The Show Must Go On - Editorial

By Sahil Mehta


Yep, I’m back to bug you with an editorial yet again. I donno about you but it feels nice to be finally sitting down to write this, the final piece in the jigsaw. It’s been a long overdue issue. I have learnt much in this time. 

William Shakespeare (Yes. Again!) wrote 

 All the world’s a stage,

And all the men and women merely players;

They have their exits and their entrances,

Clichéd naa? But true nevertheless. If you look around you and search for meaning and reasons as to why things happen, you’ll just end up confused. Sometimes, when “why?” doesn’t have an answer, it’s best to remind yourself of Shakespeare’s lines and get a move on. 

But there is more than just Shakespeare and his philosophy to showbiz. Acting is a very powerful and creative medium. Stage plays, or good ones at least, have that innate ability to draw you in to the character, to feel the emotion that goes through him, to quiver in their roars and cry with their grief. And stage plays more often than not tackle daily life issues and problems in a way we connect with them. If nothing else, they are genuinely a fantastic source of entertainment. I’m just 21, and I haven’t seen that many plays but I remember all the ones that I have seen. 

Then there is the thrill on being on stage, of acting, of having the spotlight on you! But is it really possible to pretend to someone else? I don’t think so. I think all the greatest performances, whether on stage or on screen, have been when the actors became one with the character. Acting is more than just memorizing and reading a few lines in a particular manner. It’s just not possible to pretend to be someone else without believing yourself to be them. And this holds true not just for people on stage but even for people who pretend in real life. 

But there is more to showbiz than just acting or performing. And the “biz” part of it hasn’t been put there for semantics. Art, like everything else, too has been influenced and corrupted by the influence of commercialization and consumerism. Television, in particular has undergone a drastic change in the last few years. We’ve gone from making nice family comedy shows to first insanely stupid and impossibly tragic “saans-bahu” dramas and now degraded it further (never thought it would be possible) by getting people to make a fool out of themselves in the form of reality shows! While often humorous for their stark stupidity and blatant scripting, reality shows sadly bring out a dark, perverted side of the Indian society. A society which has too much idle time and dangerously high voyeuristic tendencies.  

Ah well! It is what it is. The solution lies with us too; in finding a form of entertainment which does not feed of the tragedies and misfortunes of other people’s lives on TV. 

But the most important thing about Showbiz, the one lesson to take, one that I’ve learnt the hard way, is that The Show Must Go On. You cannot stop and weep for what is lost in life, just like you cannot stop on a fumbled dialogue on stage. Time doesn’t stop and the audience is waiting. Just play your part as well as you can and revel in the applause at your curtain call!

Mani Shankar

Interview

Engineer from BITS to award winning director, it’s been a hell of a journey for director Mani Shankar. He’s made some visually thrilling movies and touched on a variety of social issues. And he’s worked with some of the biggest stars in the industry. He talks to Vijay Narayan about life, work and films in general.

Q- After pursuing an engineering degree, what inspired you to shift to directing movies

A- I was bored sick of engineering. Doing the same old dumb thing day after day. In fact most of our batch changed their career profiles and ended up doing something else. 

Besides the idea of getting stuck in a smelly factory for the rest of my life was unendurable.

When I got a chance to shift, I moved into advertising as a copy writer. Never looked back.

Q- What kind of requirements does one need  to  fulfill to pursue a career in film direction?

A- Being born in the Raj Kapoor family really helps. Otherwise its a grind all the way. You need a clutch of skills- imagination, narration, eloquence, charm- and loads of luck. Or else you need to know how to kiss a producers ass in a unique way - better than anyone else. Thank God I entered the field as a producer- investing my own money and taking the risk. I could never have made it as a director otherwise.

Q- Any particular genre of movies that you have always wanted to direct?

A- I started with crime thrillers, moved on to anti war films, did a mythological sci-fi, then did a realistic gritty genre, then a slick thriller, and now i will do a romantic comedy and also a gritty hard hitter. Any genre that i fancy at the moment i will do. No fixed preferences. Everything is good fun.

Q- What kind of difficulties did you face while trying to become a director?

A- I knew nothing about direction, so had to learn on the fly while pretending to know it at the same time. It wasnt’ tough, because one thing we learn well in BITS is to bullshit your way through a situation. So i guess that really helped. A director sits on top of the food chain, so to speak. There are always people ready to pull him down, suck up to him, flatter him, slash him, admire him, criticize him, want to sleep with him. You got to learn to be thick skinned and do the right thing always, following your conscience, never stooping, never worrying about consequences.  If you succumb to the shit you will eventually drown in it. So beware.

Q- Which movie, in your opinion, is your best work till date?

A- Knockout.

Q- Which actors/actresses have you enjoyed working with the most?

A- Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgan, and of course, Irrfan and Kangana- they are real sweethearts- great talent, great attitude.

Q- What, in your opinion, does Indian cinema really need to make ground breaking movies eg. Inception, Black Swan et al?

A- Indian film producers are like bulls without balls. They snort a lot, stamp about and raise dust but are unable to perform- the critical task of actually funding a daring innovative film. They need to take some testosterone injections and graft back their balls if we have to make great films like Inception. Basically its  all about courage and conviction- both of which  producers lack.

Q-How difficult is it to balance a personal life with so much work? 

A- When you really enjoy what you do, its no longer work- its a part of your personal life. So actually i have been on an extended vacation from the last two and a half decades.

Q- What was your first movie making experience like?

A-  I threw the rule book out. I woke up on the first day of shoot and kicked butt all day long- doing exactly as I liked. And guess what- it was terrfic! I changed the script a few times as we went along-and that was great too

Q- There’s been such a lot of talk about Anna Hazare and corruption and how he inspired people....do you think movies could do that too?

A - Public issues have a limited value in commercial cinema. The problem with india is not that the leaders are corrupt. It’s that we are corrupt as a race.  And we really dont care. So any film purely on a social issue will end in disaster. Ask yourself- would you rather see Katrina rubbing herself on a pole showing off her cleavage or see a ponderous film on corruption? 

Q. Any last words?

A. Follow your heart. You got just one life. Dont fuck it up with greed and overplanning.

Kids these days tend to plan too much. The essential quality of life is that it is unpredictable. Flow with the unpredictablity, enjoy the scenery. There isnt any goal as such to life. There is only the journey. Learn to enjoy the journey.

The Actress

By Anonymous

She was no one. She was everyone. She was who you wanted her to be.

Some people have real lives, and other pretend to have one. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out that she definitely belonged to the second category. Her entire life consisted of her slipping into various roles, acting out the feelings and emotions felt by each part. And she did it well, oh yes. She was so good at it that she no longer remembered how not to act, and every time something happened in her life that needed a reaction from her, she had to decide which of her many roles she was going to don. Everyone she met in life was subjected to a sample of the finest acting that was the culmination of twenty years of ceaseless practice.

Every artist needed a stage. And she had made the world hers, like an old poet had once suggested. And her audiences were the people she loved, the people she could not live without. The same people, incidentally, who would walk out of the hall at the slightest hint of a boring script. Her greatest fear was playing to an empty hall. She was constantly terrified that the play she was acting was not engrossing enough, that her audience had better things to do, better places to be. And so she was always looking for flaws in herself, for things that she could correct to become the perfect creation of God . She had long ago decided that her feelings, such as they were, were immaterial. Did the actor who played Othello tell the audience what he thought of Shakespeare? No, he only told them what Othello felt. He must become Othello, or he is just another man, not an actor. The only difference was that, if she didn’t become whatever part she was playing, she was not just another woman, she was nobody. 

But what terrified her the most was that one day, she would be taken off her stage, that she would be forced to remove the myriad masks and layers of makeup that had kept her safely hidden, and then you would find a colourless, bleached canvas; a still doll. She was nothing if you took her off the stage. And because she could not let that happen, she poured in her life-force into her acting. There were days when she revelled in it, and there were days when every word, every action was a superhuman effort.

Yet, she thought, it was all worth it in the end. The applause was addictive, intoxicating. And so she continued playing, in spite of her terror, in spite of all that it cost her. For she was, first and foremost, the consummate actress.

The Empty Seat

By Srishti Rani

And now I walk this unlit lawn,

To wonder where the light has gone,
The yellowed grass under my feet, l
Leads me on to your empty seat.


I sit down there,
Your thoughts repeat,
The tears, the laughter, the petty fights,
The jolly cheers in merry lights.
This was the place we all did play
Till the gales of time blew it away
Leaving back the ruins of yesterday,


Your memories ripple beyond the shore,
I watch from far, I can do no more.


Tears roll down, but I fake a smile,
As you wave good bye all the while,
Just set to sail; away a hundred mile,

If you must go, so long,
Know that my soul too goes along,
It won’t let go your hand, my friend.


I’ll keep coming here,
To dream of you,
Of the lights all gone,
Of the flowers few,
To the grass all yellowed ,with lost hue,
To this empty seat left behind by you……

Standing Still

By Revanth Chaudhary

Standing still , looking above , the sky stares back,
Stars they flicker through light, it amazes thy eyes,
Its a sad thing though , they might allready be dead.


Standing still , looking at the river flow , it continues undisturbed,
My reflection , in the water , not moving , moon and sun’s courtesy,
Its a sad thing , the ripples created ,source unknown, will erase them.


