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27290003
Executive Director<br />
ISHWARI MOHITE PATIL<br />
Deputy Editor-in-Chief<br />
AnjALI Shetty<br />
Feature Writers<br />
sanAA nALWALLA<br />
Vidya UnnITHAn<br />
Designer<br />
Pravin VARUTE<br />
Marketing and Branding Head<br />
Gaurav SHIVAdekar<br />
Marketing rEpresentatives<br />
HARSHIT HUndET<br />
akankSHA dHARMAni<br />
consultant Designers<br />
DebASHISH PadHEE<br />
Gokul nAIR<br />
consultant photographer<br />
SHIVA SHARMA<br />
Cover shoot location<br />
THE Westin Pune kOREGAOn Park<br />
Shivratna Media Pvt Ltd<br />
Suyog Fusion, Office No. 901, Sr. No. 348/1,<br />
Dhole Patil Road, Sangamwadi, Pune- 411001<br />
Ph.: 020 6620 4111 / 222 / 333<br />
Fax.: 020 6620 4777<br />
email:info.crememagazine@gmail.com I<br />
www.crememagazine.in<br />
This monthly magazine is owned by Shivratna Media Private<br />
Limited. Printed and published by Shivtejsinh Mohite Patil,<br />
printed at <strong>JRD</strong> Printpack Private Limited, Manikchand House,<br />
100 -101, D. Kennedy Road, Pune-411001.<br />
Published at Suyog Fushion, Office No. 901, Sr. No. 348/1,<br />
Dhole Patil Road, Sangamwadi, Pune-411001.<br />
Disclaimer: All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or part without written permission<br />
is strictly prohibited. Shivratna Media Pvt Ltd cannot be responsible for unsolicited<br />
material. All photographs, unless otherwise indicated,<br />
are used for illustrative purposes only. All prices and information are correct at the time of<br />
going to press but are subject to change.<br />
follow us on
On the occasion of International Women’s Day, we dedicate this issue to all the<br />
wonderful women around us. A woman leads her life as a daughter, sister, wife,<br />
mother and countless other relationships with ease and utmost sincerity. She is<br />
the epitome of patience and confidence. On the cover, we bring to you such strongwilled<br />
business woman, who have carved a niche in their respective fields. This<br />
month, we also highlight women artistes and a mixologist, and get them to share<br />
their professional journey. Here’s to more women power!<br />
– Shivtejsinh Mohite Patil,<br />
Chairman
Contents<br />
An act OF love<br />
Pankaj and Kashyata share as beautiful a real-life chemistry as they portray on stage.<br />
20<br />
28<br />
50<br />
UPCYCLE YOUR LIFE<br />
Medha Tadpatrikar discusses the cons of<br />
plastic, pollution and the steps needed to<br />
reverse the process of waste management.<br />
SimPLICIty in maximalism<br />
Indian design JJ Valaya speaks to Crème on<br />
entering phase two of his creative evolution.<br />
52<br />
Authors OF Pune<br />
We bring to you celebrated authors of the city,<br />
who have made it big in the literary field.<br />
60<br />
An EPIdemIC OF haPPIness<br />
Radhika Mukherji talks about her new venture<br />
Happydemic and work-life balance.<br />
FOR more images, stories and interesting reads,<br />
log on to www.crememagazine.in
WOMEN, POWER AND DEVELOPMENT 72<br />
We pick four strong-willed and interesting women from the city, who have<br />
carved a niche for themselves.<br />
96<br />
A sPOON FULL OF SASS<br />
Mumbai's latest offering has touched base in<br />
Pune and the anxious wait is finally over.<br />
98<br />
Life as a fit mom<br />
Crème brings to you fit mommies in the city,<br />
who make it a point to train or exercise with<br />
their little ones.<br />
106<br />
Of the woman, for the woman<br />
and by the woman<br />
Let's take a look at the journey of a woman who<br />
pioneered the art of belly dancing in the city,<br />
Essa Duhaime.<br />
112<br />
beach bOUNty<br />
Goa is so much more than that, it is surreal,<br />
intoxicating, quaint and liberating.<br />
For more images, stories and interesting reads,<br />
log on to www.crememagazine.in
society<br />
Rishi Chopra<br />
General Manager,<br />
Le Meridien, Mahabaleshawar, Resort and Spa<br />
One Word To Describe<br />
Yourself:<br />
An extrovert<br />
Favourite book:<br />
The Joy of Achievement:A<br />
conversation with <strong>JRD</strong> Tata.<br />
A motto you live by:<br />
Live a day and you’ll never<br />
regret it.<br />
The most expensive<br />
thing you’ve bought:<br />
The classic Gucci perfume.<br />
The best blend of<br />
coffee that you like:<br />
A shot of Illy espresso.<br />
One thing about Pune<br />
that you love:<br />
The Vada pav and Chitale<br />
Bandu pedhas.<br />
One spot in the<br />
property which is<br />
your favourite:<br />
The butterfly seats. It’s the most<br />
beautiful spot because when the<br />
flowers bloom it looks like the<br />
butterflies are sitting on<br />
the flowers.<br />
favourite cuisine:<br />
Asian, Japanese to be specific.<br />
One adventure sport<br />
you would love<br />
to try:<br />
I am afraid of heights, so anything<br />
underwater, I’d like to try<br />
scuba diving.<br />
success mantra:<br />
Success is all about hard work,<br />
working differently and<br />
innovation.<br />
favourite sport:<br />
Hockey.<br />
most possessive item:<br />
My car.<br />
Go to guilty<br />
pleasure: Chocolate,<br />
chocolate, chocolate.<br />
The best and worst<br />
part of your job<br />
Best: When you get compliments<br />
that your team does their job right.<br />
Worst: When I don’t get<br />
compliments for a good job done.<br />
Your go to hobby:<br />
To just have a relaxing day on<br />
the beach.<br />
favourite travel<br />
destination:<br />
Maldives.<br />
18 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
Pankaj and Kashyata share as beautiful a real-life chemistry as they<br />
portray on stage. Crème speaks to them on their journey from being<br />
co-workers to life partners<br />
Photographer: Shiva Sharma<br />
A<br />
vision and a dream to do something different brought<br />
together Pankaj and Kashyata. The couple believes the<br />
deep, serious passion for events they both share was a<br />
catalyst to their relationship. She’s childlike, he’s mature;<br />
she is bubbly, he is composed; however, they both are<br />
chatty and extremely transparent. They are as different as chalk and<br />
cheese and this is why they create such magic together. “We can have<br />
long, unending conversations that go on through the night. Be it heated<br />
arguments or intellectual discussions, our conversations are the spice of<br />
our life, that continually brings freshness in our relationship. Like every<br />
other couple we do have our share of ups and downs, however that<br />
brings us closer,” shares Pankaj.<br />
While Pankaj is the brain and soul behind Oskar Entertainments,<br />
Kashyata is the face. He shares, “The ‘K’ in Oskar Entertainments stands<br />
for Kashyata, she is the anchor to my ship! She is determined, honest<br />
and works with dignity. She is a very strong person and I have seen her<br />
take new strides in her professional growth with ease.” Kashyata giggles<br />
like a teenager when asked about Pankaj’s influence in her life. She<br />
chirps, “It may sound cheesy, however, he is the reason life is so<br />
wonderful. He helped me reach where I am today. The confident and<br />
successful Kashyata today is courtesy Pankaj. He is very modest to<br />
accept it, but he has played a vital role in shaping my career and<br />
personal life.”<br />
The mutual connection and creativity has brought them closer.<br />
When they are together, conversations simply flow. They have<br />
experienced creative differences, but they enjoy these clashes of<br />
viewpoint. Kashyata shares, “After every event, I tell him that I won’t do<br />
any more of his events. He is a hard taskmaster. He is extremely critical<br />
of my work. I hate to admit it but our arguments actually enrich our<br />
relationship. This is the fun and beauty of having a partner working in<br />
the same field. His views are never biased. We can literally read each<br />
other’s mind through a glass partition!”<br />
The duo met five years ago and started off as friends. They were<br />
engaged in 2014 and will soon be married. Pankaj started out with odd<br />
jobs, moved to call centres, juggled between being a DJ and working for<br />
an event company, to ultimately start his own entertainment company.<br />
“Music is my greatest passion. It has brought me this far. It helped me<br />
stick around and stay strong too. Today, I organise some of the finest<br />
events and rub shoulders with celebrities but music will always remain<br />
my first love. It was Kashyata who pushed me to pursue my dream as a<br />
DJ. She suggested that I should never give up. Her suggestion did help<br />
and I have been able to balance my passion and profession so well.”<br />
20 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
Pankaj and Kashyata<br />
