Rafiq Bhatia's 'Breaking English' questions the need for musical boundaries
Accepting the futility of genres, of boxing songs into different compartments like stacked products in supermarket shelves, seems to be at the forefront of Rafiq Bhatia's musical endeavour. The 30-year-old American of Indian descent is the guitarist for a New York-based indie outfit called Son Lux. But it's his recent solo album, Breaking English, which makes the listener really question the need for musical boundaries, of sticking labels to a composition as if it's packaged meat.
The title track of the album, for instance, is not jazz, is not electronica, is not lounge, but all of these generic classifications rolled into one lush sound with a coherent narrative, where Bhatia's melancholic guitar plays the role of the protagonist. Each sonic detail in the track is well-defined, to the point where even though fellow Son Lux member Ian Chang's drum beats seem dissonant, they fit like a glove into the overall musical fabric. Bhatia describes this sensibility when he tells us over the phone from Berlin, where he's on tour, "Ryan (Lott, the vocalist for Son Lux) would say that instead of building a house, designing a room and then placing a chair in it, why don't we start with the chair first, and then design the room around it before building the house. There is a theory in poetry called organicism, where the poet lets each individual verse define the form that the poem will take. That is kind of similar to what I'm trying to do with my music."
He further explains his musical process when he narrates a story about one of his influences, Sam Rivers, the late American jazz great. "I've read that he would attend the concerts of all his peers, and purposely study their music to understand what they were trying to do. But this wasn't to replicate what they were playing. Instead, it was to consciously avoid it. Similarly, John Coltrane took the music of his predecessors and retooled the entire musical vocabulary keeping a similar underlying foundation, but with new pathways built on top of it," he says, giving us an indication of how he doesn't hesitate to flush rule books down the toilet.
Hybridity, in fact, lies at the core of Bhatia's creative evolution. The basis for this, he says, might well be his mixed identity. Born in North Carolina, he has never really fit in to any particular community. For, even though his parents are of Gujarati origin, they grew up in Tanzania, before moving to London and then finally to the US. So, while his brown skin stood out among the white kids in his school, he didn't feel completely at home among the Indian community either. "Everybody thinks that I am something else. So, my music is a result of a need to express my identity. It's a form of therapy at some level, because it's also a way of accepting who I am," he says.
He adds that this therapy started early. When he was about eight or nine, the older desi kids in Bhatia's neighbourhood would pick him up in a car and stop at a parking lot, listening to the hip-hop albums that became one of his earliest influences. Was he drawn to them because of the political overtones that such songs often embody? "Not really," he answers, adding, "I was only in the third grade at the time, and I couldn't even understand the words. So it was the musicality that I fell for. But the deeper question is, why were a bunch of brown kids sitting in a car in a parking lot and empathising with hip-hop music? What is it that was drawing them to the words? So you see, it's difficult to disentangle the politics from the music."
It follows thus that an intertwining of politics and music sometimes features in his own compositions. For example, Hoods Up, a complex instrumental piece, drew its inspiration from Trayvon Martin, a black teenager who was cruelly shot down because of a case of mistaken identity. The guitarist says, "I feel some amount of compulsion to express my [political] ideas. But sometimes, it's easy to get carried away with being overtly political because there is so much to be angry about, and often the responsibility falls on artistes to emphasise it. So I would say that politics is a general part of what inspires my music, because there are so many other facets of my personality that also make their way in."
Essentially, then, what Bhatia wants to keep doing is create genre-defying tracks where attention to detail is of paramount importance. "When you take the details and all the generalities of music for granted, that's when your songs start sounding more like other people's music. That doesn't mean you can't make great tracks. It's just that the less you consider those things, the less is the chance that you will make music that departs from convention. The flip side is that when you think actively about each decision, and each one comes from a place of individuality, it becomes hard to find a coherent logic that ties all those things together. And that ends up being the riddle that I am constantly trying to solve with my music."
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World Record Store Day: The ultimate guide to where you can buy an LP
The romanticising of vinyls is not without reason - the gritty, warm sound, the bout of nostalgia and the act of listening may all be cliches, but they also hold true. And today being World Record Store Day, there is perhaps no better way of spending it than actually being in one. So here are a few that can satiate everyone from the grandpa obsessed with Madhubala to the hipster who wears socks from different pairs. Take your pick.
The Revolver Club
Jude D'Souza (seated in pic), CeO at The Revolver Club, says, "I once got a call about someone wanting to purchase weapons and another one asking how they could join this club." He explains that the name is a play on the revolving aspect of vinyls and also an ode to a Beatles album. D'Souza set up the store with co-founder Shalom Benjamin about three years ago, and it has now become a go-to hub for record junkies.
At: LJ Road, Mahim West.
Call: 9833182255
Cost: Rs 100 to Rs 25,000
Royal Music Collection
Known simply as Abdul Razaak's store to those in the trade, this shop tucked away in Fort has been around since 1982. Featuring an array of languages and genres, the stock is a treasure trove of collectors' records. "Most of my customers are regulars and now that record players are back, I get some new ones too. Much what I have comes from old collections, so it's cheap and exquisite," says Razaak, the owner.
At: Kitab Mahal, Dr DN Road.
Call: 98209 33365
Cost: Rs 250 to Rs 2,000.
Music Circle
Pilak Bhatt, owner of Music Centre, which has been around for five years, says he has been collecting records for the last 40 years. At his store you can find both pre-owned records and new ones. "Because of my passion and love for music, I want this format to stay alive. Analogue sound is natural and warm and records have lovely artwork. Plus, there's ample information about the artistes. The sound of Mp3s isn't great, and people are realising that, which is why this revival has come about," Bhatt says.
At: V Mall, Kandivali east
Call: 9833062221
Cost: Rs 300 to Rs 2,000
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Explore Goa through art!
St Sebastian Chapel in Fontainhas. Pic courtesy/Mark D'Souza
There are two kinds of people who visit Goa - the peace and leisure seekers who soak up the solitude that the place offers, and the 'woohoo' gang who could do with drinking and partying at Mambo's every night. If you belong to the former category and wish to add a different touch to your annual summer Goa trip, sign up for Colour Fiesta Goa, a three-day opportunity to explore the sunshine state through art.
The heritage walk includes a visit to Goan musician Chico Fonseca’s home. Pics courtesy/Photooneil
Curated by Weekend Art Room, which conducts art workshops for those looking for a breather in Mumbai, the event will combine art lessons with a heritage walk and a day on the beach. Founder Sona Choksi, a self-taught artist who works with a team of art professionals, was looking to combine her love for painting and travel. The result was an art trip to Sindhudurg last year, which saw 40 enthusiasts, including art students and teachers, paint in the mobile-free green environs of the sea-side district.
Fontainhas is a heritage Latin quarter in Panjim, Goa
"I am passionate about art and travel. Usually people from the city paint either in restaurants or someone's home for paint parties. But to explore art in nature, where you live in a village and sit amid greenery without your cellphone, means that the output acquired a new form and has a different value altogether. One of the art teachers who was a part of the Sindhudurg trip had tears in her eyes as she was overwhelmed by the experience, which is unlike doing anything in the city. Goa is not just about drinking and partying, I want people to explore its other side," says Choksi.
The Sindhudurg trip included live painting sessions, using local red sand to create art with natural colours, and making art with leaves, stones and other elements of nature. The Goa trip will offer a similar experience. This includes painting with watercolours at Vagator beach (the stay will be near the beach too), spending a day at a local pottery studio to learn to create something with clay, a graffiti wall creation, working with acrylic paints and creating sand art.
The trip will also include a heritage sketch crawl in Fontainhas, the old Latin quarter in Panjim, a heritage area dotted with colourful picture-perfect homes. The walk will be conducted by Make it Happen, a travel experience company that regularly conducts such walks. "Fontainhas was a marshland and not habitable at all.
Sona Choksi
All the houses have been made on reclaimed land, and the narrow streets are great for exploring the place on foot. You won't find much traffic as opposed to the planned area of Panjim. The lifestyle of the place is very inspiring, laidback, quiet and quaint. The food is authentic. It has homes with tiled roofs built in the Portuguese style that are over a 100 years old with generations of families living in them. People still speak in Portuguese.
There are many art galleries and performance spaces in this area that promote all kinds of art. The area is also known for St Sebastian Chapel, which has a unique statue of Christ on the crucifix with his eyes open. Then there is the 31st January Road which commemorates the liberation of Portugal from Spain in 1640. We will also visit and meet Chico Fonseca. He is a known fado (a style of Portuguese music) musician," says Murali Shankaran, chief travel designer, Make It Happen.
From April 26 to 30
At: Stay near Vagator, North Goa
LOG on to: facebook.com/ weekendartroom
Call: 9930602032
Cost: Rs 10,500
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Experts list seven best summer fashion trends that you must look out for
Shades of red, bordeaux, pink and yellow are the key emanating colours this summer. Along with these colours, core summer essentials like white and blue also build foundations of the wardrobe. Prernaa Lohiya, Marketing Manager, French Connection, and Samantha Chilton, Head of Design KOOVS, have listed seven best summer fashion trends you must look out for.
1. Fun and message-driven slogan T-shirts: Fun and message-driven slogan T-shirts that speak your mind, some core checkered shirts and athleisure inspired look for men are big this season. For women, soft florals and fashion infused athleisure is here to stay.
2. Side-striped bottoms and popper pants: Some of the other trends this season include side striped bottoms and popper pants.
3. Summer dresses in pastel shades: For a more ethereal look, you can choose pretty summer dresses in pastel hues as well.
4. Florals, solids, and patterns in green: The new hot colour for the summer is green and this can be seen in the form of florals, solids and patterns.
5. Bohemian grunge: It is also that time of the season when Bohemian grunge and festival dressing is popular including details like studding, lace inserts and broderie.
6. Neon camo and digital oversized sleeveless shirts for men: Men can add an element of exploration, with utility and military accents. Also this season it's all about the prints; from contrasting resort florals to neon camo and digital oversized sleeveless shirts.
7. Embroidered denim jacket: For layering, denim works wonders in summer and one can pick an embroidered denim jacket to layer a look with clean slip ons.
This summer, let your clothes speak your mind and add bright hues to your wardrobe to make a fashionable statement, say experts.
(Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from IANS)
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German duo composes new song that has an advice for Mumbaikars
Dario Brandt
The frenetic pace of life in Mumbai is such that it can sometimes suck you in like the last bit of water disappearing down the sinkhole of a swimming pool that's being emptied out. And before you know it, you become enmeshed in the social fabric of the city, riding a see-saw that oscillates between chasing dreams and paying absurd rent for a matchbox house. Yet, we trudge on, like troopers who feel most at home in a battleground. For, despite an inevitable sense of ruthlessness, there is also the milk of human kindness that nourishes this city's soul. And everyone's thus welcome to ride that see-saw. But sometimes, it's best to take a step back, pause, reflect and then start hurtling once again towards your goal.
Lydia Hendrikje Hornung. Pic/Datta Kumbhar
That, in a nutshell, is the message in Bombay Aaram Se, a new song that encapsulates what living in this city is all about. And what sets it apart from other musical tributes to Mumbai, such as the folksy 1969 classic Bombay Meri Hai, is that the two people who have composed it - Lydia Hendrikje Hornung and Dario Brandt - are both German. They landed in the city a few years ago to teach at The True School of Music in Lower Parel, and started sharing a flat in the process. Then, at some point, Hornung floated the idea to Brandt that they use the medium of music to give concrete shape to what their experience of living in the city has been like.
A still from the Bombay Aaram Se video
Brandt tells us, "Lydia is the one who came up with the chorus, and it felt perfect because going 'aaram se' is exactly how we were both feeling about being here. I then added some beats to it and she came up with the hook lines, and we had time to work on it since we were living together. So, we would just knock on each other's doors and say, 'Hey, what do you think about this input, or that one?'"
The product they eventually came up with is a catchy, EDM-inflected number with a modern, hip-hop vibe. The track starts with a 1970s-like Bollywood song sample, before it takes an edgy turn five seconds in. The lyrics capture the intrinsic tumult of the Maximum City, with lines like "I'm hailing kaali-peeli cabs/ I'm waking up in Bombay flats" interspersed with "Let me cough up rickshaw fumes/ Don't care what time we do". And the accompanying video feels as if the two of them are on a drive around town, stopping at quintessential Bambaiyya locations such as the Gateway of India, an Irani café, Land's End in Bandra and Marine Drive.
So all in all, it seems as if both Hornung and Brandt have internalised Mumbai to the extent that they, too, are riding the see-saw that life here can be about. Brandt says, "I find that despite it being such a welcoming place, it's also easy to disappear in this city. I mean, I step out of my house and I feel as if I have vanished sometimes," while Hornung adds, "Moving here was a completely life-changing matter for me. I got the feeling of, 'This is going to be my new home for a while.' And that made me find my peace with some of the things that annoy me, like traffic for instance. And eventually that's what also led me to think, 'Bombay, aaram se.' I mean, just chill, right?"
Log on to: YouTube and type "Bombay Aaram Se" to listen to the track
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Check out these 5 handbags trends to amp up your style in 2018
Representational picture
While you are upgrading your wardrobe with Summer staples like floral dresses, shorts and tank tops, don’t forget to amp up your style with the perfect handbag. From carry-it-all oversized tote bags to stylish circular bags that are the rage, refresh your wardrobe with the top handbags for the season with tips from Narendra Kumar, Creative Director, Amazon Fashion!
Fringed and tasseled
Fringes and tassels are one of the key trends this season. A leather sling back with flirty fringes makes for the perfect daytime bag but be sure to incorporate just the right amount. For a bohemian look carry a fringe bag with a floral dress. Balance it out by keeping the rest of your outfit simple and straight with basic accessories.
Bucket bags
The bucket bag is an absolute must have in your wardrobe. While the structure is more casual, with minimalist designs and neutral hues, these look sophisticated and chic. Open bucket bags have a thick strap on top whereas closed bucket bags have drawstrings around the top.
Circular bags
Here is a refreshing new trend for Spring-Summer. These circular shaped bags will add a fun and distinctive touch to your whole look. Go for sleek, elegant designs in solid colors. If you are looking for something more casual, get a textured leather bag or denim with patchwork. These are quite small but come in a huge variety of styles.
Oversized tote and hobo
Oversized totes and hobos are the best bags to carry it all! These can easily transition from your work wear to a casual everyday bag. While neutrals work best with formals, a bright oversized bag is all you need for a day at the beach. However, since oversized bags tend to look bulky or slouchy, get a structured one.
Mini bags
Along with oversized bags, mini bags have also become a popular choice. Although these are very small, it can be a statement piece. Mini bags come with cute detailing like bows or buckles in boxy shapes. Pick a pastel colored mini bag with a top handle to carry your basic essentials.
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Kathua gang rape: Artists on Instagram react to the crime in a quieter way
The eight-year-old's name floats about in your head like a fly - not so long ago, buzzing around insouciantly - fallen into a cup of tea gone stale and cold. A child, who would have perhaps stared at you with demurred confusion were you to read the chargesheet for her abduction, rape, and murder to her. "Myean beyni! Emuk matlab kya chu may wann te (My sister! Tell me what does that mean)," she would have asked in Kashmiri. The case sparked widespread national outrage, and social media was taken by storm. However, amid much of the hammering that has taken place after the Kathua rape, a relatively quieter means of dissent surfaced in the form of art on Instagram. Meet its makers.
Orijit Sen,
A veteran artist based in Delhi
"I had been hearing things but I was busy with deadlines so I wasn't aware of all the details until I took a break. When I read about the case and the chargesheet, it made me sick, but then I saw her photograph and it left a deep impact. It haunted me. I added the horse because I read that she had been abducted when she was out herding horses.
It was like her guardian spirit. The wildflowers in her hand signify flowers she may have collected and the meadows around, because I read that playing in the meadows was her favourite thing to do. The shadows on her face are to obscure her identity and in all, I was just trying to capture the vulnerability and innocence of a child her age. I think to me, the image portrays a child of the meadow, returned," he explains.
Abhilash Menon,
visual artist and illustrator from Mumbai
"When the agony gets too much, the voice inside me takes over. The hands of a criminal are always eager to touch flesh, with insane brutality. Such criminals don't shy away from wearing the mask of cast, creed, colour, religion or politics - as depicted by the five fingers in the image - but when the masks come off, they are all the same.
The five fingers here are in the shape of the male genitalia, establishing the mindset of such criminals - decadent and unbeknownst to human values and pain. Irrespective of their background, they should be delivered the harshest common punishment, so that others abhor an act such as this. Punish these delinquents and bring peace to the soul of that little girl."
Sourabh Basu,
Student and Kolkata-based graphic designer
"My illustration focuses on the multiple thoughts running through her head in the moments before her death. She might have cried, struggled in pain, the pitch of her voice might have been unbearable. She might have cried out for her mother, hence the text 'Ma'.
But it also depicts that she was in a temple, a goddesse's shrine, which to most of us is also an abode of the mother. In those last minutes, she must have been filled with hatred toward the world and its cruelty."
Satish Acharya,
Well-known Kundapur-based cartoonist
"I couldn't believe that people could be so cruel to an eight-year-old. Her thoughts started haunting me. I was saddened to see that some people were shamelessly defending the rapists. I did a series of three cartoons. The first one was about how the little girl is receiving so much love from us, but what she deserves more is justice.
The next two panels are about how nothing has changed since the brutal Delhi gang rape. In spite of a revised law named after the victim, rapes continue to be used as a tool to scare and hurt women, to settle political scores, to impose age-old gender biases and caste hierarchy. What was also worrying was how divided the country was unlike in the case of Nirbhaya which was protested in one voice."
Saira Khan,
Toronto-based Health Studies and Psychology student
"This artwork is not only dedicated to the eight-year-old, but to every child who has been a victim of rape and physical and psychological harm. The news of the Kathua rape reminded me of Zainab, a six-year-old Pakistani girl who was raped and murdered in January.
The illustration is that of a faceless and nameless girl and the hashtag #Justicefor, has been left incomplete to depict that in a society where rape and violence against women is ingrained, one name can soon be replaced with another. The shards represent brutality and crimes against women and children. The use of red paint is to depict the urgency of the message," she explains.
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From technology to aesthetic appeal: Six must-have elements in your workplace
Redoing your office interiors? Try out some of the must-have elements in office spaces like the right furniture, adding nature to the surroundings and activity based settings. Ishan Thacker, Associate Director, Vector Projects (I) Pvt. Ltd. and Amit Ramani, Founder and CEO of Awfis Space Solutions list some recommendations.
1. The right furniture: This plays a pivotal role in any kind of work space setting. Offices need to invest in the right kind of furniture to increase their employees' efficiency. Opt for something that has high functionality over ordinary designs. Adjustable desks and chairs can be a good choice; multipurpose furniture can also be added to save space. Another new entrant in the space is reconfigurable furniture that can be customized as per need. It provides both the required flexibility as well as privacy.