Standing still , looking at the earth , still gaze offered my eyes,
My footprints, embedded in the soil , beautiful pattern ,
Its a sad thing , the winds of change , will erase them to nothingness.


Standing still , looking at the fire , it flares back naturally,
Burns my skin , something beneath it , pain is a metaphor ,
Its a sad thing , the ashes of time , will burn it out , due course.


Standing Still , just waiting , time it calls in its voice,
Wrinkles they grow , marks of age and wear , same end point ,
Its a sad Thing , everything tangible and intangible , is temporary.


Standing Still , looking inside , true story in the diary,
begins - pain , agony , frustration , denial and slowly..
acceptance and the theme for this story ,
smile , you know the reason for the temporary , a journey.

Let 'Em Die

By Sahil Mehta

Wikipedia: Euthanasia (from the Greek εὐθανασία meaning “good death”: , eu (well or good) + θάνατος, thanatos (death)) refers to the practice of ending a life in a manner which relieves pain and suffering. According to the House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics, the precise definition of euthanasia is “a deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of ending a life, to relieve intractable suffering.”

I didn’t know the existence of this word till a couple of years back. The first time I came across word was on the front page on the newspaper. It was some legal case whose details I do not recall. But the word stuck and since then I have been hearing about it with an alarming frequency. At the end of last year Sanjay Leela Bhansali addressed this issue in his film Guzaarish and now the SC judgment in the Aruna Shanbaug case does the same thing. Despite the SC judgment allowing passive euthanasia, the debate remains wide open. FYI euthanasia can be classified into the two categories apart from being classified as voluntary, involuntary or non-voluntary.

Passive euthanasia entails the withholding of common treatments, such as antibiotics, necessary for the continuance of life.

Active euthanasia entails the use of lethal substances or forces to kill and is the most controversial means.

If you are a normal person, then the very concept of taking a life, even your own, will horrify you. But for me it’s really a question of taking rules out of the equation and looking at the humanitarian aspect of it. Consider this case of Ms. Shanbaug. A nurse by profession, she was sexually assaulted in 1973 and has been in a vegetative state since then. Her condition is such that even the law has no clear definition of it. She is neither in a coma nor has full awareness. She can move her eyelids but not see, not recognize, not understand anything or anyone. And 37 long years she has been forced to “live” like this. All so that various groups who have no idea of her suffering can debate on the morality of taking a life and use the law as an excuse. Ridiculous! What even worse is that they call themselves humanitarian groups, people who are defending human rights. Preposterous!

I do not say that there aren’t legal and ethical issues involved in allowing a life to be ended; especially when the patient concerned doesn’t have the mental capacity to make that decision. I can understand the Supreme Court’s concern that allowing the petition by Mrs. Pinki Virani on behalf of Ms. Shanbaug could encourage other people to do so and not always with the right intention. But this is a clear cut case. The Court rejected the petition on the basis that Mrs. Virani had not taken care of the patient at any point of time, so she had no right to appeal for her death. Apparently the Court believes that you become the property of the people who take care of you. What a message to send out!

The question is not about this case. There is a much larger issue involved here. Why is that we do not have the right to end our lives when we choose to? We aren’t given a choice while being born, at least we should have the right to die when we want to. Who gives the constitution, or a bunch of judges who crammed law books to decide that we have to live or die? All this crap about life being beautiful, being a gift etc. is really just that, CRAP! It’s a biological process. Period. If someone decides for whatever reason that he doesn’t want to live, it’s his choice. Whether things will change for the better is not something we can predict, so why force someone to live under a false hope?

I also know that a lot of people think that people who want to or attempt or successfully complete suicide are quitters. There is so much social stigma associated with it, it’s un-fricking-believable. Last time I checked, the constitution gave me the right to choose how I lived. How hypocritical of it for the same constitution to deny me right to end my life. And it’s none of anyone’s business to judge me or order me. Life is over-rated at times and people die every day because of their choices in some way or the other. Why is it so hard for people to get that?

Anyways, back to topic. I think that if we have even an ounce of humanity in us, we should allow people who are suffering incessantly with no hope for recovery, or people whose lives have just become meaningless both physically and mentally to end their lives. Even if we do not have that ounce of humanity, it is no business of ours to interfere in someone else’s life choices. When we find cure for such diseases or conditions, that time you can remove it as a basis for euthanasia. Till then, we need to allow euthanasia. Our fear of death as a society is no reason for someone to continue to suffer for it.

Flights Of Fantasy

By Edocsil

Traveling is truly bothersome, and it’s worse if you are heading off to a place which you don’t particularly like (hot, humid, alien place on God’s good three dimensional space i.e.)

