kitchens past - Team-BHP
Transcript of kitchens past - Team-BHP
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Chennai ● Wednesday ● October 28, 2020
Singer Abhay Jodhpurkar on his latestindependent video ‘Ae mere dil’
page 4
When Himanshu Joshi and his family caught COVID19, he wasoverwhelmed by how kind humanity can be. “Every meal, groceries we needed... everythingcame from our neighbours,” recalls the vocalist of one of India’soldest and pioneer rock bands, Indian Ocean.
The 32yearold band behindsongs such as ‘Desert Rain’, ‘Bandeh’ and ‘Mann Kasturi’, recentlypaid its tribute to other such selfless COVID19 heroes with an anthem to the show, Bharat Ke Ma-haveer, airing in November onDiscovery India. Starring Dia Mirza and Sonu Sood as hosts, it willshowcase 12 stories about India’sspirit of solidarity through thepandemic.
While the anthem video honours those who have shown kindness during these troubled times,over a Zoom call, Indian Oceanmembers Himanshu, Rahul Ramand Amit Kilam recall the peoplethey have personally witnessed inthe act of building a more empathetic India.
“I have seen Amit Kilam and hiswife go around distributing foodpackets to migrant workers whenthe great migration started inApril. My wife, who is part of anorganisation that works withstreet dogs, saw how people spontaneously came forward to help,”says Rahul Ram.
Acknowledging that there wasan initial stigma against peoplewho tested positive, Amit says,“The same housing society groupchat where I could see rash unreasonable behaviour, has nowevolved to be more kind. As wesee how inevitable it is, people arelearning to be less scared.”
Incidentally, Amit, who plays
the drums and has also lent his vocals for the anthem, “crossed theCovid speed bump” (as the bandmembers call it), right before theyrecorded the song. “I didn’t noticeit then, but looking back, I do getout of breath while singing longersections. There are some longterm side eff��ects that need to bemonitored, but breathing exercises should help,” he shrugs.
“So the two members who livethe healthiest lifestyles caught Covid, whereas Nikhil [Rao] and I didnot. Looks like our vices have paidoff��,” jokes Ram, lightening themood.
Apart from recording this songin August, the band has not beenable to meet very often, despite allof them living in Delhi. “Maybe wewill when Himanshuji gets betterand I come back from Manali,”says Ram, who has temporarily taken to the hills. “Oh yes, right before you called, he was showing usthe valleys outside his window.You could call that a random act of
unkindness,” Amit says, sideeying his longtime collaborator.
What’s next for the oceanThe inside jokes point to almosthalf a lifetime of performing together. Known for giving fusionrock a voice, the band stood outfor its strong vocals and the incorporation of Indian musical instruments in a formerly westernisedgenre. In the past few years, however, their live concerts wereproving more popular.
They are now doing the sameonline, something that they thinkwill continue even after live performances return. “We can reachfans in cities we have never playedat,” says Ram, explaining the advantages of online concerts withthis analogy: “It is like watchingcricket on your TV — you get towatch the spin and the strikeclosely. You are watching bettercricket but you miss the energy of30,0000 people cheering withyou. So both are valid experiences
and will continue.”Before the pandemic hit, the
band had composed and recordedfi��ve songs, ready to be released.Two of them are collaborations —one with ghatam maestro VikkuVinayakram and the other, withAmerican saxophonist GeorgeBrookes.
“But then we realised that nowadays people watch music, rather than listen to it. Half of themwatch on their phones, so the bassplayer wants to kill himself,”laughs Ram, who is the bassist forthe band. The band was halfwaythrough recording the videos,when the country went intolockdown.
“And then there are eight moresongs, which are imploring, ba-nao mujhko, banao! The batter isready, it just hasn’t been fried yet,”says Ram. As of now, the band hasnot decided when the new originals will be released. Prod Amitfor a tentative date and he says,“Whenever the vaccine is made.”
An Ocean of kindness The nation’s oldest fusion rock band Indian Ocean, that has recently composed an anthem for ‘Bharat ke Mahaveer’, discusses its upcoming collaborations
:: Sweta Akundi
Up next Indian Ocean’s nextrelease will be acollaboration with ghatammaestro Vikku Vinayakram;(below) Rahul Ram in theanthem video * SPECIAL
ARRANGEMENT
When Sravani got her fi��rst period, she hadno idea how to manage the bleeding sincenobody had spoken about it to her. Even hermother was hushhush about it. She endedup using cloth and missing a week’s class atschool. Several girls like her in Billalavalasavillage in Vizianagaram district, Andhra Pradesh, would miss school for a week everymonth, some even dropping out once theyattained puberty.
Last year, the girls saw a ray of hope whenBalamitra Foundation launched a crowdfunded project to distribute menstrual hygiene kits among girls of Classes VIII to X atthe ZP High School (ZPHS), Billalavalasa.Around 150 sets were distributed by theHyderabadbased NGO.
Stigma around menstruation is one of thebiggest challenges faced by social organisations aiming to empower women in ruralAndhra Pradesh. “When we approached theschool, we realised that there were highnumbers of absentees among girl studentsin higher grades, which eventually led todropouts. We wanted to eradicate the tabooabout menstrual hygiene by talking to theparents and counselling them,” says Chandrika Kanumuri, managing trustee, Balamitra Foundation.
“Our objective is to bring about empathyand empowerment in young India. Thisyear, for the menstrual hygiene kit project,two volunteers from Visakhapatnam areleading the way in raising awareness forcrowdfunding,” says Chandrika.