2. Go back to nature: Add in a little nature to your premises with biophilic designs. The latest trend in the office space, the presence of plants and other natural elements can add positivity within the environment and improve the air quality.
3. Activity-based settings: It is exciting to be at a workplace that engages you with diverse group of people and gives you the opportunity to network and collaborate. Flexible workstations, new age cabins, activity-based settings including comfortable couches and beanbags, breakout zones, meeting lounges and pods are some of the attractions in an office that provide a natural crossroad for employees to meet and share ideas, thereby enhancing their motivation levels and productivity.
4. Ergonomic lighting: Our cortisol level drops significantly under artificial and poor lighting conditions and dimly lit workplaces strain the eyes, causing headache and drowsiness. This can lead to poor productivity. Natural light is the best. Daylight that filters through the space not only affects employee well-being but also boosts the energy and mood level. Consider making the best use of natural light and swap the florescent bulbs with personal lamps, string lighting, and soft coloured bulbs to keep your employees alert and attentive.
5. Aesthetic appeal: Everything from layout, to furniture and even artwork is subject to appeal in a workplace. The idea is to create a transcendental experience for the user and to design a warm casual space that works as an incubator for ideas. Materials like wood and metal bring warmth and rustic feel to the space. Keeping in mind the fact that the office workspaces today are dynamic in nature and are witnessing rapid changes, the workplace style should be bold, industrial and vibrant with new age materials, technology and decluttered design vocabulary.
6. Technology: A modern office space is incomplete without the right technology. Integrated systems, fast-speed internet connections and latest hardware and software are things your office must have to appeal to the incoming tech-savvy generations. Not only that, office can also invest in mobile devices or rather agile settings to help one switch easily from one place as to another. The new workforce prefers more flexibility which will in turn result in enhanced productivity.
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Turkish artist on his creative journey as actor, teacher
Artworks by Mehmet Guleryuz
"I am a representative, a child, a product, of the 1968 generation. I am a witness and a participant, a reactionary and an activist who was shaped by and responded to the changing social and political climate of my times. I have always seen every aspect of that which surrounds us as political, and I have always felt duty-bound to respond to these things as an artist," says Mehmet Güleryüz about the impact of the political climate of Turkey on his creative process. Evident through the fervent strokes seen in his artworks, the 80-year-old artist, one of the biggest names to emerge from the contemporary art scene of the country, has indeed responded to the many changes that have simmered around him over his 55-year career. The artist speaks about his creative journey as an actor, teacher and an artist, with the opening of his first show in the city, On The Road.
How has theatre affected your style of art?
My talent and gift for painting in parallel to that of my love of the fine arts as a whole forced me to take a leap into my simultaneous passion of theatre. You could say that I learned painting in the theatre. The problems that I had in reaction to the classic way in which the arts were taught forced me to make a choice to leave the field of fine arts studies and pursue an education/career in the performing arts. As a result of studying acting studio methodologies and our "emotion works", it also offered the scope where even though one was bound within the guidelines of the script, there was the opportunity to rediscover a new aspect. This gave me the invaluable opportunity to return to painting with my own methodology and vision, to understand what it was that I needed to do in painting. My very nature was open to improvisation, and to a sort of action painting that was in harmony with this sort of an expression and what I could call the foundation stone of my art.
How would you like to reiterate the importance of drawing to upcoming artists?
The act of drawing is open to everyone. It doesn't differentiate nor does it reject or exclude anyone. Everyone can, essentially, draw. The person who is responsible for that line, who can understand that when s/he draws, s/he only gains the identity of a painter after his or her decision to become a master of it.
Could you tell us about the paintings in this exhibition?
Although this is a selection from a different period of time covering over 40 years, it does not cover all processes. It contains only partial information of a very long journey. But at its core, it is always predominantly weighted in the human condition.
Has your journey to India inspired you in any way so far?
For anyone who cannot directly or intimately connect with it, India could be considered tera-incognita. It could be said to contain the unknown, but that which must definitively be discovered and experienced and learned from. Just imagine what this means for an artist, for someone like me. This is an experience which I am relishing and enjoying very much.
Till: April 24
At: Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda
From: April 26 to May 30
At: Jamaat, Colaba
Call: 22820718
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Mumbai 360: Your Weekday Go And Do Guidebook
Monday
Soak in some art
Attend an exhibition where artist Kanu Patel will showcase his paintings. His works are influenced by the religion, history, literature and arts of India.
Time 11 am to 7 pm
At Jehangir Art Gallery, Kala Ghoda.
Call 9825041289
Free
Get a kick
Taekwondo is a semi-contact martial arts form that originated in Korea. Enrol for a summer camp where you can
learn the different techniques that it involves.
Time 9 am
At Natraj Hall, Link Road, Andheri West.
Log on to eventshigh.com
Entry Rs 1,800
Do something to dye for
Batik is a wax-resist dyeing technique that is popular in many Southeast Asian countries. Learn how it’s done in Malaysia, where there are no restrictions on the colours you use On the fabric of your choice.
Time 12 noon
At Iteeha Studio, Mathuradas Mill Compound, Lower Parel.
Log on to insider.in
Cost Rs 2,300
Tuesday
Deal with it
An affordable watering hole is celebrating its first anniversary. And it’s offering an unbelievable deal to mark the occasion — get 36 unlimited drinks for just '365. If that doesn’t sound like a deal, we don’t know what will.
Time 9 pm onwards
At BKC Dive, Pinnacle Corporate Park, Bandra Kurla Complex.
Call 8655077330
Mark their words
Poetry is one form of the arts that can truly encapsulate the complexity of the human condition. Attend an open-mic event where new and established talent will read out their verses.
Time 8.30 pm
At Hive at Gostana, Parbhat Kunj, Linking Road, Bandra West.
Call 64533359
Cost Rs 250 (including Rs 100 as cover)
Get a high
Aeromodelling is an excellent way of learning basic science and engineering principles. Sign your child up for a course that teaches them how to build and fly model planes.
Time 11 am
At Quistic Learning Centre, Oshiwara, Andheri West.
Log on to eventshigh.com
Cost Rs 2,500
Wednesday
Eat like a local
Sample some authentic Maharashtrian fare at an eatery on the occasion of Akshaya Tritiya. Tuck into delicacies like aamras puri, katachi amti, dalimbi wal and vangiyacha bhari.
Time 12 pm and 7 pm
At The Bombay Havelli, Maharshi Karve Road, Opera House, Girgaum.
Call 33126813
Cost Rs 1,200
Learn about wine
If you are a wine enthusiast, attend the informative Taste and Learn Series being held at the restaurant of a BKC hotel. A sommelier will teach how to distinguish between different makes of the drink, which will be paired with a curated menu of small bites.
Time 7 pm
At Artisan, Sofitel Hotel, BKC.
Call 8268152599
Cost Rs 3,097
Move your body
Attend a physical movements course that focuses on khel kalari, a body-mind training system comprising kalaripayattu, yoga, mobility and locomotion, breathwork, and voice and chanting exercises.
Time 9.30 am to 11 am, and 4.30 pm to 6 pm
At Hybrid Fitness, Bungalow 34, Janaki Devi School Road, Andheri West.
Call 9967535562
Cost Rs 3,000 for each phase
Thursday
Manage money
Attend a workshop on managing your finances if you’re the sort who regularly find yourself asking, “Where did my all money disappear to?” Learn how to choose the right investment options and define your financial goals.
Time 10 am
At Verbena Brewpub, Lower Parel.
Call 39971886
Cost Rs 2,500
Tell tales
Have a story to tell? Attend a session where audience members are invited to take the stage and narrate interesting anecdotes from their life, be it a hair-raising tale or an incident that makes people laugh out loud.
On 8 pm
At The School Of Thought, Laxmi Industrial Estate, New Link Road, Andheri West.
Call 9819546349
Cost Rs 249
Go back in time
Catch Blackstratblues play a gig that rolls back time to the analogue era. The band is fronted by Warren Mendonsa (second from right in pic), a virtuoso guitarist, considered to be one of India’s best.
Time 9 pm
At Todi Mill Social, Mathuradas Mill Compound, Lower Parel.
Call 7506394240
Entry Rs 600
Hear new jokes
The stand-up circuit in Mumbai is choc-a-bloc with a host of established comics and upcoming artistes. Many of them draw their inspiration from life in the Maximum City, meaning their routines are replete with jokes based on, say, Dadar station or vada pav. But if you are looking for something different, attend a gig that features only outstation artistes, who have their own flavour of comedy.
Time 8.30 pm
At The Cuckoo Club, 5AA Pali Hill Road, next to Candies, Bandra West.
Call 9619962969
Entry Rs 250
Catch a play
How does a husband’s quest to get his beloved wife’s sight restored create a stir in the life of an internationally renowned eye surgeon, who has given up his practice? And how does this interesting intersection of three lives play out? Find out at the staging of Molly Sweeney, a play directed by Rehaan Engineer.
Till April 22, 8 pm
At G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture, Mahalaxmi.
Log on to bookmyshow.com
Entry Rs 750
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Pets have their own reason for following you to bathroom
Representational picture
If your pets are following to every nook and cranny of your house and especially when you decide to have some lone time in the bathroom, blame it to their 'pack behaviour'. According to the recent studies, dogs have evolved to be pack animals with strong bonds to those around them, and in their domesticated state, the instinct to physically stick with the members of the pack transfers to their humans.
Reports say that if a pet follows you everywhere he might start suffering from anxiety and separation issues whenever the pet owner leaves the dog on its own. But on the flip side cats are not known to be as pack animals. They are in a constant search of warmth and thus are often seen cuddling up in towels or pillows. For cats their own privacy is paramount.
The cats would also follow you to your loo trips but not cause of their concern of separation from you but as they are insecure and want to check if there is nothing untoward going inside the house which could be threatening to them.
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Gays still face discrimination from 'straight' people, say study
Representational picture
Washington D.C.: Gaybourhood, or traditionally gay neighbourhood, still face a subtle form of discrimination from 'straight' people. According to a study conducted by the University of British Columbia, straight people living in such neighbourhoods, say they support gay rights in theory, but many interact with their gay and lesbian next-door fellas on the street in ways that contradict those sentiments.
"There is a mistaken belief that marriage equality means the struggle for gay rights is over," said Amin Ghaziani, the study's senior author. "Prejudice and discrimination still exist- it's just more subtle and difficult to detect."
The researchers interviewed 53 straight people, who live in two Chicago gaybourhoods - Boystown and Andersonville.
They found the majority of residents saying that they support gay people. However, the researchers found their progressive attitudes were misaligned with their actions.
While many residents said they don't care if people are gay or straight, some indicated that they don't like gay people who are "in your face".
When asked about resistance from LGBTQ communities to the widespread trend of straight people moving into gaybourhoods, some of the people interviewed responded with accusations of reverse discrimination and described gay people who challenged them as "segregationist" and "hetero-phobic."
Some said they believed they should have open access to cultural gay spaces, and were surprised that they felt "unwelcome" there.
"That feeling of surprise, however, exemplifies a misguided belief that gay districts are trendy commodities when they are actually safe spaces for sexual minorities¿, added Ghaziani.
When the researchers asked residents if they had done anything to show their support of gay rights, such as marching in the pride parade, donating to an LGBTQ organization, or writing a letter in support of marriage equality to a politician, the majority said they had not.
Many also expected their gay and lesbian neighbours to be happy and welcoming of straight people moving into gaybourhoods, expressing sentiments like, "you wanted equality- this is what equality looks like."
With gay pride celebrations fast approaching around the world, Adriana Brodyn, the study's lead author, said it is important to pause and reflect on the state of LGBTQ equality.
"I hope that our research motivates people against becoming politically complacent or apathetic," she said. "If we do not motivate ourselves to be aware of this subtle form of prejudice, then it will just continue to perpetuate."
The study appears in the journal City and Community.
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Silicon Valley trend of using drugs in mini doses daily is catching up in India
Over a phone call from Kolkata, Vikram Rajan*, an audio engineer and guitarist formerly based out of Mumbai, wants us to listen to a track that he has composed. It's available on Soundcloud and, as we stream it, we more or less agree that its flavour of electronica-jazz could accompany a languorous Sunday evening. "For a long time, I had been unable to come up with something good. And, then, I composed this around March while I was microdosing and sometimes, megadosing on acid," says Rajan.
The 33-year-old is referring to a way-of-life that's effectively snapping the ties between drug abuse and the creative arts. This is a lifestyle experiment that some of the brightest techies in Silicon Valley are engaging in, and has got psychiatrists and anti-drug crusaders distraught. "From a 100 mics paper, I take about 20 mics, twice a week, giving the doses a 2-3 days gap. The effects of acid last for about six hours for me," says Rajan, who started experimenting with drugs as a teenager.
After a litany of prescriptions failed to control her mood swings and depression, Ayelet Waldman found relief in LSD. The former federal public defender authored A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life, in 2016. She wrote: "(It) made room in my mind not necessarily for joy, but for insight. It allowed me a little space to consider how to act in accordance with my values, not just react to external stimuli. This, not the razzle-dazzle of pleasure, was its gift." Pic/Getty Images
In need of a quick glossary before we proceed? Acid is officially called Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), a psychedelic drug banned in India, the possession of which can lead to imprisonment from one to 20 years under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. LSD is often illegally sold in the form of stamps, with the hallucinogen embedded on blotter paper. Mics is micrograms, that's one-millionth of a gram. A microdose is when you have about one-tenth of a recreational 'party' dose, which starts at about 200 mics.
"With microdosing, you are not tripping — this is not a trip. The euphoria isn't there. It's not about feeling good, it's about calmness," continues Rajan. Microdosing first hit headlines after Steve Jobs' passed away in 2011, when a number of inspiring tales on how LSD became the new go-to substance for enhanced performance by tech employees hit the net. Espresso became passé. 'Flow states' were the new yoga. While Jobs did more than just microdose (he was known to have gone all the way), Silicon Valley techies are reportedly doing acid in quantities such that their effects are 'sub-perceptual', where you won't "see stuff" but you harness its "positive" effects.
A dropper with CBD cannabis oil, used for medicinal purposes. Initial research in the area has shown that patients can reap the benefits without its full-blown 'high' effects
Paul Austin, founder of The Third Wave, where you will find a manifesto on microdosing, defines it as, "the act of integrating sub-perceptual doses of psychedelics, such as LSD or Psilocybin Mushrooms, into your weekly routine for higher levels of creativity, more energy, increased focus, and improved relational skills." The Third Wave, according to Austin, follows the first two waves, in which psychedelics were used indigenously for thousands of years, and then, in the 60s and 70s, when they were a part of American counterculture. Austin writes that The Third Wave is upon us, "brought about by recent developments in cannabis legalisation and psychedelic research — and it will change the way mainstream culture perceives psychedelic use."
Classically acid, now weed
For Rajan, however, it wasn't sub-perceptual Silicon Valley that got him to ration his 100 mics stamps, each of which costs about R2,000. It was simply a matter of demand and supply. Mumbai had better stuff than Kolkata, and more availability. Microdosing has classically been associated with LSD, but now has been extended to cannabis as well. Austin's website has guided instructions for microdosing on nine drugs, including cannabis and ayahuasca. Mumbai-based communications officer Varna Kumar*, 25, smokes a mandatory post-work joint every night in order to cope with anxiety and panic attacks. "I feel I have worked enough through the day, without much time to understand what I am going through. At night, when I am by myself, I smoke a small joint to achieve REM sleep," she says. The joint, a mix of two strains, sativa and indica, help her body relax. It makes her anxiety seem defeatable, is how she describes it. Her counsellor, who also smokes up, has not advocated this as a coping mechanism. "It's different from when I am smoking up recreationally during the weekend or when I am away on a vacation. I will do three to four joints when I have nothing to take care of," she says.
Rajan doesn't buy it. He offers an example that may be best contemplated upon or contested by those who have done both LSD and cannabis. "With weed, you are either stoned, or you are not. You will need to smoke up as soon as the high wears off. When you get stoned, your mind becomes passive. But, microdosing on LSD allows you to be calm enough to multitask, allowing a lot of information to be funnelled into your brain easily. You are alert, you are awake," he says, adding, "What is LSD all about? When you start tripping, you see a shift in perspective." You need not agree with Rajan, as he himself says, "We are all chemical reactions", with each of us reacting differently to drugs.
Covert, not convenient
Microdosing will often be compared to that hard-earned and well-deserved one drink after work hours. It's nothing like that, microdosers will tell you, and so will psychiatrists and rehab therapists. For one, microdosing has none of the ease of getting a drink at your favourite pub. You will be persecuted in your search for your creative spell or a calmer mind. Next, it's not even like getting a drug prescription that your GP advises you to have for the course of a fortnight. Kumar and Rajan know it all too well. Microdosing means self-experimentation, knowing when you are crossing the threshold into recreational high dosages. Cannabis, for instance, is best microdosed through edibles, like space brownies, which are available legally in some parts of the world. It's probably the reason why microdosing is yet to take on Silicon Valley proportions in India. "Here, we don't often get to know what strain of cannabis we are using, or where it is sourced from," says Kumar. Saying "this stuff is craazzyy" is, therefore, not enough if you want to microdose. "If you are living with family, it's hard to make edibles. All this means that the convenience factor associated with a drink is not the same with this covert process," she adds.
The idea of the junkie, with matted hair and piercings, is a stereotype that microdosing is replacing. It's no longer cool to be a junkie, especially in the vegan-conscious, gluten-free, aerial yoga health lifestyle that we are seeing around us. Microdosing may be the most metrosexual among the various kinds of drug use, and it carries the allure of high-performance and alleviation of mental health issues, with published studies to back these up. But doctors and psychiatrists are warning us about the glamourisation of microdosing, even as research to mainstream it for mental health is going on. Psychiatrist Dr Samir Parikh says, "Microdosing encourages the thought process that you need a drug for enhanced performance or better creativity or to calm your nerves. This will mean that students microdose before exams, athletes before a run, couples before a wedding, and the next thing you know, because someone has to attend a birthday bash. There is no end to important situations in life. We are making people believe that a student could have scored an additional five marks in an exam had she just microdosed. Can you imagine the perils of this philosophy?" he says. He backs this up with the number of risks associated with prolonged drug abuse, such as a permanent change in brain circuitry, cerebrovascular diseases, and panic attacks.
Then there are those who will argue that moderation as 'one-drink-a-day' is more addictive than the weekend drunken revelry. Is addiction, even in microdoses, still addiction, where the brain searches for rewards compulsively? Kumar disagrees. "Microdosing is the difference between dependence and addiction. For example, I am dependent on a cab to take me to the station. Can I get through my day without it? Can I walk to the station? Yes, I can. That's what microdosing is. I can get through my day without a joint, but a joint just makes it a little easier," she says.Psychiatrist Dr Yusuf Merchant, who runs a rehabilitation centre at Kalyan, says microdoses pose the risk of turning into overdoses. "With any drug, the body learns to metabolise it faster. Which means, that the quantity for a microdose will keep increasing and your hold on reality will keep getting more tangential."
