June ’13 – Queen Of Glam

September 4, 2013

What strikes one instantly about former Kingfisher calendar model Shilpa Reddy is her personality. Tall, lissome, svelte and uber glamorous, Shilpa makes a tremendous impression as she walks in to her flagship store for this rendezvous. The radiance in her face is as arresting as the massive solitaires on her ears. Shilpa juggles several roles with élan – wife, mother, daughter-in-law and fashion designer, while also crusading for causes besides being a celebrity in her own right.

I begin by asking her how she became a model despite hailing from a traditional Telugu-speaking family. Shilpa rewinds to her childhood with a laugh. “I was the black sheep in my family – the one with too many questions and the child who always tried to rebel against everything. From the beginning I always wanted to do what my parents did not want me to do. I was drawn to glamour and would watch all the Miss India competitions on television and even Miss Andhra Pradesh (at one point it was big). Plus even as a child, I used to love dressing up and dressing other people up too.”

Once Shilpa decided to embark on the grooming route, she ensured she did everything right, from fitness to diet. “Then came the competitions and contests. The first one was inter school and later college. I kept winning from school onwards!” The first major title Shilpa won was Miss Andhra Pradesh. “I won it without my father’s knowledge. I took only my mother into confidence. After he learnt that I won, my father appreciated me but was quite worried. Today as a parent myself, I understand his perspective. He felt modelling was a bit too out there, and that it might be quite hard for him to protect me. Although from his perspective it was my safety he was worried about, I felt like my dreams were being crushed. My mother has always been very encouraging. After Miss AP, I wanted to participate in Miss India as well but there were objections at home.” Shilpa dropped the idea of competing in the Miss India paegent, opting instead to do a fashion design course at the Academy of Design, Toronto, Canada. “I reasoned that this was something more substantial that I could fall back on later in life.”

Shilpa married Preetam Reddy and participated in the Gladrags Mrs India (2004) pageant and won the title. From that point on, modelling offers poured in and she was seen on the ramp and on the coveted Kingfisher calendar in 2006. In many ways, her career took off post-marriage. “Modelling was never big on my list. My aim was to win pageants – I just wanted the crown on my head! Modelling happened because of the Mrs India title. My husband was extremely broad-minded. Way before our wedding, I told him I wanted to take part in Mrs India and he told me that I didn’t even have to ask him about it! That was the kind of support he offered. The titles I won paved the way for immense opportunities. I signed up with Atul Kasbekar’s agency Matrix. Atul signed me up as a model.”

That ensured a lot of work for Shilpa. “Once I was associated with Atul, and Kingfisher happened, a lot more offers came my way. The thing about me is that I never really asked anyone for work. That’s why I didn’t make it that big as a model, because I just took whatever came my way. I didn’t model with ambition nor did I try to network extensively and meet people. That wasn’t my cup of tea.” Still, Shilpa has walked the ramp for some formidable names including Manish Malhotra and Sabyasachi.

As a married woman, Shilpa raised many, many eyebrows by appearing on the Kingfisher calendar in a bikini. “I got married really young. In the modelling industry, there were already women with two kids. It is only in the movie industry that people think twice if you are married. In fact, I only knew some models were married a good year or two after I had met them! Nobody talks of marriage in the modelling industry. Nevertheless, it was a jaw-dropping thing for many people when I was featured in the Kingfisher calendar after marriage. It was astonishing for people living in Mumbai too. Down South it was absolutely sensational. But right through all of this, I had my husband’s unconditional support – so I felt I only needed to answer this one person. He knows what I am.”

Shilpa cruised along as a model for three years. Having always been fit and very slim, she could easily avoid crash diets and problems like anorexia and bulimia that models suffer from. “I had an edge over the others because I had a toned physique and was into fitness in a disciplined way. So I did not put in any extra effort at all. In fact that’s probably why I made it to the Kingfisher calendar. I’ve never had to train extensively or make drastic changes to my lifestyle to look like a model.”

With her killer looks and showstopping figure, Shilpa could have easily entered the film industry. “Well, I did get a lot of offers before I got married. In fact there have been instances when directors came to my college, found out my address and came home to offer me roles. But my parents were absolutely closed on the aspect of acting. After marriage, I chose not to act in films, because the schedules would be erratic and would disrupt my personal life.”

Then came Shilpa’s slow but steady shift from modelling to designing. “Modelling soon became monotonous, there was nothing challenging about it. See, I’m a creative person. My mind is always racing with thoughts and modelling meant putting on your make-up and waiting for hours for the show to begin. I shouldn’t be saying this, but there was a lot of negative energy around me – people constantly talking about others, drinking and smoking. I didn’t want to be around people like that. You master the trade in a year or two and after that you stagnate.”

A model’s shelf life is indeed limited. “That’s why nowadays models are trying to do other things – accessory designing, footwear designing or they are getting into the food business by opening a small joint. They work as emcees and even do travel shows. My point is that models today are doing a lot more than just modelling because it is is no more a full time career. I felt the stagnation setting in and decided I couldn’t take it anymore. I decided I needed to do something more substantial, something that challenges me.”

At this point the fashion designing course Shilpa did in Canada came in handy. And thus the label Shilpa Reddy was born. Her designs can be defined as classy, sophisticated and versatile. Shilpa says that her forte “is the fit, the timelessness and versatility. I do individual pieces which can be teamed up with what you have in your wardrobe. The fit is something people keep coming back to me for. I myself enjoy wearing well-fitted outfits. Even a person who is extra large can be given a beautiful shape to the body by the way you cut the garment. Not many designers in India focus on that. They try to do something simple which doesn’t require finishing or cutting. I may take one day longer to make an outfit but I would always give a well cut, well finished garment.”

Shilpa does have several high profile clients. “It is always a welcome challenge to design for all the well-travelled people who walk into my store. They understand the process of designing, the finish and the cut. And their mantra is ‘no compromise.’” She has designed outfits for Jwala Gutta, Lakshmi Manchu, Shriya Saran and Sushmita Sen. “They are my friends too.”

Shilpa has not participated in Fashion Weeks. “I wanted to, but at two and a half years, my son is too young. Fashion Week can happen if not this year, the next year but I don’t want to regret missing out on the most precious moments of my son’s childhood. Once you enter the national market there is no looking back. Every season you are expected to deliver and the competition is is cut-throat. It is very challenging and people can write you off just like that. It is tough. As a designer, you cannot delegate too much. You have to be hands-on. The exact shade of a certain colour or the size of a button can make all the difference,” she explains.

Right now Shilpa retails from her flagship store Shilpa Reddy located in the premises of the popular N Asian restaurant. “I supply to other stores like Kimaya, Amara and Aura in Nagpur. We are in talks with Aza as well.” Shilpa also wants to sell outfits online. “There is a huge Telugu-speaking community settled in the US and hence there is a significant market there. These people understand fashion and so we want to try and do something online for them.” Shilpa’s future plans even include writing a book.

Shilpa credits her success so far to the rock-solid support her husband has offered her. I ask her about her in-laws. “My mom-in-law is very chilled out. She was also a fashion designer (from New York). My sister-in-law Keerthi Reddy was an actress. The family is pretty broad-minded. My husband’s immediate family – my mom-in-law, my sister-in-law and his aunts have been very encouraging because in their time, the women in their family always broke the norms – they rode a Bullet, wore bell bottoms… They were very forward right from the beginning. So for them it was no big deal. I must say I am lucky!”

Shilpa is involved with social causes too. She spreads awareness about cancer and is actively involved with Roshni, an organisation run by her husband’s aunt. “Roshni aims to help people get over their suicidal tendencies and mental stress. They get calls from students before exams saying they are going to die. Just one counsellor can talk to the student and ensure the thought of suicide can go away, show them a new light, another way. So many lives have been saved there. The work the counsellors do is amazing. It is close to my heart. I’m the face of Roshni and I try to employ innovative methods of fund-raising. Recently we started palliative care in collaboration with MNJ Hospital. We have a team which helps terminally ill patients to manage pain. They counsel families on how to manage pain as well. I’m associated with Apollo’s Cure Foundation. We raise awareness for it every year, and I’ve been involved in the Cure Foundation for the last five years. “

Shilpa is a known fitness enthusiast. She adds, “I enjoy meditation, I do a few kriyas and am a follower of Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev. I feel his philosophy and ideology match the way I perceive spirituality. I do not practice yoga as I am not a vegetarian. I feel yoga is not a form of workout. It is a lifestyle. If somebody does yoga and ends up eating McDonalds stuff, it doesn’t gel. I do stretches and a few poses, that’s all. The way people perceive yoga is like a workout, which it is definitely not.”

On her journey so far, she says, “I have done all that I have wanted to do, at least post-marriage. I have no complaints or regrets. As I’m ageing, I am very happy to be transforming into a wiser person, with a more refined thought process. I am enjoying adding one year to my life every year.”

What has helped Shilpa is the fact that she never lost focus and always lived in the present. “I always keep my eye on the goal. There’s so much of potential energy in your mind. You may have hundreds of ideas. Don’t talk about them, execute them. Otherwise, your thought or idea however brilliant it is, has no value.”

Your take on cosmetic surgeries and treatments: I don’t believe in them.

What you like about Indian clothes: Everything! The grandeur, the colour, the embroideries, the craft, the weaves… India has so much to offer.

What you see in young designers today: The urgency to make it big. Success takes a little bit of time, it’s a process. Everyone wants to make it big in a short span of time.

Your personal style statement: Be comfortable with your body first. That’s the key to looking good.

Your concept of comfort food: I love Hyderabadi biryani once in a while. I love pappu charu, papad, vadiyam, fried chillies and pickle with some ghee.

I cannot do without: My iPhone

I’m used to: Drinking lots of water and herbal tea

I feel sensitive about: Animals, but I am little partial to dogs

My handbag contains: A lot of things – tape to measure, comb, lip gloss, small mirror, pen, hair band…

I’m emotional about: a lot of things. I’m a Cancerian.

May ’13 – The Million Dollar Writer

September 3, 2013

A renowned author of bestselling acclaim, Amish has carved a niche for himself in many Indian homes and beyond. He settles down for an interview over a hurried lunch, and takes me through his inspiring story with an air of casual simplicity.

