that got her to engage with people through drums, which developed into work towards drum circle facilitation for its health benefits. The first to do a PhD based on drum circles and improvisation, Dr. Jane Bentley’s journey began with the discovery of Arthur Hull’s book ‘Drum circle spirit: Facilitating human potential through rhythm’, which made her feel akin to her childhood discovery of rhythm.
Saving lives one beat at a time
This feeling only got stronger with time, and she worked towards understanding the entire process of putting the people in the centre of the experience, rather than the teacher. Since she had to start from scratch, she focused on her PhD to convince people that an initiative like this had potential. Her study focuses on the social and communicative aspect of interactive drumming, which she has been able to execute in hospitals, prisons, social welfare groups, universities and even some classical orchestras. Having faced a dearth of reference material she says, “My mistakes (or as we say,
learning moments) have been my best teachers. This in turn has inspired me to teach this to others so that they don’t have to make the same mistakes that I did.” She has also been responsible for ‘The Buddy Beat’, a mental health social inclusion project in collaboration with the UK national health services. A multiphased drumming project, its main focus is to enable people to move from a hospital to a community setting and has been around for over nine years now. She realised the potential of her work when her first drum circle in a hospital pushed a man to
speak and interact with his group after years of silence. “The drums seemed to have given him a voice,” reminisces Dr. Jane. Apart from being an innovative step forward in bringing the worlds of music and health together, Dr. Jane has also managed to make an impact on the musicians. While working with two orchestras in Scotland, she got musicians to play in hospital settings which helped them transition from awkward and scared at first to finding a different kind of music while playing for patients. It was mainly centred on connecting with your inner self and balancing
your impulses with the needs of a larger group using drums. Transitioning from a mere passion into an actual healing art, she has managed to juxtapose the upbeat tempo the drums and the inner calm of a person perfectly. “There’s a new experience every day that makes me laugh and cry and that’s what keeps me going,” she says. In connection with Taal Inc, she has decided to conduct sessions in India to bring together the different music cultures and help people rediscover themselves. When: November 5-6, 10 AM onwards Where: The Harmony Tree
Else_if making genre-free music Musicians Puneesh and Arjun are hitting up Da High this weekend, ready to floor the audience with their genre-defying music By Gulal Salil @gulalsalil
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roadly categorisable as an electronic outfit, Else_if is a duo’s effort at producing high quality sounds without being confined to a genre. Puneesh Suri and G ‘Force’ Arjun are musicians who have come from different backgrounds and they are producing tracks one command at a time. Their stage name, Else_if, is a tribute to the kind of music they are pursuing under the mask of a programming directive. Puneesh injects flavour into it saying, “It also is a nice sound when you say these two words together.” Their attempt is to produce music which doesn’t fall under the common notions of genres, Puneesh remarks, “To think about it, Arjun and I come from very different musical backgrounds. And the fact that we don’t stick to any particular genre, helps us find common ground while writing music. I don’t think we’ve ever
sat down to write music thinking of a particular style, method or approach.” Arjun, who has played techno and house for a decade with the Jalebee Cartel, agrees, “I wanted to work on a project that was more emotional and musical without restrictions.” Else_If ’s music has found sublimation in randomness. Puneesh mentions, “We were just making music because it was fun.”Arjun laughs and adds, “Yeah. Random ideas lead to random sounds…and these random sounds became random tracks. It was almost a year or maybe even more of dabbling with these random bouts of randomness that we decided to start working on something that wasn’t random. Hahaha.” The journey for the outfit up till now has been quite organic and electric. They don’t find it to be a chore making music together, as Arjun puts it, “Music is an escape from reality for me. I get immersed in a song while writing it. So anything associated with music is
obviously something special and fulfilling. It has been like this for nearly fifteen years now.” Puneesh says that at times, they go sleepless for nights on end, but there are times when they make a three-day schedule and end up playing video games as well. The Delhi-based band is just relentlessly experimenting as of now without worrying about what may turn into an EP, an album or something else. However, with the constant work that they are putting in, Arjun is expecting something to come of it soon, as he explains, “Right now we’re just making music. Moving along as things happen around us. But sure, we will have something out sooner rather than later.” “We have so much music piled up that’s occupying too much space on my computer’s hard drive,” he concludes. When: 6th November, 1.30 PM onwards Where: The High Spirits Cafe gulal.salil@goldensparrow.com
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TGS LIFE
Dark film, swell recognition A cop is on the prowl investigating a murder, but the wife and friends of the dead seem unusually unperturbed by the situation. Short film Kamuk is receiving international recognition
By Gulal Salil @gulalsalil
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amuk is a short murder mystery directed by former journalism undergraduate from Symbiosis Center for Media and Communication, Yash Thakur. It was shot in the month of October in 2015 in Malshej and exactly a year on, the Second Asia International (Wenzhou) Youth Short-Film Exhibition selected the film for screening. The film is centered around a dark and fixating murder that takes place in a village. Set in the popular tourist destination, it harnesses the beautifully quiet landscape
of Malshej, giving it an eerie look. The mystery unfolds as seen from the eyes of the investigating cop who -- oblivious at first -gradually finds himself getting drawn into the crime. The other actors include Ashwin Sharma who plays the constable, Sawan Badgujar and Sayalee Phatak who play the neighbouring couple, Kiran Dindore who plays the postman and Aban Shetty who plays the wife. The background score for the film has been created by Maitreya Rajurkar. The story idea traces its beginnings to the short stories of popular children’s writer, Roald Dahl. As Yash explains, “Unlike his children stories, these are very dark and
mature and slightly disturbing. In 2015, when the keeda of filmmaking was eating into me, this idea kept coming back, and I decided to take the plunge. I started writing the first draft around January (2015) and three drafts later in April, I had a short script.” Having majored in journalism, the writer says, “Cinema has always been a great love but it took its time to form. I was always enamored by storytelling. Reading really fueled the imagination and as time passed films cemented the possibility that I want to make movies.” He was working in online independent film media platform Jamuura when he decided to execute this idea. Jamuura
Romance is back in the air With ‘Tum Bin 2’, director Anubhav Sinha is making a comeback to the romantic genre after eleven years By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
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hot in the picture postcard landscapes of Scotland, ‘Tum Bin 2’ reunites producer Bhushan Kumar and writerdirector Anubhav Sinha after 15 years. The second installment of the franchise, ‘Tum Bin 2’ was announced with newcomers Neha Sharma, Aditya Seal and Aashim Gulati, who will be making their debut with the film, in keeping with the reputation it enjoys. “The film is not a sequel, but it is a fresh story. The intention was to take up a similar theme in a different context. Here the story is about choosing one’s right path when you are given an option of two,” says Anubhav.
‘Tum Bin’ was a sleeper hit at the box office and starred the then newcomers Priyanshu Chatterjee, Himanshu Malik, Sandali Sinha and Raqesh Vashisht in the lead roles. The romantic ballads of the film became popular among the youth and the film became one of the most memorable romantic films of that time. “The movie’s fans keep telling me to make one more Tum Bin. I have never had a story to take the film forward. But in the past six or seven years, the demand from my partner Bhushan and the audience grew. I finally had a story that I liked and I decided to make it. I haven’t done a love story for a while now. Looking forward to it,” he said. Unlike the previous movie, ‘Tum Bin 2’ will have two
heroes and one leading lady. He said that he tried not to put extra effort into making the film very different from ‘Tum Bin’ and instead kept it very simple with a completely new story. “I am not being very advocative about the word different because you can’t think of making a different content. You make a content you like and you change it and you grow up with time and it automatically becomes different,” he says. Anubhav, who is better known for his action thrillers, wants to experiment with all kinds of genres and anything that appeals to him. “I think I’m in a phase where I want to make films that are personal,” he says. He chooses the actors depending on the script, but his all-time favourite remains Shah Rukh Khan. “Shah Rukh always is a hot favourite, but nothing as of now,” he said.