Interestingly, it was Pankaj who guided Kashyata’s career graph too.<br />
“I started off as an anchor for mall activities. He literally sketched the<br />
path for me. He helped me make the right decisions and take the right<br />
steps. Till date, he chooses my outfits for an event. I tend to pick gaudy<br />
and glittery stuff, so it is him who makes me look a million bucks at<br />
events,” she smiles.<br />
Pankaj add, “I have seen how the industry works. I come with a<br />
third person perspective. I don’t advice her because she is my fiancée.<br />
My advice is professional and for her betterment. I know her potential<br />
and calibre, I want to see her reach great heights. She has the right<br />
combination of beauty and brains. She just needs a gentle push to go<br />
get it.”<br />
All this love and support may make it seem like they had a smooth<br />
journey. However, life was a roller coaster ride before they found each<br />
other. “I have spent nights at Deccan bus stop and would sleep on park<br />
benches. I moved to Pune in 2006 and the decade long journey has<br />
been eventful. I struggled my way to the top purely with hard work and<br />
passion. I did not use my parents’ influence (Pankaj hails from an<br />
influential political family in Shirdi) nor did I compromise on my<br />
ethics. Whatever I have achieved today is because I chose a different<br />
path and stood strong. I believed in my dreams and dared to be<br />
different. It would have been easy to give in and take the influential<br />
road. However, I wanted to carve a niche for myself.”<br />
Kashyata has had quite a rocky road too. Life has not been a bed of<br />
roses for this confident young girl. “Family problems and the need to<br />
do something out-of-the-box are what drove me to shift to Pune. I don’t<br />
regret any of my decisions and believe every step taken has made me<br />
stronger. It has been an eventful journey.”<br />
Oskar Entertainments has managed events for several big brands<br />
like Mercedes Benz, Jaguar, Toyota, Range Rover, Tata, Reliance<br />
Communications, HTC, Samsung, Bajaj and Mitsubishi among<br />
others. However, Pankaj is not satisfied as he believes there is so much<br />
more to achieve. “I am passionate, energetic and dedicated to<br />
everything I love. So, I feel I have achieved very little till date.<br />
Appreciation, awards and bigger clients mean that the journey has just<br />
begun. The real work starts now.”<br />
Kashyata, who is admiringly looking at her better half chips in, “We<br />
have been through a lot on individual levels. Together we have<br />
overcome everything and made everyone proud. We want to do so<br />
much more for the city too.”<br />
The duo is currently working on a few projects and will soon be<br />
making big announcements.<br />
info@crememagazine.in<br />
March 2017 21
society<br />
The Rotary Club of Khadki is working on raising funds for<br />
The Institute of Training and Research and residential<br />
unit for individuals of Autism and those belonging<br />
to the Autism spectrum of conditions. Dr Alok Patel,<br />
chairman of the project shares, “We aim to help these<br />
individuals live with dignity and purpose. Autism is the<br />
fastest growing developmental disability in our nation.<br />
It is up to us to recognise that there is huge need of work<br />
in this arena to help families cope with this and live a<br />
fruitful life. Rotary Club of Khadki is proud to address<br />
this community need to create a correct environment<br />
for the differently abled.”<br />
The fundraiser organised on March 11 will have Dr<br />
Palash Sen perform with his Euphoria band at blueFrog,<br />
Pune. Dr Patel adds, “The Autism Project shall be a<br />
unique one, probably the only one-of-its-kind in India. It<br />
shall also be a model on which clubs across the country<br />
or even the world can address the community need<br />
related to the PDD group. A project of this magnitude<br />
needs all the help that it can get. It is in this regard that<br />
we the representatives from this club<br />
Dr Palash Sen and his band<br />
Euphoria will be performing in<br />
the city on March 11 at a fund<br />
raiser organised by Rotary Club<br />
of Khadki<br />
approach you. We exhort the good offices of you and<br />
your esteemed institution to support us in all and any<br />
way possible to reach our goals.”<br />
The band Euphoria was formed in 1988 by a then<br />
medical student Dr Palash Sen and his friends. Bass<br />
player Debajyoti Bhaduri joined hands with Dr Palash<br />
in the early 90s. Moving through several line-ups, the<br />
band kept searching for their elusive break. It came<br />
10 years after their inception when Euphoria released<br />
their first studio album titled ‘Dhoom’ in the October<br />
1998 to critical acclaim and commercial success. They<br />
became the pioneers of ‘Hind Rock’ or rock music in<br />
Hindi, with an unparalleled mass appeal, and critical<br />
acclaim, Euphoria is considered as one of the biggest<br />
bands of the subcontinent. The Band is also considered<br />
a soul of the pop music wave which hit India in the mid<br />
nineties. Their first single was titled ‘Dhoom Pichuk<br />
Dhoom’ – and it became the most popular video to hit<br />
TV screens in that decade. The organisation is proud to<br />
bring this iconic band to Pune.<br />
info@crememagazine.com<br />
22 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
society<br />
Beauty<br />
as they<br />
see it<br />
Sakshi Arora<br />
Someone rightly said “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”. While most of us consider<br />
Victoria’s Secret models as the ultimate beauty standard, there are several others out there, who<br />
have varied and unique parameters of beauty. Crème lists the different versions of a ‘beautiful<br />
woman’ across the globe<br />
March 2017 23
society<br />
24 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
society<br />
info@crememagazine.in<br />
March 2017 25
Despite the Universal Declaration of Human<br />
Rights prohibiting discrimination on the basis<br />
of gender, 69 years later, virtually no country has<br />
achieved gender equality. Although there have<br />
been considerable progresses in empowering<br />
woman, gender discrimination still prevails and is<br />
particularly evident in terms of employment. Not<br />
only are women underrepresented (according to<br />
World Bank data they make up only 39.6 per cent<br />
of the global labor force), but also they regularly<br />
face unequal pay despite being equally educated<br />
and having similar skills.<br />
However, India does not lack a propitious<br />
legislative framework to ensure<br />
gender equality. In fact, article<br />
39(d) of the Constitution<br />
of India provides that the<br />
government must ensure equal<br />
pay for equal work for both<br />
men and women. The Equal<br />
Remuneration Act, 1976,<br />
was subsequently enacted to<br />
implement this article, and<br />
it prohibits discrimination<br />
in recruitment of women<br />
and provides for the setting<br />
up of advisory committees<br />
to promote employment<br />
opportunities for women.<br />
Further, although the Labour<br />
Code of Wages Bill, 2015,<br />
provides for the appointment<br />
of an authority to try cases<br />
relating to non-payment of<br />
equal remuneration to men<br />
and women, the Bill has not yet<br />
turn into a law.<br />
The Supreme Court<br />
recently found, in State of<br />
Punjab Vs Jagjit Singh (2016),<br />
that every employee, whether<br />
temporary or regular, has a right<br />
to receive equal remuneration<br />
and that there cannot be any distinction between<br />
individuals employed at the same position. The<br />
Apex court thus reaffirmed that the principle of<br />
‘equal pay for equal work’ constitutes a clear and<br />
unambiguous right vested in every employee.<br />
In India, the gender pay<br />
gap is damning. The World<br />
Economic Forum Report<br />
2010 suggests that in<br />
corporate India, the<br />
average annual income of<br />
woman is $1,185,<br />
considerably less than that<br />
of a man ($3,698). The<br />
International Labour<br />
Organization’s Global<br />
Wage Report also points<br />
that India ranks amongst<br />
countries with the worst<br />
gender pay gap, i.e. more<br />
than 30 percent. India<br />
does not lack a propitious<br />
legislative framework to<br />
ensure gender equality.<br />
Article 39(d) of the<br />
Constitution of India<br />
provides that government<br />
must ensure equal pay for<br />
equal work for both.<br />
But such legislations and legal advancements<br />
have not fulfilled their promises. Gender inequality<br />
in employment is a complex problem that finds its<br />