As part of the project, Balamitra Foundation’s Run For A Better Future 5K run wasconducted in Hyderabad last year. The money raised was used to put together 150menstrual hygiene kits. Each kit contains100 sanitary pads, newspaper strips for disposal, two pairs of underwear, soap stripsfor handwashing, a pouch to carry napkinsto school, and a pamphlet with informationon maintaining menstrual hygiene.
The NGO procured biodegradable sanitary pads from Hyderabadbased MahinaNapkins and Visakhapatnambased womenled organisation, Sampoorna. These padsare made from wood pulp, gel sheets, wovenfabric and paper.
“Menstrual hygiene practices are structured by cultural norms, economic statusand socioeconomic pressures in rural belts.We realised that making sanitary pads accessible was just one part of this issue. Creatinga change in mindset was the main challenge.We hence visited the school with psychologists and counselled parents,” says Chandrika.
Breaking taboosAndhra Pradesh-based Balamitra Foundation’s project of
distributing menstrual hygiene kits has startedconversations on a topic often brushed under the carpet
:: Nivedita Ganguly
Change for thebetter The NGOdistributedbio-degradablesanitary padsmade of woodpulp * SPECIAL
ARRANGEMENT
Leela Mathewskins, cores andchops an applewith the fl��air ofa master chef.The apple is togo into asmooth dough and then bedunked in hot oil. Home cook Leela ismaking apple appam (Indian style apple fritters) for an eager onlineaudience.
Her YouTube channel and Instagram page, My Mother’s Kitchen, hasbeen drawing followers from aroundthe world ever since it was launched inMarch. The videos are edited by herseptuagenarian husband, who alsohandles the photography. “He learned[to operate] an editing software just forthis,” says Leela, from Baltimore, USA,where she lives.
A growing tribe of people over 55 isdiscovering the joys of social media.For the women particularly, it is an indulgent space, where they get to showoff�� their recipes and share fond foodmemories. At least for a few of them, ithas also been a way to beat lockdownblues.
“When I fi��rst started, I didn’tknow if anyone would be interested in watching at all.But I did the show becauseI wanted to record how tomake traditional recipesfor my children,” says Leela. Her videos are mostly oftraditional Malayali dishes, afew with an American twist,such as a cabbage andkale thoran or a skillet cookie, forinstance.
Leela is originally from Kottayam, andadds, “I likedoing thingsthe old fashioned way. Ilike when Ihear people saythat my cooking
makes them nostalgic for Kerala andreminds them of their mothers.”
Traditional food is a hit with the fansof Sundari Krishnamurthy, 56, fromChennai as well, who says she getsemails and messages about traditional
food. She started her Instagrampage four years ago and enjoysthe fact that she can connectwith her followers. “And forthat reason, I manage the pagemyself,” says Sundari, whoconducts cookery classes aswell. Her videos include South
Indian staples such as idli andellu milagai podi, to inno
vative ones such as abottlesprouted
green gram salad.Artist Manjri
Varde, 65,whose videoswith her
daughterinlaw, Bollywoodactor SameeraReddy, are already hugelypopular, saysshe has never
put herself out there much before, butis enjoying the fun. “Cooking is something I have always done. Duringthe lockdown, Sameera suggested we
do a video and we enjoyed it. All thecontent is prepared by her and I justtry to be myself,” she says. One of thefi��rst videos Manjri and Sameera postedwas on how to make a rotla with leftover rice. “Back in my day, we neverwasted things. So this rotla was onesuch recipe.”
Sameera posts at least two videos aweek under the hashtag #sassysaasu,which has not just culinary, but otheraspects of saas-bahu bonding with atwist. Manjri, who is currently in Goa,makes Gujarati and Maharashtrian dishes mostly, with dashes of her ownimprovisations.
Baby stepsWhile most seek the help of grandchildren and children to shoot videos, edit
them and manage their accounts, theInternet off��ers ready solutions for seniors new to social media. From howto create an account to fi��nding friends,tagging and similiar tricks and tips,help is at hand.
Nalini Menon’s YouTube channel,Ennu Swantham Amma, is managedby her son Jay. “So I am not soclued in on the number of followers, but I feel happy whenabsolute strangers compliment me on my dishes and askfor recipes,” says the 68yearold fromErnakulam. Nalini cooks simple Keralafood. “I don’t take any extra eff��ort forthis. I just cook what I normally do athome — sambar, theeyal, molakush-yam (a lentil curry) and diff��erent kindsof chutneys,” Nalini adds.
Seventythreeyearold Mary Mathew from Kolenchery, Kerala is a fan ofMasterChef Australia, which she usedto watch with her grandson John, whoalso shares her love for cooking. When
Mary started her Instagram page,@cookingfrom1970, she sent a message to Matt Preston and George Calombaris of MasterChef Australia, introducing her page. Mary was notexpecting a response, but George replied saying her food looked tasty andMatt advised her on how to take a
good food photograph so that thedish stood out, pointing out herkappa ularthu as a good example.
Mary posts recipes of dishesher mother used to make. Chak-kapazham unakkiyathu (candied
jackfruit), bilimbi thoran (bilimbistirfry) and boiled yam with chilli
chutney to mention just a few. “I geta lot of responses, especially for traditional dishes, and I fi��nd there is a lot ofinterest in ageold recipes. Earlier , weused to ask neighbours and relativesfor tips, now we just put it out there forthe world to access,” she says.
Online defi��nitely is the way ahead,so Neena Najma, just shy of 60, joinedbaking and pizzamaking classes onthe Internet. Her Instagram page (@bakeshop37) is fi��lled with images of“newage” confections and pizzas. Herdaughterinlaw Aysha Thaniya manages her account. “I have six grandchildren at home,” she says. “So I can afford to do a lot of experimenting withfood; it never goes to waste.”
