Racer Aditya Patel talks to Richa Tilokani about the racing scene in India, his passions and his source of inspiration.

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As one of the top racers in the country, Aditya Patel is signed with Team Novadriver in the International GT Open 2014. Team Novadriver is a Portuguese-based team founded by Cesar Campanico in the year 2009 and was voted as the best customer racing team in 2012. Aditya hopes this association will help him to move ahead and achieve greater results as a driver. Aditya has also trained with the Audi Race experience in Germany in 2012-2013 and became the instructor of the Audi driving experience in India. In the same year, he was the winner of the 24 hrs. Nürburgring (SP 4T) in the Audi TTS. He is also the first Indian to win 4 podium finishes out of 6 races in the JK Racing Asia Series. No wonder then, he was voted the Indian Race Driver of the Year by the highly coveted Overdrive Magazine. Aditya was also the first Indian to be invited to test drive the Audi R8 LMS GT3 with the highly acclaimed Phoenix Racing in 2011. He also won the race at the VW Scirocco Cup at Oschersleben with podium finishes at Hockenheim and Nürburgring (Overall 5th) the same year. He initiated into European Racing with the VW Polo Cup in 2009 and became the instructor for the VW Polo Cup in India the subsequent year. His other achievements include winning the National Championship for the JK Tyre NRC – Formula Rolon 1600 for the Narain Karthikeyan Racing team in 2007 and also the National Championship of the Rotax-Max India Challenge (Go-Karting) in the same year. Read on as he shares tidbits about his exciting life. How did you start racing? As a child, I started with go-karting which was more of a weekend hobby. Soon I was taking part in small competitions and excelling. I realised I love racing and decided to pursue it seriously. Did you face opposition from your family for taking up an orthodox career? No, luckily for me my family has always been very supportive of my decision. It also helped that racing was my father’s hobby so he encouraged me whole heartedly. Who is your source of inspiration? My Father himself was a race driver and in my younger days, when I was just a spectator, I knew it was something I wanted to try my hand at when I was old enough. Hence, when the opportunity arose, I grabbed it! So yes, my father is my inspiration. What are your qualities that help you race better? Patience, I guess. How do you deal with pressure? A. Initially, it wasn’t easy but as years went by, I began to enjoy it a lot lot more. Once, you enjoy something, there’s no question of pressure! Yes, I do train mentally as well. This helps me keep calm during race situations. Tell us a little bit about your family. My dad is into automobiles and is in the service business. My mother is an interior designer and I have a younger brother who also raced for a few years and now works in Singapore. What do you think of the racing scene in India? For one, there’s plenty of interest among youngsters now. Over the last few years, we’ve seen plenty of new faces in the motor sport scene along with the entry of sponsors and manufacturers as well. Time will tell how far and fast we can progress. What are your hobbies? Well, Racing! Apart from that, I enjoy traveling, cycling and not doing much. Please share your fav books, movies and tv shows. Frankly, I don’t read many books. As far as movies and shows are concerned, there are many and for shows, Boston Legal, Suits and Modern Family top my list. Any message for the youngsters who look up to you. Drive responsibly and enjoy what you do!

Art is always fascinating. Shruthi Sudhakaran discovers 4 people behind some surreal art work and talks to them about their perception of art and much more.

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Arunkumar H.G.

Karnataka born Arunkumar H.G. completed his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Fine Art, specializing in sculpture, from the Faculty of Fine Arts, M.S. University of Baroda. 
His use of readymade objects such as toys, plastic, ceramics, cow dung, hay and TV monitors gives us a glimpse of his susceptibility towards the neo-pop movement. His toy-like, yet intricate sculptural works often convey a simple message. Sometimes, however, he switches the dynamics of this relationship, creating works that physically appear basic, but convey a complex message quite contrary to their appearance.

At a glance, the artist’s colourful imagery, illusive and sometimes even exotic, may confuse the viewer. But once the sources of his inspiration are revealed and understood, their multi-layered associations become clear. In his recent series of works, the artist seems simultaneously disturbed and amused by contemporary market forces, the acts of production and consumption, and the haphazard disposal of mass-produced goods.

Arunkumar H.G. lives and works in New Delhi. Some of his previous works include photographs, and inflatable sculptures made of canvas, latex, synthetic fur, rubber, foam and fiberglass.

How do you start making art? What is the process behind it?

I think, in most cases the process of art making is a result of an ongoing thought process. It is the same In my case as well, one is trying to give a sort of tangible shape to complex thoughts and ideas which may be better expressed this way. Over the time of practicing one develops a vocabulary of such shapes and signs to express better. I let the idea grow in my mind initially and slowly I try to translate the idea in to shapes and material carefully till I find it matching to my idea of the intuitive mind.

What is your perception of art?

Art is very powerful if it is seen in a context since its created with some background. An art object or art work should be able to communicate better on its own.

Is there an element of art you enjoy with the most >? Why?

Art stimulates mind in general, it is more important for people in creative field because its like exercise for the mind, Art triggers ideas. The more we see art and understand its making our art making skills get better.