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ENTERTAINMENT co-produced the short and Yash collaborated with his batchmate Indraneel Nighojkar under the banner of Indraneel’s former copartnered production house, The Picture Co. Indraneel — who has made a drama short himself titled ‘Naad’ -- says that he got interested in working with Yash because of Kamuk’s genre. “After my first film, I kind of had an idea of the kind of films I would write myself; the genre. And it’s definitely not horror or a murder mystery. And that was what really got me interested in working on Kamuk with Yash cause he writes those kind of stories well.” The entire film was shot across Malshej in the span of just three days, which of course posed its own challenges. The absence of tar roads for the commute with equipment, setting up the frames using mobile torches with respect to irregular power shutdowns and changing the script at the last minute because of the time and budget constraints were just a few of them. Recalling a scary but funny instance, Yash describes, “This one time, on the second day of shoot, a couple of local goons turned up on the set and demanded to take away and destroy our equipment. While chatting them up, it turns out that one of them was our line producer’s distant cousin and that really sealed the deal for us!” The post processing of the movie was wrapped up in February 2016, and since then, Yash has been sending it to festivals. The festival in China is its first recognition. The director plans a film ahead as he says, “I want to capture the Dilli winters so I hope to roll cameras by the new year. Let’s see, fingers crossed.” gulal.salil@goldensparrow.com
TGS LIFE NOV 5-11, 2016 PUNE
INDULGE
Snacking on Surnoli There are only two places in Pune which serve the staple Konkani breakfast dish
By Gulal Salil @gulalsalil
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urnoli dosas are fluffy, perforated dosas which can be prepared with many ingredients. These sweet dosas predominantly use jaggery with grated coconut in their batter, but some households also choose to mix watermelon instead of jaggery for the extra sweetness. Surnoli is a delicacy among the South and North Konkanis, and mostly eaten with Mugha Ghasi, a salty green gram curry. The dish is usually prepared for breakfast. Though the dough needs to be fermented as done for sour dosas or Idlis, puffed paddy is used to make these fluffy and some people use beaten rice (poha) as well. The dough is kept for about 12 to 14 hours before spreading it on the cooking surface. This small but thick dosa gets its peculiar name owing to the word noli which means holes or perforations in Konkani. Dry gunpowder or malaga podi also goes well with it but for a quick snack, having the pancake with plain butter does just fine. In the city of Pune, there are only two restaurants which serve nuanced Surnoli dosa. While one of them is dedicated to Mangalorean food and so, naturally includes Surnoli Dosa, the other is a restaurant which offers a wide variety
of standard international cuisine and Surnolli (as they spell it) is an item in their menu. The former is Way Down South on Baner road and the latter is The Gazebo - World of Veg for those living in Pimple Gurav. Way Down South was started with the “express intent of introducing the Indian breakfast world to Saraswat cuisine,” as owner Nilima says. It is a restaurant which not only serves Mangalorean food but also sells self-prepared instant mixes and powders for preparations like Lakshmi Chitni, Panpollo,Teen Dalli pollo and yes, also Surnoli. It was founded by couple Nilima and Vivek Kalambi who migrated to New Zealand and came back to Pune in 2010 with the wish to
open a restaurant. “We first introduced ‘Teen Dali Pollo’ and progressively added more dishes to the menu. Today we have a wide range of speciality dosas and idlis called ‘pollo’ and ‘doddak’ in Konkani. For those with a sweet tooth, our Surnolli, Doddak and Kadamb would be well appreciated,” says Nilima who has done a course in baking, cookery and bartending. She wanted to employ her education in starting her own thing. The Konkani couple eventually started Way Down South. Their Surnoli is plated with dry gun powder and coconut chutney. The dosa is thick and has hardly any oil. The Gazebo - World Of Veg prepares Surnoli in their own fashion. Their dosa is slightly sweeter than Way Down South’s, and it is served with butter, coconut chutney and dry gunpowder. The place is bustling with people in the evenings and service is ridiculously quick. Although this restaurant is located in Pimple Gurav, if one is looking for a quick snack, this is the place to go to. Restaurant manager Ganesh is always available to courteously guide you to your table. While Way Down South is a sure spot for dedicated Mangalorean food for the explorers, The Gazebo is also worth a try for just the dosa. It is not a dish that should be missed.
A Culinary Ode To Japan
Adding yet another fine dine eatery to the ever-growing repertoire of Koregaon Park is Itai Doshin, which essentially means ‘One in mind, many in body’ By Caroline Felicia D’Almeida @iCaroline21
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et just ahead of Lane 6 on North Main road, a lit pathway takes you up a narrow staircase and into the ethereal rooftop ambience of the eatery. They have a beautiful outdoor and indoor seating arrangement and as a special mention – the most adorable pooch, Wasabi. Mr. Vivek, the founder of the place was warm and charming enough to speak to, and definitely added that personal touch to the restaurant in keeping with his vision. D
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THE STARTERS We were presented with two types of momos – namely prawn and pork – as well as three types of sushi – prawn tempura, teriyaki chicken and cream cheese & jalapeño. The momos were delicious and upon biting into them, practically exploded in our mouths, a perfect combination of meat and spices. We were partial to the prawn, however, for it was perfectly cooked and blended with the faintest hint of chili in contrast to the pork, which seemed a little stiff. The sushi being one of the highlights of the menu and the
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‘wow factor’ of the restaurant, wasn’t exactly the sensory experience we expected. While the crispy prawn tempura did tantalise our palates, the cream cheese and jalapeño sushi seemed a little too rich but bland. It was the teriyaki chicken that won us over with a beautiful amalgamation of teriyaki marinated chicken, sushi rice, seaweed, and slightly sweet carrots. All the sushi, however, in combination with the excellent sauce and wasabi provided were full of flavour. THE APPETISERS Quite full from the yummy starters,
we did manage to make space in our tummies for the delectable hot chilly basil fish. Fried to a crispy goodness and practically oozing with sauce – the only complaint was a tad too much tang and the actual fish getting lost amidst the competing ingredients. The second dish was the chicken satay with peanut sauce, which ended up being my favourite of the night. The chicken was cooked to absolute perfection and once dipped in that rich peanut sauce, practically disappeared in our mouths, a perfect combination of sweet and savoury. CURRIES AND STIR FRIES We were presented with the Burmese chicken khowsuey and chicken in basil as the main course. After the mouthwatering starters and presumably from our full bellies, these dishes were a bit of a letdown, but individually held
their own. While the latter was strictly okay, the khowsuey was well-presented. A well-cooked bowl of plain noodles mixed with the savoury goodness of the accompanying Burmese coconut curry is first served. After stirring these, you get to choose between a plethora of add-ons including egg, garlic, fried onion, spring onion, chilies, lime and a lot more. The flavours are perfectly juxtaposed but don’t quite do justice to the entire innovative art of creating it. THE FINAL WORD The large portions need to be kept in mind, since amidst all the scrumptious items on the menu, it is important to pick wisely to enjoy every dish to the fullest. The compact menu does offer a flavoursome change from the regular at surprisingly reasonable prices, and is definitely worth a visit.