Grandmothers take to socialmedia to explore, relive andreinvent recipes, with somehelp from their family
:: Anasuya Menon
Memories of
kitchens past
Flavour fi��rst (Clockwise frombottom left) Leela Mathew, NaliniMenon, Neena Najma and ManjriVarde with Sameera Reddy
* SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT,
IMAGING: M ARIVARASU
The Rapid now boasts anautomatic gearbox option
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Sport mode. The car also leapsforward when you ease off�� thebrakes from a standstill; this cancatch you by surprise, so you needto carefully modulate the throttleand brakes in bumpertobumpertraffi��c or while parking in a tight
spot. This feeling of the car
Nissan’s makeorbreak productin India — the Magnite — is acompact SUV which has thetough task of making a name foritself in a crowded segment.
The car looks quite substantial; its wellcrafted contours onthe bonnet add mass to the frontend, and the headlights peelback towards the pillars. Theskid plate runs the width of thebumper and gives the Magniteample SUV cred. The smartlydetailed octagonal grille upfront is the focal point.
The Magnite’s side profi��le ismore crossover than uprightSUV but there are plenty of nicedetails. The 16inch machinedalloy wheels look premium, thechunky cladding around thewheel arches and at the base ofthe doors is also a nice touch besides the roof rails that can holdup to 50 kilograms of load. Thetaillights enhance the SUV’s visual width and the roof spoiler isnicely integrated into the SUV’slines. Nissan has done well to
the storage recess at the base ofthe centre console and a phonebay with wireless charging. Thereal talking points are thescreens inside the cabin. Thesmallest of these are set withinthe aircon controls and act asreadouts for temperature, fanspeed and air fl��ow position; thelargest is an 8.0inch touchscreen for the infotainment system. The touchscreen featuressegmentfi��rst wireless AppleCarPlay and Android Auto.
The most interesting screen,however, is the 7.0inch TFT unit
at the instrument console.Bright and easy to read, it welcomes you with a neatly doneanimation. There are smartgraphics for the tyre pressuremonitoring system too. TheMagnite also gets an air purifi��er, puddle lamps, ambient mood lightingand a sixspeakeraudio system. Onthe safety front,there is ABSwith EBDwhile dualairbags andrear parking sensorswill bestandard fi��tacross therange.
Thefront seatsoff��er goodsupport andvisibility. The big
headrests, rear aircon ventsand a 12V charging socket areother amenities at the back.
There will be two engines onoff��er. The range will start with a72hp, 1.0litre, threecylindernaturallyaspirated petrol engine that will come with a 5speed manual gearbox. The engine of greater interest will bethe new 1.0litre, threecylinderturbopetrol engine that makesits India début on the Magnite; itis expected to make around95hp, and will come mated to amanual gearbox as standard.
Bookings for the Magnite willlikely commence towards theend of 2020, with a launch expected at the start of 2021. TheMagnite’s range is estimated tostart at ₹��5.3 lakh (exshowroom)with the fully loaded Turbo CVTversion expected to cost ₹��7.5
lakh. While it leaves a goodfi��rst impression, we
will wait to drive theMagnite before
forming anopinion..
A promising fi��rst
impression:: Nikhil Bhatia
Ready to set sail The Magnite islikely to launch in early 2021
* SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Attention to stylistic detail are the highlights of Nissan’s Magnite,which will have to hold its own in the compact SUV segment
add cladding lower down on therear bumper to bring more personality to the tail end of the car,but wider tyres could havehelped its stance.
Fully screenedInside, the dashboard has itsshare of stylistic fl��ourishes like
surprise is space at the back. Ingress is easy, thanks to a relatively large door aperture. There ismore than ample head and kneeroom for sixfooters. The seatsare well padded and off��er goodthigh support. Adjustable rear
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CHENNAI THE HINDU METROPLUS
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WHEELS
It has been a few months since wefi��rst reviewed the Skoda Rapid 1.0litre TSI turbopetrol and found itto be a fundamentally strong proposition with a smooth and likeable engine. Now, the carmakerhas added the muchawaited automatic gearbox option to its lineup, and like before, it is a 6speedtorque converter unit. But oneshould keep in mind that this is anew unit and has not just carriedover the BS4 Rapid 1.6 petrol. So,what is it like to drive?
The variant that we tested is theStyle automatic, which is positioned a notch below the MonteCarlo. While the latter has a sportier look, the Style variant getsclassy chrome touches all alongthe body to go with its silver, 16inch alloys. It is also available infour paint shades including a newToff��ee Brown option (as seenhere). On the inside, too, this onegets a beige theme, and there is amore conventional steering (notthe fl��atbottomed unit). Interestingly, Skoda has off��ered the Rapidautomatic across multiple variantsand priced it between ₹�� 9.4913.29lakh (exshowroom).
Seamless transitionThe 6speed torque converter unitused here is the same used byVolkswagen in the Vento and Polo.This gearbox, paired to the TSI engine, feels smooth and seamless;the ratios are well judged andcomplement the engine’s performance. In the lower gears, it is notprogrammed to shift to the highest possible ratio at the earliest, soeven with a light foot, it will shift ata little over 2,000rpm.