What inspires you in making art? 

Primarily my inspiration comes from nature, secondly we people.

 Is there an artwork you are most proud of? Why so?

I take inspiration from many art forms, now I am more in to art which is called environmental art, mainly art is made to create environmental awareness.

What is your most important artist tool? Is there something you can’t live without?

A few years back it was the artist sketchbook, now it is replaced by the camera which has become very important for artists and many others.
 How do you know when a work is finished?

While making art, you reach to a stage where little addition or a subtraction can take away from that completeness, so, we stop.

What is the mail challenge you face when beginning a work of art?

In general while making art we have to consider the size of the art and space where its going to go once it is complete, it’s the challenge we face even before the idea is being conceived.

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Vasudha Thozhur

Vasudha Thozhur is a painter who lives and works in Noida. She was born in Mysore and was educated at the College of Arts and Crafts, Madras. She also specialized at the School of Art and Design, Croydon, UK before working in Madras for several years from 1981 – 1997.

In her works, Thozhur shifts effortlessly between the use of water colours, oils and the digital medium, also employing the technique of collage. Her’s in an open-ended narrative – a private language of forms and symbols – which makes oblique reference to her own life experience, while also leaving space for the viewer to engage their own readings and reflections. Herprimary concerns in her works are those that pertain to the eternal aspect of human existence which she rhetorically conveys through the mundane objects that surrounds us in our daily rites of passage. In a reflective summing up of her artistic practice she states, “If song could be conceived of as the penetration of the tongue into the orifice of the ear, painting is the thrust and imprint of body upon body, in encounters of varying intensity and duration.”

Apart from this, she was actively involved in lectures and workshops as a visiting faculty at MSU, Baroda, NID in Ahmedabad, and IICD, Jaipur. A grant from the India Foundation for the Arts, Bangalore, supported a research project, ‘The Himmat Workshops’, that looked at ways of rooting art practice in ground realities as experienced in India. She presently serves as Associate Professor at the Department of Art, Design and Theatre of Shiv Nadar University.

How do you start making art? What is the process behind it?

As a student, it begins with the acquisition of visual and tactile skills on the one hand, and experimentation/play on the other. A fusion of the two creates language, which can then be used to express or interpret the world and the experiences that it engenders.

What is your perception of art?

I see it as situated on the outermost threshold of human evolution, with a power of prophecy that can point the way to a sustainable future. I see it as directly opposed to mindless violence and loss of humanity.

Is there an element of art you enjoy with the most ? Why?

The quality of time and concentration that it creates; the reflection and self-knowledge that returns to the individual an agency that is in danger of being consumed by systems of different kinds.

What inspires you in making art? 

It’s the other way round – art provides inspiration and makes life worth living.  It is a source of emotional strength, which can see us through the worst of times. And, most important, it is about world-making.

Is there an artwork you are most proud of? why so?

I think there is a moment in the making of every artwork that one is proud of. It happens at the point where you are in despair, and think you have lost it – and through an exertion of will that is hard to describe, you retrieve the irretrievable and come out shining.

What is your most important artist tool? Is there something you can’t live without?

My stapler-gun, hammer, scissors, palette knife, filbert-tip brushes  – and that is not a complete list. It cannot be a single tool, it’s a medley!!

How do you know when a work is finished?

When the greatest resistance is overcome, and a sense of peace and finishing returns.

What is the main challenge you face when beginning a work of art?

Again, every artwork is a challenge. It’s a question of allowing it to lead you, as much as giving it a direction, and there is always a sense of risk.  It is about acknowledging a voice, a life and an autonomy in keeping with form and what goes into making it.

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Rekha Roddwittiya

Bangalore born Rekha Rodwittiya specialized in painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Baroda and completed her M.A. in painting with an Inlaks Scholarship from the Royal College of Art, London. Her first solo show in 1982 in Baroda was followed by nineteen solo shows in New Delhi, Mumbai, Madras, Stockholm, Bangalore and Kolkatta.

Over the years, she has established a strong, politically vigilant feminist practice that sanctioned her representation of the female figure in a non-voyeuristic manner. The female figures in her work from the 1980s and early 1990s were often tormented and anguished, negotiating antagonistic surroundings. In her more recent works, however, she celebrates the female form by presenting it in domestic, intimate situations, very often omitting masculine figures and almost always soaked in bright, bold tones of red. Rodwittiya’s sensitivity as an artist is apparent as she draws from personal beliefs, values, thoughts and emotions of her own past experiences to portray the complexities of life that emphasize issues of love, life, alienation, discrimination and acceptance. It is her belief that life and art are inseparable and notes, “I go through all the terror and agony of stepping into an.’unknown’.”

She has travelled widely and lectured on contemporary Indian art for several fellowships and artist residencies in Sweden, France, the United States and the U.K. In 1988-89 she was invited as guest artist to the Konsthogskolan, Stockholm and was also invited to deliver series of lectures on Indian Art at the Ecole des Beaux Arts Grenoble and Castello de Rivoli, Torino, Italy in 1991. She has also written extensively on contemporary art. Her works are in a number of private and public collections in India, U.K., U.S.A., Brazil, Italy, West Germany, Switzerland, Sweden and the Netherlands.
Rodwittiya lives and works in Baroda.