 Anyway, my advice if you are heading off to such a despicable place : just take a flight, saves you the excruciating brooding over your darn fate and trying to find a rational explanation as to why God hates you. Trust me, time flies when you are staring at the clouds and the tin can you are travelling in, is moving at a speed close to the speed of sound (Einstein was so wrong!)

Hmmm….so what was I actually planning to blabber about?? Lets see, yes! So the perfect solution to escape the clutches of boredom, is going to sleep. Well, now that isn’t always possible. Assume you have this annoying big mouth with stinky feet sitting next to you that can’t really sleep, well not without poking a fine little needle into your ears! Even after that there is a fairly good chance that you will end up with your nose near his foot (very likely in a train), that isn’t going to be a pretty experience. Though, if you are a weirdo who isn’t bothered by the prospect of a severely damaged olfactory system, all is well.

So what is the solution to this problem, you ask? That depends. I would like to chat away to death with Megan Fox, but it really isn’t the same with the stinky feet guy. I would rather stick to myself and sulk away in my corner as far away from the stench as possible (man, diffusion is a bitch! the smell’s gonna get to me all the same!)

We seem to have hit upon a major problem, you say - yes, seems to be so does it not? Well my friend, why do you think I’m here?? My absolute jobless existence has enabled me to ponder over this fundamental problem and here is my solution to this fundamental dilemma. Imagination is a powerful thing, it can conjure up an explicit little scenario for yourself. The way in which you choose to wield this powerful tool depends on the way God decided to fix your wiring.

If you are a perverted little chimp, then well your libido is going to drive your little fantasy world in a direction that I would rather not get into, though I guess it’s going to be fun. The philosophicalguy is gonna go all beserk….”Look at the sun drift along space for all eternity through the haze of space and time….” Blah blah blah.....just make sure you don’t get any divine revelations during your little philosophical experience, because we already have enough theorems to bother with, adding another one will just earn you a lot more profanity that you otherwise would have earned.

Then there are the kiddos - “Mummy, look! The place is flying through a pile of cotton candy!” “Ahhh, he’s so cute!!” goes a girl in the background. Whatever your fantasy is, it’s guaranteed to be a lot more fun than mindless chatter, sloth-like sleeping and staring at crumbling parchments. Experience the beautiful solitude of journey!!  

Elevation Dynamics

Band Interview

We first saw these guys perform in our college fest, among bands like Escher’s Knot and Eccentric Pendulum. They were an unknown quantity in the equation, an element we knew little about. Their unique combination of progressive heavy metal rifs with Carnatic and Arabic vocalizing style was something I had never experienced. Motherjane’s vocals have a similar texture but the effect just isn’t the same. A fluid unhindered amalgamation of Indian and western music is what characterizes Elevation Dynamics and sets them apart from the rest of the crowd. A band you must listen to, if you have a love for progressive heavy metal.

Q. HOW’D YOU GUYS COME UP WITH THE NAME ELEVATION DYNAMICS ?

A: After the band made a first song, we felt that the song spoke more than what we thought about. Hence Prince suggested the name Dynamics i.e. the science of a particular thing. And then the name elevation was suggested. So basically it means the science of elevating oneself from within.

Q. AND THE CURRENT LINE-UP OF THE BAND IS  ?

A: Aditya Francis - Vocals

    Jatin Jitendrakumar - Bass

    Shrinivas Iyer & Vignesh- Guitars

    Prince John - Percussion

Q.  HOW LONG HAVE YOU ALL KNOWN EACH OTHER? HOW DID YOU MEET?

A: Everyone apart from Vignesh studied in the same college. And ours was a college where metalheads were rare and easy to spot. Aditya, Jatin and Shri started jamming a few songs. Later Prince was asked to join and Vignesh joined in January (thanks to facebook). 

Q. WHAT GENRE OF MUSIC DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR MUSICAL EXPRESSION TO BE? WHO ARE YOUR MAJOR INFLUENCES? 

A: Our genre is Progressive metal with a Carnatic and Arabic music influence. The major influences can be listed as Dreamtheater, Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Motherjane, Textures and Tool. And some other bands as well.

Q. WHEN DID YOU FORM YOUR BAND? WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE MUSIC TOGETHER?

A: The band was formed In November 2009. But the final line up formed in January 2011. The inspiration to make music together is the different influence we have and our love for experimentation and create something extraordinary. The song Repentance Day took 7 months to produce. 

Q. HOW DOES THE SONG WRITING / COMPOSING PROCESS GO ABOUT IN YOUR BAND?

A: Shri, Aditya and Vignesh bring in the riffs. Sometimes Jatin does too. I compose the beats considering every riff. Aditya writes the lyrics (with bad handwriting though). A lot of riffs are rejected in the jam room considering the structure of the songs. So our composition process is usually lengthy but everyone loves the output which comes with so much thinking. 