root in a plethora of factors. In fact, India remains<br />
a strong patriarchal society resulting in cultural<br />
barriers and occupational segregation of women<br />
in employment. Many still believe that a woman<br />
should only assist the man in a family rather than<br />
equally contributing to it. This reflects in the<br />
employment sector where it is not uncommon<br />
for employers to think that a woman will probably<br />
not be able to work after marriage, after having a<br />
child or simply work as efficiently as a man. Such<br />
gender-based stereotypes<br />
prevent people from grasping<br />
the productive and valuable<br />
capacity of women’s input<br />
in an organisation. But,<br />
according to a 2015 study<br />
conducted by McKinsey<br />
Global Institute, India could<br />
increase its GDP up to 60<br />
per cent by 2025 simply by<br />
bridging the gender-gap<br />
in employment.<br />
The issue of gender<br />
discrimination in employment<br />
is not specific to India. In fact,<br />
according to UN data, women<br />
earn 24 per cent less than men<br />
on a global scale. Clearly, and<br />
despite positive steps, progress<br />
in woman empowerment is<br />
stalled. It is advisable, that<br />
existing forums and available<br />
remedies are brought to<br />
women’s awareness on a<br />
broader scale; that counseling<br />
and guidance on career<br />
options are put into place; that<br />
the values of gender equality<br />
are promoted through<br />
education. But, it is evident<br />
that enabling ourselves with laws promoting gender<br />
equality is not sufficient to cure a problem in our<br />
collective mindset. We need to start changing our<br />
attitude to truly seize the real potential of women as<br />
active actors of our society and economy.
society<br />
sanaa nalwalla<br />
This is the story of two<br />
fearless ladies, who imbibed<br />
their passion and drive to<br />
make Pune, pollution free but<br />
recycling plastic into polyfuel.<br />
In a candid interview,<br />
Medha Tadpatrikar discusses<br />
the cons of plastic, pollution<br />
and the steps needed to<br />
reverse the process of waste<br />
management by fishing out<br />
plastics from homes, gutters<br />
and rivers<br />
28 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
SOCIETY<br />
Taking matters into her own hands, founder of Rudra<br />
environmental solutions, Dr. Medha Tadpatrikar<br />
successfully started converting non-degradable<br />
plastic into poly-fuel which utilises polymer waste<br />
to generate hydrocarbon fuels from plastic wastes.<br />
Accepting all kinds of plastic waste right from bottles, bags,<br />
food pouches, wrappers and, cable covers from household<br />
across the city once every fortnight, Rudra then recycles it into<br />
fuel, gas and sludge. Rudra was incepted when; Medha<br />
witnessed the death of a deer in a wild life sanctuary due to<br />
plastic and was devastated to see that defenceless animals had<br />
died because of litter someone had unknowingly thrown away.<br />
Deeply touched and motivated by this incident, Medha was<br />
determined to find a solution to recycle plastic. The first pilot<br />
machine was up and running by 2010 which successfully<br />
recycled waste plastic in to usable fuel and have now expanded<br />
to two full fledged working plants in and around Pune.<br />
The machines produce poly-fuel utilising the process of<br />
Pyrolysis, that is, the decomposition of condensed substances<br />
by heating and the process is fairly simple. The collected plastic<br />
from various homes and entities is dumped into the reactor.<br />
The reactor is fed with the shredded plastic and is heated in<br />
absence of oxygen that produces hydrocarbon vapours<br />
(methane and propane). The condensed vapour produces the<br />
fuel and synthetic gases, out of which the syngas is used as<br />
energy source for the further heating of reactor. This synthetic<br />
gas, which is a by product is passed through scrubber and<br />
cleaned prior to use as a heating source; helping improve the<br />
efficiency of the process. The fuel passes through filtration<br />
system before it’s collected. The non-plastic material plastic falls<br />
at the bottom of reactor, this can be collected after the shift or<br />
during weekly maintenance. This can be used with the bitumen<br />
in making roads. The team gives it to local builders who use it<br />
for the construction of internal roads within housing societies.<br />
In this way, 100 per cent of the plastic waste is recycled with no<br />
emission and no harm to the environment. For every 100 kg of<br />
plastic, 45-65 litres of fuel are generated. “Plastic is basically<br />
made from crude oil. So we thought of reversing the process<br />
and obtaining fuel from it,” says Medha.<br />
Their small efforts have grown to a point where, the team<br />
successfully collects five to six tons of plastic waste from 9,500<br />
households, corporate, hotels and, businesses in a month! “As<br />
it’s the easiest way to help environment, many are open and<br />
welcome the idea of segregation and handing over the plastic<br />
to us. We are changing people’s habits, and they are realising<br />
that we all need to work together. We have recently started<br />
collection from faraway places like Dombiwali, and Thane. We<br />
have learned not to give up. We are changing people’s habits,<br />
and they are realising that we all need to work together. I get a<br />
chance to meet variety of people and learn from them and<br />
when I see the collected plastic waste, it makes me happy,<br />
knowing that at least that much plastic is not going to landfill,”<br />
adds Medha.<br />
As far as success stories go, Medha has come across senior<br />
citizens, more than 90 years old who help out with segregating<br />
and advocating the cause. Rudra also provides alternative fuel<br />
options to women in villages which is encouraging them to not<br />
burn plastic and use it as a heating source thus reducing<br />
pollution. “When women in villages come and say how much<br />
their lives have become easy due to use of fuel in stoves I am<br />
encouraged to work harder,” says Medha.<br />
In the coming future, Medha plans to install smaller<br />
conversion plants in all taluka in India which will drive them to<br />
increase their collections and hit the mark of more than 25,000<br />
households. She is hopeful that there will be a change in peoples<br />
discarding habits which will encourage people to start segregate<br />
plastic in order for Medha and her to put it to better use. Every<br />
day we pollute our earth, we forget that the earth does not need<br />
us but we need it<br />
Everything didn’t come easy to Medha. Being a woman, she<br />
stopped at nothing. She was never raised to be a woman, but<br />
rather a human being. There was no such thing as you can’t do<br />
this in her household. “When I meet people they are more<br />
amazed that I am not engineer rather than I am a woman,” says<br />
Medha. When she started off with Rudra, creating awareness<br />
was the big challenge, followed by logistics, even so that if<br />
someone, a said driver falls ill, they miss their collection drive.<br />
sanaanalwalla@crememagazine.in<br />
MARCH 2017 29
in style<br />
The epitome of love and romance, the Queen of all<br />
flowers goes way back in history to the times of the<br />
Greeks and Romans, who used rose petals to perfume<br />
their baths and in distilled forms. Roses have been<br />
infused in cosmetics, medicines and therapeutic<br />
treatments for centuries. Essentially, the rose has<br />
antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral properties,<br />
making it ideal to treat a host of ailments.<br />
30 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
in style<br />
March 2017 31
in style<br />
This orange and yellow bulb of flower power is<br />
packed with oodles of beauty and medicinal<br />
properties. Right from containing antioxidants to<br />
volatile oils, the marigold has recently found its<br />
place in the books of cancer cures. This wonderful<br />
garden flower, with its strong smell, vibrant colour<br />
can heal your body in numerous ways.<br />
32 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
in style<br />
March 2017 33
in style<br />
As decorative elements, Gerberas are known as<br />
flowers for all seasons. Most commonly used for<br />
their pop colours, but colour is not the only facet.<br />
Attributing to the daisy family, the gerbera has<br />
many hidden health benefits and versatility. Used<br />
to make natural colours in cosmetics ranging<br />
from nail polishes, lipsticks and perfumes, it is<br />
also used to flavour a variety of dishes all over<br />
the world.<br />
000 34 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