Rajan himself admits to a 'bad trip'. LSD users will tell you that recreational doses are best done in settings that you feel comfortable in, to enjoy, or cope, with the hallucinations. With microdosing, you are headed into your office or your studio to function better. Rajan had once taken more than a microdose, leading him to have a panic attack, the kind where he couldn't even see his hands. The golden rule, he says, is that if you don't go on a full trip, you will never know what a microdose is.
That ailing pain
The push for microdosing is coming from a quarter where its future seems to be most secured — pain management. Mumbai-based homemaker Susheela Kamath*, 48, was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer a couple of years ago, and having undergone nearly a year's worth of chemotherapy and radiation, the accompanying pain and nausea, were all too real. Her daughter provided her with high-grade hash oil. The dealer provided her with a tiny spoon, the kind that you are handed inflight to stir your coffee with. "I had to initially understand, through a lot of trial and error, by gauging my mother's mood, on what a microdose for her would be. Hash oil is very potent," says the daughter.
A little drop of it on her toast every day, helped Kamath cope with pain. "From the third day to the tenth day after chemotherapy, my mother would have about three to four spoons a day, and, on other days, just half a spoon," says the daughter. Coping with the pain meant she could do more during her day, and also have an appetite. Now, months after she has wound up chemotherapy and radiation, she has bid adieu to the prescription drugs that came along with it, and the hash oil as well, without yearning for that high. Unfortunately, unlike medical grade marijuana that is available in some countries, and still not permitted in India, the daughter did not know if the oil had cannabidiol (CBD), which gives marijuana its medical properties, or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which gives you the "high".
Dr Kailash Kothari, interventional spine and pain management specialist at Fortis Hospital, Mulund, says that there is not enough evidence to either prove or disprove that microdosing on cannabis can help with pain management, the way opioids, such as morphine, act on the nervous system. "Do cannabinoids work like tranquilisers or do they have long-term effect? There is not enough research as of now," he says, adding, "Getting dependent on these takes a lot of time and not something that can happen in about 15 days of use." In the meanwhile, you can enjoy a night of quiet or a better track on Soundcloud by rationing your stash. But, is it short-term solace or long-term abuse?
*All names have been changed on request to protect identity
Five environment-friendly options from where you can order food in Mumbai
Vikhroli resident Dr Suvajeet Duttagupta loves cooking his meals. But, the 31-year-old cinematographer admits that some days are long and tiring and the only option is to order in. Yet, this comes with its share of heartaches. "The worst bit about ordering out is the amount of plastic that they use to package the food. While I make it a point to ask the restaurants not to send any plastic cutlery, there's only so much one can do." But, Duttagupta isn't the only Mumbaikar who wishes ordering in was more environment-friendly. With the plastic ban coming into full effect on June 23, Mumbai establishments have little more than a month to find alternatives. While some places now pack their containers in cloth bags, the containers themselves remain plastic, thus almost negating the good work done. But, there are a few who have switched to eco-friendly alternatives:
The New York Burrito Company
This brand new Mexican quick service restaurant has a takeout menu that includes Mexican bowl, burrito, tacos, nachos, quesadillas, chips with guacamole and more. They use recyclable bagasse trays and kraft bags (made from recycled paper). They also add wooden spoons and forks to their takeout bags. Senil Shah, partner, says,
"As our packaging is eco-friendly and fresh, we don't fear food getting bad. Costs have risen, but we see it as an investment for our future generation's betterment."
Senil Shah, partner, The New York Burrito Company
Where: Chowpatty
Timings: 11 am – 11 pm
Meal for two: Rs 600
Call: 8999347000
29 – Twenty Nine
This pan-Indian restaurant which opened in 2016, is much loved by the patrons for the range of regional dishes (29 states) available under one roof. "We have been experimenting with various packaging material at our Kemps Corner outlet, long before the plastic ban. The packaging material we have found best for our use is made of paper and cornstarch with an eco-friendly dissolvable lamination. This was then applied to all other 29 outlets," says owner Nishek Jain. The initial sourcing of the products came from an exhibition called PackPlus hosted in New Delhi. Certain items, like rabadi with jalebi all come in a kulhad. They pack the curries in an eco-friendly thick-bond-with-lamination pack.
Nishek Jain, owner, 29 - Twenty Nine. Pic/Bipin Kokate
Where: Kemps Corner
Timings: 11 am – 3.30 pm and 7 pm – 11.30 pm
Meal for two: R1,000
Call: 7208022929
O Pedro
This Goan eatery became an instant talk-of-the-town thanks to its mix of flavours soaked in the coastal calm. From healthy options such as corn falafel lettuce wrap to good ol' chorizo chili fry poie, their menu has something for everyone. Before starting their takeaway services, O Pedro's tried and tested their delivery menu so that they knew that the food ordered for delivery would travel well. All these dishes are packed in products made of sugarcane, sorghum and wheat that are sourced locally from Pappco Greenware. "Working without plastic has its own challenges as one is not able to secure or seal in liquids completely, but we seal our boxes with paper tape to reduce chances of spillage," says Yash Bhanage, Partner at O Pedro. He adds, "The quality and the experience of eating the meal is most important for us. Therefore, we are only looking at delivering within a limited radius where we know the food would reach our guests quickly and in the way it was intended to."
30-60
No. of days in which sugarcane bagasse decomposes
Where: Bandra Kurla Complex
Timings: Noon to 1 am
Meal for two: R1,200
Call: 26534700
Mandala
This delivery kitchen offers a wide range of salads, sandwiches and soups. Sticking to their organic living philosophy, they also ensure that their food reaches their patrons in bio-degradable containers made of sugarcane bagasse — the fibrous residue. They source these products from a company that buys the packaging raw material from the UK and then processes it to create biodegradable bowls. The company also provides data on how many carbon credits they save by using their boxes. "We don't add any items on our menu that don't withstand our rigorous testing. This means that we let our food sit out at room temperature for up to an hour to see if it retains its flavour and freshness," says Sarvangi Shah, director of marketing.
Where: Kemps Corner and Prabhadevi
Timings: 11 am-midnight
Meal for two: Rs 700
Call: 8291817376
The Pantry
Tucked in the bylanes of the city's art district, this artsy café is a perfect hideout. The Pantry was established six years ago with principles of using fresh, local produce. This even translates in their packaging where they use food containers made of cornstarch while their straws, sleeves, boxes are all made of paper. Soup containers are made of bagasse. "Liquid foods like soups are the trickiest to pack but as we use bagasse container for the same and they are with an airtight lid which holds liquids safely, it makes it easy to travel," says Sumit Gambhir, the partner at The Pantry. In order to avoid spoilage due to temperature, they ensure that they maintain the delivery timings.
Address: Kala Ghoda, Fort
Timings: 8.30 am – 11.30 pm
Meal for two: Rs 1,400
Call: 22678901
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Weekly Planner: 12 Things to do around Mumbai from May 21-26
Watch a Panchatantra tale
4 PM: Take your kid for a play, based on a story from the Panchatantra. Written by Vishnu Sharma, Hil Mil Kar, is about how a crow, rat, tortoise and a deer become really good friends and stick together against all problems. This play employs both traditional and modern musical instruments to tell the story.
WHERE: Harkat Studio, Bungalow No. 75,
JP Road, Versova, Andheri West
ENTRY: Rs 200
TO BOOK: insider.in
Dig into nihari gosht
12 PM – 3 PM: Transport yourself to the Royal Era of the Nawabs, with The Sahib Room & Kipling Bar's all-new Dawat-e-Khaas thali, which will allow guests to experience the aromas and taste of Awadhi cuisine. The delicacies include tunday kebab and dum biryanis.
WHERE: The Sahib Room & Kipling Bar, Level 9M, The St. Regis, Lower Parel
PRICE: Non-veg: Rs 3,500; veg: Rs 2,500
FOR RESERVATION: 8291926985
Catch a nature exhibition
11 AM – 7 PM: See how fashion photographer Sunder Ramu romances with nature in one-of-a-kind exhibition, The Last Dance of the Leaves. The series of prints of pictures of dry leaves showcases a world that's both real and surreal. At the core of this exhibition lies the simple belief that we must live like a leaf and to remember that if the leaves go extinct, so will we.
WHERE: Tao Art Gallery, 165, The View, Dr Annie Besant Road, Worli
CALL: 24918585
Go shopping for your dream wedding
10 AM – 10 PM: Have a dream wedding in mind, but need help? The Wedding Story might just be what you're looking for. In its very first edition, the pop-up marketplace will offer a unique shopping experience with the most renowned names in the wedding industry under one roof. There will be a wide range of apparel, beauty and grooming, trousseau essentials, lifestyle products to choose from.
WHERE: 18.99 Latitude, 4th Floor, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel
CALL: 9967130313
Discover Bandra of yore
May 27, 8 AM: Witness how the neighbourhood of Bandra is preserving its rich culture at a heritage walk, Bandra's Past and Present. The walk explores the unique physical spaces, character and cultures of contemporary Bandra; it spotlights the neighbourhood's particular history and legacies, and attempts by its communities to preserve the same.
MEETING POINT: Bandra Fort
ENTRY: Rs 850
TO BOOK: eventshigh.com
Enjoy a fruity sangria
7 AM – 1 AM: Sip on some refreshing sangrias at Smoke House Deli and deter away from the sweltering heat. One can choose from three uplifting options such as the rosso, melon and bianco. The sangrias come infused with tropical fruits like apples and pomegranate.
WHERE: Smoke House Deli, 33rd Road, Pali Hill, Bandra West
PRICE: Rs 699
CALL: 65287800
Draw a flamenco dancer on canvas
4 PM: Explore your creativity, by painting a flamenco dancer. This will be a guided session, shedding light on the strokes, sketches and techniques to help you paint better.
WHERE: SodaBottleOpenerWala, Sentinel, Powai
ENTRY: Rs 1,850
TO BOOK: insider.in
Paint a mug
1 PM – 4 PM: Beer and coffee lovers, this one is for you. At a fun workshop, you will learn how to paint your beer/coffee mug in five easy steps. You will first pick your mug, after which you'll choose a design or create your own, colour it and give it a name. You will get to take it back home after seven days.
WHERE: Doolally Taproom, 1st Floor,
135 Kwality House, Kemps Corner
ENTRY: R1,500
TO BOOK: eventshigh.com
Order of the day
Set the tone for the week
8 pm onwards: There's no rule that says you must let the Monday morning blues carry on till way after sundown. How about starting the week on a musical note then? Gather your gang and head to this karaoke night, where you can unleash your inner Madonna or Enrique or whoever is your crooning idol.
21 Monday
Where: Tipsy Gypsy, Level 1, Fun Republic,
Link Road, Andheri West
Call: 7021857037
Listen to acoustic fusion
7.30 pm: Bhrigu Sahni is a singer-songwriter known for his acoustic compositions. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Sahni is a graduate from Berklee College of Music. He uses altered tunings and flamenco techniques on the acoustic guitar to create a very different kind of soundscape. Give him a listen.
22 Tuesday
Where: The Cuckoo Club, Pali Hill, Bandra West
Entry: Rs 350
Log on to: bookmyshow.com
Get your mid-week break
8 pm onwards: If the words "unlimited sangria" is music to your ears, you would not want to give this a miss. Forget about the long work day and unwind with your poison, along with a buffet. What's more, you can actually dive into this DIY sangria and stir up a fancy concoction according to your taste.
23 Wednesday
Where: BKC Dive, Pinnacle Corporate Part, Bandra Kurla Complex, Bandra East
Entry: Rs 299 onwards
Call: 8655077330
Watch them fight it out
7.30 pm to 9.30 pm: Burqa Boxers is a documentary about Muslim women boxers in Kolkata. These youngsters who face the grim reality of abuse and rape daily, dream of a better future by learning boxing from Razia Shabnam, one of India's first female boxing coaches.
24 Thursday
Where: The Bagel Shop, Anand Vila,
Pali Mala Road, Bandra West
Entry: Rs 250
Log on to: www.instamojo.com
Attend a pro talk
4 pm to 6 pm: Get your dose of wisdom this week from global icon Niladri Kumar, who is a fifth-generation sitar player, and inventor of the zitar. Hear Kumar speak of his musical journey, his understanding of genres and the challenges he managed to conquer.
25 Friday
Where: Soundideaz Academy, Shah Industrial Estate, Andheri West
FREE entry
Call: 7045781807
Dance with your child
11 am to 12.30 pm: This one's for the mothers in the house. If you've wanted your little one to learn how to dance, here's a novel way of getting them started. Instead of sending them to a school, which could be a long-term option, you can actually match your own steps with them.
26 Saturday
Where: Impulse Studio, Tej Gaurav House, Matunga East
Entry: Rs 500
Call: 9987157242
Sample prints from Bengal
Prints from Bengal is an exhibition that features works that date back to the early 20th century by artists of Bengal, who lived through tumultuous periods in history. Think Partition of Bengal, Swadeshi movement, and the subsequent reunion of the state in 1911. The artists whose works will be featured are Gaganendranath Tagore, Mukul Dey, Ramendra Nath Chakraborty, Ramkinkar Baij and Rani Chanda. The prints range from lino-cuts to lithographs that reflect the history of the print-making process, while focusing on forms, structure, texture and use of negative and positive space. Interestingly, many of the works exhibited in Mumbai for the first time, recall the history of the venue of Project 88 that was once a century-old metal printing press.
When: 11 am to 7 pm,
till June 16
Where: Project 88, Colaba
Call: 22810066
Bite into cherry blossom specials
If Japan seems too far at the moment, this could be a close second, at least, food wise. Partake in a sushi-sake festival wherein the menu includes popular Japanese delicacies like a vegetarian miso soup, a sashimi sampler with varieties of salmon, tuna, scallops and hamachi paired with the Hakushika Honjozo Namachozo sake. You can also savour modern spin-offs like sushi burgers. The sake serving is of 60ml per course.
When: 12 pm to 1 am
Where: Pa Pa Ya, all outlets
Entry: Rs 2,199 for veg and Rs 2,999 for non-veg
Get started on Haiku
You've heard and read about haiku, and perhaps have been contemplating trying it out too. This workshop, conducted by Neha Bahuguna is good to get you started. Bahuguna, who is a NID graduate, has a multi-disciplinary approach and has, over the years, worked as a lyricist, writer and conducted storytelling and poetry workshops.
When: 3 pm, May 25
Where: ARTISANS' Gallery, Kala Ghoda
Entry: Rs 1,500
Log on to: insider.in
Watch a film on Pushkar
In Pushkar Puran, filmmaker Kamal Swarup explores the ancient myths and politicking of Indian gods, as the water in the Pushkar lake turns holy. The director has captured the exuberant goings on of this quaint lake town during the Pushkar Mela, revisiting its sacred stories and myths. The film has been beautifully shot by Ashok Meena and Kumar Avyaya.
When: 8.30 to 10.30 pm,
May 26
Where: Harkat Studios, Aram Nagar 2, JP Road, Versova, Andheri West
Entry: Rs 349
Log on to: insider.in
Hear music from the roots
Catch the duo Maati Baani, comprising vocalist Nirali Kartik and composer Kartik Shah. They are known for creating music rooted in traditions but set in a contemporary sound.
When: 8.30 pm, May 24
Where: Sharyans Audeus, Andheri West
Entry: R1,000
call: 26735115
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Shilpa is an attractive, interactive, user-friendly phone app, touted to be the most popular app of 2018. It can sing, dance, and follow all your commands.
C Sharp B Blunt is a solo performance by Pallavi Arun, that takes a satirical look at the extent to which the female form is objectified. The app, Shilpa, ticks all the boxes in how women should behave with men. Until, of course, the next update is due.
When: 9 pm, May 24 to May 25
Where: Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu
Log on to: www.bookmyshow.com
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Listen to Chugtai and Parsai at Kitab Khana in Mumbai
KC Shankar, Shashwita Sharma and Vicky Ahuja
It was in 2014, when several theatre and screen artistes came together in the hope of bringing the works of renowned, as well as lesser known, Hindustani writers to life. Three years on, that dream is taking shape one storytelling session at a time. Jashn-E-Qalam, a collective of storytellers, comprising actors KC Shankar, Shashwita Sharma, Vicky Ahuja and Madhurjeet Sarghi among others, will celebrate the brilliance of Hindustani literature with solo performances of short stories, over the next three weekends in the city. On the menu this Sunday is Chashm-e-Baddoor, which will showcase satirical texts from Hindustani literature — Harishankar Parsai's Inspector Matadin Chand Par, Ismat Chughtai's Chuimui and Patras Bokhari's Marhoom Ki Yaad Mein. Over the following weekends, the artistes will present Ek Baar Ki Baat Hain at Yoga 101 and Harkat Studios in Andheri. The show will combine an interesting mix of genres.
Literature, says Shankar, "mirrors society and great writers allow the individual and the collective to reflect on their humanity and sometimes the absence of it. This experience can teach, inspire, make us laugh, or horrify us". Shankar says that "Hindustani literature, particularly makes this connection even more personal. The stories, milieu, characters and voices; their concerns and challenges are very relatable". He explains, "Also, as an audience, most of us have grown up on the visual medium, and theatre of a similar, imitative kind. So, you have an audience that comes prepared to watch rather than listen. But, by performing these short stories without any sets, props or costume, the solo storyteller impels the audience to visualise what they are listening to. Thus, opening up their imagination and transporting them to another world." It is this magical experience that the artistes hope to re-create. "Here, even the audience becomes a co-conspirator in the story," says Shankar.
When: Somaiya Centre for Lifelong Learning, Above Kitab Khana, Fort
Entry: Rs 200 – Rs 400
To book: in.bookmyshow.com
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Taste the well-kept Genevan secret in Mumbai now
There is nothing like a blind tasting to make you realise how your senses need an overhaul. But when there is chocolate involved, then it's a worthwhile endeavour. Especially when the chocolate-maker that invites you is the 140-year old Du Rhone Chocolatier from Geneva, which is a Swiss handmade chocolate brand. After I tasted a few chocolates at the new Du Rhone Chocolatier store that opened this week at Peddar Road (our favourite was the Coline which is a dark ganache with 70 per cent cocoa beans from Brazil and Papua New Guinea), we were treated to a fun game of blind chocolate tasting. We liked what CEO and owner Frederico Marangoni had to say, when he said he never wants Du Rhone to be a mass produced chocolate. "It's as old school as it gets. Every flavour is taken directly from the root. When you taste raspberry, that's real raspberry jelly," said Marangoni, and we have to agree, especially after tasting the richness of the chocolates.
The game was simple — smell a flavour, taste a chocolate and then write down what we experienced. The first one was our lucky one, as it's the only one we got right. We took in a whiff of orange, and bit into a delicate slab of chocolate. And then what Marangoni said suddenly made sense to us. "Most factory made chocolates have thick outer crusts and barely any chocolate inside. Here, the exterior is thin and fine, and full of rich chocolate inside. You can't have more than two at a time." And he was right.