How do you start making a work of art? What is the process behind it?

As a painter I work long hours in my studio with disciplined regularity. Painting is where everything I know gets clarified and where doubts are battled and where failure does not defeat me. When I paint I feel I know myself best. I find myself observing things minutely at all times. I think this stems from the fact that I do not sketch, so instead, I draw inside my head. I carry these tracings of memory and they accumulate to become my database of reference for an understanding of structure and form, when I paint.

I have often described the territory of my ideas as being like a small garden patch, much loved and faithfully nurtured. This is because I hold a consistent desire to examine the feminine space of survival, the spirit of endurance and the empowerment of pride and self dignity that centuries of feminist oral histories are infused by; and which cast their shadows for me to find my resting space within. The ideas of my art originate from these preoccupations.

My library is a space of mediation and so before I start a new work, it is a common practice for me to spend time with favorite books that awaken my sensibilities, and purge my mind of its stiltedness. Conceiving an idea that gets elaborated via visual articulation does not formulate itself without the symbiosis of both the heart and mind being in tandem. The content of each work is pronounced through a visual vocabulary that is continuously informed and aided by the concerns that provoke an idea. Preparation for a work is processed directly in my head and I sort through numerous permutations of a single idea before settling on one that I believe holds the expansiveness of my intention. The process of elaboration to it continues once I define what it is I desire to evoke, what is the territory of the idea and how direct or subverted do I chose the meaning to be.

I view the making of art as a process of transmutations. It is in the act of making the work where translations and transpositions trace the outer world to the inner consciousness and vice versa,thereby making an elaborate tapestry of contextualized belonging. It is a space where the recognizable alters to become the receptacle of new meanings, and where human experience then becomes the bridge of empathy that allows the viewer to find their connectivity. The imagery that I create finally becomes a personalized visual lexicon, invested with specific symbology, that over time maps the preoccupations that reflect the ideological premises I am engaged with.

What is your perception of art?

As an artist the most liberating lesson learnt is that one’s own sense of belonging is held in multiple histories that form the stories of the world. The world that we place ourselves central to becomes a tapestry patterned by incidents and histories that demand our participation willingly or otherwise. As artists we often become the chroniclers of larger narratives that hold both the particularity of our lives as well as a wider world of information.

Is there an element of art you enjoy the most? Why?

My works celebrate the ideals of womanhood and explore the multiple avatars that a positioned stance of female empowerment embraces. Though gender equality is far from the norm as a reality of this nation, there are nonetheless a multitude of voices that stridently call to attention the need to dispel the bigoted stereotype of gender bias, and seek to accommodate the changes that we know to be possible and real. It is to such collective concerns that I reaffirm my allegiance and remain proud to call myself a feminist.

I continually search to remain alert and to provoke myself to re-asses my personal politics because without this exercise of introspection, I believe my art that would be merely vacuous and absent of credible content. Meaningful art is possible only when we understand what our own philosophical positions need to be, and when we can assume the maturity of the stance of resistance to cultural appropriations and stereotypes.

What inspires you in making a work of art? 

The privilege of birth and the gift of education impacted itself upon me from a very young age. A much desired girl-child I have carried the legacies of a female history with a conscious alertness. It has led me very early in my personal journey to a space of belonging that formulated both my ideology and the spirit of the deliverance of my energies.

For those who are familiar with my life, my second skin is one of feminist lineage and the ideals of humanist concerns; and I attempt to live in the framework of these negotiations each day. In turn this flows as a natural order by which I relate, perceive and respond to all things that are articulated through my visual language.

Is there an artwork you are most proud of? Why so?

My most recent works that  deal with personal archival photo imagery and personal oral histories is what I am currently engaged with. As a visual artist the challenge lies in conjuring afresh and investing each work with credibility and contextualised meaning. What must also be remembered is that art is a space that strategizes arguments, problematizes as a method of introspection, is confrontational, is often used as a subversive tool, and is not a space that is designed to entertain the consent of another to validate its existence. This is what independent authorship and artistic autonomy must mean within a democratic space of a secular nation. It is this autonoumos space that I guard most zealously and what I am most proud of as an artist.

What is your most important artist tool? Is there something you can’t live without?

I value all the many implements, collected over a period of time that I have in my studio. Some date back to my college days and many have been picked up on my travels or gifted to me by loved ones. I am fastidious about how I keep my art materials and tools.

How do you know when a work is finished?

Years of experience offer one the ability to know what one is desiring when crafting ones visual articulation. This and the cultivation of a critical space of reflectiveness provides the parameters of making this judgment for oneself.

What is the main challenge you face when beginning a work of art?