Even that initial bit of turbo lag,which is noticeable in the manual,is nicely masked by this automatic. But while cruising at 80kph,the auto will move into the sixthgear for fuel effi��ciency. At thosespeeds, even the gentlest of inputs to the accelerator will makeit downshift to fi��fth or fourth inorder to build momentum. Thistransition is so smooth that youbuild speed eff��ortlessly withoutrealising that there has been a gearchange, unless you look at the MID
reading.What comes as a bit of a sur
prise is that, like the manual version, the automatic’s performanceis quicker than the Vento TSI AT.This, despite sharing the samecomponents, tune and weighingalmost the same. In the Sportmode, the gearbox will keep theengine on the boil to extract maximum performance. There is also amanual mode that allows you totake over control of the gearbox.
But it is not all as perfect as itseems. While decelerating to acomplete halt, the gearbox downshifts rather aggressively and thetransition from third to second, inparticular, is jerky.
Classy performerThe issue is evenmore pronounced in
‘running away’ is due to a high idlespeed set by the company to guardagainst the small capacity motorstalling when it is off�� boost at nearidle RPM.
The Rapid Rider Plus AT is thevalue pick in this range. Despitebeing the entry level variant in theautomatic range, it gets equipment like onetouch operation forall four power windows, automatic climate control, tilt and telescopic steering adjustment, electric mirror adjustment, and alsofeatures a 6.5inch touchscreen infotainment system with AndroidAuto and Apple CarPlay at ₹�� 9.49lakh. The Style trim we tested,priced at ₹�� 12.99 lakh, packs in additional kit such as projector headlamps, auto dimming rearviewmirror, four airbags, fog lamps, an8.0inch touchscreen, leatheretteupholstery, rainsensing wipersand a rearview camera.
Despite the Rapid’s age,this Skoda still remains
one of the nicest carsto drive in its class.And even thoughthis automatic hasits foibles, it issmooth and seamless for the mostpart, and the per
formance is impressive. The ₹��1.50 lakh
premium that it commands over the manual
version is the price you pay forconvenience.
Smooth and seamless The Rapid’sbiggest plus is its impressiveperformance * SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Withstanding the test of timeDespite its age, the Skoda Rapid remains oneof the nicest cars to drive in its class
:: Saumil Shah
SPECIFICATIONS
ENGINE: 999cc, 3 cyls, turbopetrol
MAX POWER: 110hp at 50005500rpm
MAX TORQUE: 175Nm at17504000rpm
GEARBOX: 6speed automatic
LENGTH: 4413mm
WIDTH: 1699mm
HEIGHT: 1466mm
WHEELBASE: 2552mm
BOOT CAPACITY: 460 litres
TANK SIZE: 55 litres
WEIGHT: 11391169kg
TYRES (F|R): 195/55 R16AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Ather introduces new buy back scheme
for 450X, 450 PlusAther has announced a new guaranteed buyback scheme forthe 450X and 450 Plus models. Under the scheme, thecompany will buy back the 450X for ₹�� 85,000 and the 450Plus for ₹�� 75,000 at the end of three years. Ather Energy,however, has put a maximum limit on the mileage at30,000km. The company has also revealed that it will startdeliveries of the 450X around Deepavali.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
AUTO SNIPPETS
Maruti Suzuki launches Swift
Limited EditionMaruti Suzuki has launched the Swift Limited Edition withprices starting from ₹�� 5.44 lakh and going up to ₹�� 8.27 lakh(exshowroom, Delhi). The Limited Edition models feature anaccessories package that adds a number of cosmetic changeson the outside and inside. This pack is available across all fourvariants of the Swift — LXi, VXi, ZXi and ZXi+ — and adds₹��24,999 to the price of the standard variant.
Mercedes to locally assemble AMG
cars in IndiaMercedesBenz has announced that it will beginmanufacturing some of its AMG models in India. The carmaker currently has eight AMG models in our market, which itoffers in the 43, 53, 63 and GT series. These models andprevious AMGs have all been imported into India as fully builtunits. The first model to be made in India is the AMG GLC 43Coupe which is set to launch in India on November 3, 2020.
TVS NTorq 125 SuperSquad
Edition launchedTVS has launched the new Ntorq 125 SuperSquad Edition ata price of ₹��83,327 (exshowroom). The SuperSquad Editionscooters feature cosmetic additions inspired by Marvel’sAvengers. They are available in three colour schemes — Invincible Red, Stealth Black and Combat Blue — inspired byIron Man, Black Panther and Captain America respectively.
Classic choice
Which is better betweenthe MercedesBenz Cclass300d and GLC 220d4Matic? My monthlyrunning is around 5,000km, of which 7080% is onthe highways and 2030 %in rural areas.
Dhaval Lakhatariya,Rajkot● The GLC being an SUV is better suited to rough roads and rural areas, but overall, the Cclassis better as it off��ers more comfort and is a smoother and nicercar to drive. We take it that inGujarat the roads are good, so ifthat is the case, go for theCclass.
Throw some lightI have modifi��ed my 2018 Maruti Suzuki Ertiga’s headlights from the originalbulbs to 190, but the throwis unsatisfactory. I havetried LEDs but they are notthat great. Could you suggest the right kit in HIDs orLEDs?
Rajendran Anthony,Chennai● You could go for an HID projector setup from Morimoto. A55W HID kit running 5,500Kbulbs from Morimoto shouldimprove the lighting on yourErtiga.
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Q AND A WITHHORMAZD
Hormazd Sorabjee is the editor of
Autocar India. Mail your feedback
and queries to
He calls it “karmic coincidence”, butexpecting any other response fromHarshvardhan Rane — a selfconfessed fan of fi��lmmaker Bejoy Nambiar — is futile. “I’m a blind fan of Bejoy’s. There is a TV clip he used inone of his earlier works, a short fi��lm,and I was the actor in that clip. I thinkwe were destined to work together,”he says.