A never-ending foodie love affair
TGS LIFE NOV 5-11, 2016 PUNE
INDULGE
After eight years as chef, Abul Kalam is still as thrilled as ever when the dishes he prepares makes his clients smile with pleasure By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
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ourtyard by Marriott PuneChakan Chef Abul Kalam’s life revolves around food. His journey as a chef started in 2008 at Hotel Tuli International, Nagpur after which he moved to Hotel Crowne Plaza, Bengaluru. He has also worked for Hotel Radisson Blu, Indore as senior chef-d-partie. Now he has made Pune his home. Abul is always thinking of ways to push the boundaries when it comes to food and is constantly juggling ingredients in his mind to conjure up new recipes. It is this love and passion that keeps him motivated. The biggest challenge for Abul is finding loyal staff who will stick with a hotel or restaurant for a long time. Like any other kid, Abul always wanted to do something that he was really interested in. “It was during my school days that I discovered my passion for food. The kitchen was the one place I found myself very comfortable in. I always helped my mother in cutting and chopping veggies,” he says. His philosophy is that food should be cooked using only fresh ingredients and in a hygienic kitchen. He believes in innovating and having fun with the ingredients. “I think there are a lot of preconceived notions about how
one should learn to cook. But really cooking is just like anything else: different people just learn differently. So, if you just pay attention to how you learn, you can have more fun while cooking,” he says. His style is where he serves dishes that are simple and rustic but are the best in quality and cater to a wide range of palates. It is his eagerness for experimenting and love for novel experiences that drives him to= explore different cuisines. He loves to explore different ingredients and enjoy their typical charm, but his favourite is French cuisine. “As a chef, it has been my habit to do something out of the box. So, I just keep doing some unusual affair of ingredients and one of my best creations is the Fresh coconut, Thyme and Mango composition cake. And if you peek into my refrigerator you will always find homemade compotes,” he says. Changing trends also keep him dabbling. Adapting to whatever is in your kitchen and being able to think on your feet is a quality that he feels every chef must have. Meeting new people on the job and being inspired by them is routine. He wants to travel to learn more about food and keep evolving. zainab.kantawala @goldensparrow.com
YOUR CHOW AROUND TOWN Seafood Festival
An array of delectable dishes from the coastal belt of Maharashtra with Jai Maharashtra - Wadyawarla Jevan Seafood Festival. Some of the dishes are Surmai Tawa, Bombil Fry, Crab Tawa, Squid Butter Garlic, Fish Platter, Kombadi Wade, Amboli, etc. One can choose from a variety of curries like Malwani curry, Mumbai masala and Maratha curry depending on their taste buds. Relish these curries with some fresh chapatis or warm bhakris. Wipe it all down with some nice cold Solkadi. When: Ongoing Where: Jai Maharashtra Wadyavarla Jevan, Undri
Sarva Pindi
Try Sarva Pindi from our new menu at Savya Rasa on your next visit, a waning dish from Telangana made of rice flour,
onions and seasoned with local spices and griddled on the tawa. The word Sarva Pindi can be divided into two Sarva which means a deep pot or pan and Appa means a cake sort of preparation. Hence the word to word translation of Sarva Pindi is the pancake. When: Ongoing Where: Savya Rasa, Koregaon Park.
Japan’s Street Favourite
Shizusan, the popular East Asian bistro, has introduced the delicious Japanese signature street-food - Okonomiyaki in both vegetarian and seafood versions. Okonomiyaki is a shallow fried pancake or omelette that comes from ‘okonomi’, meaning how you like, and yaki meaning grill. The popular fried pancake is traditionally made from wet batter and cabbage. However our version at Shizusan is a crisp savoury pancake / pizza of grated veggies, drizzled with kewpie mayo and okonomi sauce with an option of shrimp. When: Ongoing Where: Shizusan, Phoenix Marketcity, Nagar Road
Celebrate ghoulishly
This scary Halloween bring your monster appetite and grab some lip smacking food curated specially by Chef Deepu at Cafe Mestizo. The favourite way to get spooked is obviously by cupcakes and Café Mestizo has just what you need this Halloween. They also have introduced some lip smacking dishes in their newly launched menu. The menu includes dishes like The Champion’s Breakfast, Do the Cheeto pizza with Cheeto toppings and many more. When: Till November 6 Where: Café Mestizo , Baner
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TGS LIFE NOV 5-11, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES
Not so far back in time, a people trav donkeys and horses seeking refuge in a d
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unning away from his home in Pune at the age of 17 meant big things for Abbas Farashahi. Little did anyone expect him to turn into the popular villain Roopesh Kumar, so promptly after he entered Bollywood. He was a phenomenon in cinema similar to his contemporaries Jalal Agha, cousin Mumtaz and Aruna Irani and their contribution was yet another allegory
Wali Ollah Padash
By Gulal Salil @gulalsalil
REFUGE AND PROSPERITY IN BUSINESS It is important to understand that the Irani is distinct from the Parsi by circumstance as well as by a 1909 law (an obiter dictum) in India, even though both belong to the same Zoroastrian sect hailing predominantly from Yazd in Iran. The Qajar dynasty which took over Iran in 1794 came as a threat to the Zoroastrian identity, as they led widespread persecution. The Parsis hit India for refuge early, retaining their religious identity, and the Irani came later after conversion to Shia Islam. “Yazd was where the bulk of our people came from. From there to Zahedan which is at Iran’s border, and then to India,” says 40-year old Pune-based dentist Dr. Mohammad K Noori, who is also the son-in-law of Roopesh Kumar. Jawad Askari, who is a popular Iranian spiritual figure and artist, describes one of the reasons for the prosperity of Iranian businesses in India through his own father’s example. “Visa rules and all weren’t extremely strict then. We came, rented out places and set up businesses. Those same spaces could then be used to live in as well. But there was heavy hard work involved. My father’s shop used to shut at one in the night and open at four again.” This scenario was not exclusive to Jawad’s father’s shop. Seven Heavens in Bombay and likewise, almost all Irani cafes, had such timings. The owners didn’t know sleep. They knew what went on in the city as they grew up there, watching every motion. Perhaps Irani skin also acted as a factor for Britons to warmly accept the incomers. As Noori remarks, “The British liked us because of our fair skin colour too, or perhaps we liked them.” Iran’s strategic position is such that the immigrants could have gone to Europe as well, but it was not like an entire bulk of people moved out together. The trickling was steady. It was perhaps just trade and liking towards India that the land became a popular destination. “As a kid, I often used to joke around with my grandfather asking him, why didn’t you all just make the donkey take a left while coming down?” Noori laughs as he makes a gesture of a car’s gear shift.
SEIZING THE MEANS OF PRODUCTION “People got addicted to our chai,” says Noori, who also owns Olympia Café opposite Pune Corporation, explaining why Irani cafe culture spread like wildfire. The Britons used to have milk tea with butter toast, while Irani chai was black, and the infamous Bun Maska was their invention. Significantly, the Persian entrance made chai available to the indigenous Indian people colonized under the aristocratic British rule. Speaking of the growing popularity, he says, “For every new building that was constructed, there was a demand for an Irani cafe in it.” It must have been an interesting visual to see contracts for the restaurants being written on the boxes of Charminar cigarette packets between partners as an accepted ritual. The game between Iranians was strong and their community was closely-knit. The Iranians you might encounter at the Imambara behind the Lal Deval Synagogue in Camp belong to the third and fourth generations of the community. Regal, Blue Nile, George’s, Good Luck and so on were businesses which became landmarks within this timeframe because they made their business king. Even the present day artists learned accounts with their fathers. Regal and Good Luck specifically, share an interesting relationship in growth.