The configuration of an imaginative play with forms is often arrived at from what we desire to evoke through them. Sometimes what apparently appears as simple may hold inferences that require to be deciphered with more insightfulness. What I desire above all else is in fact the deliverance of my own honesty to myself.  Where my art and my life are seamed together and hold the image of representation uncompromised and unfettered. My art exits finally severed from the umbilical cord that initially defines its articulation; to be then placed in a space of interpretation and discourse, unmonitored by my protection.  It must hold the credibility that molded it, if it is not to be felled into wasteful oblivion.  I can exert no control over any external forces that act upon my work, but what I can do is remain accountable to myself at all times.

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Gigi Scaria

Born in Kothanalloor, Kerala, Gigi Scaria completed his Bachelor’s degree in painting from the College of Fine Arts, Thiruvananthapuram and his Master’s degree in the same from Jamia Millia University, New Delhi.

Scaria’s work explores the impact of the recent growth boom in our modern-day cities. Through his diverse media of expression, which include painting, sculpture, photographs, and video works, he creates absurdist environments of the future, challenging the human psyche and its relationship with modern progress.

He constructs imaginary architectures, draws maps calling for the reorganization of cities, and conjures surreal landscapes and humor ridden scenarios where people are trapped inside or excluded from these fascinating interpretations of our possible future.

His works also often strongly reverberate with the issue of non-belonging and unsettlement. Scaria was amongst the 4 artists/artist groups included in the first-ever National Pavilion for India in the 54^th Venice Biennale in 2011. Prior to that, his work was part of important exhibitions such as the 3rd Singapore Biennale ‘Finding India,’ at the Museum of contemporary art (MOCA) Taipei; ‘SAMTIDIGT Indian contemporary art exhibition,’ at the Helsinki City Art Museum, Helsinki and ‘West Havens: Place time play: India – China Contemporary Art,’ at Shanghai.

Scaria now lives and works out of New Delhi.

How do you start making art? What is the process behind it?

I am a trained artist, have been working in the field for 18 – 20 years. In terms of different ideas , one would think about , there are certain things which we work, or would like to use to express to cover our ideas, In my case I have been working on cityscapes, architecture, and all related to open spaces, that is my forte, there are ideas which comes within that short span, widespread urbanism for city, or architecture, when it comes suddenly sometimes something clicks, it actually over a period of times you process of time, then you choose a medium and then it shows how you work. Then it comes as a whole artwork.

 What is your perception of art?

Art has two sides. One is the personal aspect of an individual expression. The second is social, political and timely relevant. So according to me, it’s always two ways. If you have something to convey or clarify yourself and express it to people, so it’s not always self expression. You have to connect to other social beings. That is the other side of it, hence the combination of both sides.

Is there an element of art you enjoy with the most >? Why?

I enjoy all my medium of works. I give equal importance to all my art mediums though I enjoy film-making a lot.

What inspires you in making art? 

Many things. In my case all these thoughts, an idea or a book which I see. Connect with the meaningful translatuion of that into a piece of art . There are many things. Nothing in particular to say It is a combination of many things. In the direction of something new, something different and something out of the box.

 Is there an artwork you are most proud of? Why so?

Couple of works I would say. My Trojan horse installation. 3D installation elevator called elevator of the subcontinent installed at venice biennale.

 What is your most important artist tool? Is there something you can’t live without?

I obviously would say my 5D Mark 2 camera because it contributes a lot to my work

 How do you know when a work is finished?

That is connection with when you think you have commented enough, when an idea comes and when you actually do the work and you keep redo in it. And make other version and communicate what really wanna communicate that’s where you should stop

 What is the mail challenge you face when beginning a work of art?

Challenge lies in many things, the physical aspect of constructing something, making something, shooting something and also how to communicate with particular theme. Is it creative? You create something, if someone interpret or understands it, the way you’re thinking about it, then it is challenge. When you actually communicate the way you want and it reaches the audience in the right way the effort that goes into that and what you’re trying to show is the challenge. If others are getting what you want to portray your somewhat successful

A business degree and love for fashion led Anushree Reddy to creating clothes with no formal training whatsoever. Minal Khona talks to the eclectic designer who recently showcased her collection” The Tantrum Bride” at LIFW this year.

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Anushree Reddy wasn’t the quintessential fashion designer who came from the same school of thought as others. Armed with some chutzpah, grit and determination, this designer with no degree or diploma in fashion is a now a name to reckon with in Hyderabad. She recalls her initial years in this field. “I had no assistants and I did everything myself. From the sketches to sourcing the raw material like fabric, hooks, buttons, embellishments etc., I learnt every aspect of making a stylish garment.” That initial leg work has helped immensely as Anushree has expanded her business but knows what it takes to make a good outfit.

She was lucky to receive appreciation which converted to sales too. Her forte has been from the beginning, bridal wear and garments associated with a wedding. And Hyderabad, with its big, fat, opulent weddings was fertile ground for Anushree. “I design only Indian garments and besides the bridal outfit, I like creating clothes that can be worn by the bride’s sister and friends. I use a lot of net fabric, chiffon, silks etc. I have even used 15 metres of fabric for the ghera of a ghagra,” she reveals.