Such is the admiration, that the36yearold actor admits to quarantining himself in his room for a week(much before his tryst with COVID19) to mentally prepare for therole of Pali in Nambiar’s upcomingfi��lm Taish.
The primary emotion driving Pali,says Harshvardhan, is rage. “It wasimportant for me to fi��nd out wherethat rage comes from. It is not an everyday emotion. I think it has todo with incidents from one’schildhood. When I got therole, I spent a week without my phone in aroom, stayed awayfrom all human contact, and asked the people in my home to justslide the food to me on aplate so that I don’t seeanyone. I started recording
myself and took notes of things thatcould have aff��ected Pali’s relationship with his parents and siblings. Iwanted to build the rage gradually,”says Harshvardhan, over phone fromMumbai.
Off��beat trackThat one of his actors was subjectinghimself to this treatment did worryNambiar, especially after — Harshvardhan remarks with a laugh — thelatter told him: “I will see you on theother side.” The output of his eff��orts,however, convinced the fi��lmmakerthat it was the right thing todo. “Before the shoot, he(Bejoy) told me that Ishould refer to my notes ifever I felt that the character was not developingaccording to the ‘graph’that both of us had agreed
on. So I think he was satisfi��ed withmy work,” he adds.
The actor is still on the recoverytrail after contracting COVID19; hisvoice is coarse and the stress of uttering words fl��oats through in his tone.“Apart from strong medicines, it isthe belief that is bringing me back.When you are down with COVID, it isessential for people to mentally lookforward to something. I’m gratefulthat Bejoy kept sending me teaser,trailer and the poster (for Taish)whilst I was in ICU. I even did a bit ofdubbing from there,” Harshvardhansays.
Taish is an actiondrama set in theUK and follows the lives of fi��ve people, some of whom are baying for revenge. Besides Harshvardhan, thefi��lm stars Pulkit Samrat, Kriti Kharbanda, Jim Sarbh, Abhimanyu Singhand Sanjeeda Shaikh among others.Interestingly, Taish is set to release asa fi��lm as well as a sixepisode web series simultaneously, and while it haskicked up intrigue among moviebuff��s, Harshvardhan is clear abouthis preference.
“I ran away from my house when Iwas 16 to be a part of fi��lms. So I’mrooting for Taish as a fi��lm because weshot it as one, but I’m blown away byBejoy’s genius to experiment withthe content.” But he is quick to note:“It is not any disrespect [for web series]. It is just due to the unfamiliarity.”
He then tries to draw a parallelwith a remark that is more a sharptake on how the fi��lm industry perceives outsiders. “It is like how people [in fi��lms] don’t know me, so theylook through me and don’t noticeme. It is not that I do not want to de
liver or cannot work on myself.It is just that there is no fami
liarity,” Harshvardhan says.The actor was supposed
to have started work on hisnext Bollywood fi��lm a couple of weeks ago, if not forthe virus. “My COVID situa
tion pushed the start date toNovember 9. I think there
will be an announcement about the
fi��lm at theend of October,” hesays.
Taishstreams onZEE5 fromOctober 29
Driven by rageAs he recovers from COVID19, actorHarshvardhan Rane discusses the eff��ort it tookto be part of Bejoy Nambiar’s upcomingensemble drama, Taish
:: Pradeep Kumar
Method manHarshvardhan Rane asPali in stills from Taish
* SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
<> When you are
down with
COVID, it is
important for
us to mentally
look forward to
something
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HAGAR THE HORRIBLE
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CALVIN AND HOBBES
PEARLS BEFORE SWINE
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THE HINDU METROPLUS CHENNAI
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For composer Carlos Rafael Rivera, itall began in April 2018, with an email.Longtime friend and partner incrime, Oscarwinner Scott Frank, hadjust read The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis and emailed to say that thiswas their next project. Carlos thenproceeded to read the book, and immediately mapped out ideas for thescore that would inexorably amplifythe narrative in profound ways.
The duo had worked on Godless, aWestern series on Netfl��ix. But TheQueen’s Gambit taps into the world ofchess through a fi��ctional story. Set inthe Cold War era, it follows ElizabethHarmon (Anya Taylor Joy) who develops a talent for chess during her early years in an orphanage. She is thenadopted by a couple, and her talent isencouraged taking her around theworld. However, Beth descends into adependency on tranquilisers whichdarkens the plot — ultimately invitingCarlos to experiment withcompositions.
Composing intrigue“We were all concerned about visually translating the sport,” recalls Carlosover a call from his home in Miami,USA. “I’ve seen all the fi��lms and documentaries about chess that I couldand I realised I had to score for 20odd games where each one wouldhave its own thing. And how do youmake it interesting to people that donot know? I grew up with chess in thatmy dad played a little, but I nevercared about it. It didn’t work to writemusic that would apply to the gameslike a template.”
Carlos and Scott had gone back andforth for months until Carlos realisedthat writing for context was key — hehad to score according to what happened before and after the match.The composer agrees that, given thestory is centred on Beth, the musicchannels her emotions during a
match too; if she’s feeling particularlycompetitive, there’s battle music, ifshe almost apologetically wins, themusic portrays this too.
Beth, aloof in some moments andactually relatable in others, was “nota monothematic character.” Carlos,who is deeply impressed by actorAnya, started scoring aspects of hercharacter, be it victory, addiction,heartbreak, or loss. He chuckles, adding, “These are very nerdy musicalthings! I wanted to present very coldand simple instrumentation in theform of piano and cello as she leavesthe orphanage. By the time she goesto the USSR to compete, it is fullyorchestral.”