GROWING UP AS A PUNERI Wali Ollah Padash established Cafe Canada near the station. It was his first business, after which he went on to set up Sunrise Cafe, Goodluck and eventually Regal. His son, Mohammad Padash looks after the restaurant opposite Alka Talkies today at the age of 70. He remembers the time his father bought the space for the cafe in the 1930s against a barrage of opinions Jolly with his student
opposing the decision. “At that time, th forest all around and only a small walk be hardly any people around,” he recou people opposed the decision when they which is now defunct, so the most num place were pallbearers crying out, “Ram The word Aga means gentleman in idea of what it means and having grown u thought that the word was a part of his n Iranian foreigners came to me and asked m is Mohammad Aga. So they got annoyed We will call you that and only if we want Wali Ollah earned whatever he co grounds. “There used to be at least 24 f two or three people having chai at our suddenly took place after the 1961 floo started on the path to legendary statu maintaining businesses, as he was hea was Hussain Ali, his nephew who cam that the best man who managed Goo Hussain grew old, he gave Goodluck ownership to his cousin and Hussa old, started managing the cou By the time the third a 1990s, Pune was alread second language. Th Farsi in comparison India to study. Ja on the loss, accen which is a joke speaking
LOVE M IRAN
TGS LIFE NOV 5-11, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES
velled hundreds of kilometres on foot, distant land. They stayed back, ever since
that could be added to the list of Irani histories in the Indian subcontinent. The story of Persian footsteps in the country starts not-so-far back in time, but does before college students started seeing Cafe Goodluck as their stomach ashram. It starts with the people who first came here riding on donkeys and horses in the late 1800s. British province and military base Poona became their prime spot for refuge. Pathani accent. However, for the newer generations, as he implores, “don’t know Farsi well. So when they speak Farsi, they speak that with a Hindi accent. It has completely turned around!” For those belonging to the arts like Jawad, living within Indians seems a little better. “We are a little more comfortable with Indians than with Persians. Not wearing a burqa in front of them and other such practices are frowned upon if not followed.”
JOINT RELATIONSHIP WITH THE CITY
Jawad Askari
here was no Alka Talkies and there was bridge called Lakdi Pull. There used to unts explaining the reason behind why did. There was a funeral ground nearby mber of people who used to come to the m Bolo Ram, Hai Ram Hai.” n Persian. Being a Puneri without much up being called Mohammad Aga, Padash name. He laughs and recalls, “once a few my name. Very normally, I said, my name d! They said, you can’t call yourself Aga!? t to!..I was just left perplexed.” ould from those coming to the funeral funerals here, so we used to get at least place,” his son recalls. Redevelopment ods, after which Regal and Good Luck us. Wali Ollah however, had difficulty avily involved in social work as well. It me to his rescue. “My father used to say odluck was Hussain,” Padash says. As to Kazim who eventually transferred ain’s son Kasim. Padash, who was now unter fulltime at Regal in 1980. and fourth generations kicked in by the dy home for everyone. Marathi became a The community started losing touch with n to Irani students who kept coming to awad Askari has written a funny verse ntuated with Hindi-influenced Persian, e in itself. For Iranians who grew up g Persian, Hindi would come out with a
Abbas Ali is an anomaly from within this very crowd. A language tutor to foreigners in Pune, Jolly, as he is customarily known, has an immense number of stories to tell. From his childhood in Mumbai with his father and three brothers, to his young days in Bangalore to finding his career in teaching, Jolly has an adventurous tale as an Irani, while being Indian. His father was the founder of a legendary Irani cafe in Mumbai called Seven Heavens. Jolly grew up mostly helping out in the kitchen of the cafe which had seven proud doors. He felt his creative needs were met better there, while his brothers looked after the accounts under their father. When his father passed away, the brothers decided to sell the space and move on. Jolly had a different plan, as he entered the music making business. “It was during the 80s when a few friends and I started deejaying. But we were not just doing house parties. We were designing discotheques and the entire ambient experience also,” he says describing how he was good at business as well as at the arts. However, he didn’t stick with it for long because he couldn’t take the amount of smoke in the theques. Jolly then left for Bangalore, bought a piece of land and got into farming. He employed quite a lot of innovative techniques there and once he got bored with that, he came to Pune in search of a business idea. Jolly took a house near the Osho Ashram in KP, and his journey into teaching started there, at the age of 40. “Foreigners used to be living in Pune for the ashram throughout the year, but they would leave in the rainy season. So this guy, a follower of Osho, had a mechanic who he would call up to refurbish the bike before he coming back to India every year. One day, he was fretting over a flat tyre and I was passing by, so I asked him if he needed any help.” While repairing his puncture, Jolly discovered that the mechanic hired by the foreigner used to dupe him with exorbitant amounts of unneeded repairs. One thing led to another, and the foreigner asked him how he could help out in a return favour, “I told him that I needed a business idea. So he proposed that there were a lot of foreigners who come to the ashram and want to learn English, why don’t I teach them?” Hence, Jolly started taking language tuitions. From English, the requests went to Marathi and Hindi as well, as he worked every day focusing on each student individually for an hour. His name became popular in the circle of yearly tourists, and Jolly soon got a whole bunch of students from all over the world. This also meant reading a lot of Marathi history for background, and Jolly is at a stage now where he challenges his Maharashtrian friends on their historical knowledge. “ T h e r e are these lines which go like
- Mi Mard Maratha chaami bachcha ase...and so on. I asked my friends who said these lines, and they proudly say, Shivaji Maharaj! But no, these lines were said by Tanaji Malusare and hardly anyone knows that!” Jolly leads a life separate from the religious circles of the Irani community. His reasons are simple, he never really had only Irani friends. “Even as kids, we used to get involved with everyone and there were no qualms about that, really,” he says. He shares a joint relationship with Pune, as he came here with the reason that it had a great climate and a potential to help him grow. The city has accepted him and made him one of the most popular locals for tourists.