Anarkali kurtas with uneven hems, lehenga cholis, and surface embellishment are a hallmark of her designs. Her preferred colours are reds, rose pink, turmeric yellow, emerald green, gold, silver, dull copper and gold, etc. She doesn’t use black at all as it is hard to sell and most people don’t wear black at weddings or associated functions. She also makes sarees with embellished borders and lehenga sarees which are like wraparound garments without the fuss.

As for trends in bridal wear, this designer believes that other than a few cuts and colours that might rule for a season, it is hard to set a trend. “There are so many options and because a wedding is such a personal thing, I prefer to go with the client’s requirements and taste rather than something that is trendy but unsuitable for what my client wants.”

She does offer tips however to look good at all times. “A good pair of stilettos and a classy gold bag can see you through most wedding functions. Posture makes a big difference to how you carry yourself and if you are comfortable in what you are wearing and are able to carry it off well, everything looks better automatically.”

Given her passion for her work, and her focused approach of making only ethnic wear, one is sure that Anushree will be a front runner in the business for a long time.

It’s been a long and arduous journey for Rajiv Chilaka, the founder of Green Gold Animation, who is better known as the creator of Chhota Bheem. He talks to Minal Khona about his creation, future plans and why the brave nine-year-old will always be special

Entering the Green Gold office leaves you in no doubt about where you are. A 3-feet tall Bheem stands at the door, grinning, and the lobby is full of his pals from the very popular series, “Chhota Bheem”. Comics with the lovable character and posters of other creations adorn the walls and the place bears no resemblance whatsoever to Dholakpur, the fictional village where Bheem lives. “Children are usually very disappointed when they come here,” Rajiv laughs when I ask him about it. “They expect to see Dholakpur when you tell them this is where Bheem is created.”

The story of Rajiv Chilaka, a software engineer-turned-animator, is unusual to say the least. Time spent in a library in the US got him reading up on Walt Disney, which stoked a long-standing passion for cartoons and animation. He saved up some money, did a course in animation and returned to India with one single aim: To set up an animation company in India on par with the ones in the West. He says, “I wanted to give Indian kids content that was truly Indian. I believe that with any industry, if there is no local consumption within the country it is made in, the industry will perish. In the year 2001, India was at a critical juncture and I believed I had the qualities to lead a company that produces quality animated content.”

After ten long years which included several setbacks like the office building catching fire; lukewarm reactions to Rajiv’s first creation Bongo, an alien; serials like Krishna and Balaram, and Vikram Betaal which received good ratings but failed to take off; it was Chhota Bheem to the rescue. Rajiv recalls, “Our products were good but somewhere our business model didn’t work. Our costs had to be spread out over a larger amount of content. That happened with Chhota Bheem and it was a hit from the start.”

The USP of Chhota Bheem is that he is completely Indian. The laddoo loving boy is brave, plays fair and is in Rajiv’s words, “an ideal child”. “Every little boy wanted to be like Chhota Bheem. I was very clear that my characters were not going to ape the West or try to impress Westerners. The market needed content like ours and the timing was right. Parents loved it and children adored him.”

While the series has gained popularity across countries like Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Indonesia and there are enquiries coming in from North America as well, the original creations have been retained. The only tweaking done, says Rajiv, was reducing the violence, which was making children aggressive, according to parents’ complaints. “Even then, in ten minutes of programming we had about three minutes of fighting scenes but we toned them down,” says Rajiv. He adds, “Just like Bollywood films used to have the hero as an ideal man, children aspire to be Bheem. They don’t understand shades of grey in a character; it has to be black or white.”

Does that mean all the characters are good guys in Chhota Bheem’s coterie? Rajiv replies, “No, but I made it a point to create characters that children can relate to. Every class will have one bully and Kalia is that bully on the serial. He is not a bad guy, he is just jealous of Chhota Bheem. His followers, Dholu and Bholu don’t openly say they like Chhota Bheem but they do. That usually happens with kids at school where some get bullied into doing what one guy does even if they don’t always want to.”

Given that the characters are so easily relatable, where did Rajiv look for inspiration? Did he go down memory lane and delve into his own childhood? He says, “Actually, yes. As a child I was like Raju but Chhota Bheem is the kind of boy I wanted to be. Also, the twins Dholu and Bholu – I had these two friends who were cousins – they were really thin and lean and would get beaten up during fights. But that never deterred them from getting into a fight, they were fearless. I created the twins based on them. Chutki has a little bit of my older sister in her and since it was animation, I wanted a pet that would be different. So I created Jaggu the talking monkey.”

So while Chhota Bheem goes about solving people’s problems, he remains quintessentially a laddoo loving, intelligent kid who likes to have fun too. What is it with the laddoos I ask. Rajiv says, “Because I wanted Chhota Bheem to be a good example for kids to follow, I gave him traits that are completely Indian. Laddoos come in various forms and most of them can be quite healthy. A mother can even make a laddoo out of dal and rice to convince a child to eat it. So I brought in this element.”