Q. WHAT ARE THE MAIN THEMES OR TOPICS FOR MOST OF YOUR SONGS?

A: The songs talk about the positive aspects of life and about the wrongs we do against ourselves and the society. We take some stories from the past and relate it to today’s life.

Q.  HOW DO YOU GUYS REHEARSE AND PRACTICE?

A: We make it a point to practice at least once a week and thrice a week when some gigs are near. The jam usually happens at Prince’s Place. He owns a place where he conducts music classes as well.

Q. WHICH SONGS DO YOU PERFORM MOST FREQUENTLY? DO YOU EVER PLAY ANY COVERS? DO YOU HAVE A SET-LIST FOR EACH OF YOUR GIGS?

A: The songs we perform frequently are- Repentance Day, Fall of the Pharoah and Final Cry. We started playing a new song called Echoes Within. We have never played covers and we stick to this set list for most of the gigs.

Q. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS AN UPCOMING BAND IN INDIA?

A: To find the right sound and to infuse the Carnatic style into metal. Also not imitating the west was another challenge as we are bombarded by the music from the west.

Q. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE WESTERN MUSIC SCENE IN INDIA ? 

A: As we said earlier, the western music development in the India is only limited to the genre pop. Rock and metal listeners aren’t growing at the rate at which pop or hip-hop listeners are growing. We believe around 4 years down the line there will be much more rock n metal listeners across the country providing opportunity to a lot of upcoming bands.

Q. FINDING ONE’S OWN SOUND IS A LONG GONE-BY THING , IN TODAY’S GENRE-PLAGUED SCENE . DO YOU GUYS THINK YOU HAVE YOUR OWN SOUND ?

A: Yes we have found our own sound but it is still evolving. It is easy to spot Elevation Dynamics music out of the 100 bands you listen to. Guaranteed. 

Q. ANY LAST WORDS

A: Buy our cd’s when we launch it. You will not regret it. 

---

Part Duex

By Vidya Ramamoorthy

www.vidyatherider.blogspot.com

How many of us have actually lived a life devoid of regret? We always hanker after a second chance, a second innings, if you will, where we will play bigger and better.

What’s fishy is that even though we all have this hunger for redemption within us, we’re not very keen on granting others second chances.

Before you Freudians dissect this theory and declare it to be a vote against capital punishment, let me assure you that I am a simple twenty year old whose range of thought does not extend beyond my family, my friends, my home and my college; and yet, within this tiny world I live in, I see so many closed doors in place of welcoming thresholds.

We’re quick to judge and slow to forgive.

I think part of this deep rooted desire to divide the world into black and white comes from watching the infamous and typically Indian telly serials-no kidding, the saas bahu serials, where the heroine is always modestly dressed in pastel colors, and the evil mistress always wears shimmery eye shadow and bindis of gargantuan proportions (even to bed). Like my friend V says-”If it’s bad, it’s all bad.” 

What I’m trying to say is that we have been conditioned to judge people by their appearances, their first lapses, or something as trivial as their choice of entertainment or their favorite color. Ok, scratch that last.

Oh, and woe betide someone who’s in the Bad book.

Even if he proved be a heartwarmingly generous fuzz ball later, he’d always be “the shark that didn’t pay for all of us when we drunk ourselves silly on HIS birthday at the bar.Imagine.HIS birthday. Tsk. Tsk.)

While part of my rant maybe directed at what my friends deem a “craven” taste in music- (because I’d pick Buble over Black Sabbath any day of the week and twice on Sunday.), this is about so much more than social isolation and clique wars. This is about creating an atmosphere so vile that it cripples an individual’s ability to be himself.

Spare us the trouble of waiting to see if you can emerge like a phoenix from the ashes, we’d rather just sweep the remains and prepare for next Sunday’s barbecue.

A second chance is something you should campaign for if any of these things have happened to you

- Lost a loved one over an argument

-Fallen out with friends because of one misunderstanding

-Been kicked out of a team because of one match you fouled up

-Earned a bad name because of that one thing you said

-Been put down, and unfairly so, because of that one stand you took

- Been asked to go home even before the show began

Chances are,all of these things have happened to you.

Second chances!

For sequels are almost always good*.

*The almost in the above sentence was inspired by a particularly melancholic afternoon spent trying to watch Superman IV.

Ps-I’d almost decided to write an entry on why people always insist on hanging out at food joints, for this month’s theme of Straight From the Gut. 

Why must one always end a  fun day out or a group outing, with a completely unnecessary sojourn to a coffee shop or a la dee dah lounge/bakery/local chaat wala’s ?

I didn’t think the Editor would run it though.

Cheerio!