in style<br />
March 2017 35
in style<br />
36 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
IN STYLE<br />
This ancient flower has been used for medicinal purposes<br />
for centuries now. From medicinal teas in China and Japan<br />
to cosmetics and skin care products in India, orchids have<br />
been said to cure anything from a mild cough to even acne.<br />
Orchids are not only some of the most beautiful blooms,<br />
but orchids are considered as a fountain of youth and<br />
unlocks the secret to longevity. These highly decorated<br />
flowers are acknowledged as a symbol of beauty, refinement<br />
and love.<br />
Photographer: Shiva Sharma<br />
Model: Tanwi Dixit<br />
Makeup: Mojdeh Arab Farashahi<br />
Hair: Sharvari Gandhe<br />
Concept by: Sanaa Nalwalla<br />
Shoot coordinator: Pravin Varute<br />
MARCH 2017 000 37
in style<br />
Since its launch three years ago, StyleCracker has been a ‘disruptive’ force in the<br />
online personalised fashion styling space. Archana Walavalkar, co-founder and<br />
creative director of StyleCracker speaks to Anjali Shetty on her journey so far<br />
Archana Walavalkar is a prominent name in the fashion<br />
industry with over a decade of experience in the same; she<br />
is the co-founder and creative director of StyleCracker.com,<br />
an online fashion styling portal. She has styled and worked<br />
with the likes of Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Deepika Padukone,<br />
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Shahid Kapoor and Imran Khan. Archana has<br />
also been the creative look behind the big banners of Dharma<br />
Productions and Phantom Films, styled brands and has been the official<br />
stylist for Talent Box shows at Lakme Fashion Week. She adds glamour<br />
with sophistication to whichever project she is part of and is a creative<br />
genius when it comes to setting trends.<br />
The first step<br />
After I completed my specialisation in Apparel Manufacture and<br />
Design, I started with editorial styling at L’Officiel magazine, after which<br />
I joined Vogue as a fashion editor, as a part of their founding team. Then<br />
I went on to film and celebrity styling with the likes of Priyanka Chopra,<br />
Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan and many more. After a<br />
few years in the industry, I eventually started my own company —<br />
StyleCracker, along with Dhimaan Shah, making it a first-of-its-kind<br />
personalised styling and shopping platform. We provide our users with<br />
a highly personalised experience and have created a massively trusted<br />
platform through which users can discover, share and enhance their<br />
personal style.<br />
Go-to designers for styling<br />
Huemn by Pranav Mishra and Shyma Shetty, and Vetements by Demna<br />
Gvasalia - they’re bold and distinctive.<br />
38 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
in style<br />
No-fail styling trick<br />
There is no one way of saying this, but making someone<br />
look like a million bucks comes from a combination of<br />
many little things. One trick I would suggest is if you are<br />
going for a plunging neckline or an outfit that could<br />
probably shift around — simply strap on some tape to<br />
feel a lot more at ease. Also, choosing the right kind of<br />
lingerie can make a great amount of difference to your<br />
outfit, as well as your mood.<br />
Philosophy on the high low-mix?<br />
I think it’s key. It’s a practical way of knowing where to<br />
splurge, and where to save. An imaginative vision to put<br />
it all together is important. How you wear it is more<br />
important than where you shop. Olivia Palermo is<br />
distinctly remarkable at this.<br />
Future expansion plans<br />
We have many online and offline properties under the<br />
StyleCracker umbrella. Apart from constantly ensuring<br />
that we meet our client expectations; we do actually have<br />
a few exciting things in the pipeline — like the recently<br />
launched StyleCracker Box, that fills the gap of<br />
personalised shopping in the market. It is an easy access<br />
to great, highly curated head to toe looks personalised for<br />
our users who experience a time crunch.<br />
The approach<br />
When it comes to personal styling, I style based on my<br />
thorough understanding of the client’s personal style,<br />
body scale, preferences, work environment, lifestyle<br />
choices and personality. Going through their closets<br />
definitely gives me more perspective and information<br />
about the kind of brands they like, what works for them<br />
as well as what doesn’t — more like a wardrobe edit. The<br />
more they tell me, the better it helps. If I’m styling for a<br />
movie, it is important that I bring out the director’s vision<br />
to life, also essentially depending on what the script and<br />
the character demands. Coming to editorial styling, I<br />
come up with the concept and theme of the shoot. The<br />
idea is to make runway fashion wearable.<br />
anjalishetty@crememagazine.in<br />
Most fun part of your job<br />
It’s simple — I’m happy if the client is happy and I work<br />
to make them the best version of themselves.<br />
Most challenging<br />
My team is very important to me. Doing what I do, I have<br />
to constantly work with different people, ensuring that<br />
we’re on the same page and training them is essential.<br />
One voice, one organisation.<br />
Favorite look styled to date<br />
It definitely has to be Alia Bhatt for Kar gayi chull from<br />
Kapoor and Sons, and Varun Dhawan for Saturday<br />
Saturday from Humpty Sharma ki dulhania.<br />
March 2017<br />
39
Summer moods are synonymous with<br />
having fun and being playful! ONLY<br />
enters Spring Summer with the<br />
introduction of the high school inspired<br />
‘Glitter cheerleader’ collection. The<br />
line features classic varsity pieces<br />
juxtaposed with girly prom styles,<br />
giving this party theme a twist like<br />
never before.<br />
Fun, bold, conversational crop tops, ringer<br />
tees and extremely on-trend metallic plisse<br />
skirts raise the oomph factor of this<br />
fabulous collection.<br />
*Available at ONLY stores<br />
1 CAN HEART TOP BOX ` 1299<br />
2 MELISSA METALLIC MAXISKIRT ` 2999<br />
3 ALICE SILVER PLISSE SKIRT ` 2499<br />
4 SANNE METALLIC BOMBER ` 3999<br />
5 BEAUTY SHINE L S BOMBER ` 3699<br />
6 PRIMROSE STRAPPY TOP ` 1799<br />
7 MELISSA METALLIC DRESS 3499<br />
8 PRIMROSE LOOSE CROPPED PANT 2699
in style<br />
42 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
in style<br />
March 2017 43
in style<br />
This graceful silk lehenga in<br />
beige with contrasting neon<br />
green and turquoise is adorned<br />
with beads and zardosi work.<br />
The blouse and dupatta is<br />
embellished with floral<br />
intricate and minimalistic<br />
zardosi work.<br />
44 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
in style<br />
The maroon lehenga with<br />
heavy beadwork is made for a<br />
big fat Indian wedding.<br />
Traditional design of the<br />
lehenga is perfect for the bride<br />
who loves her heritage and<br />
wants to look her best on her<br />
wedding day.<br />
March 2017<br />
45 45
in style<br />
A crimson coloured<br />
lehenga with beadwork,<br />
is exquisite in it’s<br />
appeal. Fine zari work<br />
with a touch of gold,<br />
depicts a traditional<br />
ceremonies in action.<br />
46 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
in style<br />
A perfectly curated bride and<br />
grooms wear in hues of orange<br />
make it a perfect ensemble for<br />
a summer wedding. The<br />
groom’s sherwani has stunning<br />
brocade work in gold, while<br />
the skirt of the bride’s lehenga<br />
has a digitally printed bride<br />
peeping through a palki.<br />
march March 2017<br />
47
in style<br />
This red attire for the bride and<br />
groom is crafted with fine<br />
handiwork.While the bridal<br />
lehenga has an elaborately<br />
detailed lehenga in zari work,<br />
the bandhgala for the groom has<br />
a brocade with crafted<br />
embellishments on the collar.<br />
48 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
in style<br />
He surprises you with his jovial and<br />
witty personality. Meet JJ Valaya, a<br />
man who needs no introduction in<br />
the fashion world. With over two<br />
decades of impeccable designs and couture, JJ<br />
Valaya is excited about entering the big 50 and<br />
looking forward to creating more and more<br />
interesting designs.<br />
JJ Valaya’s couture collections have always been<br />
elaborate and definitive. On his design process he<br />
shares, “Every designer has an ethos, which they<br />
run through everything they do. This<br />
makes me wonder, have I complicated<br />
my life too much? I keep things<br />