Children of course get very involved with the series and the stories therein. At an event, even Rajiv was flummoxed with the questions some of the kids asked. He recalls with a smile, “A couple of girls once asked me, ‘Who will Chhota Bheem marry – Princess Indumati or Chutki?’ I didn’t know what to say so I made up some remark about friendship being more important than love. Another set of questions I get asked a lot is ‘Where is Dholakpur? Is there an airport? How does one go there? Is it in North or South India?’ I have tried to give Chhota Bheem a pan-India appeal which is why Dholakpur could be anywhere.”

The reason for Chhota Bheem’s popularity besides the obvious one – boys and girls loving him – is that parents approve of the moral values and ideals that the series tries to inculcate through the characters. Rajiv is involved to this day with the script. “Earlier I would write it like a narrative story and my script writers would work on it. Now that other aspects of the business take up my time, I give them a basic story line and they develop it. All credit goes to them.”

The business is now making a profit after years of being in the red and needless to say, there are offers of investments and takeovers. Rajiv reiterates, “Yes, there are offers but I resist and always say no. At this point in time, I am enjoying what I do and I don’t want to give up that independence.” It is the same reason why he doesn’t want to go public just yet. “Then it becomes a rat race where you only focus on the figures and that is not something I want right now.”

Luckily for Rajiv, the merchandise segment of the business is doing very well with the toys, the comics, the tees etc. Any plans of having a Chhota Bheem theme park, I ask. He says, “Yes eventually. Getting the land is easy, it is the technological challenges that are many and difficult. I would like to develop some more characters before I think of doing it.”

The businessman in Rajiv continues to be inspired by Walt Disney. “If I achieve ten per cent of what Walt Disney achieved, I would consider myself a success. He has given a clear road map and I am following that map. But getting to the level of Pixar or Disney is still a long way off,” he admits.

Parental and sibling support, a wife who brought luck and fatherhood which has forced Rajiv to strike a work-life balance and made him more focussed. But the ambition to create a legacy and take Green Gold to the next level remains. On the anvil are plans to make a 3D movie with Chhota Bheem, create more characters and perhaps tie up with health food manufacturers for healthy drinks and snacks for children. More attention to games and apps for this tech-savvy generation are also on the agenda. Collaborations for Green Gold franchises, partnering with the right NGOs for CSR projects and expansion plans are all part of the growth plan.

But behind all the expansion and the adulation, what remains the moving force according to Rajiv is Chhota Bheem himself. He says, “Chhota Bheem is very close to my heart. To me he is real, I feel like he is my own son. And I thank him for all my success.” Tall achievement that, for a nine-year-old animated boy.

Having recently returned to Bangalore from the Mrs. Universe 2014 pageant held at Kuala Lumpur, Sandhya Aiyer Oza bagged the title of Mrs. Photogenic there. This 40-year-old mother of two juggles her time between the high-fashion world of modelling and motherhood.

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In the early 90s, when not too many girls were trying their hand at modelling, Sandhya was picked from her college in Trivandrum for a fashion show, as she was one of the few slim and tall girls sighted there. From there she began her foray into the world of modelling and did several ramp shows in Kerala.

“A few years later my family moved to Bangalore and I began working with choreographers like Michael Vasant and Salim Sait,” explains Sandhya. She even did a few advertising campaigns for ethnic-wear brands like Shantala Silks and Jain Brothers, a jewellery company.

“In 2000 I got married and moved to London. I did some ramp work there too; along with several charity fashion shows for the Indian community. Upon my return to India I took to modelling here again and have done some campaigns for Hiya (weaves), a jewellery brand called Paarisha, local newspaper Vijaya Karnataka and some others. I was also the show stopper at the Madras Fashion Week held in August this year,” she tells.

Unlike other models, Sandhya is also an entrepreneur and manages two successful business ventures. “I am a certified image consultant and have my own company called Dressmart by Sandhya Oza. I also run Curry Classes, a cooking class meant for expats that I started in order to break the myth most foreigners hold towards Indian cooking,” she explains. Though her classes this enterprising lady tries to educate people on the health benefits of Indian cooking and how Indian cooking techniques can be simplified.

Her advise to aspiring models – eat right! Yes, Sandhya is not a fan of diets and believes that anything consumed in moderation helps keep the body fit and healthy. She also stresses on the importance of posture and how it is important for those keen on modelling to never slouch and stand tall. Taking good care of one’s hair and skin are also mandatory, she says.

Vinita Nayar

Theatre in India has grown by leaps and bounds, especially over the last ten-fifteen years. Nevertheless, most theatre enthusiasts still hesitate to take it up as a profession, because they find it financially unviable. Nevertheless, these lovers of stage still act, direct, work backstage etc, to be in touch with something that resonates with them. Here we feature four theatre personalities from Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore who are passionate about theatre and have had the courage to pursue it as a career in spite of all the challenges they encounter…

Lekha Naidu

Bengaluru

Bangalore-based Lekha Naidu’s love affair with theatre began in 2006 during a workshop in college conducted by Bangalore based actor-writer-director, Vinod Ravindran. The workshop culminated in Lekha acting in Act III of Lorca’sBlood Wedding for the Ranga Shankara Festival as a platform performance. She reminisces, “That remains a great first memory of theatre for me.”