Amish Tripathi was born in 1974 in Bombay (as it was then called) to a religious yet liberal household. He spent his growing years between Bombay, Orissa and Tamil Nadu, where he schooled as a boarder at Lawrence School, Lovedale, in Ooty. He enjoyed reading, voraciously devouring book after book. Dabbling a little with sports in the form of boxing and gymnastics, he had a finger in nearly every pie. He wasn’t perhaps creatively inclined in his early years as he is now, but he certainly climbed up the ladder. A time came when in Bombay, the riots and bomb blasts redefined the perception of life that he and his friends shared. Believing that religion was to blame for the anathema and the rifts, he turned an atheist. “Yes, I had turned into an atheist,” admits Tripathi. India had a difficult phase in the late 80s and early 90s, especially the city I grew up in, Bombay. There were a series of religious riots, bomb blasts and the like, and that turned many of us in my circle of friends into atheism as we saw religion as the cause of these fights. My father tried to explain to me that bad people do exist and that religion had nothing to do with it. I still turned an atheist, but came back to faith with my books.”

Tripathi pursued the regular Indian dream – a degree in Business Administration at the prestigious IIM Calcutta. Putting in considerable years in a banking career, he would work long hours, put up fierce fronts amidst hyper competition at office and crunch numbers while throwing complex financial terms about. In the midst of it all, he became a vehicle for the idea that grew in his mind. The Shiva Trilogy was born. Amish Tripathi says, “I resigned a year and a half ago, I am a fulltime writer today!”

The awakening to an idea

One evening, Tripathi and his family were watching television together, when he saw that in India, Gods are known as devas and demons, asuras. In a diametrically opposite way when it came to semantics, the ancient Persians called Gods Ahuras and demons, Daevas. The exact antithesis of what ancient Indians believed! Triggered by a debate of sorts that transpired after the program, Tripathi was intrigued by the idea of how we mistakenly label someone radically different from us as being evil. “Being different doesn’t make someone evil. Therefore, the obvious question would be: What is evil? A theory occurred to me as an answer.”

Developing on the theory, he began working to put his brand of philosophy onto paper. The journey began with his ideas taking shape as a book of philosophy. However, an element of adventure crept inside when his sister-in-law told him that a novel would be a better idea than a philosophical book. “I chose to follow the story through Shiva. The books began as a core philosophical thesis on evil and then morphed into adventure. Who better to be a vehicle to explain the triumph of good over evil, than Shiva?” Amish explains.

Writing from that point on was an exercise of verbalizing what his mind’s eye showed him. Tripathi, who until then had never ever written a story, much less a whole book, began to write eloquently. “I visualise everything I write in my mind first and then put it down. I see everything in my mind like a movie, and then begin to write. I can feel the emotions, I cry and laugh with the characters. Then I put them down, word for word.”

Amish Tripathi’s writing, though often criticised for being too casual, had its own charm. When he began, his Business school experience came in handy. Training, planning and executing the plans with fervent effort, Amish’s attempt was heroic. At first, it felt like he was getting nowhere, and that the book was disjointed. “There was no flow in the way the plot came to me. Sometimes I saw a flash of something that would be best suited to the third book, sometimes the second book, and then eventually the first book.” As he wrote, his characters bled out of the sketches he had given them. That was when his wife gave him sound advice: of exploring the world of the characters while labouring under the notion that these characters existed, and lived in another world. “The approach to the book was not to be made with the brazenness of a creator; but instead, to approach it with the respect of a witness.” Stopping his efforts to control the meanderings of the story, Amish opened the floodgates to a literary barrage that was just waiting to be released.

The first fans

When Amish had written down his book, there were a few celebrities who came forth to show him their appreciation, the likes of which included Anil Dharker, Prahlad Kakkar and Devdutt Pattanaik. “Their endorsement impressed a publishing agent who decided to represent my book. I thought that things were going well.” Hoping that a publisher would soon knock on his doors, Amish had his hopes high. Amish’s agent sent out the manuscript to several publishers, within and outside India. Sadly, his project was rejected many, many times over.

Amish was undeterred. “When I was younger, I may have taken offence at these opinions and the manner in which they were expressed. But writing the book changed me. I had become far more religious, calmer and more willing to accept things. I was beginning to accept that I had done the best that I could for the book. And if it wasn’t meant to be, then it just wasn’t meant to be.” Amidst all the gray clouds, came one silver lining. Amish’s agent promised that he would publish it himself, if he didn’t get a publisher. He came forth to honour the promise, and how. He did not go with the usual run of 3,000 copies, but with 5,000 copies!

When his degree helped his writing

With his agent investing in the printing, Amish decided to get down and dirty with the marketing. Armed with a slew of unique and innovative ideas, he was all set to take the world by storm with his efforts. “You cannot think about the market when you write. Once you finish your book, you need to make a pragmatic and practical approach to it. I will go so far as to say that it is unethical of an author to not help the publisher. Why should the publisher suffer just because the author thinks his work will be enough to sell the book? The author must be closely involved in marketing – you don’t hand your baby over to a governess and say I’ll check on the baby’s progress in five years. You have to be involved in every aspect. I am a control freak and irritate the daylights out of my publishers.”, he explains.

Printing the first chapter of the book, Amish set about displaying it at cash counters and distributing it for free. “Two of my friends came forth to make a live-action trailer film, with music made by Taufiq Qureshi. The trailer put the book on a whole new level. Another friend designed a cover for the book, bridging fantasy and reality with ease.” Amish left no stone unturned when it came to targeting the tech-savvy myriads, either. “We aggressively targeted social media like Facebook and Twitter. I made presentations before key national retail chains. I made market visits in different cities to smaller retailers, and even followed up on airport store displays.”

Amish’s efforts paid off, as he hit bestseller listings within a week of the launch. “My book was number one in many lists within a fortnight! My publisher had to actually reprint within the first week itself, and we sold over 45,000 copies within the first 15 weeks of the launch!” Positive reviews followed, and reader feedback poured in from every quarter. Amish was the cynosure of all eyes, and adulation was all his. “Marketing strategies play a huge role in getting your book out. I am a voracious reader and I can give you a long list of books. How will you buy a book if you haven’t heard of it? It is a fallacy to assume that a good book will sell itself.”

The joy of success

What started off as a simple idea burgeoned into a philosophical thesis, and then grew to be three huge books that impacted Indian readership positively. But the impact did not just stop short of reaching myriads of readers. Amish’s life had changed, as well. And now that the Shiva Trilogy is over, Amish’s future as an author looms large with the promise of plenty. “Though the Shiva Trilogy is over, it is not the end of the genre. The story has come to an end – I can enter that world at any point. I may go to sleep and dream about it and find a new story – but I might not necessarily write about it.” That said, Amish talks about his next book. “It is definitely going to be in the space of mythology, history and philosophy – these are my areas or forte. I would never say never, but right now, I think I will remain with these three areas. I don’t think I’ll ever write a love story though – it isn’t something I relate to. If my books do well, I’ll keep writing, otherwise banking is always there!”

Amish’s works have revolutionized the world of Indian readership. But he doesn’t think that it has much to do with any element of “uniqueness” to what he is doing. “If you want to write a story, write it on Indian mythology. There is a tradition of organizing, reinterpreting and re-presenting Indian mythology. Content is interpreted, revisited, organized and localized for thousands of years. I am not doing anything new, it is not something that is unheard of. Yes, for about 200 years this hasn’t happened, but what I am doing is not out of the ordinary.”

Now all set to make a presence on cinema, Amish’s trilogy is soon going to be adapted to a motion picture. “Karan Johar will be helming it, and I am quite eager to see it.” Ask him if he thinks Hrithik Roshan is a good fit for Shiva, pat comes the reply, “I won’t say I have any dream actor in mind, or that a certain person is a perfect fit or not. That is an announcement for Karan Johar to make, and I am aware of the people he is talking to. That is not an announcement I am making. It would be unprofessional of me to break that trust!” I egg him on and ask him if he would relent enough to tell me who he thinks should play Sati. “Nope. I’m not saying anything!” he smiles his charming smile.

Oftentimes, the essence of a book and its un-acted words can be lost in the process of being translated into a movie. But Amish is not afraid of taking that gamble. “It depends on how the book is adapted into the movie. Some books have been adapted well – for instance, To kill a Mockingbird and the Lord of the Rings and even Devdas. As long as you keep the soul of the book intact, I’m sure it will do well.”

Amish’s story is a story of success. Naturally, many want to emulate him, tempted by the money that it brings in tow. But Amish has a word of caution to offer to the young and rose-tinted-glass-wearing youngster. “If you think that writing can give you money, then you are wrong. I always tell young writers that writing is the wrong profession to make money. A vast majority of writers don’t make money. Writing is a profession to choose if you have something within you that you want to get out, convincingly, and that’s that. Don’t try to put the economics in it – write for yourself, and let that love and respect show.”

Making it into the market at a time when the likes of Ashwin Sanghi and Ashok Banker, Amish did not feel that he needed to push for attention. “There was absolutely no need to fight to be noticed. I’d say we were all in this together. There is enough of a market for everyone. I think it is a great time to be an author. One doesn’t grow at the cost of the other.” Indian publishing is flourishing now, being one of the fastest growing publishing industries in the world!”

Amish has broken all records by making it as being the highest paid Indian writer, for his next book. Having landed a whopping million-dollar contract for his next book, is Amish under any pressure? “No pressure whatsoever! I don’t think about anyone or anything else when I write. I feel the pressure in the marketing stage when I go about promoting the book, so writing even under an advance amount isn’t an issue at all!”

After all the fame and adulation, Amish remains still the simple person he was when he started out with. Ask him if it is time to look at all those who rejected his work and say Booyah!, and he says, “It will be petty of me to do that. I’ve been a banker – and we bankers have made a lot of mistakes and the world is suffering because of it. It will be unfair of me to say that a publisher made a mistake in not publishing my book – publishers turned Jane Austen down and even J K Rowling down. There have been publishers who have made wrong and right business decisions. It is unfair to say that they got it wrong. Sometimes you get it right, sometimes you don’t – so why be harsh on them?”

About the books:

The Oath of the Vayuputras is the third and final part in the Shiva Trilogy of books that has been written by the Indian author Amish Tripathi. The first part of the Shiva Trilogy was The Immortals of Meluha which received quite a few rave reviews on the plot and storyline. His second book was The Secret of the Nagas. Both books were a huge success. The final instalment in the Shiva Trilogy, The Oath of the Vayuputras sees Shiva having the biggest role to play as he culminates his journey towards becoming the lord of the lords.