The Queen’s Gambit features
soundtrack as well as score, so Carlosstates, “The songs of that time — suchas Bill Compton’s ‘25th of the 12th’and Peggy Lee’s ‘Fever’ — help placeyou in time more successfully thanmusic ever would.” He also commends Wiley Stateman, the series’sound designer, whom everyonedubs ‘Obi Wan Kenobi’ because hehas worked for many Quentin Tarantino fi��lms including Once Upon aTime in Hollywood. Carlos describesthe symbiosis: “Music doesn’t live justagainst the picture, music lives in alandscape that is really terraformedby the dialogue and sound design. SoWiley and I collaborated very earlyon, working in tandem to help tellScott’s story.”
Throughout the series, audienceswill feel anchored by the sound of theticking chess timer, around whichsome of the music was scored. “It’s inthe main title which I wrote in December 2018,” agrees Carlos, “and it’s always been constant… because it’s notonly the two people playing againsteach other, it’s each individual playing against time. That was one of thegreat examples of collaborating withWiley, in having these momentswhere music takes over or the clocktakes over.”
A lot of Beth’s pain is shownthrough the music, agrees Carlos whoadds that he scored Beth’s biologicalmother, who is seen in fl��ashbacksthrough the series. “Beth didn’t knowhow to love in those fi��rst eight years ofher life — her father was absent andher mother was unstable — and shedoesn’t understand that part of life.She does, however, understandchess, because she feels like she cancontrol it. There was an empathy machine trigger that wasn’t activated inthe fi��rst stage of her life, to no fault ofher own; the music for these fl��ashbacks are a variation that is darkerand lower.” Then came scoring addiction. “There was this melodic ideathat was actually slowed down andyou’d hear it in the cello, to resonatethat stoned pointofview.”
Carlos feels blessed to be involvedin storytelling that empowers women. “The time had come for womenand chess, but represented fi��ctionally. It’s about an orphan girl from Kentucky beating the Russians at theirown game during the Cold War era,so it’s been a privilege to be a part ofthat storytelling.”
The Queen’s Gambit is streamingon Netfl��ix.
Carlos Rafael Riveradescribes how he scoredindividual musiccompositions for the 20oddchess matches in Netfl��ixpsychologicaldrama TheQueen’s Gambit
:: Divya Kala Bhavani
Your move,
composer
Complex moves Carlos Rafael Rivera(top) was thrilled to reunite with
Scott Frank for The Queen’s Gambit* SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
CARTOONS
An ode to a writer
The late P Lankesh needs nointroduction . In fact, he took the worldof Kannada writingby storm in the‘70s and ‘80s, notto forget thefamed tabloidLankesh Patrike,which was ahousehold name.He has also left hismark in theKannada filmindustry with theNational Award-winning film,Pallavi.Now, his son,Indrajit Lankeshhas come up with an app to celebrate hisfather’s writings. Simply called Lankesh,
the app will be officially launched onNovember 1. The app will feature all theworks of Lankesh in an audio format.Indrajit’s mission is to make his father’s
literary worksreach the presentgeneration. “Thedigital format isto get theyoungergeneration toknow his works. Ibelieve myfather’s writingsare contemporary.Till date, the salesshow that hisbooks are one ofthe highestselling books inKannada
literature. And, he wrote intensely foralmost three decades!” says Indrajit.
Lankesh’s writings include novels, playsand poetry. Some of his popular worksare Kallu Karaguva Samaya Mattu ItharaKathegalu, Hulimavina Mara andSankranti to name a few. Till date around 10 books of his havebeen translated to audio books and hasvoice overs by actors like SuchendraPrasad. Besides the works of Lankesh, Indrajitalso reveals that the app will soon bringthe works of other Kannada writers too. “The plan is to include biographies of DrVishnuvardhan, Ravichandran , ShankarNag — some of which were published byLankesh Patrike. Later works of writerslike Siddalingaiah, Poornachandra Tejasvialso are in the pipeline,” he adds. . The app is free and enabled with audiobooks. It will be avilable on Google Play.and IOS.
Shilpa Anandraj
A powerful solo can hold a song entirely on itsown. For this week’s Playlist, singer MadhuraDhara Talluri, the voice behind ‘Unakaaga’in Bigil, lists her favourite tracks that ride onthe female singer’s musical prowess
Earlier this month, Ultimate Fighting Championship superstar HollyHolm was in top form at the UFCFight Night held at Yas Island in AbuDhabi, as the professional boxer/kickboxerturnedMMA fi��ghter beatIrene Aldana, and set up yet another run for the bantamweight title.
In her storied career, the Hall ofFame champion boxer has seen itall, as a multipletime world champion in boxing, defending her titles18 times in three weight classes, andholding the distinction of being thefi��rst (and only) fi��ghter to hold aworld boxing title as well as a UFCtitle.
Widely considered among thebest female boxers of all time, Hollyalso gained worldwide fame in 2015when she won the bantamweighttitle, giving popular wrestler/ MMAfi��ghter Ronda Rousey her fi��rst lossin the sport, in what was hailed asone of the biggest upsets in combatsports history.
Today in the ‘new normal,’ Hollybelongs to the select group of proathletes in combat sport who have
to engage with their peers in closequarters during matches, as compared to the likes of football orcricket where social distancing canbe naturally followed.
“We have had a whole diff��erentexperience, going across the world,quarantining and all that. I have agreat team with me, and my coaches are great, helping me get someworkouts in and I’m very prepared,” Holly tells us on a Zoom callfrom Abu Dhabi, where she waspresent for UFC Fight Night.