The theatre scene in Bangalore is burgeoning with more and more youngsters being attracted to the stage. But is theatre a viable profession? Do people opt for it as a full-time profession, as opposed to a part-time hobby? Lekha believes, “We are at the cusp of change and theatre is definitely being accepted by ‘the elders’ as a profession, albeit excruciatingly slowly, one indifferent grandparent at a time.” And to buttress her point, she adds, “The number of IT professionals giving up their ‘real jobs’ to take up theatre should be a fair but uncommon testimony.”

However, she observes, “People are finding ways of making theatre more and more viable but purely performances, in my experience, can’t keep one afloat. One does work connected to the skills one has acquired through theatre or things connected to what one really wants to do.” Lekha has chosen to work with children; she says, “I do workshops, work with art administration, photography, film and almost anything that’s related to performance and expression and that interests me. I freelance within the arts community and that seems to suit my temperament. Fortunately I’m able to get by lately. Having understanding and generous parents doesn’t hurt at all!” At 27, this young lady has packed in quite a bit!

While theatre may never draw crowds like popular cinema, Lekha believes that prospects for theatre in Bangalore are shifting – and for the better, “The scene is definitely changing. In Bangalore there seem to be newer and newer audiences with every show. That doesn’t necessarily mean a regular audience, what one would snootily call a ‘theatre educated audience’. Theatre still has to compete with films making crores by the hour and television’s no-brainer comfort and on top of that seem worth braving the traffic. But there is immense potential and hope. There definitely is more awareness and people seem to open up more readily now.”

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So what challenges does she face in her pursuit of theatre? Says Lekha, “Apart from the initial resistance from my parents and just finding work to do, my lack of training I think is the biggest challenge for me. I more or less learned on the job, like a sizable number of the community here. Me not being rooted in any one tradition, either dance/movement or music or having any sort of formal training in any form of theatre bothers me. I think it has turned me into a hungry sponge, absorbing and consuming anything and everything.”

And that is what will keep her going in pursuing her passion. She recently debuted as a director and directed the controversial Vagina Monologues in February. She concludes saying, “In terms of work, I see great new work happening all the time around me, especially in the last couple of years. There are braver, newer choices being made and risks being taken. It is a good space to be in.”

Michael Muthu

Chennai

Michael Muthu is quite the veteran in Chennai theatre circles, and began acting when he was in Class 5. However, it was with Loyola Theatre Society’s Black Comedy in 1988 that Mike, as he is known, discovered that theatre was a passion for him, something he wanted to follow as a career. This at a time when theatre was most certainly not a profession that one aspired for!

Mike decided that apart from acting, he loved directing too and started his own theatre company – Boardwalkers. He says, “I just wanted to do theatre my way. In those days there was only one other theatre group and to do plays that appealed to you was practically impossible unless you started your own theatre company and did them yourself. I was already directing my own plays in the late 80’s for the Loyola Theatre Society and so I knew how to run a theatre company. When I got out of college, the first thing I did was to start Boardwalkers. It was completely worth it – it’s now almost 25 years later and I have absolutely no regrets…”

The actor- director gushes, “I love theatre because it is live – spontaneous – and the response is instant.  As an actor I loved the fact that I could become somebody else – say lines I would never say in real life, talk in a certain way. walk in a certain way, feel a certain way. To feel jealously, anger, sadness, joy, love, lust, rage, weakness, uncertainty, strength – to really feel them – I love that…the freedom to be someone else.”

But his passion doesn’t stop at acting; directing gives him a high too. “As a director I love the challenge – and the process of creation – the breaking down and the reassembling of the entire script. I like directing because as a director I am in control of how the production looks, sounds, and most importantly, ‘feels’.”

Nevertheless, theatre comes with its own challenges. Mike says, “The challenges remain the same – it’s always the money – there just isn’t enough. Sponsors always seem to dry up; we have to keep thinking of new ways to attract the sponsors and the audiences. It is always an uphill task but somehow we manage – I don’t know how – but we do. It really is a miracle and we have managed an average of almost four productions a year.”

But what is heartening for him is that there has been a perceptible change over the years. From when he started in theatre, when there was only one theatre group in the city, today there are around 40, which he says is ‘pretty cool’. He observes, “The audiences also have improved – with more people taking to theatre as a source of regular entertainment.”

Mike signs off on a positive note. “Indian English theatre in India, I feel, has a bright and promising future. India has one of the biggest English speaking populations in the world – there are new scriptwriters emerging along with trained actors, directors and technicians – with better scripts, better actors and better performances – things are definitely going to get better. And all this should logically lead to larger audiences, bigger budgets and better pay for actors and crew. A viable profession? Definitely; in about 10 to 15 years, it will happen.”