THE GREEN GREEN GRASS The current situation in India isn’t that great for Irani students and incomers anymore. The 1993 blasts in Mumbai dealt a huge blow to the Irani community’s image. A lot of businesses shut down as well. Eventually, the trickling down of Iranians to India as it had begun in the early 1900s, started seeing a drop since the late 90s. “As much as 80% of Iranians incomers have stopped coming to India. The last I heard, they are interested in Thailand for their education,” Jolly says. Local knowledge suggests that the police clamps down on the students to extort money from them, Visa rules are stricter and the window to come in is just not as open anymore, neither legally nor communally. However, regardless of what the current situation suggests, the Irani has found home in Pune over the past century. A period of more than 100 years of business, art, culture and opportunity has helped the community retain its indigenous identity. India has seen lot of political struggle and strife ever since, but for the one from Yazd, it has been soft and peacefully green. gulal.salil@goldensparrow.com
Roopesh Kumar and his son in Law Dr. Mohammad K Noori
TGS LIFE NOV 5-11, 2016 PUNE
Ridden: Benelli TNT 300
THRILL OF DRIVING
Whether you’re prejudiced toward or against this ItalianChinese motorcycle maker, the TNT 300 is set to surprise PICS BY VISHAL KALE
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am heading from Pune to Lonavala along the NH4 between two Ducatis. The combined wail of our motorcycles is enough to ensure we don’t have to honk much. And we are riding fast enough to keep pesky four-wheeled hacks at bay. A quick look at the speedo indicates 145 kmph on a sweeping uphill left-hander. What am I riding? The underrated Benelli TNT 300. I was skeptical about testing this motorcycle. To begin with, it’s specifications looked lacklustre compared to its de facto competitor – the KTM 390 Duke. It is the heaviest in its class (196 kg kerb weight), makes less torque/ power (26.5 Nm@10000/28.14 kW@11500), has lower top speed (about 160 kmph), and is priced way above the 390 (Rs. about Rs 3.4 lacs on-road, Pune). And practically all reviews of the bike I had read were recommending it mostly for its exhaust note. To a reasonably experienced rider such as myself (with an addiction to fast, solo touring) this was the least encouraging of all points. My immediate impression on reading those reviews was a bike meant for posers who want heads to turn without having the budget for an inline four. But a reluctant spin astride the TNT 300 on a cold Sunday morning was all it took to pique my interest; enough to eventually clock a good 700 kms of testing. Adjectives like ‘relaxed’ and ‘laid back’ that were used to define the character of this bike vanished as quickly as the vehicles in my rear view mirrors. It is a fast bike. As long as you keep it high up in the rev range. It starts pulling from 8000 rpm well into its redline, and is a roaring torpedo between 10000 and 12000 rpm. The combined effect of its sudden change in character,
windblast at high speed and the sound of the exhaust is intoxicating. And that sweet wail acts as subtle feedback, telling you how close you are to getting the best out of the formidable, refined engine. As I took the left turn to head towards Amby Valley, I was floating in adrenaline. And then I hit the narrow, twisty ghat section. This is where the shortcomings of the TNT 300 spoiled the fun. This bike does not perform well on tight off-camber turns and hairpins on gradients. Don’t be surprised if lighter, more agile bikes cut you from the inside and zoom past you here. I suspect this is the result of the weight and the longer wheelbase of the bike. Not only does it have to be handled with care on such turns, it also lacks the low-rpm grunt to get real drive out of these extreme twists so common in our treacherous ghats. Keeping the bike in higher rpms and shifting weight helps offset the problem, although a fair bit of muscling is still required, which can get tiring. Pondering over a cup of tea in a secluded wooded valley past the hills of Lonavala, it was obvious that
Benelli got the TNT 300’s styling on relatively straight stretches. right. A sharp, beefy look that suits On the third day of riding, I its bulk without crossing over to was accompanied by a friend on a the gaudy side is a commendable 1000cc V-twin cruiser, so I decided achievement. The seat height is spot to go easy on the engine and was on to accommodate the average surprised by the 300’s cruising Indian rider without causing capability. I stayed in 5th and top discomfort to taller exceptions. gear for the most part, cruising The seat didn’t hurt in that fast, between 50 to 130 kmph across nonstop 150 km run that included a multitude of terrain. It was a bad roads. The Pirelli tyres’ traction beautiful, relaxed ride with very complement the motor’s output, little vibration despite the fact that although we could not test wet I was riding a well-(ab)used test performance. The mirrors bike with over 10000 kms need to be redesigned, of suspected redlining Benelli TNT or replaced. I found and possibly, crashes. 300 It might not my field of view + Sound, build, be the best option severely restricted at high speed. It adjustable suspension for track days though. The few also puts you at - Weight fast sweeps and a disadvantage in TGS rating challenging multicrowded city traffic. ;;; 2 apexes I managed Though I didn’t on public roads needed have any issue stopping some extra concentration to the bike using the dual discs keep some unsettling wobbles at in the front, the rear disc seemed bay. They were not severe enough to to lock up faster than expected, reduce my confidence in the bike’s a slight disadvantage while trail capabilities. I suspect it might have braking on busy downhill blinds. more to do with a sub-optimal The lack of ABS on the TNT 300 suspension setup than any inherent means that must be vigilant at high instability in the bike, not to forget speeds on narrow backroads, even
the surface undulations in those corners. While this is not a comparison test, there is no escaping the fact that the 390 Duke is the most affordable 300+ cc bike in India. So a short note is all but expected. Compared to the 390, the TNT 300 definitely looks better, seems to be a notch up in build quality, vibrates less despite the constant mild buzz through the handlebar and pegs at high revs. The rebound-adjustable rear monoshock is a plus on the TNT. The riding posture is more aggressive on the 390, which is an advantage in quick city handling, but the slightly more relaxed but still upright stance on the Benelli felt more comfortable while touring and within the city. The gearbox on the TNT is better than the Duke. The TNT 300 is much more stable on highways, with smoother gear shifts and great handling, but loses out to the 390 in tighter ghats. Rest assured, if you choose to cough up that extra cash to pick the TNT 300 over the Duke, it will not just be the exhaust note that you will find rewarding. If I was pressed to ascribe a character to the Benelli TNT 300, I would say it is a heavy, dichotomous beast hiding behind its veiled demureness. Keep it veiled and it will happily let you cruise comfortably over a wide speed range in top gear while you take in the scenery. Push it hard in the right gears and the slightly unruly but capable demon comes to life, accelerating fast to its limits, letting you weave around highway traffic and catch up with much larger capacity bikes. And it even sounds better than some of them. To sum up, the Benelli TNT 300 is a definite buy for those looking for a comfortable daily street bike that can double up as a fast tourer, with the accompanying kick of a nearinline four roar.
Sumptous meals on wheels at maiden food truck fest
TGS LIFE NOV 5-11, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES
With the city’s first-ever food truck festival lined up this weekend, here are some of the things you absolutely cannot ignore! With a make-your-own-meals concept, they bring you street food with global flavours in the forms of delicious subs or rich rice portions. Keen to make a difference with their new flavours, they hope to hold their own and expand at Classic Rock this weekend. Look Out For – Amidst a wide variety of dishes, their best meal includes their special BBQ sauce wings, a Goan speciality named Classical Ghee Roast to be rounded off with a sweet fest named ‘Hello to the Queen’!
THE SIDES
By Caroline Felicia D’Almeida @iCaroline21
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ood trucks are essentially large, fabulous gastronomic machines on wheels and Pune is no stranger to them. What gives them their edge is not just the convenience, but the food served itself. From innovative fusions to new cuisines or revamped classics, the new and upcoming cooks at these trucks know exactly how to wow the Indian palate. Often lost among other food stalls and acts, food trucks get a chance to shine and carve a niche for themselves with Pune’s first-ever food truck festival. Classic Rock Coffee Co. has brought together five of the best food trucks in Pune, with music to boot! Here are a few things you need to look out for.