April ’13 – “I like films that show the hero’s growth”

September 2, 2013

Amidst the gleaming marble and steel creation that is Hyatt Regency, our suite presents an appearance of controlled chaos. Hair and make-up artists are inspecting the room for various facilities, while the designer lays out the various “looks” almost reverentially, smoothing out creases and matching accessories. This particular Sunday morning might be one where the city sleeps – but I, waiting to meet Allu Sirish – or Sirish Allu, as he now styles himself, am all charged up.

And then he walks in, almost as if he’s arrived straight from a photo-shoot, not a hair out of place, lugging along a suitcase – except, of course, he’s been traveling, but still looks perfectly groomed. Once he’s placed himself in the careful hands of his team, we begin to chat. “What do you want to know?” he asks, spooning his oats quickly, and I ask him to talk about his entire life, starting from his childhood – it should be remarkably interesting.

“Really? Oh my god!” He grins.

“Okay. Shoot! I was born in Chennai, and was raised here until I was in the eighth standard. I was schooled in Padma Seshadri, to be very exact,” which explains his fluent command over Tamil, like his famous cousins and brother. “I shuttled between Chennai and Hyderabad, but I knew, and still know Chennai pretty well. As children, I think we were consciously shielded from the industry – and in a way, that happened all by itself: I mean, the industry may have functioned here, but the audience was somewhere else. People knew who we were, but not how big we were. We were very grounded. We enjoyed lots of family holidays, all of which were spent in the shooting locations of Uncle Chiranjeevi!” he chuckles. “They were mostly at hill-stations, places like Ooty, Kodaikkanal and Ogenakkal. There were lots of major places in North and South India. In Chennai, our families were very close, like a joint family. We may not have lived in the same house, but we all lived within walking distance of each other, all within 2-3 lanes. All nine cousins used to go to school in a van. We would start from my uncle’s house and pick up each kid from their home. Our manager used to pick us up, buy us ice-cream on the way. Until fifth standard at least, this was the routine …” he lapses into fond memories. “We did everything together. And, well, on every weekend, lunch was at the home of one of the three families. Oh! My childhood memories are the best. I’d love to re-create them for our next generation.”

Then, he shakes his head and smiles again. “I shifted to Hyderabad and did my junior college – we don’t have Grades 11 and 12there.”He explains. “I failed my 12^th Standard exams,” he admits, with a candid grin. “So I did a year in private education, cleared it and then went on to do my Mass Communication degree. I had two options: either to do my studies in Chennai or in Mumbai, and I chose Mumbai. I’d been there as a kid. My primary motivation was to get out of home,” he laughs out loud. “Also, though, a voice deep inside told me to go there. It turned out to be the best choice. I was doing a Mass Communication degree, and in my third year I had to choose advertising. But, it wasn’t my cup of tea. I was inclined towards journalism, and used to write in my diary regularly and stuff like that. When I finished Journalism, my dad was producing Ghajini. I got in as a co-producer. I also worked alongside on our other productions, like Jalsa.”

What about his stint in studying, in New York? “Oh, yes! I did a small film-making course in the New York Film Academy for two months. Come on yaar, that hardly counts as studying abroad!” he grins.

And then talk, naturally, veers around to his turn, learning the ropes as a producer. “I was co-producer only for Ghajini,” he clarifies. “Technically, I was a senior production executive,” he explains. “But since he was a producer, dad needed to sign a lot of stuff, and he delegated authority to me. It gave me a lot of things to accomplish. He was extremely busy, and everything need not come back to him – that was the aim.”

Exactly what sort of things, I prod him to tell me. Production is and must have been a marvelously intriguing job. “Oh it is,” he acknowledges instantly. “I had to close deals between brands and our company, I had to sign-up contracts. Bollywood is huge on contracts. I had to sit with lawyers, vet the contracts, sometime re-draft them and then file reports with the bank. When you’re taking huge loans, worth as much as 30-40 crores of rupees, these things just have to be done. The thing is, after a while, it wasn’t really exciting any more. Let me clarify: the production part itself may have been tedious, but the creative side was definitely very interesting, especially as a mute spectator in the studio sittings of the proceedings was a great lesson. Once we shot the film, we would do test screenings with random public, call different audiences: say, drivers, family people, youth and we’d take their feedback and incorporate it into the movie. You know, Ghajini’s ad campaign was as hugely spoken about as the film itself. We did real-life Aamir look-alikes, video games, this and that. That was, seriously, the best experience ever!” He exults. “I still say I wouldn’t have been the same had I not completed the production cycle. It was the best thing that happened to me.”

So, what of his film career, then? How did that kick off? “I did get a lot of film offers, all along the way. Right from my last year at college, good film-makers and well-known directors from Telugu contacted me. But I wasn’t sure. I couldn’t decide, because I’d watched my brother and cousin make a success in the field. I admit it, I was a little afraid. I did want to act, but I also realized that it is definitely not as easy as it seems. It is a huge responsibility. Not many people know that when it comes to commercial films, it is your responsibility to pull in as many as 30 to 40 lakh people into the theatres in the first 3 days. After a point, especially in potboilers where the script, by its very nature, is rather limited, your personality has to carry the movie forward on your shoulders. The life a lead-actor has to lead is extremely demanding,” he explains. “It is, like, he has to live like a monk, you know. Be very disciplined, watch what you eat, look after your skin, the way you speak, carry yourself, schedule everything, do your work-outs, sleep on time! It is very demanding and not many people from the outside have any idea about that part of it. In production, I was living the lifestyle I’d been used to: sleeping late, traveling a lot and taking flights. A lead actor’s lifestyle was actually rather intimidating.”

He pauses. “But then as I progressed, something struck me. I gave some serious thought to it. The basic qualities of an actor were within me. It was all inside. All it needed was to be groomed. I was speaking with some friends of mine, some time ago, in Mumbai. And one of them told me – See, you’ve a year or two and you can train yourself. I was 23, and this was the right time, if I wanted to do something like this, they said. If I had the courage, I could do this. If I missed the bus now, then 25 would be the last time. When you’re 30, the opportunities that come to you won’t be that great. I wanted to weigh things. For me, it was not an impulsive decision. That was the best time to act on it. I spoke to a lot of people from the industry: directors, writers and producers, about what would work, what my strengths were, how I would be different from my brother, the advantages and disadvantages and all of that.”

Speaking of the brother, especially a star-brother, Allu Arjun – what was his take on his younger brother’s cinematic aspirations? “Well, he was quite positive about it,” Sirish smiles. “But he never likes to give too much advice to anyone. His theory is, Look, my life journey is not necessarily yours. You don’t have to go through the same thing, the same experience. He’d like me to explore it myself. Some basics and essential stuff he shares with me. The bigger decisions are mine to make.”

What of his other brother? He isn’t into films, is he? “Ha, no,” Sirish chuckles. “My other brother is happily married; he runs an energy conservation organization and an IT company.”

Back to movies, again. The ‘Why now,’ question has been answered – but why director Radhamohan’s Gauravam? Going by the trailer, it doesn’t seem to be a mainstream movie, does it? “Actually, that is a misconception. It does have commercial elements.” He explains. “The trailer doesn’t really explain the movie. It makes it look arty, but the film does have a hero, heroine, fights, villains, conflict, resolution and the works. It is a product of the Radhamohan school, which means, it won’t be over-the-top masala. Why this film? Because in this movie, the protagonist actually becomes the hero only in the last frame. This is something different from what actors in my family have played, over the years. I thought the journey that turns him from an innocent boy to a hero as being very well told, here, because the protagonist actually grows. Personally, I like films that show the hero’s growth. In mass films,” Sirish gets into the mode, “the hero has already evolved: he just comes in and solves the problem. There’s no personal realization. He doesn’t stumble, doesn’t get up. He doesn’t grow, and become the leader. There’s no personal journey. And I thought that was there, in this film, because the audience sees the protagonist’s journey through his eyes. I’ve seen that in Radhamohan’s movies. It is a good way to begin it, to differentiate myself from my family.”

Fair enough. What next, after this one? “I haven’t signed anything until now. I’m still hearing stuff,” he admits, as he pulls his bath-robe securely about him, and the make-up artist rubs endless creams and foundations into his face. “Now that I’ve completed a film and know all the more what it takes, I’m not going to just jump in to something I’m not sure of. Because, you know, there’s a time-frame. This film was completed in 10 months, which meant I was completely involved in it. And the next film will be done even faster, say 6-8 months. I’ll need to be that engaged with it. I have no parameters; haven’t fixed any template. The subject could be anything. I haven’t fixed on anything definite, because I need to determine the script and decide whether the audience will like it.”

Gauravam, of course, is a bi-lingual. Has he considered doing a film straight in Tamil? “Duh, of course,” he answers, maneuvering the make-up artist’s brush expertly. “I mean, even in Gauravam, I spoke in Tamil. A bit polished, yeah, but it was straight Tamil. And I would like to do a straight Tamil film. We’ll see. Something will come up.”

Does he think it will work? What about the bias existing in the Tamil and Telugu industries, respectively? After all, they are different languages, with different souls. “Well, what do you mean, Will it work? Why shouldn’t it work?” he asks. “I mean, if the content is good, it’ll work, no?”

Surely there’s still a prejudice about actors crossing over from different industries? “Doesn’t matter! After all, MGR was a Malayali,” he says confidently.

True. On the other hand, MGR didn’t quite identify himself as a Malayali in the Tamil film industry, did he? “Well, if you’re convincing enough, that’s all that matters. Take Rajni, then. Everyone knows that Rajni is not Tamil. I mean, in the film Shivaji, even when he picks up the phone, he says, King of Maharashtra,” he grins. “If you look at AP, Andhra Pradesh, Surya has done well.”

I mention an article he’s written about the two industries, the logistics of their working, and the successes, re-makes and dubbing prospects. Is it, or isn’t it true that Telugu movies find it difficult, getting a foot-hold in Tamil Nadu? “I was talking about why Telugu films, so far, hadn’t worked, couldn’t crack the Tamil Nadu market. And that held good only before the release of Eega. That film cracked the barrier. All are good movies for remakes, not dubbing. Our content is more hero-driven, which means that the image of those heroes never translated well, so they had to be re-made. When we dubbed films like Arundhati and Eega, they succeeded. So, it’s not a question of whether the audience will or won’t watch it.”