Khaana Khazana

by Surya Tej Borra

Remember the last time you had some really sumptuous food? Your mind rewinds to your Uncle’s daughter’s wedding or the outing to Chutneys or the last reunion at City Gate. Vacations are around the corner and most of us will be going to different parts of our country to complete Practice School-I. LTGTR brings to you the different cuisines from across the country to make your stay there more memorable and enjoyable!

Now what is so special about the Indian food which makes it very different from other cuisines around the world? Spices!! The spice and life in the Indian food is something to die for! Spices are inseparable from our cuisine and an indispensable part too! Haldi, Garam Masala, Mirchi, Methi, Adrak….Wow, my mouth is watering already! India is a diverse country with many regional cultures with each region having its own food habits. The differences may arise due to local customs, geographical location and economics. Indian cuisine is also seasonal with priority placed on the use of fresh produce.

ANDHRA PRADESH

It is an amalgamation of Deccan and Telugu recipes and the coastlines treat you with the best sea food such as Chepala Pulusu (sambar with fish pieces) and Royyala Vepudu (fried fish curry) Andhra Pradesh is known for its usage of chilies and lemon juice in cooking. Pickles such as Avakaya (green mango) and Gongura Pachadi are simply awesome. The breakfast special includes Pesarattu Upma which is a combination of roasted dosa and upma which is served with ginger chutney and loads of ghee. A large variety of non-vegetarian dishes are also at your service like Natikodi Vepudu (fried chicken, Andhra Style) and Gongura Mutton. You can’t miss the Kebabs and Biryani in Hyderabad. You should taste the Ragi Sankati and Natikodi Pulusu (a main course served along with porridge) if you’re around Rayalaseema. And do not forget to taste the sweets Kakinda Kaaja (a layered sweet of wheat and sugar) and Putharekulu.

PONDICHERRY

Known for its typical Indo-French style of cooking, Tandoori potato, baked beans, stuffed cabbage and Soya Dosa are some popular recipes here. 

TAMIL NADU

Idli, dosa, pongal, idhiyappam (noodles clustered like an idli) primarily form the breakfast menu of people here. The well-known Sambar (:P) adds the much needed ‘da’-flavour to it. And the Madras filter coffee is a perfect complement to it. We may have savoured coffee in Barista and CCD but the Madras Filter Coffee of the “Mamis” is amazing. Don’t forget the Chettinad style of dishes! The Dindigul-Parota and Thalapakattu Biryani comes with a special Kaaraikudi taste which constitutes the non-vegetarian palette here. 

KERALA

Coconut and coconut milk are extensively used in Keralite dishes. Backwaters and a long coastline make Kerala very famous for sea food. Unique delicacies such as Appam, Puttu, Avayal, Payasam, Padumbari and Pathiri are a must taste here. One is very sure of falling in love with coconuts after tasting it here in God’s own land!

KARNATAKA

It is a mix of Kerala, Tamil and Andhra cuisines. It is considerably influenced by Goan and Mahrashtran food as well. The famous Udipi cuisine here constitutes of Masala Dosa, Mysore Bonda, Maddur Vada ( Papad like vadas) and Rava Idli. The so called ‘bath’ culture is very famous here. Bath refers to a rice dish prepared along with a primary ingredient such as brinjal or tomato, examples being  Vangi bath (brinjal), Bisibele bath (rice and sambar together) and Khara bath (rice and mirchi) Sweets include Mysore Pak,  Kesari bath, Chiroti and Dharwad Pedha. 

PUNJAB

Food defines them. Usage of liberal amounts of cottage cheese, ghee, cream and butter is common here as it is tailor-made to suit their lifestyle. They toil all day in the fields after all! Dal Makhani is considered staple food here. There are certain dishes which are special to Punjab such as Mah ki Dal and Sarson da Saag. Tandoor is one of the specialties of Punjabi food. Most of popular Anglo-Indian dishes like pakoras, naan and vegetable dishes with paneer have their origin here. If you are in Punjab, you are assured of a heavenly boarding experience.

MAHARASHTRA

Maharastran diet basically consists of rice, wheat, jowar and vegetables. Kokum, a deep purple berry is widely used as an appetizer. The Vidarbha region here is famous for items like puranpoli, batata wada, ukdiche modak and sabudana khichdi (porridge of rice and dal). Coming to the hotspot Mumbai, it has more of a cosmopolitan menu with a huge Western impact. Urban delicacies such as Pav Bhaji, Vadapav, Ragada and Golgappa are an integral part of city lifestyle.

GOA

A happening place for tourists, Goan delicacies find their vegetarian fare influenced by Konkan recipes and non-vegetarian by Portuguese. Kingfish, Pomfret, mackerel, crabs, tiger prawns and lobsters are just a few names from the exhaustive menu of sea food you get here. After this meal, a cashew fenny or a beer can set things just right.