“Back where I live, even whenCOVID fi��rst started, I was able to beoutside running, working out and soon. Then the gyms opened up and Ihad great training partners whohelped me stay in shape duringthe pandemic. So I’m lucky ithasn’t aff��ected me too badly,” says the 38year old.
She adds, “My familyhas been really supportiveand asked me to keepfi��ghting. We have hadlike four or fi��ve tests, sothere’s that ease in ourminds that we aren’t being exposedto a bunch of people by travelling.”
to evolve her style to fi��t in, after shemade the switch: “Boxing is verydiff��erent from MMA. You’re notworrying about the kicking range,the clench, the wrestling and grappling. Some habits from boxing hadto stop which don’t work in MMA,and I had to evolve as a mixed martial artist.”
The switch to MMAPatience, she says, is key for aspiring female boxers. “A lot of times,people get into the sport, but forgetit takes time to progress from theamateur to professional stage. Youaren’t getting a title fi��ght in yourfi��rst bout. Take it one step at a timeand don’t get complacent. Challenge and believe in yourself. Ittakes time to learn.”
Holly herself treasures the boutsin which she has been viewed as theunderdog. “Everyone remembersthe Ronda fi��ght, but there havebeen plenty of times where I camein and believed in myself, no mat
ter what anybody said and evenwhen the whole world was
against me. Those are the victories that stick with you themost.”
Watch UFC Fight Night:Uriah Hall vs Anderson Sil
va on November 1, 4.30 amonwards, on Sony Ten 2 and SonyTen 3 (Hindi) channels
Champion boxerturnedMMA fi��ghter Holly Holmshares what the new normallooks like for a proathlete ina combat sport
:: Gautam Sunder
The underdog win RondaRousey (left) and Holly Holmfi��ght during their UFCbantamweight title bout inMelbourne in 2015; Hollyduring the UFC Fight Nightweighin in Abu Dhabi
* AP/GETTY IMAGES
Seven years ago, when Pavitra Chalam was researching for a project,she stumbled upon a photographthat was arresting, almost unreal. Itwas of a baby girl with a 36inchhead (double the usual size). Pavitra, a documentary fi��lmmaker whotells stories of children with complex needs, felt compelled to knowmore about this baby, Roona Begum, from a little village, JiraniaKhala, in Tripura. Pavitra and hercofi��lmmaker, Akshay Shankar, decided that it would be their next.With their team they left from Bengaluru to a hospital in Delhi, whereRoona was awaiting surgery withher parents.
This was how the documentaryshort Rooting for Roona, nowstreaming on Netfl��ix, began. It was
screened at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival ofKerala, Tryon Film Festival in NorthCarolina and South Asian Film Festival of Orlando. It was also one ofsix fi��lms chosen by the Women inFilm Finishing Film grant in 2019.
The baby’s photograph had captured the attention of national and
international media. Roona and hydrocephalus (a condition, whereincerebrospinal fl��uid accumulates inbrain cavities, enlarging the head)were a hot topic. The toddler had asuccessful surgery. With that, themedia frenzy ended. But Pavitra,Akshay and their team decided tobe with Roona and her family. Anassistant director, Ananya Roy,spoke their dialect and acted as aliaison between the family and doctors, media among others. Roona’sbattle with hydrocephalus was notover. No one knew if or when itwould.
Sudden heartbreak“Usually, for a documentary, youcan preempt certain things andmake a plan. But in this case, rightfrom day one, we had to tell ourselves anything can happen,” saysAkshay.
“The end we had in mind wasseeing her walk. That was everyone’s dream,” adds Pavitra.
However, it was not a fairytale.Roona passed away in 2017 whenshe was fi��ve and a half. “It was devastating. She was a month awayfrom one more surgery that mighthave cured her,” says Pavitra.
Rooting for Roona, however, isneither a sobstory nor a documentary about hydrocephalus itself.
“Every living day was a hardwonvictory for Roona and her young parents [Fatima Khatun and AbdulRahman]. She was living on impossibility,” says Pavitra. The documentary, hence, is a tale of inspiration, she adds.
A love storyThe makers say that Rooting forRoona, without doubt, is theirtoughest project. It was, in manyways, also their most memorable.
“We are a small productionhouse. So, it was diffi��cult to getfunding, assemble a team. But wegot a lot of support from within theteam and outside,” says Akshay,“We had to beg, borrow, steal tostay in the dingiest of places so thatwe could spend another day withthe family.”
For Pavitra, the documentary ismore personal. She was pregnantduring the postproduction phase,a few months after Roona’s death.“In a way, Roona was my fi��rst child.The nine months of pregnancycoincided with the fi��lm’s postproduction,” she says, “I also spent alot of time with Fatima. I could understand deeply her feelings forRoona. This documentary… it is alove story between a mother anddaughter; a love story between usand this little girl.”
That little
GIRL:: Praveen Sudevan
A personal storyThe makers of thedocumentary withbaby Roona on theset * SPECIAL
ARRANGEMENT
How Pavitra Chalam and Akshay Shankar conceived Rooting for Roona, adocumentary that narrates the story of a baby battling hydrocephalus
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CHENNAI THE HINDU METROPLUS
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SPECTRUM
‘Ae mere dil’, an independent music video with the song composed by JeetGannguli and sung by Abhay Jodhpurkar, crossed a million views on YouTube within a few hours of its launchlast week. The music video, producedby VYRL Originals, features ShaheerSheikh and Tejasswi Prakash and is thefi��rst collaboration between Abhay andJeet.