So, how were things on the personal front?

“Oh, perfect.”

Really? Perfect?

“Yes,” he grins. “Family’s perfect. My friends are very happy, excited, to be watching on me screen. We’re looking at the second week of April for a release.”

What else is on the cards, aside from movies? “Ha, I’ve resigned from my production company,” he laughs. “Resigned in the sense, just that there are no papers to sign. A year and a half ago, I decided that this was what I wanted to do. I wouldn’t do anything else; wouldn’t multitask, or at least till you reach a huge scale, I want to reserve my energy only for this. I’m happy doing this.”

With a background in production, what sort of a perspective does he carry with him, when it comes to acting? Does it change his outlook?

“Yeah! There’s certainly a different perspective. Sometimes, knowledge is a curse, or a boon, depending on what the situation is,” he laughs uproariously. “Mostly it’s been positive. Sometimes, people don’t like it when you know too much. Like, in a certain place, you’re supposed to say things like, Oh, okay, so this is how it should be, okay, hanh, I’ll do it like you say,” he acts it out, candidly. “Like, you have to do a little drama. People in authority don’t like it if you ask too many questions – they get a panic attack. That’s something I have to work on right now, to play dumb. Because people don’t expect actors to know these things, ask questions. That’s part of the learning process, to act dumb,” he gurgles. “See, I’m just curious. I don’t want to rub the other person the wrong way. I only ask. I never instruct them. I’ve never wanted to rub my whims and fancies into anybody. It’s a very good advantage, knowing things. But I just need to curb my enthusiasm, especially when sometimes, people give me lame excuses for production issues and I know exactly what’s happening. That’s when I have to tone it down.”

As the person who brought Southscope magazine into being – any thoughts about it? “Well, I needed, obviously, to go full-time with my career. Earlier, I used to devote 2 hours a day for the magazine, and one in the evening. My partner took care of a great many things. I have a slight editorial background, I participated in the editorial meetings, and I oversaw a little of the design. But now, things have changed. I’m now traveling a lot; off to Chennai, Mumbai and abroad for training. I doubt if I could have pulled off running it – It would have died a slow death. I thought it would be best if I didn’t try that. The best thing would be to let somebody who’s better more experienced, dedicate more resources to it, and take care of it. And now, I think they’re doing a better job, a great job! It looks fantastic.”

CREDITS

Photographer: Kunal Daswani Styling: Kaushik Valendra Hair & Make up: Ambika Devi (Stylesmith) Wardrobe: Gatsby Accessories & Footwear: Aldo

March ’13 – “I have been single for a while now”

September 1, 2013

How did cinema come about?

I never thought I could act. I was happy to be myself, the person I always was and still am. I never thought I could pretend to be someone else in front of the camera. I wanted to do something that was creative and fun. There were only two possibilities open to me. Either I was to go up on the ramp or, I was to start acting. I could never see myself doing a 9-to-5 job. I didn’t want to walk as a hanger for anybody. I just couldn’t see myself doing it. I wanted a name to my face. I wanted an identity. That was the reason I chose to act. What helped me in acting was my dramatic side. I am a stage performer, and I have learnt how to dance. It all added to my talent in acting!

From that point to becoming a popular actress… quite a journey! What have your predominant thoughts been so far?
It was not as rosy and nice as it looks from outside. Every day, I often tell myself that I will one day have to climb down this same ladder that has taken me up. And on my way down I will be meeting the same people who helped me go up. I make sure I don’t hurt any of them. Being slotted as the “number one” means that there won’t be any progress after that. I am just happy being in the process of progress. I don’t want to become the “number one”. I have kept myself grounded, because I don’t want to be the next god.

You’ve been working from when you were pretty young – does it feel like it’s always been about work? Did you feel like a part of your younger days were taken away from you?
Not really. I am not one of those who left studies for work. I completed my graduation and then came to work. I started modeling while I was still studying, but when I came to the industry I had already graduated. I didn’t waste my time. At the same time I didn’t give up the happy days of my life!

Looking back at your repertoire of roles in South Indian cinema, what would you say was your best? And which ones were the worst?
The clichéd roles I did were the worst. I was not adding anything to the script. I sincerely wish and hope that phase has well and truly ended. There are many among the good ones. Starting from my debut in Tamil – that was something I never imagined would become that big – I was so surprised when I realised that my value was much more than I anticipated. My role in Hindi cinema is also important. In Telugu cinema, I’d say Mr. Perfect, although my role was barely forty-five minutes long. It was the reason the story went ahead. I didn’t have to act much as such, just that I had to portray myself. Mogudu is also a memorable film.

If you had a chance to do differently, any of the roles you’ve taken up so far, which would it be, and why?
I think that would be my role in Aadukalam. It was good – but when I see it now, I realise that I wasn’t doing my best. In my mind I was wondering whether I had spoken my lines correctly and if I had spoken the correct words in Tamil. I am not that tense now, of course, and that’s why I know I will play it even better now. People think that the role in Aadukalam was my best performance but I know that when I was shooting for it, I was not completely sure in my mind, that I was doing it right. As for Telugu, I had dubbed for myself because I feel Telugu is a lot easier to speak since it sounds like Sanskrit. I am in my third and fourth films in Tamil right now and I don’t even try to dub!

Do you have any regrets in your career, or any mistakes, perhaps?

If we don’t make mistakes, we wouldn’t learn our lessons. If I hadn’t made any mistakes in my first few movies, I would have made them at a different time. My mistakes happened when I accepted the movie too early before listening to the script completely. After that, I learned from the experience. I won’t say which language, but it was not in Tamil. I have age on my side. I am too young to portray the sad or depressed person. They want me to play a glamorous girl. Later on in my career, maybe, I can move on to something mature and serious. I don’t have problems with that.

Let’s talk about Muni 3. It’s quite un-Taapsee, isn’t it?

It is very, very un-Taapsee in many, many ways! The girl you see there is not as much the usual girl that I play. It has been the most challenging role in my career so far. I am definitely not a commercial heroine in this movie. See, it took me a month’s time to say yes to the offer. Even today I go by Lawrence sir’s confidence in me – because he thinks he can make me do it well. We haven’t started shooting the horror scenes as yet. We are now just shooting the comic portions. His comic timing is so good! It is a level higher than what came to be in Kanchana. He has invented a new genre, in itself. I was very lucky that I got to be a part of the movie, as not just a heroine, but a very central character in the movie. Just the other day, I was telling Lawrence sir that I wouldn’t see the movie when it is released. He said he would drag me to the theatre to watch the movie. I guess, yes, I will definitely see the movie! It is the first time I am doing a horror flick, by the beach and the waves – it is already so scary!

What’s going into your preparations for the role in Muni 3?

Since I can’t reveal much about my character, I’ll stop with saying that I am not playing one of the chirpy girlie roles. It is a serious character. I have made sure that the way I look and the way I carry myself are all different from my last movies. It is the director’s job after that. In Muni 3, there are three comedians, Mayilsamy, Shyam and Manobala sir. The rest is something you have to wait to watch!

What is your relationship with Manoj Manchu? And is your friendship with Lakshmi Manchu stronger because you are seeing Manoj?

To answer this once and for all, I am not seeing Manoj now and I was never seeing Manoj at all. It is just a sad situation in the industry that in order to justify your friendship with a guy in the industry, you have to either make that guy a brother or not talk to that guy at all. I am close to the Manchu family and they were the ones who brought me into the industry. My friendship with them will never be affected. I have always been close to them and will remain so. Manoj is very dear to me as a friend and for that if I have to tie a rakhi to justify that nothing is going on between us, then I pity people’s thinking. I am only answerable to my family and they know the truth. I don’t care what other people say.

So what’s this we hear about you and Arya being an item?

Looks like I am an item every second or third week! The sad part is that I have been single for a long time now. People are thinking happily about love and all that. Recently I celebrated Valentine’s Day at my friend’s restaurant in Hyderabad, and I chose to wear an outfit suiting the occasion, but with no valentine at all. I told my friends to get me roses, just to make it a very lovey-dovey Valentine’s Day. My friend made me cut the Valentine Day’s cake at his restaurant. I was constantly cribbing, because I have no valentine. But hopes are always high…

What’s happening right now on the work front? Where are you headed?

Right now I am pretty occupied with the work front. I don’t even have time to go back to Delhi to spend time with my family! For Shadow, there is just one song is left. My Tamil movie with Ajith sir is just about 50 percent done. Muni 3 has just started. In the Hindi project, I have a 30-day schedule to promote my film – Chashme Baddoor. That’s what my life is like right now. Chashme Baddoor releases on April 5, 2013. Gundello Godari is releasing on March 8, 2013. Shadow is also releasing after that. I want my next venture in Hindi to be a notch above Chashme Baddoor. I am just waiting to get better offers – that said, I will be taking on offers only after May because I don’t have dates before that!

Audi Sportscar Experience

August 31, 2013

Motor enthusiasts were in for a treat at the Audi Sportscar Experience event held in Chennai recently. Amateur drivers got to test their driving skills at the carefully laid out track which saw many motorheads in attendance.

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February ’13 – Crusading for a cause

August 31, 2013

In her soothing and captivating voice, actor and animal rights activist Amala Akkineni reminisces her astonishing journey so far as Radhika Rajamani listens in rapt attention

Entering Amala’s lovely house in Hyderabad, I realise that it is not just a serene living space for this famous family, but also a haven for dogs, even stray ones too. As I am ushered in by well-trained staff, Amala enters almost immediately and makes me feel comfortable. I have an instant feeling that this is going to be a very memorable meeting. Indeed, Amala Akkineni’s journey is an interesting one – she started out as a dancer trained in Bharatanatyam at Kalakshetra under Rukmini Devi Arundale; bloomed into an actor having starred opposite many, many superstars in a successful career spanning seven years, gave it all up to marry superstar Nagarjuna Akkineni and found happiness in tirelessly crusading for animal welfare. Hailed as the “Maneka Gandhi of the South” for passionately espousing the cause of animals, Amala’s shelter, the Blue Cross, has entered the twentieth year now. Serene and tranquil with a pleasant smile on her face and a cheerful demeanour, Amala is an achiever, a woman of substance and yet one who is unfazed by the accolades and laurels. Deeply spiritual and down-to-earth, she continues working tirelessly to make the world better for animals!