FEATURED FOOD TRUCKS
Burgertron – Enterprising owners Zubaid, Sheena and Mihir certainly have the most popular food truck in Pune, currently located in Wanowrie. Their undying love for burgers has led them to create as many as 25 different meaty wonders! Succulent pieces of lamb, chicken and veggies placed between lovely buns – their jumbo sized burgers are almost legendary. Look Out For – Bunless salads, which provide the flavours of a burger without too many calories, amazing seafood and barbecue chicken, are just a few among the things to try! Pimp My Wok – The best part of Balewadi High Street, Pimp My Wok is a pan-Asian food truck that customises delicious woks. Take your pick of noodles, rice and
delicious variations of chicken, vegetables and more to satisfy your taste buds. This truck is all set to carve its niche at the festival and enchant the demographic with its culinary skills! Look Out For – Founder Mr. Aditya recommends the crazy scrumptious starters, especially the Japanese katsu chicken – a chicken breast marinated and fried to perfection. Sounds tempting! Rastaman – Barely three months into the game, this food truck has already begun to capture the hearts of the IT crowd in Aundh. Their burgers and sandwiches are undeniably delicious and their taste – classic. With prices that won’t burn a hole in your pocket, this is the truck’s first event and founder Mr. Satya says the menu is all set to be revamped specifically for the festival’s crowd! Look Out For – The new additions to the menu and the existing chicken burgers! Breaking Bread – A delightful amalgamation of the old, new and inspired – Breaking Bread is certainly going to be one of the more interesting trucks at the festival. Founders Kaustub, Niranjan, Nishith and Niraj are looking forward to impressing their customers with some bold new flavours and exciting dishes! Look Out For – With all their food being freshly prepared on the truck, it would be sinful to avoid the ‘Pork Puddle’, ‘Chicken in a Mess’ and the ‘Jerk Burger’. The French fries inspired by poutine sound exquisite too! L’Dorado – The newest of the lot and brought to Pune a mere 4 days ago by Rashi Majethia and Pratik Shetty, L’Dorado is currently located on the Baner-Aundh road.
Any festival is incomplete without complementary music, and Classic Rock has got an amazing line-up for their food truck festival as well! With DJ Faith headlining the weekend with some Punjabi beats for the classic event ‘Born for Bhangra’, the follow ups include duo Manu Vijayan and Dhananjay Chhetri’s ‘My Side of The Story’ and other performing bands include Aura, Malang, Riyaz and of course – Willy Rimsu. “We’re looking forward to playing a blend of popular as well as our original compositions of soft and alt rock for the colourful crowd, to create an upbeat atmosphere,” enthused Manu Vijayan, who sings
lead vocals. If fabulous foot-tapping rhythms weren’t enough, the festival will also see Classic Rock ’s exclusive illusionist ‘Vector’ a.k.a Vivek Desai perform some jaw-dropping close-up magic, illusions and even hypnosis! Sunday evenings also have the signature ‘Salsa Social’ lined up, preceded by a demo from experienced salsa dancers as everyone grooves to the music. It seems to be shaping up into a truly magical weekend! With food trucks being the hero of the festival, this is certainly a one-of-a-kind event
with so many exciting things going on – you’ll be spoilt for choice but never experience a dull moment. “This is the first time in Pune that food trucks are being the hero of the festival. It’s happened in Bombay, Delhi and Bangalore but a first for Pune, so we’re quite excited about it!” exclaimed Kaustub, owner of Breaking Bread. In the light of all problems being faced by the food trucks due to the Smart City initiative and being categorised as the hawkers by the PMC – we hope this festival serves as a turnaround for them! tgs.feedback@goldensparrow.com
TGS LIFE NOV 5-11, 2016 PUNE
FEATURES By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
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ubscription boxes have become all the rage lately. Instead of waiting for a festival or birthday to be surprised with a gift, you can sign up for different kinds of monthly subscription boxes that will send you a mystery box filled with your favourite things. They offer
SCINTILLATING SUBSCRIPTIONS you everything, from cosmetics and beauty items to school supplies and sometimes even the most bizarre things. There is truly a box out there filled with something for everyone. From the weird and wacky to the utterly useful, here are some subscription boxes that we’re sure you didn’t know of. zainab.kantawala@ goldensparrow.com
Sugar Box
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ugar Box is an exciting theme based subscription service of handpicked goodies by a team of in-house stylists. The goodies and hampers are delivered to your doorstep at the end of every month. The brand was founded by Niharika Jhunjhunwala, who is 25 years old. She says, “I am a firm believer that we don’t need a special occasion to gift ourselves something and nor should time be a reason to keep us away from the pampering we deserve. Through Sugarbox, we bring to you a one-stop-box full of surprises and all you have to do is subscribe and be ready to be showered with monthly gifts.” Sugar Box has a specific theme each month, which is disclosed at the beginning of the month, while the contents are revealed upon the delivery of the box. Each box has an array of products to offer mainly in the category of fashion, beauty, lifestyle and gourmet. Within the four different categories, the box surprises the receiver with different products each time. “By subscribing to Sugar Box, you will receive the latest international offerings in fashion, beauty, lifestyle and gourmet products at your doorstep, every month. Not to mention the first bragging rights that come with it,” she says. In addition to gifting yourself, the box can be purchased as a gift for your loved ones as well. Get in touch: http://www.sugarbox.in
These subscription boxes offer an easy way for those who like to surprise themselves every now and then
The Violet Box
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eriods or menstruation is something the world still hesitates to talk about, a hushhush topic only to be spoken about behind closed doors. The Violet is an effort to change this mindset. The Violet offers monthly subscriptions of luxury period boxes, sending sanitary napkins and tampons along with a bunch of goodies to your doorstep. Apart from offering the pampering every woman deserves during this period, the venture has a model that gives back in equal measure to the society. The profit generated from the initiative is used to provide period essentials to girls and women in need of them. “Each woman spends approximately 1,500 days in her lifetime on her period. We, as a country, need to stop putting a veil over the topic of menstruation,” says Yogita Muttha, the founder. With their concept, India’s 300 million plus population of women between the ages of 15 and 45 can now try
luxury products each month. Each box consists of vegan cosmetics, exquisite teas and coffees, gourmet chocolates and your choice of sanitary pads or tampons. The luxury products change each month, surprising customer a little each time. Get in touch: www.theviolet.in
The Moja Club
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The Breakfast Box
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lthough it is considered the most important meal of the day, breakfast is also most often neglected. When Mrugnayan Kamthekar, one of the founders of The Breakfast Box, came to Pune to study, he found that there weren’t as many healthy options for breakfast in the city. “Living away from home, there are only so many times one can eat idli, dosa and upma. Having vada pavs and misal plates is not healthy in the long run,” explains Mrugnayan. The idea behind The Breakfast Box was to offer people a multitude of options without having to go through the effort of cooking it or even thinking of what to make each day. With a hectic lifestyle, often times professionals end up leaving for office without eating anything at home. The Breakfast Box lets you choose between five types of boxes, with assorted items, depending upon individual tastes. Everything is packed in cardboard boxes and brown paper bags, making it easy to take the dabba along to work or even eat it on the go. Each item is packed individually, so one could save some for later. The Breakfast Box also has a dynamic menu, which isn’t repeated for 45 days. They offer Indian, Continental and Mexican food, among others. Their most popular box is the Egg Box which includes an egg dish, a breakfast salad, fresh juice, a cookie and dry fruits. Apart from individual breakfasts, family meals are also available for a relaxed weekend breakfast. Get in touch: http://thebreakfastbox.in/
ocks are awesome, but they have a tendency of being the same old boring white pair. So, this start-up decided to literally pull up its socks, and start a sock subscription service. The Moja Club has monthly plans for a pair of hip, stylish socks each. Founder and engineering graduate Joey Saha, 21, was inspired by subscription services he used when studying in the UK. “Those boxes made my life easier, and it was fun to receive a surprise package. I realised there is nothing on the market for cool, quirky, good quality socks,” he says. This club is driven by the desire to bring creativity to an item of clothing that has historically been neglected. Their focus is to make socks that people are proud to put on every morning. Their socks are manufactured using the highest quality combed cotton, polyamide and elastane. All of their designs are super funky and lends a distinctive shade to your personality. Secondly, The Moja Club is the only one of its kind in India, where you can subscribe and receive a new and awesome pair of socks on a monthly basis. Get in touch: www.themojaclub.in
Women on top Gunjan Jain’s first book ‘She Walks She Leads’, is truly inspiring as it spotlights the achievements of India’s most dynamic women leaders, and offers rare insights into what makes them who they are By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
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n avid reader, a compulsive writer and someone who believes in speaking her mind, Gunjan Jain in her debut book, ‘She Walks, She Leads’, has compiled the life stories of 24 of India’s most dynamic women leaders. She has captured a panoramic range of professions, passions and sensibilities through the book, where each personality has shared her personal journey like never before. Gunjan, with an academic record spread across five countries, has been privileged to have had several worlds open up before her fairly early. The book is a result of her reference conversations she had with more than a hundred leading personalities. “The book is an attempt to share
the stories of 24 women leaders and their long and hard journey they have each undertaken to make it to where they stand today,” she says. The women profi led span fields including business, sports, arts and media and comprise icons such as Nita Ambani, Parmeshwar Godrej, Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Indra Nooyi, Anu Aga, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Shabana Azmi, Sania Mirza, Mary Kom and many more. “Nita Ambani launched the Indian Super League, on the lines of FIFA, to boost football in India. Sudha Murthy gave her savings to her husband, Narayana Murthy, to help start Infosys; Kiran Mazumdar Shaw started Biocon with a seed capital of Rs 10,000. All of their successes are the result of their relentless ambition to shatter the glass ceiling, their pursuit for excellence and how they faced the challenges that came their way,” she said.