Abhay had sung a Tamil version ofthe composer’s popular Hindi track‘Muskurane ki wajah’ from the fi��lm CityLights, which had caught the latter’s attention: “He liked my rendition andmuch later, I got to work with him for‘Ae Mere Dil’,” says Abhay.
The love ballad addresses relationship turmoil and Abhay says he wasmoved to tears by Manoj Muntashir’slyrics: “It’s beautifully written andbrought back memories. Anyone whohas been through heartbreaks willrelate to this song which spellshope.”
Romantic melodies have become Abhay’s forte, since ‘Moongil Thottam’ from Kadal (Tamil).There were other groovy, foottapping hits like ‘Helana…’ (IruMugan, Tamil), but romanticmelodies became histrump card. There was‘Itu itu…’ (Kanche, Telugu) and later hisfi��rst Hindi fi��lmsoundtrack ‘Meranaam tu’ (Zero):“Melodies have along shelf life and Iam happy I got tosing these songs. Iam sensitive by nature and can cry atthe drop of a hat; Iam happy to havebeen typecast in thissegment, though Ihave tried out various songs. Infact, I remember
AR Rahman mentioning in an interviewthat there was something spiritualabout my voice. I take it as a huge compliment,” says Abhay.
On his YouTube channel, one can listen to his cover versions of alltime hits‘Lag jaa gale’, ‘Yeh haseen vadiyan’ anda medley tribute to Mohammed Rafi��: “Ilove the golden age of Hindi fi��lm musicand the cover versions are my tribute tothe legends. When I choose a song forcover rendition, I don’t think of howmany views it will get; I select songsthat I love listening to.”
Those who have followed Abhay’smusical journey might be aware thatthe Indoreborn singer pursued Engineering in Chennai, learnt music at KMMusic Conservatory and is a protege ofAR Rahman. The college years in Chennai helped him learn to speak in Tamil,and he got familiar with Telugu andKannada during his initial years as asinger.
A familiar voice in South Indian languages, Zero gave hima break in Hindi fi��lm music. Simultaneously, Abhay hasbeen exploring the independent music space. He acknowledges the resurgence inindependent music and says,
“It’s a good time for originalmusic; the OTT space is opening
up and there’s a lot of scopeto look beyond the norm.”
Reverting to talk about‘Ae Mere Dil’, Abhay saysthe collaboration with thecomposer, lyricist and thecreative team happenedover Zoom meetings: “Itwas rejuvenating to shareideas; music kept us goingduring the lockdown. Thevirtual collaboration wasrather smooth.”
Jamming over zoomAbhay Jodhpurkar onhis latest ‘Ae mere dil’
* SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
A familiar name in fi��lm music, singer AbhayJodhpurkar is equally at ease with independent music
:: Sangeetha Devi Dundoo
‘Melodies have a long shelf life’
All ‘bout the
fi��ght in youBeing one of the most expe
rienced UFC fi��ghters on the circuit,does she come under pressure toperform each time she steps intothe ring? How are events diff��erentnow without any fans cheering orjeering?
“Yeah, I defi��nitely feel the pressure — but in a good way. I feel like ifthings weren’t expected of me, itmeans I haven’t accomplishedanything before. I want to show people why I’m still here and fi��ghting.The atmosphere now... it’s diff��erent, but I’m okay with it. Fans arewatching all over the world and Ikeep that in my mind; we are stillfi��ghting in front of millions. Onceyou’re in there with your opponent,you want to win, that’s what I wantto focus on,” Holly says.
Having adapted to the UFC’stechniques after a decorated boxingcareer, Holly explains that she had
Chupke Se
(Saathiya)This is the Hindi version ofthe popular Tamil track‘Snehitane’; the lyric andmelody go hand in handhere. There are twocontrasting melodies insidethis, yet they gel well.Lyricist Gulzar’s vivid yetrelatable imagery drew meto this song. There’s amystical setting to this ARRahmancomposed songthat has been sungbeautifully by SadhanaSargam.
:: Srinivasa Ramanujam
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
HOMING IN
Agar Tum Saath Ho (Tamasha)This song generates a feeling of helplessness. The word‘Agar’ (if ) is so important in this track, but beyond the pain,there is sense of comfort. What I adore about this track byAlka Yagnik is its nature to protect and comfort you as wellas well as throw you into the reality of the situation, which isall about loneliness. The contrasting emotion this songgenerates really hits you.
We would love to know how you are keeping busy at home. Tell us what you are listening to, at
Manasuna Mallela (Malliswari)The background music is negligible in this classic
Telugu song; it’s just the singer and the shrutiplaying in the background. This plays out in an
intimate sequence, and the song talks about how theleading lady is at peace... singeractor Bhanumathi
whispers the word ‘hai’ which brings out theintimacy in her voice. The gamakas Bhanumathi
brings out are unique. I would recommend singersto try reproducing her phrases in this song.
Aaja Ri Nindiya (Do Bigha Zamin)This is not your average lullaby by Lata Mangeshkar. Thevideo has a mother singing to her child, and how thehousehold help misses her own. Across the world, peoplecan relate to it. When I fi��rst tried to sing this, it brought outso many emotions. Thinking of the strong visual helped medeliver it. Even now, when I speak about this SalilChowdharycomposed track, I choke.
Vaan Varuvaan (Katru Veliyidai)I was not too fl��uent in Tamil when this song
released, but still I understood what it was tryingto convey. The melody did that so beautifully.Later, when I understood the meaning of the
words, it just made it more wholesome. There’s apristine quality to both the audio and video of this
track sung by Shashaa Tirupati.