simple. My quest has always been<br />
to find simplicity in maximalism.<br />
It's not easy and brings upon many<br />
challenges. However, I don't see<br />
life in any other way. I don't think<br />
I will ever be able<br />
to do clean lines<br />
in interiors. This is<br />
what makes each<br />
designer unique.<br />
You have to be<br />
yourself. You are<br />
silly if your try and<br />
be everyone.”<br />
He believes is no rule book. Rules bind you.<br />
And, boundaries and creativity normally don't<br />
work. He believes more in individuality, whether<br />
it is a person or a space. “A person has a personality<br />
and so does a space. Every space is not the same.<br />
You have to look and sense the need. We are<br />
more like psychologists. We try and understand<br />
people and what they want. We try and give them<br />
something that will change them positively. I<br />
have seen people wear certain clothes and see<br />
a difference in the way they walk and talk and<br />
come across, because they are feeling good about<br />
themselves.” The same thing is at home, if you love<br />
the space you are in, your entire attitude changes.<br />
Indian design and couturier<br />
JJ Valaya speaks to Crème on<br />
entering phase two of his creative<br />
evolution and why he doesn’t<br />
believe in praising his work<br />
It is not about what is in trend or about latest<br />
designs or where you bought it from? It is more<br />
about what the garment or space does to you from<br />
a deeper level. That kinds of defines it.<br />
His fashion brand has been around for two<br />
decades and has managed to create an impact.<br />
What keeps him up and going to achieve and<br />
deliver more? “Oh, I have just begun. I am in the<br />
last year of my 40s and will turn 50 next year. But<br />
my creative and energy levels are maybe higher<br />
than when I joined National Institute of Fashion<br />
Technology (NIFT). This also means<br />
i am all set to get into phase two of<br />
my creative evolution. I am looking<br />
forward to it because everything<br />
that could possibly go right or<br />
wrong has happened. I have learnt<br />
my lessons and reached where I had<br />
to in terms of recall. Now the journey<br />
is mine.” His piece<br />
of advice for soonto-be<br />
brides is to<br />
stand in front of<br />
the mirror and<br />
be honest. Don’t<br />
blindly follow<br />
trends because your<br />
best friend or worst<br />
enemy was wearing something. This doesn’t work<br />
anymore. If your instincts say yes, then go for it.<br />
You will know what looks best on your, not your<br />
aunt or mother or best friend.<br />
To sum it up he shares what sets his label<br />
apart from the rest? “We are in a visual medium<br />
and any designer who is raving and ranting on<br />
how he is so unique is an idiot. I have the biggest<br />
library but don’t read a single book. I just look at<br />
books. I take it in visually. Fashion, art, interiors<br />
and photography should be judged by people who<br />
wear, buy or look at it. They should make opinions,<br />
we shouldn’t.” g<br />
info@crememagazine.in<br />
50 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
in style<br />
March 2017 51
ART & CULTURE<br />
They are the storytellers, the wordsmiths, the vagabonds of<br />
literature. They are skilful and have a way with words. They write<br />
to voice the untold story within, to inspire, to educate and to<br />
masterfully crave a place in a reader’s life. They are the Authors<br />
of Pune and they are all women, this Women’s Day we celebrate<br />
these magnificent writers, their ability to live and breathe<br />
through words and for making readers feel that we are not<br />
particularly alone through their stories<br />
52 MARCH 2017 www.crememagazine.in
ART & CULTURE<br />
Gouri Dange started off as a copy editor and writing<br />
columns and opinion and feature articles for acclaimed<br />
publications. It wasn’t till 2008 that she penned her first<br />
novel, 3 Zakia Mansion. What followed were five more<br />
literary creations from the wordsmith. When it comes<br />
to narrowing down her creative process every time she<br />
writes a book, she proclaims herself as a scribbler. “The<br />
conscious as well as unconscious mind throws up so<br />
many ideas and impressions, and it is very important<br />
to note them down, even as just a phrase or sentence<br />
or even just a word,” she says. Being inspired right from<br />
mundane tasks like driving, or watching a movie, when<br />
that eureka moment strikes, she tends to jot them<br />
down only to develop the idea later. In order to find real<br />
life inspiration she looks at human struggle to the sums<br />
right. The world around her is constantly inspiring her.<br />
Music, art, great literature, nature, dogs, birds, human<br />
interactions; all this finds its way, processed in different<br />
ways, into her writing.<br />
Penning a book is no easy feat. Like everything in<br />
life, this too has its own set of pros and cons. Amongst<br />
the pros, Gouri receives sheer joy and the sense of<br />
actualisation from synthesising what she observes, feels<br />
and imagines. Her pros also include looking inward to<br />
reach yourself and outwards to people which opens<br />
up a world of creative people to you other writers,<br />
readers, illustrators, photographers and designers. The<br />
cons include the whole business of marketing, sales,<br />
distribution, etc, that every writer is simply forced<br />
to get involved with, given the rather patchy support<br />
by publishers.<br />
Amongst famous authors whom she adores,<br />
the darkness and discernment in the way Graham<br />
Greene writes is something that appeals to her. In the<br />
world around us she enjoys the non-fiction writing<br />
of Paromita Vohra, the fiction of Manu Joseph and is<br />
currently reading two history-based books, Dr Uday<br />
Kulkarni’s The Era of Bajirao and Alan Duff ’s Sikkim:<br />
Requiem for a Himalayan Kingdom. She is not done yet,<br />
she does have new found interest in material for standup<br />
comedy. The combination of savage humour, subtle<br />
innuendo and sheer performance has inspired her to<br />
try her hand at it with a stand-up routine called ‘So you<br />
want to be published, huh?’<br />
To budding writers, Gouri suggests to write every<br />
day. Literally, every day. At least 500 words and to reread<br />
and go over your work many times. She also urges<br />
to write across genres and not pick sides to quickly<br />
(fiction OR non-fiction). She also urges them to read<br />
vicariously, not to copy anyone’s style or content, but<br />
to understand the craft better, to enjoy the sheer power<br />
of a good narrative, to get a sense of all the wonderful<br />
writing going on all around you and the great writers<br />
across ages.<br />
MARCH 2017<br />
53
ART & CULTURE<br />
For Sonja Chandrachud, books have always been her lifelong<br />
companion. Her life changed when she turned down a<br />
lucrative MNC offer and instead worked as a copywriter<br />
where she fell in love with the vibrant exciting world of<br />
advertising. The leap from advertising and columnist to<br />
creative writing happened in 2005 with her first novel<br />
Potion of Eternity, the first in the Hilarious Hauntings<br />
Adventure series, that cleverly mixed fantasy and humour<br />
with a unforgettable international cast of characters and<br />
magical locations with a ‘Bollywood’ narrative flavour<br />
earning her the title of ‘Desi Rowling’. Always opting for<br />
the road less travelled, Sonja seeks to be challenged and<br />
inspired by that one idea that would passionately propel the<br />
story within her. After that comes months of scrutinising<br />
data, research and corroborating facts, separating them<br />
from fiction when attempting historical and even fantasy<br />
genres. She strongly believes that characters drive most<br />
stories and so she pays immense attention in making sure<br />
that her characters come alive as the story unfolds.<br />
Her stimulation to write is drawn from her desire to<br />
explore the unknown, discover untold tales and recapture<br />
the lost ethos of the past in a narrative that everyone can<br />
read and enjoy. She is most fond of writing for young<br />
adults as they are the most discerning yet open minded<br />
readers any writer is lucky to write for. As a voracious<br />
reader of historical nonfiction and fiction, her bookshelf<br />
houses writers like Tolstoy, Wilbur Smith, Amitav Ghosh,<br />
and William Darlymple. Books such as, Glimpses of World<br />
History and, Discovery of India by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru<br />
have introduced her to a myriad of clever narrative styles<br />