Initial years: Not the run-of-the mill life

Growing up in a multi-cultural and artistic background made all the difference to Amala’s life and thought process. “My mother was Irish and my father Bengali, so my family was hardly run-of-the mill. Since my father was with the Navy, there was a lot of travel and a lot of exposure. We moved from Delhi to Mumbai, Kharagpur to Vizag. I got used to making new friends, adapting to different cultures, and learnt to speak new languages. I’ve learned Hindi, Tamil, Bengali and Telugu. It was a different lifestyle and that was my foundation.”

She began learning dance at the young age of seven. “My dance teacher advised my mother that I had the talent for dance and that it should be encouraged. She suggested that I go to Kalakshetra.” Little did Amala know her destiny would change after entering the hallowed portals of Kalakshetra.

Dancing the dream: Kalakshetra beckons…

Amala set off with her mother during a summer holiday, to Chennai. Even now she is nostalgic and happy as she remembers her alma mater. “I fell in love with the place. It was so beautiful. They gave me a written test and a dance test and admitted me in Class Five immediately. I was eight when I joined Kalakshetra and left when I was 18. I loved it as there was so much to do. I am so happy that I had those special years there.” The institute gave her a holistic perspective about the arts and her initial lessons in culture, environment, animal welfare and spirituality shaped her thinking as an individual. She also had the freedom to explore and imbibe a whole lot of things. Education and dancing progressed simultaneously, so the knowledge gained was tremendous.

At Kalakshetra, Amala got the rare opportunity of interacting closely with none other than the doyenne, Rukmini Devi Arundale, whose talks she loved hearing. “She definitely had us all in awe. From 8 to 13, like every other student, we would see her on special occasions when she would talk beautifully on animal welfare, theosophy, dance, Indian art and culture and spiritualism. It was a real treat to listen to her. Those were the days before television overtook our lives, so we weren’t in a rush to go and watch it. We could listen for hours to elders sharing their learning and understanding. Athai (as we called her) was always there when the dance students had their exam. She would watch from a corner silently and would ask us to do a few movements, and then ask us to explain if we understood the meaning of the songs we were dancing to.”

“When I was about 13 she asked me if I wanted to be a dancer. I’d like to be a vet, athai, I told her. A dancer vet she asked, laughing. Yes, it sounds nice, I told her. She asked me if I wanted to take part in the arts festival. I said, sure athai, if you would like me to. We weren’t performing till then. My dance teacher Sharada Hoffman started teaching me the part of Vasanthavalli in Kuttrala Kuravanji. Sharada teacher was like a mother to her students and took great pains to train me. That year I performed at the inauguration of the Arts festival in the new Kalakshetra auditorium in the role of Vasanthavalli, in Kuttrala Kuravanji. My life changed. Both expectations and aspirations multiplied as I started performing with the Kalakshetra troupe, travelling all over the world.”

While dance was assuming centre stage, education was a cause of worry. “My school principal would worry about my studies because I would have to miss school when I had to travel with the troupe. And athai would say “What better way to learn than the University of Life!” So apart from whatever I learnt in school, my real education was from travelling, performing, meeting great artistes and dancing with them.”

Blitzing the silver screen: When acting called

Even as a dancer, Amala was flooded with acting offers. “After dance performances film directors used to come backstage and ask if I wanted to act. Back then, I hadn’t watched much cinema at all. That was my concern. A couple of directors said they had a classical dancer’s role. T. Rajendar was particularly insistent. I said let me try. That’s how the film, Mythili Ennai Kaadhali, happened. Srividya who worked with me in the film was a great support and guide.”

Although dancing and acting are two completely different media, she managed acting well. “It was extremely long hours and very hard work. There were so many songs where I performed Bharatanatyam. At the end of the first film, I realised I had a career. The film did extremely well. Everyone appreciated what I had done. People recognised me, thanks to T Rajendar.”

Amala moved forward facing the ups and downs of showbiz. “Movies were gruelling work, and with every movie the expectations got higher. After one big success, I had several failures. But then you have to learn to aceept both.”

She worked with senior stars at that time. “It was an honour to be working with them. I tried to deliver my best, to live up to the expectations of my director, perform the role well and most importantly, learn the language. You see, I was working in five different languages most of which I didn’t speak. That is a challenge because not only are you trying to emote in a language you didn’t speak, you must also make it seem natural.”

Films are strenuous and demand long hours. Acting does take a toll on one’s health at times. “My call sheet was from 7 am to 9 pm – 14 hours, 365 days a year. It was immensely rewarding on the one side, yet exhausting on the other. I remember physically collapsing on several occasions because any human being who works like that will be burnt out. It is not that I planned it that way. When you get busy and successful, that’s how life becomes. Even if you want to take a day off nobody allows you to do so. The pressure on your time becomes unreasonable. Finally when Nag (Nagarjuna) asked me to marry him, I realised I don’t have to worry about a career because his was good enough for several of us.” She pauses to laugh and then continues. “I realised that it would be so simple if I quit and focussed on the family. I was just so happy not to get up at 5 am and go to work, eat out of a tiffin-carrier and live out of a suitcase. I think it was not just the seven years of my film career – it was from the age of 13 that I was doing that. When you become an early achiever, the burnout also happens fast. From 13 to 24, I had a long performing life. Suddenly I wanted to stay home. It was so wonderful! I moved to Hyderabad. Nag was extremely busy shooting. I could travel with him and spend time with him. Then Akhil came along. I felt so blessed to have that privilege to take off and be with them totally,” she says contentedly.

Recently, Amala faced the camera for Sekhar Kammula’s Life is Beautiful after two decades. The fact that it was a sweet role of a mother and it involved just seven days of shoot made her do it. “I was a little apprehensive, but once I got there the youngsters were so talented and easy to work with. It was lovely and a lot of fun. Sekhar was excellent. He told me he was very particular that I play the role.

She’s open to doing such cameos but she wants “something inspirational. It’s difficult to put everything I do now on hold and go back to a full-time film commitment. There are too many people in my family doing that. I’m not looking to restart my career,” she laughs.

Fighting for a cause: When Amala turned an activist

Instead of choosing to choosing to return to showbiz after her wedding, Amala chose another path: crusading for animal welfare. “The roots of animal welfare go back to Kalakshetra and even further back home. Ever since I can remember, I would bring these mangy little puppies, kittens or injured birds home. My mother never told me not to bring them into the house. She would always give me a corner somewhere, a cardboard box for an injured animal or a store room where I could have the little thing recover. She would show me how to clean it up and feed it and we would find a home. When I went to Kalakshetra I missed my pets as we had always had them. Very soon the stray dogs there became my brood.”

Rukmini Devi Arundale was an early inspiration as she was a champion of animal welfare having got the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act passed in 1960 and setting up the Animal Welfare Board of India in 1962. “Athai spoke so fondly and with so much conviction, she encouraged us so much that it only fuelled our own love for animals. Even when I was shooting, I would find a local vet for any injured animals on or off the sets on the road. I made friends with Dr. Vijayakumari at the Shanti Nagar Government Hospital in Hyderabad. Every road you went on, you’d find animals run over in traffic. I had been rescuing so many sick and injured animals and my house was like a zoo. Nag came home one day and asked me, ‘Why don’t you do this in a more organised fashion? Even if you are not around, the animals will be rescued.’ He put the idea into my head. He donated to my cause, his outdoor van which became my first ambulance. I stripped it down to accommodate animals and Dr Vijayakumari at Shanti Nagar Government Hospital became the resident doctor and after a few years we applied for land and built up the shelter at Road No. 35, Jubilee Hills.”

Amala works with 12 different organisations – spanning animal welfare, women, and to some extent child welfare. Her main focus is animal welfare. It is the twentieth year of the Blue Cross and its journey has been significant thanks to the efforts of Amala and her volunteers.

“The growth has been a beautiful, organic one. When you set out to do something and people see that your intentions are sincere, they join you in hundreds. That’s how Blue Cross grew. Every year Blue Cross extends help to 20,000 to 30,000 animals. Government officials, children, citizens and communities have come forward to make the lives of animals better in their capacity.”

The Blue Cross has to be credited for establishing an organised animal rescue system and bringing about a more sensitised attitude towards animal welfare in Andhra Pradesh. “We helped establish systems that will deal with all animals in the long run – systems like the ABC programme which were never there before and the sterilisation programme for stray animals. We have helped train over 40 animal welfare groups in the State and more than 80 activists in the country who have gone on to start their own groups. We mentor animal volunteers on a regular basis. We have school education programmes. In the last six months, we have reached out to more than 10,000 students.

“For the 20^th year we want to ensure there are professionals running every service so that whether I’m there or not, the services will happen. We have a wonderful group of youngsters – around 30 of them who pitch in when the services aren’t running. We don’t run the services at night so the volunteers pitch in for emergencies that happen at that time. Another significant achievement in the 20^th year is the construction of a full-fledged surgery space with state-of-the-art equipment which will be ready in March. We had a basic setup which did the job and was appreciated but we wanted to make sure we have a modern one. We also want to take up an awareness campaign regarding exotic pets.”

“Our rescue service in the last 6-8 months has rescued more than 10,500 sick, injured and abused animals, while our clinic has served more than 5000 cases. We have had many adoptions. School children are being addressed. We’ve had training programmes for government officials – such as the training in the Marri Chenna Reddy Institute, AP Police Academy and the National Police Academy. I have come to realise that my role now is of a fundraiser, a spokesperson and a mentor. I sit on Governing boards that have a slightly more serious role of laying down systems, legislature and norms for various issues concerning animals,” says Amala modestly.

On being known as the “Maneka Gandhi of the South” she reacts, “Oh, it is definitely an honour to hear that. I am nowhere near her league. Manekaji has ensured far-reaching change. I am truly privileged to be able to do what I can. I love what I do. I don’t think I can ever retire from this.”

It’s been a while since Amala turned vegan. “As I grew to love animals more and more, I began to question the need to eat them, being born in a meat-eating family. Rukmini Devi and Sharada teacher helped me turn vegetarian. Later on as my body aged, I found I turned lactose intolerant. Nothing in the world could tell me how to overcome my annoying health issues till I turned vegan.”