Pic/Sneha Kharabe
I then tasted lemon (which I identified as peppermint), raspberry (which I called strawberry) and passionfruit (which I felt was kiwi). If you are dying to eye roll right about now, know that I am already doing it. The best part of this experiment was that I got to try these ultra fine, luxurious chocolates that made me feel like we were getting a taste of Swiss tradition. It also made me sure of the fact that we would be visiting the store again soon, to try out the Mocca Glacé, whose ingredients are a well-kept secret. But when you make chocolate as good as Du Rhone, it makes sense to guard with your life.
Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates
Documentary traces journey of Maharashtra man and his dream of being a chef
When the trailer of Shank’s hit the Internet two years ago, it garnered over 2,00,000 views in under a fortnight. And, why not? Until then we had not really seen stylised montages of modaks and varan bhaat being served in a fine-dining ambience. The trailer had us curious about Ashay Dileep Javadekar’s film, which looked like a documentary. Where is this Shank’s, the Marathi fine-dining place, we wondered. Two years on, with the release of the film online, we have the answers.
The 1 hour, 11 minute-long film, shot on a Canon Powershot and iPhone 6, traces the journey of Shashank Joshi, a man who nurtured and nourished his dream of being a chef, right from his boyhood days in a small town in Maharashtra. We know him, little by little, through his family, especially one cousin he is close to. We know him through his college friend, through food critics and historians, and most importantly, his mentor’s daughter Pauline with whom he has the most extraordinary journey. We see how he had to fight the odds, and nearly give up before he makes his dream a reality.
Bhave in a still from the film
A generous part of the film is made of lush close-up shots of Maharashtrian food that is sure to get Indians, especially those from the state, excited. And for Westerners, well, it’s Indian food like they have never seen before — a far cry from tandoori chicken, paneer masala and dal makhni. The screenplay uses a documentary narrative to tell a fictional story. Javadekar seems to be an ardent believer of the phrase: God is in the details. The care with which each character has been crafted, from dialogues to props and their stories, you forget that none of it is real. That’s also because of the convincing performances the actors bring to the table. Makarand Bhave becomes Shashank, in the controlled passion with which he narrates his story. Playing Pauline Bonnet-Joshi, his partner in crime, is Melissa Ehrlich Blevins. She brings so many moods into her account, from compassion, to vulnerability, excitement, and determination. The supporting cast is also impressive.
Besides telling an absorbing story, Shank’s makes us ponder on questions like how the West perceives Indian cuisine, the importance of educating customers on the food, and also, the gender bias in the industry, a reality that is larger than we wish to acknowledge. Food for thought, quite literally. The film can be streamed seamlessly, at a reasonable price on a pay-per-view platform. Shank’s heroes Maharashtrian food like never before, but, more than that it urges dreamers, aspiring restaurateurs in this case, to make their real voices heard. Minus a few rough edges in production, the film might remind you of Chef’s Table. That’s interesting because when this film was made, Chef’s Table was yet to hit the screen. A word of caution though: Do not watch it on an empty stomach, unless you are looking to work up an appetite.
Log on to: www.njemovies.com
Price: Rs 99
Chef Lloyd Braganza and family give a tour of their Goa-inspired menu for Mumbai
Eat with your hands, please," Lloyd Braganza who runs one of Goa's most popular restaurants, tells us, rolling up the sleeves of his floral shirt, revealing a koi fish tattoo. We are at Copper Leaf, one of the best fish thali destinations at Porvorim, and for company we have chef and restauranteur Braganza, his wife Nerissa and their seven-year-old son Naethan. Llyod stops talking when the thali arrives. A mound of rice and a crispy fillet of matzo are skirted by coconut curry, clams masala, kismuri (dried fish and coconut salad), bhindi fry, gulab jamun, sol kadi and banana.
"This is Goa's most authentic thali, and locals as well as tourists come here for their fill," Marissa tells us. The fish has a sweet freshness, and the curry is hearty. The meal switches on our sussegad mood. But, there's more to this stop than indulging in gluttony. Six years after enticing Goans with delicious meals at his eatery, House of Lloyd, the family is set to open shop in Mumbai and ahead of its launch, the Braganzas are happy to give us a tour of their Goa-inspired menu.
The pork chops
Fish Market: The next stop is the Malim jetty where most of the fresh catch of the day coming in from along the coast is sold. Scenes of women haggling over prices, to fishermen unloading their catch and slicing the guts, greet us. We see ribbon fish, ponies and sole fish drying in the sun, apart from mud crabs piled in open crates.
Yeast Ecpected, Poie: We are at a nameless bakery. We enter a small room that opens into a dungeon-like opening with a woodfire oven burning a crimson orange. In a corner, a mixer is folding dough. One of the bakers, Gajanand Naik, shows off a basket full of poie. "At midnight, we start making poie. The dough is mixed for 30
minutes and left to rest for three hours," says Naik. Made from husk and wheat, the art of poie has lost a prominent ingredient — the toddy. When the Portuguese introduced the bread in Goa, they replaced yeast with locally available toddy.
Plum and white chocolate with vodka
Rassa Omelette: Our next stop is, again, an unnamed snack stall. "You are known by your product. There's no need for a name," Braganza laughs. A server puts a fat chunk of omelette on a plate and drowns it in rassa. We tear a piece of poie, that soaks up the gravy. The fluffy omelette and poie do little to douse the spice notes from the Kashmiri chillies and garam masala giving the curry its kick.
Fruit Cocktails Pork chops and Serradura: Our final stop is at House of Llyod, situated on the veranda of his 150-year-old ancestral home. Braganza has thrown over a chef's coat over his shorts and is busy behind the bar. Christmas seems to have come early as we alternate between a green jalepeno-passion fruit cocktail and a vodka-spiked plum and white chocolate. No sugar, juice or additives, the cocktails are blitzed on order. Braganza's food sings a melodious tune, one whose lyrics have been written over years oscillating between struggle and success. In 1996, his first venture was Chopsticks, a Chinese restaurant at Baga, which put him on the Goa culinary map. "I had no culinary degree and brought on board a chef from Royal China in Mumbai, to help. By 25, I had money and luxury cars. Then, I had to shut shop because of losses, " says Braganza. He began at the lowest rung, again, as waiter. In 2003, he opened Lloyds, a five-table Goan and barbeque restaurant in Calangute. Partners drove his business to closure in 2011. "Nerissa coaxed me to give it one more try. It would be my last one, I told her," Braganza recalls. The same year, together they rebuilt the restaurant on the current premise — a tile-roof open-air tent that gives the feel of a garden setting overlooking the heritage property. She took charge of the front of the house, and he revisited his childhood to master family recipes with his mother.
The Juhu outpost. Pic/Ashish Raje
Soul Food: Goan food, says Branganza, is meant to be consumed two days after it has been cooked. The gravies thicken from concentration of flavours. We understand this when we dip a garlic poie into a bowl of bloody red sorpotel. The spares have merged with the spices and transformed the curry with meaty flavour. This dish is one of the most tedious to make, Braganza says. "First, you boil the meat, dice it, and fry the parts separately. After frying the onions, you add the meat that will hold the masala," says Braganza. While it is best served three days later, chef has a serving reserved for himself that is two years old. For the Mumbai outlet, all the house curries and sauces, along with poie, will come from Goa. The most awaited dish — the barbeque grilled pork chops — makes an entry. "This takes me back to my heydays. At Lloyd's, when I fired the grill, people would follow the aromas to order the dish that was smelling so delicious," says Braganza, falling silent when the dish arrives. The meal ends with Marissa's serradura, a classic cream and biscuit pudding. The dry powder is soothed by the creamy condensed milk mush and we lick our spoons clean. We can't wait to have the next serving back home. Mr and Mrs Braganza, welcome to Mumbai.
Chef Lloyd Braganza with wife Nerissa and son Naethan
Also read - Mumbai Food: Chef Raji Gupta's pop up offers flavours from Kerala to Goa
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Dance like no one's watching at this free-form workout in Mumbai
At the heart of No Lights No Lycra (NLNL) is the belief that everyone can dance. This free-form workout in the dark was thought up by Australian dance students Alice Glenn and Heidi Barrett in 2009 in Melbourne as a means to truly let go and express oneself.Creative freelancer and the woman behind the Mumbai chapter, Yooti Bhansali, says, "You can dance like nobody's watching, because nobody can see you and also, they're busy enjoying their new-found freedom. From a small room full of nutty dancers in Melbourne, this community has spread to major cities in Australia, London, Hong Kong, Beijing, New York, and is now Mumbai."
Bhansali heard about NLNL from an Australian friend. Is Mumbai ready for such a thing, we ask. "We've seen music gigs in art galleries, movies in bars and quizzes in microbreweries. So, getting people in a dark room to dance doesn't seem much of a stretch," she says Bhansali has got several queries from people across age groups, who are excited about the prospect of a physical activity that's fun. "It's not a party. It's a place where you dance freely. Of course, you could just dance in the dark in the privacy of your home, but let's be honest — would that be as much fun?"
When: 8am, May 23
Where: The Bandra Base, Baitush Saraf Bldg, TPS III, 29th Off Waterfield Rd, Bandra West
Entry: Rs 399, cash only. Get a friend for free
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How you can increase your productivity at work
Lohit Bhatia, CEO of IKYA Human Capital Solutions, a division of Quess Corp, says that at the recruitment end of the business, productivity measures will include how many candidates were lined up as potential candidates for a job, how many were interviewed by the client, how many of these were given the letter and then, finally, how many joined the firm
A few weeks ago, an ad appeared on a premium page of a premium pink paper. The ad, by the homeopathy firm Welcome Cure, with the smiling faces of actors Riteish Deshmukh and Genelia D’Souza was targeted towards corporates, promising help in reducing absenteeism and increasing employee productivity. Chaitanya Choudhury, vice-president corporate relationship at the three-year-old firm with headquarters in Santacruz, says what they provide is a wellness package to employees. At sign up, when the employee’s health ailments are assessed by a Welcome Cure doctor, medicines are designed as per the ailment and sent to the employee on a regular basis at their doorstep.
"Homeopathy also builds immunity, which means that a person falls ill less often. When we sign up with companies, we also assess the specific ailments that professionals from that industry are susceptible to and align the treatment accordingly. If an employee needs special attention, we red flag it and let the HR know. Our doctors are available every day from 9 am to 9 pm. When stress is taken care of, chronic health issues are too. Productivity will naturally improve," adds Choudhury.
Bengaluru-based executive coach Sridhar Laxman conduct six-month-long training sessions where, among other aspects, he helps improve his clients' productivity. An entire training module with him could cost anywhere between Rs 2.5 lakhs to Rs 3.5 lakhs. Pic/Ajeesh F Rawther
The VFM race
In a piece in the Financial Express this April, Neelesh Hundekari, Partner and Head of Leadership, Change & Organisation Practice India, AT Kearney, stated that a study conducted by his firm had found that though Indian businesses have access to one of the largest young and educated workforces in the world, they have not able to make their people as productive as their counterparts across the world. "The revenue per employee in the Indian consumer packaged goods industry — on a PPP-adjusted basis—stood at $64,000, compared to China’s $87,000, South Korea’s $188,000 and the UK’s $287,000. In other words, a UK CPG firm is five times more productive than its Indian counterpart."
Yet, what is productivity? Mohit Gundecha, Co-founder and CEO of the Pune-based data analytics firm Jombay, says: "Many companies confuse productivity with efficiency. Efficiency is ‘getting the same output with less input’, while productivity is ‘getting more output with the same input’." That enhancing employee productivity is a prime objective for companies is easily understood when one sees the reams of research on this. A listicle on bookauthority.com mentions 11 books on the subject, all published only in the last nine months. And this is possibly just the tip of the iceberg. Last week, it was reported that a study published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology, had found that drinking coffee during meetings can lead to a more focussed group discussion, boost involvement and leave members feeling better about everyone’s participation.
Does your company spends too much time on meetings, or do your employees not collaborate well? Call in behavioural scientists Mayur Tekchandaney and Anand Damani who will study your office environment and suggest changes for the desired results. Pic/Ashish Raje
Lohit Bhatia, CEO of IKYA Human Capital Solutions, a division of Quess Corp, puts it down to a simple value-for-money equation. "With every passing year, capital is becoming scarce. And getting higher returns is paramount. Earlier, startups would be flooded with money, but in 2016-17, the money started evaporating. So, every rupee needs to count. After all, someone’s personal wealth is being invested, so it’s important for an outcome to be delivered."
A measure of your work
Where there are deliverables, there are measures to keep count. And, this count has, today, become an important part of the appraisal system that decides your annual increment. An employee at a top multi-national bank says her bonus is partially linked to this performance rating. The sales team, for instance, will be measured against the revenue they bring in, the number of new clients they crack and how many new products are sold. And, an internal software has been built to keep track.
WelcomeCure is a over three-year-old homoeopathy firm that employs over 200 doctors, all available for an online chat or video call between 9 am and 9 pm.
"Each customer has a relationship manager and so, any transaction by them is automatically credited into that manager’s account. At the end of the month, the performance management team will run the reports, check and pass on the information to payroll," says the employee. For those in the wealth management sector, targets include not just getting in more clients but keeping the assets you already have under management and taking care of their wealth.
While transactions are definitely measurable, what about all the work that goes on to make the transaction? The innumerable calls? Bhatia says that at Ikya, where productivity forms close to fifty per cent of the appraisal weightage, every part of the process is measurable. Take for instance, the sales and business development team. "What are the number of sales meetings they have on a daily basis and what is the conversion ratio? If it’s less than five per cent, it’s not constructive for business," he adds. For those involved in the firm’s recruitment end of the business, the numbers that need to add up are: how many candidates were lined up as potential candidates for a job? How many of these were interviewed by customers? What was the success rate i.e. how many of these were given the letter and then, finally, how many joined the firm?
This year, its CEO Punit Desai, started corporate packages which allow firms to extend its service to its employees. An annual package could cost around Rs 12,000 per employee and, says the firm, if the employee leaves the office in the middle of the year, the service still continue till the end of the package. Pics/Sneha Kharabe
Numbers don’t reveal all secrets
Not all jobs can be crunched down in numbers. Karan Khetarpal, director at The Chocolate Spoon Company Pvt. Ltd., which runs the Sassy Spoon chain of restaurants, says that while regular audits can help estimate productivity in different areas of the kitchen, the scope remains limited. "At our central kitchen for instance, we have multiple pastry chefs and here we can calculate their individual outputs. At the restaurant kitchen level, you can monitor wastage and yield of chefs based on inputs such as dairy, poultry and sea food, as well as ordering patterns. There’s an immediate economic impact of what they are doing. For instance, one day we realised that the burgers weren’t available at an outlet because the buns were out of stock. This happened because the kitchen had under ordered the previous day, so it was assessable," says Khetarpal, an investment banker by profession. But, while the sales team may have its targets, it’s not easy to count how many dishes a chef cooked or how many cocktails a particular bartender served. "This is not a factory where you can assess an individual’s productivity. Plus, the turnaround is so high, that the head chef will weed out those not being productive, anyway," he adds.
In January this year, Amazon opened its new office in Seattle with giant glass-and-metal domes filled with tropical and rare plants as a tool to "attract, retain and enhance the productivity and well-being of its fast-growing workforce". The dome took six years of planning and construction.
What the target measure has done, says Bhatia, is bring objectivity into the picture when annual appraisals are done. "There was a time when it was said that in India you got a hike depending on whether your manager liked your face or not. This is becoming a thing of the past because of target measures. Also, there used to be a gap between the organisation’s expectation, what’s being delivered and what the employee thought he was achieving for you. Now there’s an analytical, non-emotional conversation," he adds.
Where does quality fit in? T Muralidharan, founder and chairman of TMI Group, pan India talent and productivity consulting firm, says that output productivity has two key parts — Quantity and Quality. "While quantity is easily measurable, quality is not and hence the supervisor’s judgement comes into the play. In addition quality Vs quality determined by the relative weightage in the goal sheet requires a lot of careful review. Companies have to think a lot more on this. There’s no one-fits-all answer."
Amazon CEO Jeffrey Bezoz. Pics/PTI
The productivity docs
How then does a company improve its productivity? Adopting the latest technology, Gundecha says, is usually the first method. "More intuitive technology tools that work faster and provide analytical support for decision making are a constant demand. Allowing employees flexibility in working schedules is being recognised as a way to boost morale, build loyalty and encourage them to do more for the company." Better health will also mean a better employee.
"An office where every second person has a health issue makes for a depressing environment. However, imagine that your co-workers are all running marathons or climbing mountains. It will keep the environment motivated," says Vishal Gondal, the CEO and founder of GoQii, the fitness tracking firm that also ties up with corporates. Interestingly, for GoQii’s own employees, being fit (or atleast trying to get there) is part of the appraisal process. If you don’t walk an average of 10,000 steps a day or its equivalent, you might immediately be disqualified for assessment.
T Muralidharan, ChairmanTMI Group
Changing the environment
Briefcase is a Khar-based firm run by behavioural scientists Anand Damani and Mayur Tekchandaney. They say they use findings from experiments conducted on real people over the last 50 years to understand how a change in the environment can improve productivity, increase collaboration and motivation. How we sit in offices, says Damani, can impact team collaboration pointing out to the cubicle and workstation system most offices have. "However, when a team sits together on a round table there’s more eye contact and the whole direction is towards each other, employees tend to collaborate more." Are your meetings too long? Damani says replace the chair and tables with a long bar table with everyone standing. "Meetings will end faster since no one wants to stand for long," he says.
And when do they get called in? Damani says it typically begins with issues and problems being faced in the company, such as pace of work being slow or lack of ownership. "It’s the CEO who approaches us. Not the HR. At least not yet. We then find out what is at the heart of the problem." Not just relationship with the management, recognition patterns in the company can also affect productivity. He recalls an employee who’d won the company revenue worth lakhs, being rewarded with a dinner voucher of Rs 5000.
Lohit Bhatia, CEO, IKYA Human Capital Solutions
"The person should also have been made into a hero within the company. His achievement should have been made a case study and showcased to the company’s clients. The process should have been entered into differed awards." While Damani won’t reveal how much they charge the companies for their services, he says it usually takes them a year’s work with the firms. Sometimes, it’s individual training that’s required. This is where Bengaluru-based executive coach Sridhar Laxman steps in. For the last seven years, Laxman has been coaching individuals in what might be simply put as leadership training. Productivity is one component of this. Yet, he argues, when someone learns how to manage stress, not hesitate to take risks, and handle conflict resolution, they will take decisions on the fly easier and show up at work with greater levels of courage. "And when this happens, their productivity will improve."