that the authors use to tell their brilliant stories. For Sonja<br />
the process of writing its self is a fabulous way of getting<br />
in touch with your innermost self. She compares writing<br />
to climbing a Himalayan peak, charged with the thrill and<br />
excitement of an amazing unforgettable adventure. The<br />
drawbacks of penning 40,000 words in each of novels<br />
means burning the midnight oil, waking up at unearthly<br />
hours, going underground for almost 18 months and,<br />
most importantly finding the time for her loved ones.<br />
To any individual who would want to embark on<br />
the journey of being an author, Sonja suggests one to be<br />
sure for a long, lonely, and arduous, often heart breaking<br />
journey that starts on your laptop and ends on the editor’s<br />
chopping block. Then and only then to start small and<br />
smart with short stories, attend creative writing workshops,<br />
and fine tune your spellings, vocabulary and grammar.<br />
There is no book currently on Sonja’s night stand, as she<br />
is writing her next novel is a historical saga based around<br />
the Peshwas. But, the books she is reading are academic<br />
references by eminent historical writers such as Sardesai,<br />
Parasnis and Duff. But there are a few authors, who have<br />
left a mark on Sonja. Roald Dahl, Shashi Deshpande, Indu<br />
Sundaresan and William Dalrymple have inspired and<br />
influenced Sonja with the clarity and preciseness of their<br />
prose combined with impeccable research that gives life to<br />
their stories.<br />
54 MARCH 2017 www.crememagazine.in
ART & CULTURE<br />
Priyanka believes she is many people rolled into one <br />
poet, writer, teacher, and copywriter but in reality,<br />
she is just a dreamer. As a romantic novelist, her poetry<br />
oscillates between romance and erotica to feminist and<br />
political beats. She recounts her brush with writing a<br />
novel five years ago, when Mills and Boon India started<br />
an online contest called ‘PASSIONS’ where they were<br />
on the lookout for Indian romance writers. Her first<br />
two attempts were bleak, but on her third attempt, she<br />
blazed through and won she self a sweet two-book deal<br />
with the publisher. That’s how The One That Got Away<br />
made its way into the world.<br />
From her school days, Priyanka picked up quite an<br />
unruly habit of always jumping straight to the climax<br />
every time she picked up a book to read. Not much has<br />
changed since then. As far as writing/plotting her novel<br />
is concerned, she starts from the end. She pictures the<br />
ending way before she starts during which the character,<br />
plots, and subplots start taking shape in her head. Also,<br />
she needs to link a face to her my protagonist(s). She<br />
requires knowing whether her hero is going to look like<br />
Hugh Jackman or Ranveer Singh. Although her father<br />
being a voracious reader in the family, it was her mother<br />
who was her bedtime storyteller. Priyanka owes a lot of<br />
whom she is and who she has become to her mother,<br />
because she never stopped reading to her and also<br />
credits to be her biggest influencer.<br />
Telling you just as it is, writing is not a simple affair.<br />
In order to be fair and sincere to your subject and<br />
readers, research becomes imperative. At the same time,<br />
you also owe it to yourself as a writer to write the book<br />
the way you want to. So, at the end of the day, it is a bit of<br />
a Hobson’s choice. But all is not lost. Priyanka spends a<br />
lot of time developing her characters which are inspired<br />
by the people she has met during the course of her life.<br />
For a writer, observing people in real life is a must, so as<br />
to lend credibility to the characters you’ve created.<br />
Up until a few years ago, Priyanka was an aspiring<br />
novelist herself. The day she sort of breathed easy was<br />
when she saw her name on the book cover. To aspiring<br />
novelists all she can declare is that patience is golden.<br />
Sift and bookmark your rejections. They’re the ultimate<br />
psychological hurdles to overcome, as well as your main<br />
propellers. Also, keep a set of people closest to you and<br />
have them read your work from time to time. It helps<br />
immensely. As partial as they may be to you, most of the<br />
time they help you become a better version of yourself.<br />
And as writer, constant evolution is critical.<br />
MARCH 2017 55
ART & CULTURE<br />
what inspired Sudha Menon to be a write was when she spent<br />
her childhood in the strange, enticing, mysterious worlds<br />
created by authors from different corners of the world. She<br />
developed a great curiosity about people and their lives and<br />
that made her want to write stories. At a young age of 20<br />
she embarked on a career in journalism and after two plus<br />
decades of a career that she absolutely adored, she decided<br />
it was time to write books and tell her story. Since her forte<br />
lain in Non-fiction writing, getting to know people is key.<br />
Her creative process involves getting to know people and<br />
to understand their lives and she finds interviewing people,<br />
the fun side of the process. Uncovering the story behind a<br />
person does require a lot of patience and perseverance, but<br />
once you have earned the trust, they will let you into their<br />
lives and talk about the things that truly matter to them. The<br />
hard work begins when she has to put it down in words and<br />
weave riveting stories from the material she has collected.<br />
For Sudha the words tend to flow when the rest of the world<br />
is in slumber and she is at peace.<br />
As key influences, she is intrigued by the lives of people.<br />
Where others might see an ordinary man or woman<br />
going about their daily life, she sees layers of stories and<br />
possibilities. She is inspired to write based on the lives of<br />
ordinary people who soldier on bravely, despite the odds that<br />
they have to face on an everyday basis. She is also inspired by<br />
the courage of the women of our country who do so much<br />
with their lives despite the challenges they face. Till today,<br />
Sudha credits her mother as the person who inspires her the<br />
most.<br />
Sudha does find writing a book harder than journalism.<br />
The cons of writing a book include having a great deal of<br />
patience to put together a book in a year and a half ’s time and<br />
having the ability to survive on very little money. Unlike what<br />
most people assume, most authors make very little money<br />
from writing their books. On the flipside the advantage for<br />
Sudha is that her books are left for posterity. They will remain<br />
on bookshelves much after she’s gone, it’s a legacy that she<br />
will leave behind and there is not a single day that she is not<br />
aware of the responsibility that she bestows upon herself.<br />
There is no topic that Sudha feels apprehensive of writing,<br />
yet writing the biography of her father, C.Radhakrishnan<br />
seems to be an intimidating task for the author. She has<br />
written about the lives of so many eminent men and women<br />
and has easily told their stories but with her father’s story, she<br />
can’t find the emotional distance or the words to describe<br />
his journey.<br />
To aspiring novelists, Sudha’s advice is to read and write.<br />
Read every genre of writing. Develop a curiosity about<br />
people and things and about the stuff you see around you.<br />
If you don’t know a lot about things, find out. Make yourself<br />
interesting and be interested.<br />
56 MARCH 2017 www.crememagazine.in
ART & CULTURE<br />
Giving some competition to Doogie Howser, Manjari<br />
wrote her first mystery novel when she was at a tender<br />
age of seven. She wrote novels, more for private and<br />
never with the thought of publishing it. It was when<br />
Rupa Publications introduces, the ‘Rupa Romance<br />
series’ when she sent out two of her novels and as luck<br />
might have it, they both saw the light of day. All the<br />
novels begin with Manjiri outlining her characters.<br />
Once, she has them firmly embedded in her psyche, she<br />
begins work by making notes, conceptualizing the plot<br />
and sketching out sub-characters to go along, before<br />
actually getting down to pen her story.<br />
Manjiri’s strong capacity to imagine and fantasize<br />
her characters and plot lines is more of a reality than<br />
reality itself. Life is a mystery to her and, her my<br />
inherent curiosity about the way the Universe works,<br />
the way synchronicity and serendipity shape our lives –<br />
all of it has a strong influence on my work. She is more<br />
inspired by the machinations of the Universe – and the<br />