She adds “at some point as Animal Welfare Board member I had to inspect slaughter houses and in one instance I saw all the dairy cattle there. Then I realised that my dependence on milk and milk products was bringing those creatures there. I turned vegan and you won’t believe how all my health problems cleared up within one week. Suddenly I realised I was so energetic and all my health issues were gone. I’ve learnt to rethink my diet and I have wonderful recipes to replace the protein and calcium through vegetable sources.”

Tuning in: Dabbling with the spiritual side

If you see the calm and serene side of Amala, you can easily attribute it to spirituality. “The Kalakshetra upbringing itself is very spiritual. One is exposed to the religions of the world. You learn to respect and appreciate the essence of every great teaching without getting bogged down by ritualistic aspects or the differences. The spiritual upbringing definitely made me seek a deeper meaning in life.”

“Within just a year or two of being involved in animal welfare, I was an emotional wreck because I got so involved in it. Later I realised that however much you do, it’s just a drop in the ocean and that you can’t save the world. I realised I can’t be a mess if I want to do something of value and I need to be at peace first. I have to acknowledge my husband’s role here. Nag has been my friend, philosopher and guide, besides being the love of my life. I took a little break, went and learnt Vipassana meditation. I was expecting Akhil at that time and it was a wonderful tool to de-stress.”

Since then Amala has been practising Vipassana. “I meditate every day. Since October 1993, I have been going back every year for a 10-day retreat. The practices of a retreat, where you can unplug everything, shut down and go away where you are not disturbed, where you use a very powerful tool like Vipassana and go inside and clean up or let go of all the conflicts within, help you create a space of inner peace. When all the confusion is removed there is pure maitri inside. When you operate from a space of maitri, you realise you can do so much more when not upset and disturbed. It also opened my heart to so many different causes. I could resonate with people, their issues and suffering and somewhere I find an answer for them, a way to help them and if I don’t, then I can at least spread good will. When it comes from the heart, it reaches the heart. That was a really significant turn in my spiritual path and I have used vipassana as my guiding light.”

She also practices yoga which was part of her curriculum at Kalakshetra. “Yoga helped prepare my mind and body to meditate.”

Amala unplugged

Ask Amala about being a superstar wife, and she says, “That is the exciting part. That’s the part which made sure I never missed the movies, never missed the glamour. I share it all with Nag. I am so grateful that he allows me to channel all that on to causes that are dear to my heart and he is very supportive.” She finds motherhood as a time to “experience wonderful things. It takes up all your attention when the children are young and suddenly when they grow up you find your life back. I’ve never been an obsessive parent. If you are willing to learn along with your child, your child is also willing to learn with you. So it has been a journey of self-discovery and a very joyful one at that.”

The Akkineni family is a huge name in films. So questions about her son’s entry into the movies are a given. She retorts, “Oh dear! I would like to see Akhil happy. I know he’s full of surprises and he’s tremendously creative and talented. He’s good at doing more than academics, which was never his cup of tea. For him it is all about getting things done. He has tremendous leadership skills. I’m his mum so I’m naturally biased. I have seen him seize an opportunity with a lot of clarity and purpose and I’ve seen him turn that opportunity into a success not just for himself but also for his whole team. He’s definitely a team player. I’ve seen him make things happen. I’m as supportive as I can be. Youngsters need that opportunity to discover. My advice to everyone – people in the media, audience and fans – is to let my boys be – let them discover, explore and perform. Appreciate what they do because they will do it well.”

Reading has been one of her interests and Amala is a voracious reader. She quips, “But there’s less and less time these days. I love reading in airports and on flights, I actually wait for the opportunity. I do make a trip a week.” Her list includes fiction and non-fiction. Movies are another pastime. “Both Nag and I are movie buffs. We watch at least three movies a week at home. Taking Nag to a theatre is quite an ordeal (laughs). We definitely have much more now than before due to technology (movies on iTunes, Cube). I’m a great technology buff. My international NGO meetings are on Skype. I even do my yogasutra lessons with my teacher in Chennai on Skype!”

Amala has enough on her plate as she juggles different roles with felicity. Her life cannot be strait jacketed. “There is so much to do. Life is beautiful. I try not to plan too much. I’ve learnt to go with the flow and to be ready for life – whatever the day has in store. I feel blessed I’m at this day, this time, getting this opportunity.”

Taj Gateway Launch

August 31, 2013

The Taj Group recently launched The Gateway Hotel IT Expressway Chennai, its first hotel in the city under the Gateway Hotels & Resorts brand. Gracing the event was Mollywood superstar Mohanlal, among others.

Chaotic Colours on Madras Day

August 31, 2013

The Ramada Chennai, as a part of its Madras Day celebrations, featured a night of live music and cocktails with the popular all-girl act Colour Chaos. Joining them on vocals was popular playback singer Vinaita, who added a touch of south Indian fusion to the otherwise western-oriented set list. With a packed crowd cheering them on, the band went on to perform covers of popular English and Tamil songs which were received with standing ovations all around.

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Lavie brings chic to Chennai

August 31, 2013

The first of its kind in Chennai, the recently opened Lavie store at the Forum mall brings hi-end fashion and lifestyle accessories to the coastal city. With an emphasis on providing a unique shopping experience to its patrons, Lavie’s chic designs and sophisticated store layout are sure to leave the customers wanting more. With merchandise ranging from footwear, handbags and clutches to wallets, sling bags and laptop bags, Lavie’s designs exude a very classy vibe. With laminated white oak wood floors and the “Lavie pink” theme evident throughout the store, the brand embodies the free and bold spirit of the new age young Indian woman who values her individuality.

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January ’13 – “I married my best friend”

August 30, 2013

There are many layers to Upasna, the person. There is the young woman who looks up to her illustrious family members. There is the diligent professional. There is the wife who is totally in love with her husband. She is also a humanitarian who believes in social work and charity. And then there is the naughty older sister who likes to fool around with her younger siblings. Above all, she is an intuitive individual, who believes in the theory of karma, loves animals and trusts them.

While getting her make-up and hair done for the RITZ cover shoot, Upasna reveals that her grandfather, Dr Pratap C Reddy, Founder-Chairman of the Apollo Group of Hospitals was and continues to be a great positive influence on her. “Thatha (grandfather) taught us to make every day count for something. He believed that you have to do something positive, achieve something otherwise, it is a day wasted. He would tell us, ‘Even if you are feeding fish, do it wholeheartedly, and do something good.’ Even today before we go to bed, he calls and asks us, ‘What good deed did you for the day?’ And he always gave us confidence – we had huge shoes to fill, but he made us believe that we could all do it.”

No wonder then that his daughters – Upasna’s mother and aunts – have been a lifelong inspiration. She says, “My mum (Shobana Kamineni) always taught me to be out there and be successful. She also taught me to think out of the box and be a game changer. From my aunt Suneeta, I learnt the importance of staying fit and healthy; my aunt Sangita is kind and a complete people’s person – from her I learnt to relate to people at all levels. And I get my artistic side from my aunt Preetha – she is very dear to me.”

She adds that she is very close to her dad. “My dad is my most favourite person and I am closer to him than to my mom. If there is anything important that I want to discuss, I talk it over with him.” Her father in fact had asked her several times if she was sure about her decision to marry Charan. “He asked me a thousand times as he was worried since Charan is from a different field.” She also reveals that her husband is “a mirror image of my dad, they are so similar.”

Work and new vistas

Upasna is a happy mix of all the traits she has imbibed from her family. Her father has instilled a sense of discipline in her, which is one of the foundations of her outlook to everything in life. She believes in being punctual at work, as Editor of B Positive magazine. Upasna also heads the charity division of the Apollo group – Apollo Life. But philanthropy came early in life to Upasna. She recalls, “As a student, I had started a movement called U Exchange, where I would collect old text books and notebooks with leftover pages and distribute them to young children in the Naxal areas.”

Work as Editor of B Positive is challenging. What is the magazine all about, I ask her? “No matter what I do, I always ensure it has something to do with my own likes and interests. So when I started this magazine, the focus was on what I would like to read about in the field of wellness and medicine; what I want to know. Also, people around me are not all doctors so I ensured that all the articles, even those penned by doctors are in layman terms. What is most important is that the content should benefit people struggling with health issues,” she says.

Upasna has also conceived of a chain of health and wellness centres – the first of which she has started in Hyderabad. “The wellness centre provides holistic treatment and not just target-based weight loss. The focus is more on being healthy rather than just bringing down body fat. It has to do with muscle mass, hydration levels in the body and a fitness routine that is not boring. We also provide pre- and post-surgery physiotherapy. I plan to open such centres all across the country.”

Her degree in global business marketing management no doubt helped her envision this venture. And given her belief in hard work, Upasna is bound to make it a success. Her husband Ram Charan in fact, revealed in a recent interview that she has a keen sense of business.

A fairy tale romance

Mention her husband and the smile on Upasna’s face is an indication of how deep her feelings run for him. The couple got married in 2012 in what was easily the marriage of the decade in South India. She says, “We were friends for a very long time – since college actually. There were no special feelings between us before I went overseas to study. Love just happened and it was a nice change. What drew us together was that we both knew we had to live up to the expectations our families had of us. We shared similar thoughts, we had the same problems and we both shared the same outlook and belief of working hard to achieve success.”

What also helped this relationship along, was as Upasna puts it, “We were both in a position to marry for love.” She even adds a footnote to her love story: “I wouldn’t have married a doctor, that’s for sure.”

Their wedding had all the trappings of a fairy tale. In fact Charan as she calls him, personally designed the engagement ring he presented her with. She says, “He knows me very well. I loved it the moment he gave it to me and the best part is he knew I would like it. Charan personally looked into every detail of the wedding preparations to make sure I was happy.” And from the many beautiful memories of that special day, one sweet gesture on her husband’s part that she recalls, revolves around her nose ring. She says, “My nose ring came off during the ceremony and oblivious to the cameras, Charan got busy fixing it back on my nose.”

Living with her in-laws is easy because Charan’s parents are attentive and caring. Upasna reveals, “My father-in-law (Megastar Chiranjeevi) takes time out of his busy schedule to call me and ask if I will be coming home for lunch. My mother-in-law and I can sit and chat for hours and she looks after me very well. I don’t think I have had to make any adjustments after marriage.”