While there are plenty of books that honour incredible women achievers in our country, not many place those achievements in the required context. “For, in a country where any ambitious woman, even today, has a singularly trying road ahead, the celebration needs to become more prevalent. The book brings forth their story of laurels to a narrative on the triumphant human spirit,” she says. This book, therefore, does not praise on the basis of merits and net worth, so believes the author. “It, in fact, revisits every impossible struggle, every hard lesson, every defeat faced, every revival, so that each of these success stories may, in turn, inspire many more,” says Gunjan. Th is book is unique in the way it provides a rare glimpse into the lives of these extraordinary women and the constant battles they have fought and still continue to fight. In addition, based on several meetings with people associated with them – professionally and personally – the author has lent a unique dimension to the narrative. zainab.kantawala@ goldensparrow.com
TGS LIFE NOV 5-11, 2016 PUNE
Gunjan Jain
FEATURES
The railway conductor who found his calling in art This railway man has a consuming passion for painting, he is self-taught, which makes his success at the national and international levels all the more admirable By Zainab Kantawala @kantawalazainab
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ijay Biswal of Nagpur is a railway TTE. What sets him apart is his undying passion for painting. He has captured his occupational routine backdrop of trains, platforms, and passengers boarding trains into beautiful acrylic paintings. He is the only Indian cartoonist to acquire a diploma from Bulgaria, for his cartoon on climate change. He has participated in paintings exhibitions all over India, and in foreign countries like Russia, Indonesia, Kuwait and the US.
“I discovered my passion for art when I was just three. In those days, we didn’t have crayons or sketch pens. So I used to steal charcoal and make sketches all over the walls of my house. I gathered colourful chalks and drew with them on the floor. In 1995, I came across acrylic and stuck to it. I am very comfortable with this medium as it dries faster,” he says. Biswal mentioned that he initially used to draw portraits of Bollywood celebrities such as Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra and Mithun Chakraborty. However, when he joined the railways in 1990, he began making
paintings of scenes of the platforms or inside the train compartments. Most of his work depicts scenes of Indian cities, people, buildings, and his favourite, of people running around at the railway station on a rainy day. Rain and wet surfaces fascinate him and inspire his artwork. His focus lies in outdoor landscapes and objects. “Water bodies have fascinated me since childhood. I like to paint a wet and soggy platform, and people finding their way out. I get amused to see how things are reflected by wet surfaces and I find beauty in that,” he said. He prefers to work as a TTE because it encourages his creative process. His job takes him to the most wonderful places and also allows him the luxury of exploring his creative medium. “I don’t have any complaints. Being a ticket inspector takes me to various places around the country. I see wonderful creations of nature around that inspires my artwork,” he says. He checks tickets of passengers on the trains, but when it comes to the world of paintings, he has his own empire and fame. In fact, Prime Minister Narendra
Modi is also a fan of his art and also mentioned his name in a conversation on Mann ki Baat. “I am thankful to the railways as it has
been co-operative in helping my art and talent reach places,” he said. zainab.kantawala@ goldensparrow.com
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PICS BY RAHUL RAUT
SP
TGS LIFE NOV 5-11, 2016 PUNE
DRESS TO IMPRESS
Nikita Lodha, a student who dabbles in modeling believes in comfort over trend. Here she gives us a sneak peek into her chic wardrobe
SHOPPING
Ă€ La Mode
Want to make an edgy fashion statement? This simple yet trendy dress will make you shine in the party. Team it with black stilettos and minimal jewellery to complete your look. Dress: Self designed Rs 3,000
For a formal evening
Get set for the evening
This combination is sure to get some attention when you go out partying with your friends. Wear a light lipstick to complete your look. Dress: Right Fit Boutique, Rs 2,200
Paint the town red
This dress is sure to get some attention when you go out shopping with your friends. Wear a simple gold bracelet and remember to add light lipstick to complete your look. Dress: From an exhibition, Rs 1,800
This is an ideal chic get-up for any formal party. Pair them with black stud earrings, and heels and you are ready to shine through the evening. Dress: Bling, Rs 1,300
Go chic
Walk through the streets in style with this simple and elegant dress. Team up with a long necklace and bracelet for a flawless look. Dress: From ZaPalooza Exhibition Rs 1,800
TGS LIFE
Struggle by one and a victory for all W
NOV 5-11, 2016 PUNE
hen Shashikala Bhagwan Pawar set up her tiny vada pav stall almost 15-years-ago opposite Symbiosis Viman Nagar campus, she had no idea that she would one day become the students’ salvation and hero, ‘Maushi’. One of the highlights in the area, her humble little stall is famous and loved for everything from its vada pavs and bhajjis to her tea and samosas and above all, for her loving demeanour. Her stall provides a haven for the students amidst their busy days, with the constant sizzling and tantalising aroma engulfing that little space, plus unmatched quality and affordable prices which ensure customers scramble back for more. A self-made woman, she is assisted by her husband at the stall and occasionally her sons when they aren’t off doing other odd jobs. It’s been a long and rather excruciating journey from a simple maid 20 years ago, to an entrepreneur who on the advice of a boss purchased a stall in Viman Nagar but she has remained sturdy and positive throughout. While being the key earner in a family of nine isn’t easy, she takes it in her stride and responds with more
FEATURES vada pavs. “Who hasn’t seen problems? I earn enough to support the family most of the time,” says Maushi with a hint of pride in her voice as her hands relentlessly work the batter and deftly fry those delicious vadas in a flash. There are lines of long and hard years of pain and suffering etched in that aging face – being a hero isn’t all that it’s hyped up to be. Even with a day that starts at the break of dawn and ends in the wee hours of evening, she suffers the pangs of penury during college breaks and other holidays. “There are days when I go back home so tired I wonder if I should stop it all, but if I stop this what will we do?” she says a little quietly. Her hard work has certainly paid off however, with the stall managing to find itself a place on popular food site Zomato. These things don’t matter much to Shashikala though, for being ‘Maushi’ to these students is, in most ways – reward enough. (As told to Caroline Felicia D’Almeida)
uneka r
WINTER MAKEUP TRENDS