process that leads miraculously to results – than the<br />
actual results. So, she actually believes that imagination<br />
plays a strong role in her writings. She was also awed by<br />
the works of Enid Blyton and Agatha Christie. Films,<br />
books, nature, friends, family, dogs, music, emotions,<br />
and the magical journey of life have all inspire her to get<br />
those creative juices flowing.<br />
She regards the pros higher than the cons. Right<br />
from the fascinating process of creating a world of your<br />
own on a blank sheet of paper and of taking ownership<br />
of your creation to seeing your name on a published<br />
book, all of these entail the perks of writing. The cons<br />
construe to the poor exposure authors get, the lonely<br />
process of writing, poor sales and all of the marketing<br />
gimmicks which need to gather more yield. Manjiri has<br />
one advice to lend to all wishful novelists- write if you<br />
believe in yourself, write only if you have something to<br />
say from the heart.<br />
Sometimes it is the people that Manjiri meets in life<br />
that inspires her to base a certain character on them, and<br />
sometimes the character comes alive from fragments of<br />
her imagination which intersects into reality making<br />
her characters believable and not actually real. She<br />
paints her characters as inspirational figures, which<br />
empower the reader in more ways than one. Manjiri is<br />
obsessed and in love with all of her creations. Love for<br />
them to grow, love for them to learn. For her, they are<br />
friends, teachers and mentors on a fictitious journey<br />
together.<br />
MARCH 2017 57
ART & CULTURE<br />
For Scharada Dubey, writing is an expression of herself<br />
and her overall serious, quirky and humourous take on life.<br />
Author of sixteen published books, including Footloose<br />
on the West Coast, Malwa on My Mind and A Necessary<br />
Journey for which she has won several accolades, recognition<br />
and awards including the National Competition for Writers<br />
of Children’s Books. Her books are a true reflection of herself<br />
and her personality and like any creative writer; Scharada<br />
takes time to let a story to ripen in her mind and heart before<br />
she pens it. “For me, this process is more important than the<br />
actual writing. Most of my work has involved a lot of travel<br />
and observing people and situations is essential to my work.<br />
When I finally sit down to write, I take breaks to sleep and<br />
get over any blocks that may develop, or do the things I love<br />
to do, being with pets or friends, music or movies, till I can<br />
get back to work.”<br />
Being a prominent figure in the literary world, she<br />
credits her mother and her children to be her key influences<br />
and get inspired by the time she spends with them. She is a<br />
propeller of self love and loves spending time with herself.<br />
Two of her very important books were written in the throes<br />
of her relocation to different cities. Ask her about the pros<br />
and cons of writing and she is quick to add, “I feel really<br />
happy and uplifted when I am writing, when the flow of<br />
thoughts and words has finally been unlocked and is making<br />
something significant happen on paper. The challenge I face<br />
is dealing with all the daily responsibilities – I have no one to<br />
cushion me from a hundred chores, and every time I begin<br />
a book, these seem to multiply and turn into full-blown<br />
domestic crises! “<br />
Scharada adores Anne Tyler and her novels about<br />
families and relationships and is also fascinated by the<br />
works of Kiran Desai and Rohinton Mistry, GEral Durrell<br />
and Richmal Crompton. As a writer, she has carefully<br />
stayed away from writing about the visceral topics that have<br />
become visible in recent times like the the extreme reality<br />
of hate, criminally murderous intent, rape and incest. “The<br />
reason I have stayed away from these topics are because it<br />
would mean that I first engage very closely with people who<br />
have gone through this, and I haven’t done that. Maybe my<br />
next book will have some of these elements.” Even then,<br />
she lives her life without regret or wasted yearning and<br />
advices budding authors to truly relish the moments in life<br />
by taking time to observe and enjoy the little things which<br />
will aid them in finding a way to be expressive, “Writers are<br />
too much in a hurry these days to express fleeting opinions –<br />
making their writing shallow and unlikely to last.”<br />
58 MARCH 2017 www.crememagazine.in
ART & CULTURE<br />
Sujata Sabnis started her career as a journalist<br />
in Pune. Working with a leading news daily, Sujata<br />
established herself as a bankable journalist. As a<br />
journalist, Sujata discovered her talent for writing<br />
mysterious and murderous stories and her ability to<br />
create a gripping, pacy copy. But writing an article for<br />
a newspaper with a limited word count was a far cry<br />
away from penning a novel. Slowly but surely, she let<br />
the story idea over power her and took the plunge into<br />
pursuing a career as an author. She pursued the story<br />
for over a year and got her first book ‘Silent whispers’<br />
published. Subsequently, her love for words and stories<br />
led her to publish another thriller under the title ‘A twist<br />
in destiny’, making her a revered writer in the particular<br />
genre. However, her third novel ‘Songs of Stone’ set up<br />
in the Mughal period was a refreshing surprise to her<br />
fans and all those who know her. “I have always been a<br />
history buff and have found Mughal period fascinating.<br />
But I can’t claim that I chose this topic , it would only be<br />
fair to say that the story chose me. It came to me via this<br />
wonderful story that struck me one day. I was petrified<br />
at the idea of writing a love story and doubted my ability<br />
to do justice to it. But once I started writing something<br />
took over, it could be the characters themselves and I<br />
managed to churn out a beautiful story.”<br />
Her passion for words and stories are evident<br />
through her books and she maintains that writing<br />
a novel is heady. “Think about it you are creating<br />
a world from your own imagination complete with<br />
characters, events, twists. It’s a world in which your<br />
reader will live while he is reading your novel. That is<br />
powerful stuff, a feeling like no other. You fall in love<br />
with your own characters, they occupy a delightful dark<br />
corner of your mind, you laugh and cry with them, you<br />
live vicariously through them.”<br />
For her, the eureka moment that brings thrilling<br />
moment when she is struck by a wonderful plot will<br />
always be exhilarating and memorable but after the<br />
initial high has worn off, the actually slog of developing<br />
the story, characters and plot points set in. “A dauting<br />
part in writing a novel is teaching yourself the discipline<br />
needed to write itif you wait for inspiration to strike,<br />
you may never finish the book. I adopted a rule that I<br />
will write 1000 words a day, five days a week, even if<br />
I later scrap most of it. I also learnt how to cope with<br />
genuine writers’ block, how not to panic in such times<br />
and have faith in the creative process that at some point<br />
words will start flowing again. ”<br />
MARCH 2017 59
art & culture<br />
anjali shetty<br />
Radhika Mukherji a thriving<br />
entrepreneur with creative<br />
instincts and passion for music<br />
speaks to Crème on founding<br />
Happydemic and work-life balance<br />
Radhika Mukherji, founder; CEO of Happydemic envisions<br />
a happy difference in the lives of artists and customers through<br />
the platform. Happydemic is a one stop destination which<br />
aims at democratising live performances and bringing them<br />
to one’s doorstep at an affordable price. Radhika’s primary<br />
motto is to enhance the joy of music enriching one’s soul,<br />
leaving a mark in the lives of the artiste and the audience by<br />
putting special focus on individual preferences.<br />
What was the idea behind Happydemic?<br />
Happydemic’s essence is spreading happiness within the artist<br />
community by connecting them to the right audience. Shaan<br />
has been a part of reality music shows and there was so much<br />
talent out there. Once the season got over, their talent didn’t<br />
get any direction. Happydemic strives to do that. Connecting<br />
exceptional talent with honourable audiences and spreading<br />
happiness to our artist and customers has been our aim. An<br />
epidemic of happiness, thus Happydemic.<br />
Where did the initial inspiration/<br />