Upasna who believes in karma and past lives also believes that she and Charan are connected from a past birth. She says, “Both of us do wacky things together and we had once done regression therapy. There were signs that God sent that made me realise that we were connected. I was lucky I married my best friend.” And that is the advice she gives for young girls too – “Marry a person only if you feel he is right for you. Learn to adjust and pay attention to the signs God sends you. I personally believe in good and bad karma and destiny.”

Upasna and Charan share other interests in common too. They both love fast cars, horses and enjoy sports like deep sea diving. Speaking of horses, I quiz her about the rare Falabella that Charan gifted her. “One month after we got married, Charan gifted me Daisy – a Falabella – which is a miniature breed of horse. In fact, ever since she has come, I don’t feel homesick any more.”

True enough, when Daisy is brought to the area where we are shooting, Upasna lights up instantly, checks on her and even takes a hairpin to pin back the long tuft of hair between Daisy’s ears, which was falling all the way to her nose. But she does reveal that her family has loved horses ever since she can remember. “My grandmother used to ride and we all love horses. I love all animals actually.”

She also reveals that since she is interested in tapping into her sixth sense, she likes spending a lot of time with horses. “They are extremely intuitive and can sense fear and danger. I am hoping it will help me learn about how the sixth sense operates,” she says.

Up close and personal

Life after marriage hasn’t been much of a change. But marrying a film star surely comes with its own challenges? Upasna shrugs it off with a smile saying, “I come from a star family too. We may not be movie stars but I believe I am a star. See, it is no different from marrying someone from any other profession. I don’t get to be with him as much because Charan works long hours, but that’s part of who he is.”

And as for the upcoming Hindi remake of Zanjeer, which could catapult Charan into a even busier phase in life, she remarks that she is prepared for it. “Besides, shooting for a Bollywood film is not that different from a Telugu movie. It is like shooting with a different set of friends, that’s all.” Given Upasna’s friendly nature, it is not surprising to hear her comments on the cast and crew of Zanjeer. “Priyanka Chopra is a gem. And the units Charan shoots with are like one big family. I was sad when the shooting of Naayak (Charan’s latest Telugu release) ended as I had spent a lot of time with the crew on an outdoor location. Kajal (Aggarwal, the heroine of the film) and her mum are such wonderful people and I made friends with everyone in the unit.”

Our conversation leads us to my next question about Charan joining politics in the future. Upasna quips, “It is his choice really, he can do what he wants. For now though, I think he is enjoying being an actor too much to think of other career options.”

Speaking of career options, Upasna reveals a naughty side when she says, “If I had not been in healthcare, I would have loved to be a waitress and live on an island by the beach.” She also likes interior designing and has expressed her creative side by designing the interiors of the wellness centre she has set up. She adds, “I am a very sensitive person by nature. I get hurt easily but I am also very forgetful so if someone hurts me, I forget about it soon and am back to my usual self. I only remember incidents where someone may have hurt me very badly. Injustice of any kind bothers me and I get very sad when any member of my staff leaves me because I do a lot for them.”

As for people she is close to and what makes her happy, she says, “My siblings make me happy, I love fooling around with my sister Anushpala and my brother Puansh. I like doing things that make me happy, like spending time with my horses.”

With the mind of an entrepreneur, and her heart in the right place, Upasna Kamineni Konidala is representative of the new age woman. Confident and clear about her life’s purpose and goals, and in touch with her inner self, she has all that she needs to create a legacy of her own. With an illustrious family backing her, a husband and in-laws who adore her, life is all sunshine and rainbows for Upasna.

Gaga over Gamberoni

August 30, 2013

Make a beeline to the Accord Metropolitan to try Gamberoni Japanese the dish from Seasons, the all-day dining restaurant. A dish comprising crispy shrimps served with Wasabi Mayo, the Gamberoni Japanese is made with 5 simple ingredients. Japanese Panko crumbs, a very special coating, made from wheat flour to impart the right texture, is used in the dish. It is served with Wasabi Mayo, which has a sharp and tangy taste, thanks in full to the famous wasabi (Japanese horseradish).

On the pocket: Rs.495

A hot favourite of: Kazumasa Kuboki San, the President of Japanese Trade Organization.

Head to: The Accord Metropolitan, GN Chetty Road, T-Nagar, Chennai.

A lot about the Bohri cuisine

August 30, 2013

Minal Khona reviews the Raddison Blu, Hyderabad’s Bohri Food Festival

While Muslim food has its own unique taste, it differs from region to region. The Lucknowi kababs differ from the Lebanese ones as does the Hyderabadi biryani from its Kerala counterpart. One community among Muslims, the trader community that comprises largely of Bohri Muslims has its own way of cooking, serving and eating food which is quite different from other Muslim cuisines.

Firstly, in the ingredients itself, there is a lot of variation. They use a lot of milk, condensed milk, macaroni, cheese and flour which one wouldn’t traditionally associate with main course dishes. Not very spicy, their food also has a lot of cashewnuts and pure ghee and the food is usually served in a platter, where several people eat out of it at one time. Also, they start their meal with something salty, then move on to something sweet, then go to the main course.

Chef Abdul Hameed, who comes from a family of chefs who cook exclusively for the Bohri community occasions in Mumbai was flown down by the Radisson Hotel to prepare the extensive dishes on the menu. Completely authentic, what was refreshing was that he did not tweak any of the dishes to suit local palates.

The soup I sampled was Sarka – a lentil broth, mildly flavoured and creamy in texture. The mutton cutless (that is how they spell and pronounce it, it is not a typo) was a patty of mutton cooked with various spices and crispy in texture. You could actually taste the mutton among the other ingredients. The Gosht Baida Roti was a fluffy paratha stuffed with mutton and egg, again mildly spiced.

In the main course dishes, there was a creamy Baingan ka Bhartha which to my surprise was served cold. It doesn’t look anything like the traditional bhartha as it is cooked in yoghurt and with few spices without the tomato base. The Mutton biryani however, was undoubtedly the best dish of the lot. It was mildly spiced unlike its Hyderabadi counterpart, but still extremely tasty. The mutton had been cooked to perfection, even though Bohri cuisine does not believe in long marination of its meats. Individual tastes and flavours were easily identified and I must say, a very worthy option for those who can’t take too much chilli.

Desserts, my favourite part of the meal always deserve special mention. As said earlier, the emphasis on cream and condensed milk is stronger and the malpua was served with both these rich accompaniments. Usually, a malpua is served dunked in sugar syrup. The condensed milk and cream make it extremely rich and give the malpua an even more sinful appeal. Then there was the traditional Khajur ka halwa which has to be the tastiest dish prepared from dates. Crunchy, perfectly cooked and not too sweet, it just melted in the mouth.

I would say, if you do go for a Bohri food festival or attend a Bohri wedding, skip everything but the biryani and the desserts.

Jammin’ with Jhanu

August 30, 2013

If you’re a hardcore physics buff, you’d be very tied to the principle of the law of conservation of energy. But Jhanu? Well. They have a different story to tell. If your science tells you that energy can only be transformed from one to another, Jhanu’s art tells them that they can create energy. And it is true: picture four young guys with enough adrenaline to leave the Die Hard series, Usain Bolt and even Jesse Owens far behind in a race, crooning and making music like nothing before. A paroxysm of ethereal spirit bursts through you, and you are instantly sure that these guys know what they’re doing. It isn’t surprising that they tell you about their genesis in four words. “Energy, power, mass, belief. All of that’s what made the magic!” says Jhanu, the lead guitarist.

Intriguing that the band is named after the lead guitarist, right? We thought so too. But when you ask Jhanu, the guitarist, why Jhanu, the band, was named thus, he offers an enigmatic riddle in response. “Yes I named it after myself….Why not?”

The band comprises four powerhouses of talent. On the guitar is Jhanu, who formed and played in several bands that included the likes of Wreckage Avenue, Asteroid and Oxygen, and then Slingshot, which was his longest stint, before Jhanu began. The voice of the band is Lawrence, who has a massive repertoire of songs from 25 films in Tamil to his credit. The crown jewel of the lot is ‘Cable Raja’ from the movie Vaanam. Besides composing music for the movie ‘Doo’, Lawrence has also appeared on screen in two Tamil films – Pugai Padam and Uthamaputhiran. The band also has Bharat on the drums, and Hairy (yes, Hairy!) as their bassist. Coming from different backgrounds, each one brings to the table a different experience and talent bank to the band. As they explain, “Coming together from different backgrounds definitely does affect the way we play together, but on a positive note.”

Jhanu, the guitarist, resonates entirely with the philosophy underlying the band’s existence. “Both, as a band and as an individual, I’d say Jhanu exists because of music.” To Bharath, Jhanu gives him a chance to lose himself. “I lose myself when I play music!” Lawrence looks at music as a path for life. “Music is my life. And my life is a journey. Naturally, I choose to travel with music!” Hairy actually has a name, which is Harkirat Singh Sangha. Abbreviated as Harki and Hairy, the bassist is all about national integration. “I am Punjabi, but I play Tamil Rock!”

Just setting foot into the world of music, Jhanu hasn’t cut an album yet. But they have songs that have already turned the masses into frenzies like nothing before. “We have this song called Arakkan. It seems to set fire wherever we go. The song speaks about the concept “destruction”, from the perspective of Lord Shiva’s ideology of ‘destruction’ as ‘purification’. The idea is that all that starts has to end, to start again.” Wisdom in a capsule, anyone? I’ll take one for sure.

Headlining the fest at the KCG College of Engineering has been one of the most important shows for Jhanu. “We were surprised and very, very happy to see the students from the fest attending our shows regularly after that! That is the kind of thing that gives us as a band, the motivation to continue doing exactly what we believe in!” Jhanu explains. Their biggest concert was at PepperFest, at NIT, Calicut. “The crowd started singing along with us. We completely zoned out and just sailed on the high of connecting with as many as 5000-6000 people at one go! It was just priceless.”