Karthik Kumar

Chennai

Theatre began to exert its charms on Karthik Kumar after he left school. The actor-director from Chennai recalls, “It’s been a journey that started for me in 1995, when after passing out of school I took very seriously the nascent curiosity of what a life in theatre would be like. Through my graduation and post graduation, what stayed constant was my love and perseverance in doing more and more theatre, as an actor, director, producer, stage manager and technical person as well.” He is also cofounder of the theatre group Evam along with Sunil Vishnu.

Karthik waxes eloquent when he talks about his passion and what drew him to it. He philosophically muses, “Isn’t it fascinating that something can be created by people coming together over an idea, and shared with people in the need of absorbing that idea, and then reaching resonance in a way that cannot be recreated unless re-performed, while leaving all people involved mildly changed forever. Unique and magical, like most fairy tales sound. But this one is true!” He adds, “That’s what drew me to it, and keeps me with it!”

So what prompted him to start a theatre group? “The prompt was that there was a huge lacuna in the space of entrepreneurship in the arts – too many people were easily satisfied with too little. Mining the arts meant panning for gold, with a long term unshakeable belief in striking gold – and that is exactly what the arts needed.” Today, Karthik has no regrets and is happy about Evam’s progress. “The journey has been magical – one that I could only have imagined- and many people (erroneously) think we did imagine it. Was it worth it?” He answers with an enigmatic smile!

And as always, money is an issue. He says, “The challenge always is to be self funded and self sustaining, and it’s a fair and healthy challenge to handle. Remaining viable is the greatest gift we can give to the arts, because art should never have to be mandated by external funding alone – in which case all art will become commercial and commercial alone. The arts should always strive to earn its own value through its interaction with society, and seek to be self sustaining. That is always the greatest challenge and one that can be won.”

Wearing the hats of both actor and director, Karthik nevertheless prefers directing. He reasons, “Direction is the more powerful space – although the joy as an actor is more immediate. The director’s joy is like that of a farmer – seasonal, long awaited, hard earned and sometimes least appreciated, and most often personal.” He continues in his philosophical tone, lacing it with humour, “I think the most dramatic role I have played is off the stage – donning multiple hats in the field of the performing arts. Sometimes entrepreneur; sometimes artivist; sometimes desperate cause flag bearer, and always an optimist. Quite an exacting role, I’d say!”

When we ask him whether theater is a feasible profession, he says, “Ten years ago this would have been a point of conjecture.” Today Evam employs 14 full time associates in three cities, and two countries. After dishing out the statistics, he asks us, “This question has been answered by fact, don’t you think?” Well…yes, we guess so!

Vaishali Bisht

Hyderabad

Vaishali Bisht from Hyderabad felt the call of stage when she was nine-ten years old and decided then that this was what she wanted to do in life. She threw herself into theatre and tells us that she has ‘participated in all things dramatic since then’. She pursued her passion seriously, heading to the UK to study the subject. She graduated in 1996 with a BA (Hons.) in Theatre and Drama Studies from the University of Kent at Canterbury, England and returned to Hyderabad in 1997. She has been practicing theatre professionally since then.

She says, “The opportunity to explore various lives from an insider’s perspective is what drew me to theatre – every role, every play creates a world, so that in effect, one is living many lifetimes and experiences that otherwise one may not have occasion to inhabit. The theatre is a uniquely luminal space that allows one to playfully engage with questions of existence and the meaning and meaninglessness of life!”

Vaishali has donned the hats of both actor and director but connecting with an audience via acting is her preference.  She explains, “Having directed before, I prefer acting since theatre is largely an actor’s medium and the directors I have worked with like Faraz Khan, Vinay Varma etc., have been extremely collaborative in their approaches to the work thus giving me great freedom to play.”

Talking about the theatre scene in Hyderabad, she says, “In the context of Hyderabad as a city, theatre has certainly grown as spaces like Lamakaan foster experimental work and audiences are exposed to new and exciting productions.  The appreciation has grown but sadly the money for productions remains limited and hard to come by. Nationally, it is great to see the theatre community engaged in professionalising and collaborating as this has resulted in an environment more supportive to the growth of theatre.”

Having pursued theatre as a profession herself, she believes it is a viable option. But she elaborates, “Theatre can be a profession in India, but only if the theatre professional is as creative in earning a living as they are theatrically!” For all aspiring theatre enthusiasts, this is her advice: “You are required to be open to various roles, jobs etc. (workshops, scripting etc.) all in the general playground of theatre if you want to sustain yourself solely with theatre.”

We ask her what her favourite role has been. “I am extremely selective as an actor,” she responds. “So all the roles that I have performed have been ones I have enjoyed for a variety of reasons: either the text, or the director/ensemble, or the process of rehearsal and discovery. Hence I don’t have one favourite role,” she smiles. Nevertheless, Vaishali believes that, obstacles are stepping stones to growth. “All the challenges have been opportunities! I am blessed to be able to pursue my passion as a profession.” That is something to cheer about for sure; after all wouldn’t all of us love to do what we love and make a successful profession out of it?