Signing up with Laxman will cost you between Rs 2.5 lakh and Rs 3.5 lakh. The course is conducted over six to eight months with one hour long sessions every three weeks. Largely, up until now, he says, it’s been firms who have hired him to work with individual employees. It’s only in the last financial year, says Laxman, that 40 per cent of his clientele has been individuals seeking him out on their own. And what could you learn to do under his guidance? Firstly the ability to say no. "Many people struggle around it. They hesitate, fearing that if they say no, they will not be seen as effective contributors. However, saying no conveys that you understand that you have certain priorities now. And there’s no point taking on task six when those on priority one and and two need your immediate attention."
Here's what to expect from journey to Kedarnath
A result of the 2013 floods, which wreaked havoc and killed thousands of people, is that the river Mandakini, which passes the temple area disappears after a stretch
I happily strut on through the Gaurikund market where vendors pour hot chai and roll parathas for eager yatris freezing under their overalls. It is April 29, the first darshan of the season. I have set out at 4.45 am, dodging horses and men wearing pithoo baskets ready to carry pilgrims to the top. I am in the company of a rishi, who grins at my woollens. "It is going to be sunny today," she says, wrapping a rice-paper thin shawl over her white skirt and blouse.
The path is peppered with signboards advising yatris to check their pace
Trek record
A cobbled path begins where the kaccha road ends. A green signboard reads: Kedarnath 16 km. The 2013 flood washed away the old route. Uttarkashi's Nehru Institute of Mountaineering re-charted the route via Gaurikund and passing Jungle Chatti Bheembali and Linchauli to reach the basecamp. Then, another kilometre leads to the temple. Rain shelters, medical camps, bio toilets and potable water fountains appear frequently.
The path has toilets and food stalls and medical camps are regular intervals
When the going gets tough
Uphill, at gradient 8, I set a steady pace, holding onto an orange railing; matching the sparse spotting of crimson-red Buransh flowers in an otherwise green flora valley. The gushing of a waterfall and a dawn in the breaking lend a quietude broken by enthusiastic cries of "Jai Bhole!" and "Har Har Mahadev!". I stop at each signboard that advises walkers to take regular breaks. An hour of evening walk in the city, I realised, was not enough training to adjust to the thin air quality and keep the body supple.
The flood had washed away the old route
Giving up is easy
Ahead of me, a couple plonks onto a bench. "Aur kitna dur hai," the wife asks. A sweeper, cleaning the tracks, laughs, "Bas che ghante chalte jao. Upar mat dekho (Keep walking continuously for six hours. Don't look up to see how far it is)." By now, I have lost sight of my 58-year-old companion, who has kept a steady lead.
I stare at the green board that reads 14 km, the time is 5.30 am. A tendency to get cramps on my right leg, I am surprised it hasn't revolted yet. But there's a sharp pull in my thigh, a new pain on this new adventure. I think to myself: "Why did I sign up for this? Turn back. Just turn back." Probably from the distress look on my face, a woman on horseback sees me and screams from afar: "Don't give up. You will make it."
The tough get going
This is my first victory. To turn a deaf ear to my feet's pleads. By the time I make it to Bheembali, the road steepens. People who have finished their darshan shower encouraging words and promise the ever-winding road will smoothen. By the time I reach Kedarnath basecamp, the clouds have covered the peaks, and there's a light rain splatter. I follow a group through steep patches that help you cut the road time. Sometimes, I find myself on all fours, holding onto branches. My inspiration pool is slowly evaporating.
Miracles find you
In that moment, the clouds clear and the snow peaks make an appearance. It fills me with gratitude — for everything that is right and wrong in my life. The walk down to the confluence of the Mandakini and Saraswati and dip my hands in the icy cold water. I skip the line to the temple, bow to the dhwaj on the temple and turn around for the road downhill.
A walk to remember
The rains have washed the muddy road and turned it into a sludge fest. I follow a couple and their son down a 'short cut' which catches me off-guard. It is open to the valley, and one wrong step will have me tumbling down. This descent is long but we walk it with a joyous gait. The burden was my own uphill, but now, it is ours to share.
8
No. of hours it takes in a state-run bus from Rishikesh to Sonprayag
Adventure & Religious
Tour & taste
Food and Leisure
Relaxing
Educational
Thrifting in style
Daribha Lyndem at her Powai home, which she has styled with curated second-hand furniture. Pics/Sameer Markande
When Daribha Lyndem, 31, isn't busy contending with suspicious baggage at the Mumbai airport, she indulges in one of her passions, her home. As you step into her Powai apartment, in a quarters provided by the government, you are welcomed by her feline friends (Chomsky and Furnando), ample sunlight, Art Nouveau prints and the strong whiff of Mad Men.
As Lyndem, deputy commissioner with the Indian Revenue Services' customs department, gives us a tour of her house, it is evident that while the dominant aesthetic is mid-century modern, there are other elements, such as industrial fittings, that are thrown in for an eclectic mix. Mid-century modern, which roughly lasted from the mid-1930s to the 1960s, is best exemplified by sleek lines, minimal ornamentation and chic comfort. In recent years, we have seen this style make a comeback in a huge way, from international auctions to IKEA, from original vintage pieces to knock-offs.
Four such dining chairs from Oshiwara
However, Lyndem has cracked a formula, for sourcing mid-century-inspired faux pieces and other knick-knacks, but that come for less than half the price than those at leading furnishing stores. And, that's how we got to know Lyndem first — through her Instagram account @daribhagram, and her Twitter account, where she tweeted, some months ago, that she was happy to offer tips on how to furnish your house without causing a dent in your pocket.
1. Design your own cosy art wall
The greatest struggle for our homes could be the question on what art to put up. With the Lyndem method, you can do the following: salvage prints from dying books, such as an old map of the fictional world of Malgudi. Your favourite Dickens quote, like hers from Great Expectation. Sift through Chor Bazaar for vintage prints, such as Alphonse Mucha's. And, if you have some talent, then make your own, such as Lyndem's Warholesque rendering of cacti. Married to writer and stand-up comic, Adhiraj Singh, her wedding card also features as one of the framed prints. If it looks cool, it's only because the couple chose a template available online at Vistaprint.
16 framed art prints: Rs 5,000
Study table and chair from Oshiwara
2. Weekly pilgrimage to Oshiwara
Oshiwara's famed furniture markets have yielded several pieces for Lynden's living room, and also a study table unit. Four second-hand chairs have now settled comfortably around a custom-made dining table. When she moved into the house about a year ago, Lyndem decided to make frequent visits to Oshiwara. "Here, you need to have patience. You will have to scour the shops and be prepared to not find anything on certain days. I used to go there once a week to have a look," she says. The good news is that Oshiwara's shopkeepers will upholster and paint furniture according to your needs. Distressed finish or matte? You've got it.
Study table and chair: Rs 6,000
Lamp: Rs 1,000
Four dining chairs: Rs 2,400
Armoire from Oshiwara and second-hand chest from Chor Bazaar
3. Hit the highway for some great steals
Previously, Lyndem was posted in Kalyan, and would travel the state highway passing through Kon Gaon as part of her daily commute. Here, she says, it is easy to find roadside shops that sell rejects from online furnishing stores. A chair in her living room was thus bought, with a prominent stain, but upholstered and fixed to perfection. "There was also a two-seater couch that caught my eye, which I thought would be a great addition to the bedroom. But, the next day, it was gone," she says. But, three side-tables travelled the highway to her house.
Side table: Rs 800
Chair: Rs 2,500
4. Keep Mumbai always in mind
The practicality of mid-century modern is that at the time at which it gained popularity, it was suited for small post-war homes in the USA. Our Mumbai homes could benefit from its lightweight and streamlined properties, and Lyndem puts that to test at her house. She got a glass-fronted teakwood armoire made, which she uses as a bookshelf. "While I like the idea of open bookshelves, that's not a great idea for Mumbai, given its dust and humidity. Closed bookshelves are more suitable, and you should opt for height rather than breadth. That way, you get more floor space," she says. One useful tip to keep in mind, while you are sourcing second-hand furniture, is to have a discerning eye about what's repairable and what isn't. Don't try salvaging termite-ridden furniture, no matter how much you want them.
Custom teakwood armoire: Rs 15,000
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Kareena Kapoor Khan reveals the main reason for her being a hot mom
Kareena Kapoor Khan. Pic/Rane Ashish
In the last few months, we have been a bit awestruck by how hot Kareena Kapoor Khan has been looking — be in stills and videos from her new movie, Veere Di Wedding, which releases in June, or in behind-the-scenes-clips, or basically all her public appearances. The hip and sexy styling, the lustrous hair, the impeccable make-up, and the undeniable, and oh-so-Bebo swag, has helped us see the new mother in a new light, yet again. When we meet her at a suburban hotel, wearing an off-white pant suit, her hair pulled back, and her green eyes set on us with a smile, we are slightly flustered. And we ask, how are you giving 30 somethings, even the one with kids, such hotness #goals.
"No please! Honestly, I have always been very fitness conscious. Everyone is saying I have lost weight so fast, but I have taken a year and a half. It has happened over time. It's not for the movies, but just for me. Like I always say, feed me karela for lunch and dinner and I am happy," she tells us nonchalantly. There is no blueprint plan for the evolution in her style as well, says the 37-year-old. Instead, she says that the movie, where she has been styled differently from previous avatars is responsible for turning up the heat. "That's one of the reasons I did the movie. It's young and fresh. I could have come back in an author-backed role, playing a titular character. But I chose not to. I just had a baby, and I wanted to do something that's young and the language for which is different," she says. She laughs when she recalls Veere Di Wedding producer Rhea Kapoor being wary of bringing the movie to her, because she is a mainstream actress who has been a part of the Khan movies, making Rs 100 crores and more.
A still from Veere Di Wedding
"There is no hero. I have never worked with four girls. No one expected me to do this. When I read the film, I wanted to do it. A mainstream actress would ask 'but what am I doing?' But with Veere, it's about the language of the film that's about four friends. No one has the bigger part." This is where she says, that it's her choices that have always set her apart. And we agree. "I did Chameli when I was 21. I also did Ki & Ka, even though Arjun is younger to me. I did Udta Punjab, even though mine is just a parallel track," she says, and when we point out that she dies in the middle of the movie, she says "Ya! I had to make sure something happened with my character so that people remembered me. I needed that moment. I want to do something different. My attitude towards movies has changed — I may say no to a big-budget films. My headspace is not that." We steer things back to her drop-dead vibe these days. We all can diet and work out, but what is she doing every day that makes her glow?
And the answer is simple. "Happiness," she smiles, "You have to make yourself happy. You have to find joy in smaller things in life, not just success. I am happiest when I am having coffee or a glass of wine with a friend and chatting. Or when I am reading a book, not a script, trying to prove that I have 30 scripts lined up." When we ask her what is she reading these days, we find common ground. "I love reading crime thrillers, especially Jo Nesbo and Agatha Christie. I keep watching the Poirot series again as well. Saif and I are hooked." Seeing her love for Christie, we recommend Japanese author Keigo Higashino to her, and she says, "Please write down the name for me!" We come back to us telling her how we have all been obsessing over her swag on social media, even though she doesn't have an account. "I may not be there but I am there na! And my friends and family keep putting stuff up. I am very much there. Anyway, I don't think anyone wants to hear my opinions — there are so many opinions out there. Wasn't it better that you and I had a chat instead of you already knowing everything about my life?"
Also Read: Kareena, Sonam, Swara And Shikha Had 10 Stylist For Veere Di Wedding
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Why artists and designers are revisiting stories behind old photographs
Photographer and graphic designer Anusha Yadav started the Indian Memory Project, an online, visual, narrative-based archive in 2010, to trace the history of the subcontinent via photographs and letters. Pic/Ashish Raje
EarLier this week, artist and oral historian Aanchal Malhotra, 28, travelled nearly 240 km to Chandigarh from Delhi, to meet a nonagenarian, who had lived through the Partition of 1947. As she speaks about it now, there's a lump in her throat. "I couldn't sleep that entire night," Malhotra confesses. "Even 70 years on, the woman is so afraid to talk about it. It had everything, from gun fire, to fleeing from her home in Pakistan, to her brother and mother being taken as prisoners, and to giving birth in a forest on her way to India. When she first delivered the baby, her immediate response was to throw it away. You can imagine what trauma she was experiencing." What surprised Malhotra most was when the 90-year-old asked her what she would do with her story. "I said that I wanted to publish it. The woman's immediate response was, 'who will read this?'. They really think that nobody cares. But, this is the story that has shaped the future of contemporary India."
The jewellery Aanchal Malhotra is wearing, was made in the North-West Frontier Province and was given to her great-grandmother, Lajvanti Gulyani, by her in-laws on her wedding to Hari Chand Gulyani in the year 1919. But it could have been in the Gulyani family before that as well. Since she became a widow quite young and was a single mother at the time of Partition, it was carried by her to India in 1947 because she thought she would be able to sell it and earn money to put her children through school. She then gave it to Malhotra’s grandmother, who has now given it to her. Pic/Nishad Alam
Malhotra is the author of Remnants of Separation (HarperCollins India), a book that revisited the Partition through objects carried across the border, and the co-founder — along with Navdha Malhotra — of The Museum of Material Memory, a digital repository of material culture of the Indian subcontinent, tracing family histories and ethnography through heirlooms and objects of antiquity. Since the launch of the archive last year, the founders have put together over 35 heartwarming object stories. Closer home, photographer and graphic designer Anusha Yadav's Indian Memory Project — an online, visual, narrative-based archive, founded in 2010, which traces the history of the subcontinent via photographs and letters — has helped us see history in another light. There is also Paris-based perfumer Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan, whose recently-published book, Pukka Indian: 100 objects that Define India (Roli Books), documents the most coveted symbols and designs representing our culture, by tracing its origin and significance in our lives. All three projects while different in essence and form, have one common intent — to record untold stories from our history and preserve them for posterity. But, as Malhotra's subject asked her, why should anyone be curious?
The chakla and belan originated in 7,500 – 6,000 BCE in Punjab. At the time, this region was cultivating wheat and barley extensively. Rather than using the flatness of the chakla and the pressure of the belan to what we might expect to be used around the country to make flatbread, whatever the ingredient might be, it is only in this region of north India that the chakla and belan were used simply because wheat and barley lend themselves to kneading. What must have been perceived as a high-technology kitchen tool then, the chakla and belan soon spread to other parts of the country. Text courtesy/Pukka India by Jahnvi Lakhota Nanda, Roli books; Pic/Shivani Gupta
Celebrating the mundane
Nandan, an alumnus of the School of Art and Design at Tsukuba University, Japan, admits that her project stemmed out of her curiosity to find out about the designs that define us an Indian. "Design is a mirror of our attitudes and habits. Through the course of writing this book on Indian design, I found that uniquely Indian gestures like churning, combing and calculating were reflected in it," she writes in the book. From the dabba, agarbatti, and kulhad, to Babuline gripe water, most of the objects Nandan chose for the book, have "either been made or originated in India, or have an element that is very Indian, or are being used in a very Indian context".
This picture is of Purvi Sanghvi’s grandfather Dwarkadas Jivanlal Sanghvi (extreme right in a black coat) and his brother Vallabhdas Jivanlal Sanghvi with their business partners at a Pen Exhibition in Bombay around 1951. The family ran Wilson Pens that quickly rose to huge fame and became a preferred choice of pens across the country. All government offices, law court, used the Wilson pens. The Wilson Pen Family made the orange, thick-nibbed pen that wrote the most fundamental document that defines the state of India: The Constitution of India written by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. Pic, Text Courtesy/Indian Memory Project/Contributed by Purvi Sanghvi, Mumbai
It's while working on the book that Nandan realised how "our own homes are a repository of history". Here, she relays an incident when Shivani Gupta, the photographer for Pukka Indian, had been anxious about finding a mandira — a butter churner — that Nandan had mentioned in the book. "She went home, and realised that she had five of them in her kitchen. She didn't even know she was sitting on so much wealth." Nandan adds, "We don't tend to celebrate the mundane. What we celebrate are things that have obvious value, like jewellery, the beautification of the body or the exotic."
Paris-based perfumer Jahnvi Lakhota Nandan's recent book, Pukka Indian, documents the most coveted symbols and designs representing Indian culture, by tracing its origin and significance in the lives of its users. Pic/Suresh Karkera
Object as a catalyst
Malhotra's interest in people's histories began while working on Remnants of Separation, which was an extension of her Master of Fine Arts thesis project for Concordia University, Canada. Malhotra's research began after she came across a gaz (a measuring device) and ghara (a pot), which belonged to her nana's family, and had crossed the border. "Sometimes the Partition is too traumatic to speak about. When I started my research, I didn't know where to begin or what I could ask, without sounding frivolous. The object became a catalyst to enter into that conversation. So, rather than me saying 'Oh! You lived through the Partition, that must be awful,' I was now asking relevant questions, like 'why did you choose to take this gold bangle with you?'. The object then, didn't become something that recessed into the background, but something around which the entire background was arranged."
That's when she and Navdha decided to start The Museum of Material Memory. The duo encourages everyone to contribute, provided the object is from or before the 1970s. The archive comprises everything from a 5-inch-long, mottled sewing needle to a chaddar with traditional baagh and phulkari embroidery and a former Class II Income-Tax officer's diary filled up with the repeated words 'Sri Rama Jayam', meaning Jai Sri Ram. Each post is accompanied with the story behind the object. "Material ethnography is so vastly explored in the West, especially when it comes to events of trauma and crisis. What we are recording here, will never be found in any textbook. We need active memoralisation, not just of traumatic events, but of our tradition and culture, which is primarily oral."
Not just for nostalgia's sake
The indianmemoryproject.com, says Yadav, started off as a book idea, where she wanted to collect old, wedding photographs. "I wanted to document the idea of weddings in different cultures, and explore the entire phenomena behind the crew that makes it possible," she says. "While the book didn't happen, the pictures stayed with me." That's how, her archive, a first-of-its-kind in India, took off. "If you are fascinated with history, you will know that India really is a melting pot. Every civilisation has passed through it. And so we have all kinds of DNA in us. And considering photography was discovered two centuries ago, we did have a lot of content to discuss," says Yadav.
She admits that it wasn't as easy to get people to share their photographs or talk about their stories. "But, there needs to be integrity, transparency and you need to earn the trust of your subject. When you have these value systems in place, people are more open. I always thought of the archive as an institution." Funding for the project has been tough, says the archivist. "When I began, I was very clear that I didn't want to become a trust. Unfortunately, that's the channel through which most of the money comes from. But, there's a server and maintenance cost and the site constantly needs to be upgraded. Now, I have started putting in requests for honorariums. The only way I will get money is through a private funder, who is fascinated with the idea, and wants to back it as well. Sometimes, when a good sum comes from my own work as a photographer, part of the profits go to it. At the end of the day, it is an unofficial record of history, and I'm doing my best to sustain it."
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Game Review: State of Decay 2 focuses on the importance of community
When the first State of Decay came out, it was unique in the way that it focused on the survival aspect of a zombie apocalypse rather than the all-out destruction and gore of killing countless zombies. With the new game, the developers have focused their attention on the community aspect of survival.