MADHYA PRADESH

Gwalior and Indore are known for milk-based dishes while Bhopal is known for meat-based dishes such as bafla, korma, keema (minced meat), biryani and kebabs. Another famous dish originated here in Malwa region - Poha (flattened rice) Laddus have their origin here.

HARYANA

Food in Haryana is devoid of added artificial flavors and preservatives. Because Haryana is rich in cattle population, milk products are extremely common. Kadhi Pakora, Besan Masala Roti, Bajra Aloo Roti,Churma, Kheer, Bathua Raita, Methi Gajar, Singri ki Sabzi and Tamatar Chutney are favourites here. All throughout Haryana, you will come across a number of Dhabas or roadside food stalls serving this typical fare. Lassi and Sherbat are the popular beverages.

UTTAR PRADESH

Uttar Pradesh has been greatly influenced by Mughlai cooking techniques which are famous in India and Pakistan. The Nawabi food in Lucknow is very famous for Dum Biryani, Galouti Kebab (roasted meat pieces) and other mutton dishes. The famous Indian breakfast item Puri, kheer, snacks such as samosa and pakora have their origin here. 

WEST BENGAL

The Bengali babus insist that a tour if India is incomplete without tasting their food which is a true combination of tastes and emotions of Eastern India. With an emphasis on fish and lentils served with rice as a staple diet, Bengali cuisine is known for its subtle flavours, its confectioneries and desserts, and has perhaps the only multi-course tradition from India that is analogous with French and Italian cuisine in structure. All the great sweets such as Rasagollah (small casein balls in sugar syrup), Rasmalai and Sandesh (fragile pieces of cheese kneaded with sugar) have their basIs here. The rest of eastern Indian cuisine is primarily non-vegetarian and has an intense tribal instinct.

This is the whole of India calling you to give it share of calories to make your summer a flavourful and delicious one. Go on, infuse life into your taste buds which lie comatose due to our lousy mess food. And most importantly do not forget to have a nice “PAAN” after your meal.

RAJASTHAN

Expect a ‘rich’ affair in this princely state as most of the preparations here are made out of  ghee and milk. Besan and gram flour are typical in Marwari food. The desert atmosphere here calls for food which can be preserved for long. The Rajasthani platter includes Daal-Baati, Tarfini, Raabdi, Bail-Gatte, Panchkoota, Chaavadi,  Laapsi, Kadhi, Boondi and snacks like Bikaneri Bhujia, Mirchi Bada and Pyaaj Kachori. 

GUJARAT

Gujarati cuisine is primarily vegetarian. It is distinctively sweet, salty and spicy at the same time. A special summer dish made of mangoes, Keri Nora, is an integral part of their meal. The steamed dhokla (steamed cubes of wheat), thepla, khakra, jilebi, kachori and undhiyu are some of its signature dishes.

Dramatis Persona - Calvin And Hobbes

By Sayonee Ghosh Roy

What can be so appealing about a six year old kid playing make-believe with his stuffed tiger? That he can put the best minds to shame! Calvin & Hobbes may be packaged as a comic strip but it is as good as lessons in heavy-duty philosophy. Bill Watterson, the cartoonist, attempts to portray the realities of life through his wisecracking, motor-mouth yet innocent creation. The backdrop and setup of the characters is incidentally inspired by former American president, Calvin Coolidge, who reportedly kept a tiger as a pet.

So Calvin is your quintessential troublesome six year old problem child – troubling his parents, disobeying his teachers, playing pranks on his classmates, but scratch the surface and you’ll find someone whose wisdom is well beyond his years. For Calvin is not the least bit like his peers, concerned only about Saturday morning cartoons (not that he isn’t as well!) or what’s for lunch.  The fact that he simulates approval ratings for his Dad’s performance as a parent along the lines of that of the American president, shows a thorough understanding of the political system. His non-conformist attitude at school is a clear indication that he’s not content with being just another brick in the wall. He’s not an atheist but rather conveniently manipulates the institution of faith in God (and Santa Claus) to suit his needs.

The most memorable of characters always come in pairs. There’s no Laurel without Hardy, no Tom without Jerry , no Thomson without Thompson and it goes without saying for Hobbes. He’s Calvin’s confidante, right-hand and best buddy but the relationship is symbiotic. Only with Calvin’s vivid imagination does Hobbes come alive. Many a time do you notice Hobbes to be a complete contrast to Calvin – opposing his radical views or reckless acts. This is not split personality, rather Hobbes is a projection of Calvin’s other side, his conscience. It also brings up a rather interesting point of self-existentialism. He knows that he doesn’t toe the line always and he has Hobbes chide him but if he plans to go ahead with it…well you can’t say he didn’t warn himself. But that doesn’t mean Hobbes is never a partner-in-crime, he’s a quite willing one at that. How hard can it be to change your own mind after all?