As much as Jhanu’s philosophical twist gets you intrigued, their individual musical talents have been inspired by different artists. “For me,” says Jhanu-the-guitarist, “It would be Michael Jackson.” Bharath likes a different variant, picking Megadeth, Pantera and Whitesnake. Drawing inspiration from every manifestation of artistry possible, Lawrence casts his net wide. “My inspiration would be Rajinikanth, M. R. Radha and Charlie Chaplin!” Hairy prefers to look at Lamb of God and RATM for inspiration. As a band, though, the choices that they are unanimous appreciators of are Ozzy, Judas Priest, Daft Punk, Jim Morrison and Joe Pesci.

Jhanu, the guitarist, is from Kotturpuram, and for him, it is a natural choice to pick Kottur as a preferred area to perform at. “If we had a choice, we would love to perform in our area, Kotturpuram! Do not be surprised if we end up playing in any of these political stages set up in the area…” Jhanu says. Pausing for a moment, he adds with a grin, “And yes, we are open to playing for marriages as well!”

All set to release their music video on a song called Prachanai, this summer, Jhanu will be touring down south. “We’re looking to travel all over Tamil Nadu, starting and ending at the Marina Beach, traveling to Kovai, Trichy, Madurai and Tanjore. “We have been touring with Skrat for around one year now, and will be continuing for a while with them. They are a great bunch of musicians. Whenever we see them on stage, we lose all sense of time. When we are sharing the stage with them, we lose our senses! Skrat has been around since our school days. When I got back to Chennai after my architecture training”, begins Jhanu, “I met Skrat again after 7 years. That was when the SKRAT+JHANU shows kick-started!” So is this a collaboration for the life of the band, I ask. “Collaboration might not be the right word. I guess you can say that Skrat is a part of Jhanu and vice versa.”

Jhanu is on its path to reinvent music and its presence as a rock band in the music business. “Bands themselves do get good attention. We’d say that there has been a reasonable growth both in the quality of events and artists in the last five years. The days of rock bands composing movie tracks are not that far away!” We hope so, too!

Gaanas of the Galeej Gurus

August 30, 2013

What is Galeej Gurus all about and how did it happen?

We are about Rock and Roll. We want to explore music and have fun while at it, not saying that the fame and money doesn’t help! The name just happened, it isn’t anything significant – we liked the sound of Galeej Gurus and we adopted it. It began as a college band in our second year in 2000. Over the years there have been several lineup changes, but at the moment, the lineup is Nathan Harris on the vocals, Matthew Harris on the bass, Ananth Menon on the guitars/vocals, Naveen Thomas on the guitars, and Kishan Balaji on the drums. I have to say we have been lucky to stick together for twelve years. It takes a lot of effort to keep it together and continue playing good music – some of us are married and have kids, there are those of us who have hectic day jobs with lots of responsibility. You need to play your cards right and work hard on the marketing, it is all pretty exhausting. But the glue that keeps us together is that we love performing and still look forward to making new music together.

Tell us something about yourselves.

Nathan is married, has a set of twins, is a twin himself, and runs a successful cafe called The Hole in the Wall. He writes the lyrics and a song around this!

Matthew is married and has four dogs. He plans on running a dog shelter in the near future. And he caters events over the weekend! Oh yeah, he’s the other twin, the evil one!

Ananth is married, has two dogs and loves to ride his bicycle in his spare time. He plays the guitar full time with several bands.

Naveen plays the guitar full time and dabbles in event management occasionally. He also loves food! I mean seriously loves it. You should ask him about the cupcake fight!

Kishan plays as a sessions drummer for various acts, records jingles, and runs his own tissue paper manufacturing unit amongst many other things.

Do your diverse backgrounds impact the music you create?

Everything plays a role in the music we create. We’re all from relatively similar backgrounds economically, but I think the love for music hit all of us pretty early in life. When you play, you are in a mood to create – which means you are in a vulnerable state. You have to open yourself to stuff so you can condense it to one direction. When I say everything affects the music we create – I mean, sometimes even random pointless things in life affect our music. It may be a bad day, a fight with a spouse, a problem at work, or just some happiness spilling off our lives. It is up to us to channel that into something creative because it is a constant challenge to keep an open mind.

How do so many varied minds come up with music that is agreeable to all? Is there someone who leads the way?

Sometimes one of us comes up with an idea, we jam together and come up with music. The band gives support to that idea. We need to know that it is a sound that the band can carry off. When everybody is sure then everybody is happy. The more you learn to create and engineer these moments, the longer the band lives. With Galeej Gurus, there is no one person who leads – it is a complete democracy and everyone has veto power. No matter how many times the line-up has changed, the same rules continue to apply. It works for us – such a system may not work for all. Now we all have been coming with song ideas. Melodic ideas on the guitar while jamming sometimes translate into a structure, and we work a song around it. Of course, there is conflict – it is not all smooth. But, everything is within our closed circuit and we have a pride about that and a basic respect for each others’ lives, so we make it work.

Take us through some of your biggest songs and albums.

Our first album is in the process of mixing at the moment. Some of our better known songs are Full Meals by The Wayside, Make Some Noise, Physiological Breakdown and Believe in Tomorrow.

What inspires you all?

Inspiration comes in various ways. Sometimes an idea will just pop into your head, sometimes a movie will stir up some emotions, on occasion it could just be a spectacular sunrise. I doubt there’s any one thing that consistently fires us.

What is happening in the coming days?

Like I said the album is in its last stages, so that should be out pretty soon. We’re continuing to write and our music continues to evolve and we hope to hit Chennai sometime soon, as well as playing more in the North. We would really like to play in the North East as well. There are plans of heading abroad, but that may take a while.

Which artistes/bands inspire you most?

There’s five of us, and five worlds of music to put down, but a rough cross-section would look something like this: RHCP, Deep Purple, Eric Clapton, Cream, Foo Fighters, Kings Of Leon, Extreme, Mr Big, Bon Jovi… It really goes on, man!

Do you collaborate with other artistes and bands? Tell us about some of them.

We have collaborated in live spaces with various artists, largely local, but not restricted to. We used to have a gig every year, where we’d invite a few artists to get on stage with us. We plan to do more of those soon.

Do you think bands get enough attention in India?

When does a band EVER get enough attention? I think the attention is growing, and will continue to, because the new bands these days are writing such compelling and original material and it’s slowly drawing people in. There’s a ways to go, obviously, but I can say that it is growing. There is the Internet and stuff – everyone is getting educated about what they want to hear. Till recently adults used to make condescending noises when they heard about “bands” but now all that is changing. More information going around makes the conservative crowd more interested. Even though it is not Indian classical – increasingly grudging respect is given to Western musicians like us. They would say, they have heard about us or read about us somewhere, so it strikes a chord.

Flying high with the F16’s

August 30, 2013

The band comprises Josh Fernandez as the frontman and guitarist, Sashank Manohar on the bass, Viraj Yesudas on the guitars, Vikram Yesudas on the drums and Harshan Radhakrishnan on the keys and synthesizer.

What is The F16’s all bout? How did it happen?

The F16’s are an Electro Indie act from Chennai. The members originally played in different bands previously and got together about 8 months ago to start this band.

Why “The F16’s”?

Well… Why not? There was no real thought into naming the band. It just happened, and besides we left our literature books at home…

Have you all come from different backgrounds? Does that affect or play any role in the music you create?

Yes, all of us have different backgrounds and it does affect the way we create our music. Viraj and Vikram have a solid Rock ‘n Roll foundation, while Josh and Sashank bring out the melodies and the structures for the song and to top it all, Harshan brings in the electronica. All of us just love the feeling of playing live. Being on stage has to be a part of our lives… that’s how we work!

Take us through some of your biggest albums/songs.

We are currently recording our first EP “Kaleidoscope” with sound engineer Toby Joseph. The tentative date for release is around mid-March, so we are hoping to make a statement with this. It has 6 songs in it and each of the songs has a unique sound to it.

Which artistes/bands inspire you the most?

We’re inspired by Mutemath, Foals, The Strokes, Arctic Monkeys, Alt – J, Ratatat and some Indian acts like Shakey Rays, Adamn and The Fish Eyed Poets, Pentagram and Dualist Inquiry!

Do you think bands get enough attention in India? How about Chennai?

Chennai is pretty stagnant when it comes to the band scene. It could be way better. Right now, there are hardly any venues to play at. As for the rest of India, I guess the scene is growing, slowly but steadily.

Skrat brings out the big guns

August 30, 2013

Skrat is a band based out of Chennai. Defining their genre as being “Alternative + Hard Rock + JamBand + Something”, the band comprises Sriram on the guitar and as the lead vocalist, Satish on the bass and vocals, Tapass on the drums and vocals, and Abhinav on the guitar.

1. What is Skrat? How did it happen?

Skrat is our escape from reality. It happened over a few phone calls back in 2006, and the name, Skrat, was an innocent decision that stuck on.
2. Have you all come from different backgrounds? Does that affect or play any role in the music you create?

Each of our entries into music has been through different genres of music: from country to Carnatic. So both as a band and individually, we have played it all. But, Skrat has a sound now: a sound that we have honed and sharpened over the past 4 years. That is what sets it apart from anything else.
3. Take us through some of your biggest albums and songs.

Our first album as a band was Design. It had eight songs in it, and was more of our little experiment before we came up with the second album – which is soon to be released, and is titled Bring out the Big Guns.
4. What inspires you all, individually and collectively?

Individually, our inspiration can range over anything from food to cartoons, from dreams to oppression. Simply put, we are inspired and motivated by anything that strikes the right chord with us, and then acts as the muse.
5. What’s happening in the coming days?

Our new album, Bring out the Big Guns is going to be released soon. Besides that, we’re also releasing a couple of videos, and of course, play live on stage. We live to play live.
6. Which artistes/bands inspire you most?

All of the bands in India are trying to bring up the “scene.” Among all those bands, the few that speak that stand out for us are those that have ‘made it’ in the scene in India and abroad. Musical influences are just too many for us to put down.
7. Do you collaborate with other artistes and bands? Tell us about some of them.

Our first collaboration on record was with Shakthisree Gopalan. The song “In the rain” was released just last month. We always like the idea of collaboration, and for all those that are eager to know, wait and watch our Facebook page for updates on all of our upcoming special collaborations that we have lined up this year!

8. Do you think bands get enough attention in India? How about the scene in Chennai?

Yes and no. It is a fledgling industry and it is only fair to give it time. About five years later, it is possible that the scene will be set and the attention that bands will get, will be unparalleled.

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