Right from the start, you get to choose two characters instead of one and each group and character has their own strengths, skills and background. Like the previous game, you can make your posse and build a base of operations complete with a farm and fortification. There are three open world maps — each the size of the map in the original game.
This huge world is littered with empty cabins, new places to build outposts and gather resources. Risky as it may be, the game forces you to explore resources simply because weapons break and you can run out of fuel, food and medical supplies. Venturing out also helps you meet new people to add to the community. State of Decay 2 really hits you home with all the death — losing a built-up human resource can be painful. You can die by getting killed in combat or by way of infection.
Dying in combat is also rare as the AI-controlled characters do a good job of handling themselves, while you take care of business. The only real time you are in danger is when you encounter morbidly obese super zombies that can tear you apart. These guys are tough, but they are the most fun combat you will face in the game, second only to running over zombies with a car, which could have been better if the cars handled better.
Plus, it pays to remember that fuel is a limited resource that you might want to save. Scavenging for resources is fairly simple — if you need fuel, you can raid a gas station; if you need food, find a convenience store or abandoned encampment. Gathered resources can be used to build up, upgrade and fortify your own camp. While there is a ton of stuff to do in the camp and in the surrounding areas, State of Decay 2 does have a main story.
The story mode is a great way to learn about the game and experience various situations as you search for plague hearts to destroy. Plague hearts are throbbing masses of flesh, and it is what produces the infectious plague zombies, identifiable with their glowing eyes. To reduce their numbers, you need to find and destroy the hearts. While the story mode is fulfilling, the camp building and exploring is where the game's strength lies.
We played an advanced copy of the game and the final game will be released on Tuesday. State of Decay 2 still has a lot of bugs, which hopefully will be ironed out soon. Some bugs we encountered on the PC version of the game were floating zombies, breaks in rendering and freezing. This is not a big issue and the developers are sure to patch this over time. And, while the game is very competitively priced, we would recommend waiting for a future bug-free version before jumping in.
State of Decay 2
Rating: 3.5/5
Developer: Undead Labs
Publisher: Microsoft
Platform: PC, XBOX
Price: Rs 1,924
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Mumbai based slackliner teaches the sport to Syrian refugee children
Pics/Crossing lines
On a fine April morning, when Mumbai-based slackliner Samar Farooqui drove into Settlement Number 63 in Chtaura, a town wedged between Beirut and Damascus, all he could see was a sea of white tents glistening in the sun. Under the plastic tarps lived thousands of displaced Syrians who had fled to the Bekaa Valley, the largest affected area and temporary home to over 3,00,000 Syrian refugees, when a brutal civil war broke out in 2011. Lugging the nylon webbings, carbiners and other slacklining equipment, Farooqui and 14 other volunteers, stationed themselves at the nearby parking lot waiting for the refugee children.
This was to be their playground for the next two weeks. Life on the line Slacklining is the art of balancing along a narrow, flexible piece of portable fabric which is usually anchored between two points, mostly trees. "Apart from being a fun fitness activity, it has an incredible ability to connect people, start conversations and change lives," says 27- year old Farooqui. It's the reason he booked a flight to Beirut and signed up for the Crossing Lines Project, an initiative launched in 2013 by Sonya Iverson, a scientist from San Francisco, who uses slacklining to change the way we see and talk about refugees. "I had met Sonya several times at different events. The last time we interacted was at the Move Copengagen festival in Denmark, when she mentioned her plan to introduce slacklining to Syrian refugees and organise a highline festival in Lebanon. It was just the kind of inspiration I was looking for," says the Neral resident who made a career out of slacklining when he founded Slacklife Inc. — a sport and recreation company — in 2014. A level playing field At the Chtaura parking lot, the lines are hooked to the cars in the absence of trees. It's one of the things the sport has taught him — to make the best use of whatever is available at hand. "In Mumbai, I've slacklined in building compounds, garden and promenades. In fact, I was even been arrested for slacklining at Marine Drive," he laughs. Once the line was set up at the camp, Farooqui says the excitement among kids was palpable.
"Children everywhere are the same. You don't have to be concerned about the language or the way you look. I didn't speak Arabic but we managed to communicate fairly well through non-verbal cues in those two weeks. With hand gestures, I would tell them to slow down or stop or move ahead," he says. It was through two local volunteer-based NGOs Salaam and Sonbola that provides education and recreational facilities to those living in the camps in the Bekaa Valley, that the team got access to the children. Forging a personal rapport with each child — there were nearly 400 of them — was difficult for the volunteers who hailed from Iran, America and the UK.
"On the face of it, you couldn't tell that the children had gone through so much trauma. There were some who were more reserved and took time to open up," he says. Periodically, the team would sit down and discuss the day's progress. "If one of students perhaps struggled through the slacklining experience and we noticed it, we discussed it and psycho-analysed it till we came up with a solution to make sure that we didn't leave with someone feeling demoralised," he says. In the two weeks, Farooqui picked up a couple of Arabic words from them, and in turn taught them English. What was most interesting, though was how the sport changed the dynamics among the children themselves. "When you are standing on the rope, wobbling and holding the hand of the person standing on ground, you are opening up to them. So the bullies in the group ended up bonding with the rest. Everybody was on the level playing field," he says.
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Sunday Cartoon: Cyrus Daruwala Presents - Zal
Missed out on last week's Zal? You can read it here.
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Green Humour: Comic Strip By Rohan Chakravarty
Missed out on last week's Green Humour? You can read it here.
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The new fathers of Apu from The Simpsons
Things have not been going well for The Simpsons. Aside from the fact that it became America's longest running scripted TV series last month, having clocked 636 episodes. Last November, Hari Kondabulu, in his documentary The Problem With Apu, drew the world's attention to what Apu really was — a problem. The characterisation of this immigrant convenience store owner who had a PhD and eight children was sharply criticised. Describing Hank Azaria's voice of Apu, Kondabulu said it resembled "a white guy doing an impression of a white guy, making fun of my father".
The world took note, but, the creators of the series decided there was no problem with Apu. In a veiled attack on Kondabolu's film, the "Apu problem" is dismissed as a hazard of being "politically incorrect" in the words of Lisa, in an episode titled No Good Read Goes Unpunished. That, followed by The Simpsons' creator Matt Groening saying that people "love to pretend they are offended", it was a slippery slope for Apu and his makers. And while keyboard crusaders continue to express their ire, Indian-American producer Adi Shankar and John Rhodes, co-founder of a Hollywood screenwriting talent-discovery platform, launched a contest inviting writers to rewrite Apu. The winning script shall be pitched to the The Simpsons' makers. Here are three writers who have been on the job.
'I changed his voice'
Shreyas Manohar, 23, screenwriter
Nagpur born Shreyas Manohar moved to the US three years ago. He just graduated from Columbia university in English and Creative writing. He had also been working on spec scripts for diversity TV programs conducted by CBS and NBC, especially The Simpsons and Veep, when he came across this contest. "I couldn't comprehend how a show of this calibre could address the controversy in such a tone-deaf manner," he says. Priyanka Chopra was not the only one asked in high school in the US why wouldn't she speak like Apu. "One of my closest friends once remarked, 'If you could talk normally, would you?' It was hurtful, but, not surprising." Manohar's Apu in Much Apu About Nothing enrolls in an accent workshop being taught by Peter Sellers, the actor who inspired the character of Apu. The trials that the episode takes Apu through lends him a manner of speaking that's not a lazy caricature. "I changed Apu's voice, so that his actual voice, and not just his accent, is heard," he says.
'He could be more useful'
Forest Kirst, 61, flight instructor
A flight instructor by profession, 61-year-old Forest Kirst started watching the show in the early 90s. His students would carve Apu, Bart, Lisa in aluminum and brass. When Kirst learnt about the contest, he wanted to try his hand in creating a new Apu, because he too had certain reservations. Having travelled extensively in India and Pakistan, Apu's accent did not sit well with him. "It's annoying, but comical. It's a product of how the writers of the show remember accents of convenience store employees in LA." Kirst's Apu in Apu Saves Springfield is a hero. "I feel Apu could be a more useful character. In my story, world leaders and spies are on the hunt for Apu, the hacker. My Apu could use his knowledge in computers to reprogram a nuclear reactor. He could block Trump from tweeting thus saving the US from much embarrassment. But, Apu must remain a comedy character, who calmly runs his store while keeping his brilliance a secret." He points out that everyone on the show is a stereotype. "They are bumbling idiots. I hope people don't think Americans are as dumb and fat as depicted on this show."
'He reminded me of my dad'
Herman Dhaliwal, 25, aspiring filmmaker
Born to immigrant parents, Herman Dhaliwal grew up in Charlottesville. His dad, who passed away in 2015, used to own a convenience store. "Seeing any Indian guy on TV who owned a convenience store, was of course going to remind me of my father. I would say, both Apu and my dad were comically overqualified for the job. My father was also bit of a workaholic, and, like Apu, he was friendly but also stubborn," says Dhaliwal who was only four when he started watching the show. "Stereotypes are rooted in truth. When taken at face value, and out of context, they become caricatures. As writers, we need to educate ourselves to be able to create something sensitive and human," he says. His script, titled "The World of Apu", is taken from the third installment of Satyajit Ray's The Apu Trilogy. In this story, Apu is mute. "He has an accident at the store and turns mute. The rest of the story has him figuring how to deal with life after that," Dhaliwal says. Apu is not the only character he has changed. "I also wanted to give his wife Manjula something to do. If representation of South Asian men in American media is bad, South Asian women have it worse." In Dhaliwal's story, Manjula, takes on the reins of the store after Apu's accident. The man instead gets to use his skills as a computer science doctorate.
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This project aims to challenge the notion that women with tattoos are slu**y
Sanjukta Basu
Delhi-based photographer Sanjukta Basu had an epiphany right before her 39th birthday. "I was introspecting on the years gone by, and realised that although I had achieved much, I didn't think I had reached a 'destination'. It was as if I was lost at sea, and needed direction. But then I decided to embrace the fact that I go where the wind takes me. I was going to be 40, and this was me. I wasn't going to change. That's how my first tattoo took shape in my mind," says Basu, who once practiced law.
And so, her first tattoo was a sailboat, with a wave and birds in flight, with the line "wherever the wind takes me". This was also the time the idea of a project on women with tattoos took shape. Typically, some of them got one to signify something profound, like a break up with a lover or a violent relationship. Others didn't think it needed a reason. "The project is about challenging the stereotype around women with tattoos. They don't get them because they are slutty or hippie, or because they are reckless," she argues.
The photographer, who is on the lookout for new subjects to shoot in Mumbai and Delhi, says, ideally, all women should get in touch with her and tell her their stories. Sunday mid-day got Basu to shares some of her favourites.
Vimala is an aviation professional, and loves wings. Years after she got married to the man she loved, she realised he was addicted to gambling, and draining her of finances. At 48, when she found herself free from the toxic relationship, she got a tattoo — a heart with wings. It was time to fly again.
Parama, Sanjukta's first subject for the Women And Body Art project, is not one person. Within her sits the essence of Kolkata, the city she comes from and loves. The tattoo on her forearm and is an image of Kolkata landmark Victoria Memorial, an angel atop it. It signifies her belief that something good lies in everything she sees.
Archana, a women's rights activist, grew up in a protective, privileged Tamil Brahmin family. While she has grappled with body image issues, she also didn't know that you could be anything else other than a doctor, an engineer or a lawyer. When she went to college, she met women from a variety of backgrounds and, before she knew it, the seeds of female solidarity had been sown. Her first tattoo is a symbol of feminism, and she got it on the day she learnt that feminism in fact, had a symbol.
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Gautam Benegal's satire series exhibition in Mumbai plans to spare no one
Pics/Gautam Benegal
The setting of Gautam Benegal's A1 Chiken Sope cartoons is largely familiar to those who get their meat from the local market. The air is thick with down feathers, and dismembered bits of chicken scattered about, with butchers being none too fussy about our sensitive nerves. In Benegal's hands, however, this scene is turned into a humorous commentary of our contemporary socio-political scenario.
A1 Chiken Sope series, where we meet a butcher named Salim Bhai and his rather chatty coop of chicken, has been one of Benegal's longest series. The National Award-winning animation filmmaker and cartoon first invented A1 Chiken Sope in 2006 for the supplement of a newspaper, after a bird flu scare, when people had stopped consuming chicken. The poultry business was evidently suffering. A minister smuggled in a tandoori chicken leg into the Lok Sabha, and started eating it to prove that it was perfectly safe. "I drew a cartoon of a chicken shop where one bird boasts to another, showing the headlines, 'Hey guys check this out, my second cousin, twice removed, made it to the Lok Sabha'," says Benegal, 52. In 2009 A1 Chiken Sope found more takers, the year when Benegal joined Facebook.
Having made nearly a thousand cartoons in this series, he says, "On social media, you can post a rough sketch and it becomes a mass pool of conversation with several people contributing to it, which is not the case with mainstream media," he says. The chicken, or chiken as Salim Bhai's shop terms them, play the role of both the naive public and the court jester. In one cartoon, the chicken bid adieu to their former coop-mate, bundled in a black bag, as Salim Bhai hands it over to a customer. "There goes Sonu... recruited into the militia," says one hen. "The chicken's work is to get slaughtered. They are a captive population, but a large percentage is happy at being kept. There is a person who is their benefactor, and is selling them out. We are all chicken," he says, adding, "There is an existential angle to this. The only way to escape is to stop being chicken," he says.
About 35 of these cartoons will be shown at Chemould Prescott Road, Fort, starting May 25, for 10 days. You may want to pay close attention to Benegal's caricatures, where the strength of these cartoons lies. Rather than state the obvious visually, Benegal thrives on allusions and references. Everything is an open secret. "I draw a lot from the earlier part of the century, when cartoons were couched in symbolism and stylised references. The latter is true in my case — it's like guerrilla warfare. You won't be able to put your finger on it, but everybody knows and everybody smiles about what they are seeing," says the cartoonist, whose first brush with the art was as a 15-year-old with Satyajit Ray's children's magazine, Sandesh.
There is a certain rawness to them, with a lack of standardisation that we may see with daily cartoons in mainstream media. And Benegal is not interested in polishing them up either. His taste in cartoons, for that matter, is very James Thurber, the American cartoonist who was featured regularly in The New Yorker, and the late Abu Abraham, whose worked for several publications, including Punch and The Observer. "We are used to a very gentle form of cartooning in India, be it themes or visuals. I wanted A1 Chiken Sope to be very ad hoc, much like how politics in India is," he says.
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Move over eggs Benedict and Caesar salad: Mumbai's own Bachchan makes an entry
Have a love for ice-creams but don't want the calories to settle it into those arms? Perhaps slurping on a Michelle Melt might be more appetising. In 2009, a Washington based restaurant named a ice-cream after the then First Lady. But, why look as far as America? Here in Mumbai alone, various restaurants have named dishes after not just Bollywood celebs but even famous painters. Here's where to go celeb-hopping for your tummy.
The Big Bachchan Slider Bombay Bronx, Breach Candy
The Bombay Bronx at Breach Candy is known for all things Mumbai. Apart from the community table inspired by the dabbawalas, a railway map and a huge painting of Amitabh Bachchan on the wall, the food too is an ode to the city and its people. Therefore, it's not surprising to see a chicken slider dedicated to Big B.
Pic/Bipin Kokate
"The idea came to us when we were making a wall poster dedicated to him," says owner Nakuul Kumar. The grilled slider is made with chicken keema, caramalised onions, tomato slices, cheese, lettuce and served with gun powder mayo. Having named it after one of the biggest names in the country, naturally makes the appetiser a crowd puller. "It gives you a direct hint that it's going to be big and fabulous just like Bachchan," he laughs.
Da Vinci Tini Hoppipola, Khar
No prizes for guessing that Hoppipola's dessert cocktail, made with Baileys, cream and vodka espresso, is inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci. The drink is served with a painting brush and palette, where the "colours" include three types of chocolate — dark, white and caramel. Patrons are encouraged to paint inside and outside the glass, in a manner of getting playful with chocolate.
Rs 495
Sandeep Sharma, bartender, says, "The idea is to engage our customers, be it through games, or through our drinks?" Initially, they would ask customers to slip in behind the bar counter and try out the activity. "But, that proved tedious. So, we came up with this concept. And because it's to do with painting, who better than Da Vinci, to salute?"
RajiniKhanth Dosa The Junction, Mahim
Formerly an economics teacher at HR College, Vikram R Jumani has always been a huge film buff. When he introduced a line of experimental fusion dosas at his restaurant, he was clear that he wanted to doff his hat to the cinematic greats of Bollywood and also down South.
Rs 99
"In the South it's of course Rajinikanth and here, it's the three Khans. That's why the name is RajiniKhanth." The dosa in question is a spin-off on the pav bhaji dosa, wherein the bhaji is cooked on the dosa and the process is a spectacle for the customers to see. Jumani was aware that the name would catch on. "The taste was a deciding factor in the popularity of the dosa. It's a superhit item," he says.
Sonam Kapoor's cake Healthy Treats, Pali Hill
Divya Ranglani's patrons include Kareena Kapoor Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Shahid Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar. But it's a Sonam Kapoor cake that made her go viral in 2016. "She would order cakes from us quite often. And one day, she decided to post a testimonial where she said the orange and dark chocolate cake is to die for. This was when nobody knew about us," she says.
Rs 1,200 per kg
After that, calls started pouring in to order the 'Sonam Kapoor cake' and before they knew it, the orange and dark chocolate cake had been rechristened. Now that Kapoor has turned vegan, Ranglani has started baking gluten-free and vegan version of the same.
Dylan's Galouti Kebab Raasta, Khar
Since music is second nature to Raasta, owner Joy Singh wanted a dish named after American singer-songwriter, Bob Dylan.
Rs 355
"He is a revolutionary artiste. But we wanted the dish to be of Indian origin, because he loves the country," he says. Singh chose the galouti kebab and gave it a vegetarian twist as Dylan is rumoured to be a vegetarian. "His love for 'magic mushrooms' — fungi famed for their psychedelic effects — led us to choose mushrooms as the main ingredient. After a number of trials we finalised this galouti and named it as Dylan's Galouti," he says.
Lord Brown's Gift Gymkhana 91, Lower Parel
At Gymkhana 91, you can drink to Lord Burdoch Brown's legacy. Concocted using Jim Beam, pineapple juice, peach juice and smoked cinnamon, it is a refreshing and not-too-potent drink dedicated to the British officer for his contribution to spices.
Rs 595. Pic/Ashish Raje
"Brown established the Ancharakany Cinnamon Estate in 1767 under the East India Company. It's reputed to be Asia's largest Cinnamon estate," says owner Aditya Hegde, who introduced the cocktail last September. Since then, it has naturally got guests curious.
"They do ask about the name and story behind it as the drink also involves drama and theatre, because the smoking of the drink is done in front of the guests at the table," he adds. Hegde says it is common practice at Gymkhanas to dedicate dishes and drinks to somebody iconic, but not so in stand-alone restaurants. "We believe in giving due credit to the person to whom the dish belongs and that's how the trend started," he says.