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t’s that time of the year again when the sun God is being kind. When deep dark colour silhouettes and checks of varied sizes are a delight to the eyes. And the makeup palette too widens giving us the opportunity to play with deep colours. Sheena Agarwaal, Makeup Stylist at Urbanista Makeup Makeovers shares with us top winter make up trends. Deep dark Lips : Let’s bid farewell to the eye pinching hyper orange and loud reds. Rather, let’s add some warmth to them. Th is season we will adorn matte lipsticks of colour dark wine, black cherry, dark browns Sheena Agarwaal and burgundy. Red lips will still be eye candy but with a new direction to the texture. From the more matt to almost stained look, it has made a comeback with a velvet finish. Goth Lips: In a season rife with ‘90s references, it only follows that goth lips would emerge as a trend. But something about pairing almostblack lipstick with soft, beachy waves, casual buns and stud-free clothing make them a whole lot less intimidating to try. Differently Lined Eyes: Whilst the simple black liner could be a tad boring for most, this season it’s reinvented itself with double-winged look. But if classic is more your thing, there is nothing more gorgeous than simple and smudgy kohl pencil. Shades of gold and bronze eye shadows are things of the past. Plum is the new promising shades of the season. Heavy Metal: Shimmer and sequins are used in fresh ways this season, where either gold, bronze or silver liner was applied across the lower lids. It could be a crisp line or a smokey look in these colours. Blush Blush : Stock up on warm peach, dusty rose and light mocha blushes that make you look like you just went on a brisk, wintry walk! Make sure you’re not adding colour to your face, but simply touching upon the cheek.
City celeb chat
Name: Rewati Chetri Profession: Model and founder of perkevents.in Three words to describe me: Simple,cheerful and Smart I love my job because: I enjoy it Best advice I’ve received: It was when I was in Japan I got this text.”Giving best performances is better than wining. Anyways you have already won hearts.Hence stay calm ,blessed and enjoy the stress” When buying something, the first thing that catches my eye is: Things that are elegantly simple and unique What’s your inner animal? I am an opportunist dancer wherever it is The first thing you notice about an attractive person:The person’ approach The perfect start to a day is: Light music followed with yoga Your fitness regimen:Yoga, gym and enough of water Your food indulgence: Anything my mom makes is delicious Books by your bedside: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini The first site you visit when you fire up your comp: I read news most of the time Your favourite city: Has to be Mumbai, as it keeps me busy Ideal holiday: Anywhere with my family
(As told to Zainab Kantawala)
VIN DIESEL IS FAMILY: DEEPIKA PADUKONE
TGS LIFE NOV 5-11, 2016 PUNE
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or actress Deepika Padukone, one of the biggest takeaways from her upcoming Hollywood venture xXx: Return of Xander Cage is the friendship of her co-star Vin Diesel and his sister Samantha. Deepika says Diesel is the first peson she calls every time she is in Los Angeles. "He and his sister, Samantha, are to me what Shah Rukh (Khan) and Farah (Khan) were when I started out here. They are family," she says. The actress began her Bollywood career with Shah Rukh-starrer "Om Shanti Om", which was directed by Farah, and till date Deepika maintains
BUZZ
I am proud S to be a part of One Direction: Zayn Malik
inger Zayn Malik may have left One Direction but he says he had an amazing time making music with the boy band. The 23-year-old star said he will always be thankful to the fans of 1D, who have supported him throughout, reported AceShowbiz. "I got to meet amazing fans, and I can never thank all of them enough for the love and support they gave me during the good times, and the bad. "I can honestly say I'm proud of a lot of stuff from the One Direction days. I'm not sure people realize that, but I am," Zayn said. The singer said the band will always be an incredible part of his life, adding, "I've got the memorabilia - the platinum discs we received with every album - all over my house. I have a wall dedicated to displaying them. "One Direction was an incredible experience in its own right, and it's a part of me, an integral part of my history, and I'm never going to deny that aspect of my life."
Link-ups bother Shraddha
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ctress Shraddha Kapoor feels rumours about her personal life are unfair as they take away the focus from her work. "Linkups have always bothered me. Be it with whoever it has been in the past, because I feel like it is very unfair on an actor especially when you're working together and you are also giving an interview," Shraddha said. There were reports that the Baaghi actress was dating her Rock On 2 co-star Farhan Akhtar while shooting the film. The 29-year-old actress believes she has given her best for the film, but ultimately it is the apparent link-up which will
SRK not my back-slapping buddy
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ctress Anushka Sharma says while her comfort level with superstar Shah Rukh Khan has grown after working with him in three films, theirs is not a "buddy type" relationship as she has way too much respect for him. It was Aditya Chopra who got Anushka and SRK together for the first time in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. The two were next seen in late filmmaker Yash Chopra's last directorial venture Jab Tak Hai Jaan. Now, they have teamed up for Imtiaz Ali's romantic film, tentatively titled The Ring. "That sense of hierarchy (referring to
seniority) will always be there (with Shah Rukh). I come from army background so, that level of respect will always be there for him. He is not my back slapping buddy. He is much more accomplished than I am," Anushka said. Giving a comparison, the 28-year-old actress said she shares a friendlier equation with her Ae Dil Hai Mushkil co-star Ranbir Kapoorm than with SRK. "I cannot be same with him (Shah Rukh) as I am with Ranbir I can tell Ranbir to shut up and all but I cannot do something like this with him (Shah Rukh). I am much more relaxed
a close friendship with them. The 30-year-old star reveals that after filming for xXx , she realised that place or people might change but key to a conducive working environment remains the same-good relationships. "I was a bundle of nerves on my first day on set because I was so far away from home and everyone was new and everything felt unfamiliar. But early on I realised that the process is exactly the same. People are different. If you can make the relationships work, it's all smooth sailing," she says. PTI
with him (Shah Rukh) than what I was in my first film that is because I know him since eight years. I will get more relaxed over the years if we keep working," she said. According to Anushka, the film is shaping up quite well. "It is too early to talk anything about the film. It (film) is an interesting love story is all I can say," she said. The Ring has been shot at Prague, Amsterdam, London, Lisbon. After a break of a few days, the team will reunite in Mumbai to shoot the remaining portions of the film. The shoot is expected to start from mid-November.
be spoken about, not her hard work. "So, I feel it is very unfair to me. I feel I've given 66 days of my life to the film shoot, if I've given another 70 days for prep, and it all comes down to me talking about my personal life." Shraddha says the focus should be on an artists work rather than on rumours. "I think that people should really understand what it takes to make a film. It cannot be about link up rumours and stuff. I feel interviews should be more about that (films)." Rock On 2 is scheduled to release on November 11.