Coming now  to the people who influence his world – his parents, his teacher, his babysitter (Rosalyn) and his love-to-hate friend (Susie) No matter how much of a ruckus he creates, his Mom will still go running to him in the middle of the night when he calls for her and his Dad will always forgive him for his misdoings, instead of dragging him to see a shrink. No matter how much he spaces out in class or protests that answering 2+2 is against his religious beliefs, his teacher doesn’t see the need to give any other punishment except a reprimand and sometimes exasperation. 

No matter how difficult he makes it for her and even mistreats her, Rosalyn will never say no to baby-sitting him. No matter how much of a misogynist and chauvinist he parades himself to be, no matter how many snowballs he throws at her or tries to freak her out with gross descriptions of his lunch, Susie will never completely sever ties with him. Why? Because they all love him in their own way and recognize that he’s special, consciously or unconsciously.

Inspite of his extraordinary intellect, Calvin is still, on some level, just an ordinary kid. Even he has to deal with bullies like Moe or daydreams about being a cool superhero (Spaceman Spiff, Stupendous Man etc) He’s a representation of all what we endure at different stages of our life, it’s just that he never ages. Everything he does is straight from the gut. This kid’s really a genius one-man act. Giving a stuffed toy a mature personality of its own is beyond the capability and realms of an average Joe, let me tell you that! But he would be bereaved without his furry, feline friend. 

A common refrain of his is that reality continues to ruin his life and believe me, Calvin and Hobbes will be destroyed the day Calvin wakes up to the reality that Hobbes is nothing more that cloth and bits of fluff.

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Sayonee Ghosh Roy
I humbly profess to be spoilt, pampered brat with old-school upbringing. You could let me loose in a book-store and I'd never come out, except if you lure me out with coffee and Italian food.

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Idle Observer

 By Nishant Boorla


“After a royal wedding that captured the attention the world over and broke internet viewing records, a honeymoon is next for Prince William and his new wife, Catherine Middleton, right? WRONG! Well not immediately anyway.  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have opted to hold off on a honeymoon, instead choosing to have a private weekend to themselves in the United Kingdom in an unknown location - because Prince William has to return to work as a search and rescue pilot next week.” 

       His mission – Search and Rescue his manhood after that incredibly gay wedding!

     “Defiant Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi vowed on Saturday not to quit, but said he was ready for a “ceasefire and negotiations” as NATO bombed a key government complex in Tripoli.”   

Somebody tell him that’s not how it works! You don’t get to call ceasefire when you’re being attacked you moron! Did Jerry ever run up to Tom and say enough with the death-traps, I’m calling a ceasefire?!

    “A blonde was invited to the beatification ceremony of the late Pope John Paul II.” She promptly packed her make-up kit!

    “AIEEE question paper was leaked before the exam.” Students however, still struggling to solve the problems!

    “Facebook has been declared the most popular social network in India ahead of Orkut and Twitter, with over 25 million users.”

                 Still no match for the Swiss Bank which has over a hundred million Indian users!

Now moving over to commerce. Brands leave no stone unturned to accommodate a superstar for their ad campaigns. They even go so far as changing their marketing slogans, even their entire marketing campaign. Here’s a list of changed ad slogans that would be required to accommodate legitimate superstars.

Accenture

Previously: Accenture. Performance.Delivered

But then they felt they need Tiger Woods back to boost business. So they signed him with a slight modification to their slogan.

New slogan: Accenture. High Performance. Delivered. With a happy ending.

Nokia

 Previously: Connecting People.

But then they felt a joint deal with BSNL Cell One would attract more customers.

New Slogan: Connecting People. Sometimes.

  

 Nike

Previously: Just Do It!

Then Nike signed 85 year old Hugh Hefner and his 25 year old fiancé.

New Slogan: Please Don’t!

M&M’s

Previously: Melts in your mouth, not in your hands.

Then they decided to follow Accenture and sign Tiger Woods. For unknown reasons, they stuck to the old slogan.

Energizer Batteries

Previously: Nothing outlasts the Energizer. It keeps going and going and going.

Then they also signed Tiger Woods. You get the joke don’t you?

GEICO

Previously: So easy a caveman can do it.

Now they didn’t change their slogan,  but instead decided to search for a suitable brand ambassador. They received a call from Lasith Malinga!

Apple

Previously: Think outside of the box.

They signed Paris Hilton.

New Slogan: Think. Fine, at least try.

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Nishant Boorla
Sarcasm means the world to me. Yeah that's always a good place to start. I watch movies...a lot of movies! Sports nut and a die hard Manchester United fan. Highly opinionated and that shows in my articles.

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