Dara Singh Thali Mini Punjab's Lake Side, Powai
The Dara Singh thali is not for the weak-hearted. It packs in the best of unlimited eating. It has aloo paratha, chur chur de naan, makki di roti, murg mussalam rice, lamb yoghurt curry, chicken Amritsari and lot more.
Rs 1,600 (non-veg) and Rs 1,200 (veg)
The accompaniments include four types of beverages, three chaat options, a soup, pickle, chutney and seven desserts. In all, the thali packs in 40 items. Jagjit Singh, co-owner says, "It needs a champion to finish it. And who better than our famous Indian professional wrestler Dara Singh.
Indians looked up to him as a role model." From Uttar Pradesh, to Punjab, Delhi and Rajasthan, the thali brings together the best of North Indian flavours. While they have not met Dara Singh, his son Vindu Dara Singh has sampled this thali. "He was happy to see a thali named after his father. While eating, he was remembering nuggets about him and his father eating together from one plate during his childhood. Vindu loved the lamb yoghurt curry in the thali," adds Singh.
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Weekly Planner: 9 things to do around Mumbai from 14th May to 19th May
Order of the day
Start your week with Before Sunset
8 pm – 11 pm: Some films one can never watch enough. If you call yourself a die-hard Richard Linklater fan then you wouldn’t want to miss the chance of watching this film. Join Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy as they meet nine years after they first found each other serendipitously, on the streets of Vienna. One of the finest performances from the lead pair, this one never gets old.
14 Monday
WHERE: Drishyam VFX, Andheri West
Entry: R200
log on to: www.1018mb.com
Enjoy some spontaneous laughter
7.30 pm: Tired of the same old rehearsed lines? Then this act is for you. Mosey on to Bandra this evening where you will be treated to some improv comedy. There’s no pre-written material and your stand-up for the day, Max Fernandes, will pick up from you to bring humour on the go. You can be a participant (recommended) or a passive audience. Take your pick.
15 Tuesday
where: The Cuckoo Club, Bandra
Entry: Rs 200
Call: 9619962969
Give in to some waffle pleasure
1 PM onwards: You’ve managed to make it through Monday and Tuesday. So, you need a little treat. Celebrate the day at The Waffle Factory and avail their offers on shakes and iced teas. The offer is on every Wednesday right up until August 29. So, if you have a friend you meet only mid-week, this can become a standing date. Sweet idea? We think so, too.
16 Wednesday
where: The Waffle Factory (across outlets)
Hear the women out
9.30 PM: It’s not often that you hear women take the stage in India’s Indie music scene. Which is why #ladiesfirst is an initiative that needs your support. This evening, Social Offline x nrtya will host the Nush Lewis band and Ladies Compartment. Your ears, tonight, will be treated to jazz, blues, American folk, indie, and Carnatic Indian classical traditions.
17 Thursday
Where: Todi Mill Social, Near Viva Center, Lower Parel West
Entry: Rs 400
Call: 65110361
Relive Bollywood’s golden melodies
6.30 pm: Why should every evening out be about Western music? Relive some good old Bollywood memories as a host of playback singers along with live musicians bring to the stage, the tunes of Laxmikant-Pyarelal. And, if you are a fan, then one more reason to not give this a miss: Pyarelal Sharma Ji himself will conduct the whole 40 piece orchestra team and singers.
18 Friday
Where: Shanmukhananda Hall, Sion
Entry: Rs 250-Rs 3,000
Call: 24078888
Make your own organic make-up
2 PM to 5 PM: This is what we have always wanted. Make-up that’s organic, not tested on animals and perfectly suitable for our own skin. The Mumbai Fashion Academy is hosting this workshop where you will learn how to make your own concealer stick, liquid foundation, powder cake, make up remover and more. All material will be provided.
19 Saturday
Where: Mumbai Fashion Academy, Parel
Entry: Rs 2500
Call: 9769671960
Take it slow this time
If you think speed dating is not quite your thing, there’s the option to try this. Life of Line, a speed-dating company is slowing things down with this unique event. Participants will get to spend 30 minutes with the eligible singles of their choice, as opposed to the regular eight minutes. The custom category has been created following feedback from over a 1,000 people. The idea is to give more time to the right person. Life of Line verifies the profiles, both professional and social. The profiles of your date is shared ahead of the meet.
When: 3 pm, May 26
Where: Hoppipola, 5th Lane, Ramkrishna Nagar, Khar West
Entry: Rs 3,999
Log on to: bookmyshow.com
See flowers in all their arty glory
Bas Meeuws is a Dutch photographer known for his photographic still life series. This exhibition titled Spring In The Wintertime is being presented in India for the first time. It’s a selection of 43 photographs that also includes a previously unseen work.
When: 11 am to 6.30 pm,
till May 31
Where: Tarq, Colaba
Call: 66150424
Enjoy handcrafted cocktails
Here are the drinks that promise to take you through the heat. The summer-themed drinks at Nara are inspired from those in Thailand. Sip on cocktails like Chiang Rai (Mango and Galliano), Chiang Mai (Mango mojito), Mae Sot (pineapple and Bacardi). For a fruity mix, try the Kerff Rot Spritz and the raspberry and cranberry drink. There’s also the Thai Monk and the Fangs Tonic, which is a spin on the gin and tonic.
When: 12 pm to 1 am
Where: Nara, Raheja Towers, BKC
Call: 61378080
Catch the Boyzlife
The two-member band Boyzlife featuring Keith Duffy and Brian McFadden, formerly of Boyzone and Westlife respectively, are in India for the first time. Their concert titled Boyzlife Live will feature a blend of the greatest hits for their former bands. The Boyzlife show has been performed several times since 2016 and Mumbai will get to see it finally. For 90s kids especially, this concert would make for an ideal trip down memory lane.
When: 7 pm onwards, May 19
Where: Dublin Square, Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla
Entry: Rs 1,000-Rs 1,750
Log on to: bookmyshow.com
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Top six books of new Indian fiction for children
Cousins Ayush, Aryan and Arjun Asher enjoy some quiet book reading time with their friend Rudra Shukla at their Worli residence. Pic/Ashish Raje
Of gods and humans
Author Arshia Sattar is no stranger to mythological retellings. Best known for her English translation of Valmiki's Ramayana, Sattar recently released a new children's collection titled Garuda and the Serpents (Juggernaut Books), which draws from the Puranas, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana to deliver stories that will evoke both wonder and delight. From tales of why the gods and the asuras churned the ocean, to how Vishwamitra and Vasishtha became enemies for life, these marvellous adventures of gods and humans is not to be given a miss. And, with Sattar, who has a PhD in South Asian Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago, helming the narrative, these stories, we know, rest in safe hands.
Garuda and the Serpents by Arshia Sattar
Age Group: 10+
Price: Rs 350
A rare friendship
The recently-released graphic novel, Indira (Context, Westland), definitely has a special place in history. The young adult novel, which has been brilliantly executed by writer Devapriya Roy and animation filmmaker and illustrator Priya Kuriyan, begins with the story of Indira Thapa, a Std VI student at a government school, who is given an assignment to write an essay around her namesake. Over the course of a long, hot summer and a curious friendship with an artist who is working on a biography of Gandhi, Thapa gets tangled up in the life and times of the country's only female prime minister Indira Gandhi. Through graphic panels and beautiful prose, Roy and Kuriyan lead us through Gandhi's rich legacy, including her rise during the Bangladesh War (1971) and fall, post the Emergency (1975-77). This one is for teenagers who'd like to revisit history differently.
Indira by Devapriya Roy and Priya Kuriyan
Age Group: 13+
Price: Rs 599
Magic on wheels
Lavanya Karthik's Neel on Wheels (Duckbill) is what we think, should be on every kid's must-read list. The book, illustrated by Habib Al, tells the story of Neel, who is wheelchair bound. But, that's hardly holding him back. Neel's wheelchair transforms itself to fight dragons and monsters and chase away scary creatures of the night. One of the prize winners in the Children First contest — started to create more books featuring children with disabilities as protagonists — this book deals sensitively with his challenges and the lovely relationship between Neel and his younger brother, who regards him with awe and respect.
Neel on Wheels by Lavanya Karthik and Habib Al
Age Group: 5+
Price: Rs 299
Family matters
Sharanya Manivannan's poetry is a sheer delight to read. With The Ammuchi Puchi (Puffin Books), the poet and writer has collaborated with illustrator Nerina Canzi to tell the story of Aditya and Anjali, who love listening to their grandmother's stories. Unfortunately, their lives fall apart on the night their grandmother passes away. Suddenly, her stories seem to lose their meaning. It's only when something magical happens that they feel their grandma is with them, after all. The dreamy illustrations complement the poetic prose, for a poignant story.
The Ammuchi Puchi by Sharanya Manivannan and Nerina Canzi
Age Group: 4-7
Price: Rs 199
Grandma knows best
No summer reading is complete without escaping into the stories by author Ruskin Bond. In his new book, Memories of Hills and Dales (Rupa), Bond's protagonist is an affectionate, brimming-with-stories grandmother, who shares tales of the past with her granddaughter Koki. From a mysterious kiss by a stranger in the dark to schoolboys taking off for a trek to a glacier, an old kite-maker reminiscing about his heydays and a beautiful village girl whose charms a city boy can't resist, this slice-of-life collection — many of which are autobiographical — takes us through the life in the hills and the joys, sorrows and excitement it holds.
Memories of Hills and Dales by Ruskin Bond
Age Group: 8+
Price: Rs 195
Suitcase memories
Nidhi Chanani's heart-warming debut graphic novel, Pashmina (HarperCollins India) weaves a tale about the hardship and self-discovery that is born from juggling two cultures. The story revolves around Priyanka Das, who has many unanswered questions — why did her mother abandon her home in India? What was it like there? And, most importantly, who is her father, and why did her mom leave him behind? Pri's mom avoids all these questions. For Pri, her homeland only exists in her imagination, until she finds a mysterious pashmina tucked away in a forgotten suitcase. When she wraps herself in it, she is transported to a fantasy world more vivid and colourful than anything she could have ever imagined. But to know whether this world is for real, she needs to travel further. For young readers, Chanani creates a world that magical through her prose and illustrations.
Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
Age Group: 8+
Price: Rs 399
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Danny Denzongpa: I howled in the theatre when I first saw the film Kabuliwala
A still from Bioscopewala, featuring Danny Denzongpa in the lead
When we dial up Danny Denzongpa's number on a Friday evening, we are greeted with a faint "hello". The network is choppy, his voice drifts in and out. "I am in a cool place," he says, referring to Sikkim, where the actor is at the moment. His film, Bioscopewala, based on Rabindranath Tagore's renowned story Kabuliwala, is prepping for release, but Denzongpa chooses to stay far from the hustle and bustle of promotion. "I like it here," says the man of few words.
The 70-year-old actor was a little boy when he saw the Balraj Sahni-starrer Kabuliwala (1961). He had also seen the Bengali film earlier, starring Chhabi Biswas. The Sahni film, however, had an impact on him altogether. "I remember our teacher had taken us to see the film and I was howling in the theatre," Denzongpa says. When he first read Tagore's story in school, he made a drawing inspired by it. "There was a man with a pagdi, standing in a hilly backdrop. There was a stream flowing by, and across it, was a little girl." Bioscopewala, he tells us, was originally supposed to star Amitabh Bachchan. "But somehow, that did not materialise. I have always been a huge fan of the film, so, when Sunil (Doshi, producer and co-writer) approached me, I jumped at the chance," he says.
Doing the film was like going back to his college days. "Most of the crew was from my film institute (FTII) — the director, writer, sound designer Resul (Pookutty). I was the senior most among them. I remember when we were shooting in Ladakh, and I would go jogging at early morning, they'd be surprised and tell me 'you're supposed to rest for two days'. But, I am from the hills!" laughs Denzongpa. He also knew his co-actor Geetanjali Thapa, who plays Minnie, well. His other co-actor Tisca Chopra also doubled up as his Afghani tutor. "I had a tutor on sets to correct my diction, but I would always turn to Tisca. She has stayed in Afghanistan for over 10 years and is fluent in the language."
Unlike the original film that was set in the 1940s, Bioscopewala comes forward in time, in the '80s, during the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Having also wrapped up shooting for the Kangana Ranaut starrer Manikarni: Queen of Jhansi, where he plays an army general who was like a father to the queen, the actor is now enjoying the quiet. He is not Mumbai-bound anytime soon, not even for the premiere of Bioscopewala. "This is the person I am. I'm very shy, I don't party, I stay away from events, I have not had a PR in 45 years. You don't see me talking to the press either, nor I am on television. It's not on purpose. I just don't like attracting attention towards myself." And of course, he's not on social media either. "The only thing I am on is my phone, and that also I forget about at times," he laughs.
Also Read: 7 Memorable Roles Of Danny Denzongpa
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Mumbai: Dadar-Lower Parel-Worli set to position itself as a young art district
Gallery Art & Soul
How often have we heard friends say, "Let's grab a drink?" and the next thing you know, you are headed to Lower Parel? That same enthusiasm, purposefulness, and the promise of an evening well-spent are what art spaces in and around that part of the city are gearing up for this year.
Priyasri Art Gallery
Starting June 29, art lovers can say hello to the Mumbai Midtown Arts Collective (MMAC). An initiative by Anupa Mehta and Rashmi Dhanwani, the MMAC will bring together seven spaces in Worli, Dadar, Byculla and Lower Parel to build upon a format that their counterparts in South Mumbai have cracked over the past few years.
Tao Art Gallery
In this city, artists and visitors mark their calendars for Art Night Thursdays, the second Thursday of every month, when galleries have extended hours instead of their usual closing time of around 6 pm. Similarly, the MMAC will host Art Night Fridays, to be held on the third Friday of the month once every quarter. There will also be Art Sundays, when galleries will remain open, and workshops and sessions will be held in public spaces.
Volte Art Projects
Art Night Thursdays was conceptualised in 2011, along with Mumbai Gallery Weekend, by a group of about eight galleries in South Mumbai. It continues to visibly draw more visitors than what they would have on most other days. To boil it down to basics, it is a mix of two factors — geography and programming.
Piramal Museum of Art + their Byculla gallery
For most Mumbaikars, a weekday visit to South Mumbai, particularly Colaba and Kala Ghoda, where a number of galleries are located, usually means wrapping up early from work, and making at least a 45-minute trip from the suburbs. Art Night Thursdays mean that visitors from Jogeshwari or Mulund can spend more time with exhibitions, walkthroughs and talks.
Anupa Mehta Arts & Advisory
"There is a reason why we are planning for Fridays and not Thursdays. That's the day most professionals working in this part of town will step out and unwind," says Dhanwani, founder of The Art X Company, an arts management consultancy, which will drive MMAC.
Saffronart
There's enough for everyone
Mehta and Dhanwani tell us that the idea to form a central Mumbai collective is not new, and has been on their minds for some time now. And, then, last year, some of the midtown art spaces got a massive push for the first time during Mumbai Gallery Weekend, an outreach programme with a series of art events. Mehta, an arts consultant, who runs Anupa Mehta Arts & Advisory from the studio that earlier used to be a gallery, The Loft, at Lower Parel, could see the difference.
Anupa Mehta and Rashmi Dhanwani
"We had a tea party here, and I expected the regular audience to turn up. Instead, a different crowd dropped by — people who had heard that there was something going on," she says. Lower Parel and Mahalaxmi now have a number of creative clusters, such as indie design studios, today. These areas also house and employ well-travelled aesthetes with disposable incomes.
Dhanwani cites a report by KPMG in India and FICCI (February 2018), titled Visual arts industry in India: Painting the future, which stated that 'a new segment of art buyers in India consists of entrepreneurs, company executives and professionals... An increasing number of young art enthusiasts in their late 20s to early 40s are attending shows at art galleries and festivals, to both participate in workshops as well as buy original artwork.
Pics/Ashish Raje; Map/Deshna Mehta; Imaging/Ravi Jadhav
"Lower Parel has a sizeable presence of such professionals, who are open to different experiences such as catching a comedy or music gig or a new exhibition. Although there is the perceived notion that art is an elite preoccupation, these barriers can be lowered to open arts spaces even further," she says.
Focus on accessibility
In recent years, Lower Parel and its surrounding pincodes have turned into the great corporate heart of the city, drawing thousands through railway networks and SUVs for work and leisure. Mehta says that history always speaks through, as the place that was once devoted to mills, and mill workers. It is reason why accessibility is a key focus of the MMAC — how do you draw the waiting staff from the nearby pub as much as corporate consultants? "We forget that art is the great equaliser, and Lower Parel is a constant reminder that different classes co-exist here," says Dhanwani.
The MMAC, interestingly, is not a homogenous clutch of galleries, but has, under its umbrella, a museum, an arts advisory, an auction house, and galleries that have been around for more than a decade, and those that are fairly new. More are likely to join hands in the near future (check MMAC's Facebook page for more info).
The MMAC, thus, strategically, means more visibility to these spaces, and the recognition of the presence and growth of another art district, co-existing with the one in Colaba. "We are complementing our friends in South Mumbai. We hope that many more area-specific art circles may occur, and cater to local communities," says Mehta. She adds that with galleries showcasing a range of artistic practices, there is a growing audience for all.
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Actors and bikers Satyadeep Misra and Kunal Kemmu on why riding makes them fly
Pic Courtesy/Sameer Malhotra
Why am I biking so much? Maybe, because I work only as much as I need to," says actor Satyadeep Misra, who you will remember as Rosie's suitor Johnny from Bombay Velvet and TV series P.O.W. — Bandi Yuddh Ke, where he played a soldier. We are sitting at his Versova home talking about bikes over a glass of gin.
Kemmu and Misra's social media is full of riding clicks, including those taken outside Café Monza in Kharghar, where they ride down on Sundays. Pics/Instagram
The cupboard next to us in the living room, is topped with helmets, which he says will grow in number. If you follow Misra on Instagram, you know that over the last year, he has biked to Uttaranchal, Himachal, Goa, Nepal and Hampi. His biking friends include actor Kunal Kemmu, who will next be seen in Karan Johar's Kalank, and whose social media feed is also full of riding clicks. Some of these see him posing with his bike, and some are taken with Misra outside Café Monza in Kharghar, where they ride down early on most Sunday mornings for breakfast.
Satyadeep Misra
Misra has a Ducati Scrambler, and Kemmu used to have a MV Agusta Brutale 1090 RR, and now has a Ducati Scrambler too. Their retail indulgences include biking jackets, one helmet after another, gloves and of course, biking boots. "After the Uttaranchal trip, riding became a big part of my life. I wake up only thinking of riding. The question on my mind always is 'when is my next biking trip going to be?' I think I work, just so I can ride," says Misra.
Kunal Kemmu
Unlike Misra, who caught the bug last year, Kemmu harboured the dream of biking since school, because he thought it was "cool". "My uncle bought me a bike, but the day it got delivered, I was in college, and my father sent it back," he tells us. "I have always been a rider. But, it's only in the last six months that I have started to enjoy what it's all about. I have made friends with those who ride with me. And I have been getting all this gear that improves the riding experience," says the new father, who is quick to tell us that the one thing wife Soha Ali Khan tells him, is to be careful.
In Robert M Pirsig's Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, the author writes, "In a car, you're always in a compartment, and because you're used to it, you don't realise that through that car window everything you see is just more TV. You're a passive observer and it is all moving by you boringly in a frame. On a cycle the frame is gone. You're completely in contact with it all. You're in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming."
When Misra speaks of riding on a bike, he compares the feeling to flying. "If you see my bike, which is an off-roader, it's high up there, and as you are sitting on it, you too are sort of squatting in air. So, when you are cruising along, it does feel like you are flying," he says. When we ask, what he thinks about when he rides, he says, "It's hard to think because you are focussed on the road. All your instincts are tuned to the road, and keeping the bike in control. But as you start doing it more, it gets easier to disconnect and ride. As I said, it's the closest I have come to flying."
For Kemmu, it started off by being about the sound, speed and how the bike looks. But, in recent times, he has felt it become a stress buster. "There are days when you will be stuck in traffic, and feeling baked in all that gear, but then, there will be days where it will be a breeze. The risk factor also adds to the romance. At the end of the day, it's about the relationship between man and machine, and that's priceless."
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Talk by historian to revolve around 1800s theatre persona Vishnudas Bhave
Vishnudas Bhave. Pic/Premji Sosa
The next time you book your tickets for a play, think of this name: Vishnudas Bhave. An important figure in the history of Indian theatre, Bhave is best known for his pioneering work in the mid-1800s. Born in Sangli, Bhave arrived in Mumbai in 1852, only to change the face of not just Marathi theatre, but the whole infrastructure surrounding the industry. "He didn't invent theatre, but he certainly innovated it," says historian and researcher Murali Ranganathan.
Bhave will form the core of a talk on the modernisation of theatre in Mumbai that Ranganathan will deliver this Friday as part of arts and science conversation platform, Mumbai Local's first curated session by playwright Ramu Ramanathan. For over a decade, Ranganathan has been extensively researching the history and development of the entertainment industry in Mumbai, and this session is a leaf borrowed from the pages of his larger project. He says, "Bhave looked at the theatre infrastructure available in then-Bombay. He decided that, instead of staging plays in the backyards of the rich or through building temporary sheds, where people could just walk in, he could change the non-ticketed scene to actually charging for plays at Grant Road Theatre."
Interiors of Grant Road theatre. Pic/Drama Queens Representation purposes
The Bhave-fication of theatre in Mumbai also meant that people wanted value for money. Before Bhave's arrival, says Ranganathan, instead of tickets, an aarti plate was passed around at the end of a show, on which people would place a patron sum voluntarily. "Buying a ticket meant that audiences expected more from plays. Hence from semi-religious plots, the plays shifted to pure entertainment," he explains. A byproduct of this entertainment factor was the introduction of the genre of farce, in which the foibles of the rich and contemporary issues were critiqued through the veil of humour. Bhave and his company staged farces on widow remarriage, children's education, English missionaries, and, oddly, a cautionary tale to raise awareness on a series of murders of children that happened for robbing them of jewellery.
Stating that he is interested in "excavating" libraries with an archaeologist's enthusiasm, Ranganthan's research draws extensively from news archives. The reason is that Bhave's methods paved the path for previews, reviews, and ads, many of which are to be found in these archives. "Mumbai's theatre scene in the 20th century has been well-researched, but the times before that still need more work," says Ranganathan. He adds that his talk will also cover other theatre groups that followed Bhave's suit, a maverick balloonist who drives mass entertainment, and how practices like yoga caught the modern imagination. It all sounds intriguing, and best heard from Ranganathan himself.
Where: Kitab Khana, Somaiya Bhavan, Flora Fountain, Fort
When: May 18, 5.30 PM
Free
Call: 61702276
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Game Review: Yakuza 6 is a fitting end to mafiosi Kazuma Kiryu's dangerous journ
Yakuza 6 is the final chapter in the Kazuma Kiryu saga and the debut of a new engine for the game. For those who have never played Yakuza before, there is a handy back story that you can read through complete with choice visuals from the previous game. Even without the story mode, the game is self-sufficient and you won't feel like you are missing something. It plays out like a melodramatic Japanese movie — there are lots of cut-scenes and it will be a while before you go around breaking bones and destroying property. Fortunately, the story is decent enough to keep you engaged, considering it is around 30 hours long.
For the uninitiated, you play Kazuma Kiryu, a yakuza, who is part of the Japanese mafiosi. The idea of the game is to go around completing the tasks assigned in the story mode. However, you are also in Japan, which means there are many fun distractions to while away time. In the past, these distractions have been many and made Yakuza a game that you could play forever. In Yakuza 6, however, the side activities are few, but they are well made. Some choices are playing mahjong, working out, playing baseball, visiting a hostess bar or a cat café.
The biggest addition to the side activities is the Clan Creator mini-game, where you direct gang members in a top down view of a brawl. You can add special characters to your clan, by defeating them in combat. This mini-game is a lot of fun, even though defeating your foes is often too easy. The overall combat in Yakuza is also super easy. Kiryu is capable of handling multiple thugs with just a few basic moves. You can pick up anything off the street and use it as a weapon. Building rage can trigger special moves, which is essentially just beating people senseless with whatever you have in your hand. The simplicity of combat makes it easy to learn, but it can get repetitive after a while.
Visually, the new engine shows off the cut-scenes and characters really shine through. The motion is seamless and once you are in an area, the game never stutters. Japan is recreated beautifully, it is like you are roaming the streets of the country. You can enter stores, narrow lanes and explore anything that is on the map. The game is a fitting end to the story of Kazuma Kiryu. The top-notch storytelling and the graphics more than do justice to the Yakuza series. More side activities and layered combat could have kept the game interesting beyond the main storyline, but despite all of this, Yakuza manages to entertain.
Yakuza 6: The Song of Life
Rating: 4/5
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Platform: PS4
Price: Rs 2,999
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New book offers account on wives, daughters and sisters of Mughal emperors
Tight jackets and tunics in diaphanous materials replaced the more pragmatic, flowing qabas, Jahangir did not marry anyone after Noor Jahan, Women wore jamas of fine muslin, so sought-after that they were named running water and night dew. Pics/Courtesy Aleph
While we all remember the story of 16th century Timurid warrior and scholar Babur's arduous journey from Kabul to Punjab, from where he waged war on Delhi to become the first Emperor of the Mughal dynasty, little is known of the wives, sisters, daughters and aunts, who travelled with him, and helped him establish his empire in the Indian sub-continent.
A new book by Gurgaon-based author Ira Mukhoty, Daughters of the Sun (Aleph Book Company), is a first-of-its-kind attempt to chronicle the role of the women in building the empire, and whose stories have suffered the neglect of both, history and memory. "Women, in general, are a misremembered group in history," says Mukhoty, in an email interview. "Their achievements are constantly ignored or diminished in favour of the histories of men. For the Mughals, it is further complicated by the fact that a lot of the works are in Persian, a language that is seriously out of favour in India. There is a Persian document called the Pilgrims' Confidant, about the Haj pilgrim to Mecca, sponsored by Aurangzeb's daughter Zeb-un Nisa. I tried very hard to have the document translated into English, but was unable to. This is a beautifully illustrated manuscript, which may have interesting references to its imperial patron. The original document is, moreover, in a collection abroad, as are many Mughal documents following the great plunder by the British. So there are many layers obscuring the legacy of the Mughal women; language, despoliation and disinterest," she adds.
Ira Mukhoty
For Mukhoty, the idea of researching this book came to her when she stumbled on the story of Jahanara Begum, daughter of Emperor Shah Jahan, who reigned from 1628 to 1658. "The over-arching scope of her ambition, so clearly spelt out in all her works, took my breath away. At a time when even globally women were expected to live lives of quiet submission, Jahanara blazed such a fiery trail. And yet we really don't remember the extent of her achievements at all," she says.
The book is split into three parts. The first discusses the peripatetic queens, who travelled from Persia to Hindustan, and includes Khanzada Begum, Babur's elder sister, and his wife Dildar Begum, among others. The next talks of the wives during the imperial splendour. Here, Jahangir's wife Mehr-un-Nisa Begum alias Noor Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal — Shah Jahan's wife — find mention. The last section of the book takes us into the waning years of the Mughal empire, fraught with greed and overreaching ambition. The story of Jahanara Begum, the beloved eldest, unmarried daughter of Shah Jahan stands out here.
An interesting source for Mukhoty's book was Gulbadan Begum's Humayun-nama. Gulbadan was sister to Humayun and daughter to Babur, who arrived in Hindustan at the age of five. "She was asked many decades later by her grandnephew, Akbar, to write a biography of Babur and Humayun," Mukhoty writes in the book. "Gulbadan's account is a fascinating insight into the households of Babur and Humayun as seen by an insider. Her writing is forthright, frank and rambunctious," says Mukhoty. "It is her lack of a self-conscious eye on posterity, which made her account so invaluable. She gives us details which help us imagine a living, breathing space instead of a splendid, but unknowable place which the male biographers wrote about. Male historians of that time wrote in grave and obscure prose, about battles and ancestors. Gulbadan wrote about Humayun's opium habit and his relationship with one of his feisty wives," says the writer.
Among the Mughal women, whom Mukhoty has most affection for is Khanzada Begum, who at 65, rode on horseback through 750 km of icy passes to parley on behalf of her nephew, Humayun. "This fearless and indomitable lady made sacrifices all her life for the legacy of her younger brother Babur, and for the future of her family. She was constantly sent as peace ambassador to warring brothers and travelled endless miles through icy terrain on horseback. She wept upon seeing the infant Akbar, because he reminded her of her long dead 'baby' brother Babur. This gives us such a different insight into Babur too, no longer the marauding foreigner of legend but a dearly beloved and mourned brother," she says.
Mukhoty, however, finds Mumtaz Mahal to be the most voiceless of the lot she researched about — the irony being that she was also the most famous. "I think the Taj Mahal, and the 20th century construct of an 'exclusive love' that it generated is definitely the reason Mumtaz Mahal is viewed with affection by so many. But she left no writings, no substantial buildings, no clear evocation of an ambition. She was busy raising 14 children in 19 years, travelling the length and breadth of the country with her restless husband. She will forever be hidden by the splendour of the Taj Mahal."
Also Read: Mughal-Era Artefacts Seized From Antique Smuggler's Secret SoBo Godown
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Meet Mumbai's youngsters who fiddle with new obsession - drones
Two years ago, Jaidwaj Malhotra was running a Google search for a motor for his model airplane when he instead started reading about drones and how to build them. He was immediately taken in by the little object that could fly at 120 km per hour. Today, the 18-year-old is working for an organisation, helping them design surveillance drones for the Indian Army.
Malhotra is part of a tight-knit community of young drone racers in the city that came into being around the time the Indian Drone Racing League (IDRL) was founded by Karan Kamdar in 2016. Over the past two years, the field has gained a sizeable traction with IDRL having 875 pilots registered with them from all over India. The pursuit is expensive.
Building a drone can cost as much as '40,000, and the not-so-cheap batteries must be replaced every three months. The police continues to remain suspicious of fliers. However, for these pumped up youngsters, no obstacle is too big. Even with the odds stacked against them, they are finding ways to let their dreams fly.
'Burnt the circuit board while building my first drone'
Jaidwaj Malhotra, 18
His father being into aero-modelling, Juhu resident Jaidwaj Malhotra has always had a fascination for flying objects. Two years ago he participated in an aeromodelling competition held by Boeing, at the IIT TechFest. Around the same time, he came across the drone, or the "quadcopter". "If you want to fly a drone, it is important that you build it as well. You need to understand the mechanics, to ensure best control. And, in case of trouble, you must know how to fix it in a second," Malhotra says. Like Nayak, he too is a self-taught drone-maker, who got all his knowledge from the Internet.
Jaidwaj Malhotra. Pic/Satej Shinde
"My first attempt was not successful. I burnt the circuit board. But, you live and learn," says the first-year mechanical engineering student. He spread the word on his drone-making abilities on social media and soon people began to approach him. "That's how I got roped in by a startup to design UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) for the Army." When he doesn't have exams, he practises six hours a day on a track that he builds himself, on the Jamnabai School Grounds. "A racing track comprises elements like gates, flags and cones that act as obstacles. I practise on one track, then change it completely and practise again."
One Race I want to participate in: World Drone Prix
'I am the first pilot to register from the country'
Siddharth Nayak, 26
Employed in the construction sector, Nayak is currently neck-deep into the Mumbai Metro project. It's only in the weekends that he manages to fly. "Sometimes, it's not even that, as there are working Sundays too," he tells us. Nayak, who grew up in Nala Sopara and got a degree in instrumentation engineering from a Vasai's Vartak college, has always been keen on robotics. "But, that was mostly stuff on land; I had a craze for flying."
Siddharth Nayak. Pic/Datta Kumbhar
Randomly stumbling upon a drone-racing video on YouTube in 2016 was a deciding moment for him. Nayak, of course, had no experience in drones up until that point. He went through several tutorials online and managed to build his first drone. "I tried it out in the dried salt pans in Vasai, where there were no people. It went up till about 30 feet," he says, speaking of his test run.
The height is not the point of importance in drone racing, where they race not more than seven feet above the ground. "It's precision and control that counts, because you're flying at 120 kmph. It's a lot tougher to control drones at a lower height." Nayak had his first race in IIT Gandhinagar in 2016 and his latest victory was last month at Smaaash, besides three races in Kochi and Pilani. "I had once quit my job to do this professionally, but that didn't work," he says with a smile. Nayak's next aim is to represent an organisation as a drone racer. "My dream is to represent India as a drone racer in an international league, someday."
One Race I want to participate in: Drone Champion League
'I sold my first drone to build my second one'
Himadri Roy, 21
When he was in Std X, Himadri Roy asked his father for money to build his first drone. "I had done my research. I showed him the outline of my plan, which I had developed after going through hundreds of tutorials and blogs. When he saw that I was not talking out of thin air, he agreed," says Roy. The first drone that he built had a larger frame and was heavy. It took him over a month to finish, with help from his father. "Now, I can build it in a week." In the years that followed, he upgraded his machine. "I learnt about more sophisticated methods online and then I sold my first drone to a friend who is an engineer, and used that money to build my second one. This one is a racing drone. It's smaller, faster and more agile." Roy, who was a member of an online forum called Remote Controlled India, came across IDRL on it. He got invited to his first race in Gandhinagar in 2016. "I did a few laps and crashed. It's crucial to keep your mind steady in this race. If you worry you'll crash, you will. I have become calmer now."
Himadri Roy. Pic/Sneha Kharabe
He uses the same calm to deal with authorities when they come in the way. "The laws regarding droning are not clear in India. So, the police continues to stop us. Last week, a police vehicle followed me while I was flying. When something like that happens, I try to explain that it is a sport. I also let them watch the video feed that has recorded what the drone has seen, so they know that we are anything but troublemakers." Currently, he is employing his drone knowledge in his fourth year project. "We are trying to develop drones that can be used for industry surveillance, to identify defects in mobile towers, in particular," he says.
One Race I want to participate in: Smaaash Drone Race at Gateway of India
'Women forgo desire because they want to stay alive'
Richa Kaul Padte
When I set out to write this book, I expected to find that Indian women were watching, making and enjoying porn. And indeed, I found that! What I didn't expect, though, was how comfortable and open they would be while talking about it," says Richa Kaul Padte of her debut non-fiction, Cyber Sexy (Penguin Random House). Through an intimate tour of online sex cultures — from camgirls to fanfiction writers, homemade videos to consent violations — the book investigates what it means to seek out pleasure online. Padte grew up in Kodaikanal and has lived most of her life in Brighton, England. Apart from being the co-founder of the award-winning publication Deep Dives, her writings have appeared in several publications. The well-researched book is full of interesting anecdotes, which had us questioning what we think we knew of porn. We spoke to her about women who romantacise porn, what inspires her, and if women would rather read erotica than watch the act on screen.
Excerpts from an interview:
In retrospect, what would you say the true vision of the book is?
Looking back on the project, what has come to the surface is that Cyber Sexy allows readers to feel less alone. Many people I interviewed said that the experience of sharing their stories removed a sense of isolation, and I know for sure that I as the listener felt a lot of relief, just hearing them. It's a comfort to know how varied desire is; that no matter how strange what's inside us can feel, we're never truly alone.
You have had intense, deep conversations with varied women for this book. Share some anecdotes that really stayed with you.
Not just with women, but with men too. For example, I spoke to one man who said he had always been embarrassed and bullied about the size and shape of his penis, but through participating in nude photoshoots, he came to terms with and started loving his body. This stayed with me, because men are often under pressure to be a certain type of masculine — and they rarely express these vulnerabilities. So, whenever men were able to talk about these gentler, less confident parts of their sexualities, it stood out for me.
What revelations did you have about the Indian woman and her sexuality?
As girls and women we're not encouraged to talk about sex, so I thought there would be some degree of reservation in interviews. I was so heartened to find this was not the case – women were happy to openly share their experiences, and I was more than happy to hear about them.
In your experience, how do men and women consume porn? For example, one may watch porn to please themselves, but quite often, we also think of people we desire. Do you think woman romanticise porn?
I think this might be more of an individual preference than a gendered thing. Desire is constantly shifting, just like fantasies, just like porn preferences. And I don't think romaticising porn is a gender-specific experience. Having said that, I think where women and men's porn preferences do differ is on the question of consent. Almost every woman said that as soon as porn seemed non-consensual, they were instantly turned off. I think as women we are constantly worried about having our consent violated, so our porn consumption reflects this fear.
Do you think women prefer reading porn rather than watching it?
I don't think I've surveyed enough women to make this claim definitively, but what I can say for sure is that erotica, fanfiction, and other sexy writings on the Internet are predominantly women-led spaces. Personally speaking, sex scenes in novels was how I first started exploring my own desires as a teenager, and I think for many women the written word is a safe, intimate space in which to express sexuality — both as readers and as writers.
Women usually find it easier to go without sex for long periods of time. Could this affect their desires?
My point is, everyone can survive without sex, but sex is also a deep human need. I think what does affect women's desires is fear — fear of unwanted pregnancies, abuse, violence, etc. We think twice — or 50 times —before we go home with unknown men. Not because we want sex any less than them, but because gender violence is a reality we have to perpetually contend with. So we often forgo desire because we want to, you know, stay alive.
Also Read: Married? This Dating Site Is Meant For You
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look on the bright side
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only keep three
The Worst Things For Sale is Drew's blog. It updates every day. Subscribe to the Worst Things For Sale RSS!