influence come from?<br />
I have been with Shaan for 20 years now, and I have seen him<br />
host a lot of reality shows, host them initially and then he<br />
moved on to judging them, and there was exceptional talent<br />
that came on to these platforms. So any reality show has a<br />
whole lot of rounds that go in, and you have over hundred kids<br />
with exceptional talent coming in but finally there’s one<br />
winner. So, the idea behind Happydemic was to actually help<br />
the other 99, to bring their talent up, to not let them spiral<br />
down because they were as popular as their last season. A lot<br />
of these kids leave their cities, their villages and they come to<br />
Mumbai to pursue this dream of music, and like we all know<br />
that the city of Mumbai is such an expensive city. They have<br />
talent but nowhere to perform so the spirit of Happydemic<br />
came from there, that we wanted to be that gust of wind<br />
beneath their wings to help them get work and to connect<br />
their exceptional talent with honourable audiences.<br />
60 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
art & culture<br />
Was it difficult to convince artistes to come<br />
on board?<br />
Luckily for us, because of Shaan’s goodwill in the industry, we didn’t<br />
have too much of a problem convincing them to come on board. But<br />
honestly, I think what stole the deal or rather what sealed the deal was<br />
that, we’ve not bound them by a contract. What we do have is that the<br />
artists work with us exclusively, because we curate acts, so those acts<br />
belong to us. The artists come on board to execute those acts, and they<br />
can’t use that same act elsewhere. Other than that you know we have<br />
absolutely no restrictions on the artists, and I think that is a very big deal<br />
clencher. It gives a lot of trust to the artist community that we are here<br />
to give them work and not bind them. We also support the artist a lot<br />
by giving, classes in our office like ‘Hindustani classical’ music and<br />
guitar classes, and I think that tremendously helps the artist, because<br />
they know we’re serious about nurturing and nourishing them.<br />
What was the most challenging or easiest part of<br />
the entire process?<br />
The most challenging process in any business is getting the idea from a<br />
paper into a sustainable business model. That was a challenging part,<br />
because we wanted to make sure that we have a great business model<br />
and after that there was proof of concept. Then we put fuel in the engine<br />
and took off with Happydemic. The easiest part would be anything that<br />
follows the proof on concept.<br />
How involved is Shaan in this project? Do you<br />
go up to him for advice?<br />
Shaan is the soul of the company. He’s always available for advice and<br />
more! Initially it was tough but not from family but for me to balance it<br />
well. My sons are grown up now ... Soham is 15 and Shubh is 12, so I<br />
don’t need to helicopter around them and that took time for me to<br />
understand. There are 24 hours in the day and I’ve learned to manage<br />
it well. Work has actually got a whole lot of discipline in our lives and<br />
I’m really loving this phase of my life.<br />
What about being a part of this project do you<br />
enjoy the most?<br />
The very fact that my designation reads ‘Chief Everything Officer’ says<br />
it all. I love everything about the process, from having a concept in<br />
mind, to creating and executing it and seeing that thrill on our customers<br />
face when they call me up or message saying ‘What a fantastic<br />
performance’ I enjoy the entire process fully.<br />
Tell us about the process for an artiste to register<br />
with you.<br />
Initially we use to reach out to the artists via different reality shows but<br />
now we are gaining a lot of popularity on online registrations<br />
(registration is free). Once they have registered, our teams of mentors<br />
go through their videos and with their talent, connect with them and<br />
then we go live with their profile. We have a responsibility towards our<br />
customers, who we promise exceptional performances.<br />
How does one go about booking a performance?<br />
It’s very easy. Our website is extremely user friendly. One just has to go<br />
on the website as a customer. After which you can see multiple product<br />
that we have. If you want to book a band for a house party or a wedding,<br />
or you want to gift someone an experience for 20 minutes, you just have<br />
to go there and follow the process. Today you can book a performance<br />
in less than two minutes through Happydemic.<br />
How do you balance work and home so well?<br />
Your advice to young women entrepreneurs?<br />
There are 24 hours in a day and I like to plan everything well in advance.<br />
From the kitchen menu to meetings of the day, everything is planned<br />
and I make sure that I stick to a schedule. I actually imagine my entire<br />
day and figure out whether it is practical for me to fit in the kind of<br />
things and if not, then I prioritise it accordingly. From kitchen menu to<br />
meetings, chat with kids’ extracurricular activities, car pool, or even a<br />
date with Shaan. Everything is planned! I have to-do notes all over my<br />
cabin (in the office) and on the fridge (in my kitchen). The only thing<br />
that I have stopped doing is, go to “show your face” kind of parties. I<br />
really don’t have time to socialise and the time that I have, I rather spend<br />
it with close family and friends. I’ll like to tell all the women out there<br />
that to do what you’re afraid to do. You are the best version of yourself.<br />
I don’t think you need to be a copy of someone else. Most importantly<br />
women should seek respect and not attention.<br />
anjalishetty@crememagazine.in<br />
March 2017<br />
61
art & culture<br />
As fiction writers, we are<br />
supposed to be lying to our<br />
readers by spinning tales. But,<br />
I want my lie to be believable<br />
and I try to keep it as close to<br />
the truth as possible.<br />
ASHWIN SANGHI<br />
Author<br />
62 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
art & culture<br />
Ashwin Sanghi’s list of credentials is endless, he is one of India’s most<br />
marketable writers. He is uber talented, unassuming and nonchalant, in<br />
both, his public and personal life. In the city to launch his latest book<br />
Private Delhi, co-authored by James Patterson, Ashwin bares it all in an<br />
unreserved interaction<br />
VIDYA UNNITHAN<br />
Known popularly as India’s very own ‘Dan Brown’, Ashwin Sanghi is a<br />
thinker, speaker and a master storyteller. His engaging storylines<br />
coupled with compelling narratives, makes him break the stereotypical<br />
mould of Indian authors. Ranked as one of the highest selling English<br />
fiction authors in India, he holds many affiliations and dons the role of ‘people’s<br />
writer’ with perfection.<br />
Being an entrepreneur by profession and writer by passion, Ashwin Sanghi’s<br />
story is worthwhile. He credits his maternal grandfather for helping him find his<br />
footing in literature. By using the convention of sending Ashwin books to read<br />
each week, his grandfather helped transform the seven year old boy into a<br />
voracious reader who had no intimation of the writer lurking within him. A<br />
chanced visit to the everfamous Rozabal shrine in Srinagar propelled a sense of<br />
curiosity within Ashwin as the legend that affirms the shrine to be a burial site of<br />
Jesus Christ, fascinated him. His fascination soon grew into an obsession which<br />
led him to read and research about the subject for over a year, a casual suggestion<br />
from his wife to weave the disparate threads into a story, nudged Ashwin to pen<br />
his first book, The Rozabal Line. Juggling a career as an entrepreneur five days a<br />
week and writing for the other two, Ashwin took two years to complete his debut<br />
novel, only to be rejected by 47 literary agents. Undeterred by the setback, he self<br />
published his first book under the pseudonym Shawn Haigins in 2007. The<br />
theological thriller based on the theory that Jesus died in Kashmir was<br />
subsequently published by Westland India in 2008 under Ashwins name and the<br />
March 2017<br />
63
art & culture<br />
book went on to become a bestseller. Since then he has published<br />
Chanakya’s Chant, Krishna Key, The Sialkot Saga and a non fiction<br />
series on 13 Steps to Bloody Good Luck and 13 Steps to Bloody<br />
Good Wealth. He has also collaborated with James Patterson, a<br />
thriller writer who holds the Guinness World Record for the most<br />
#1 New York Times bestseller, for his Private Series called Private<br />
India. Talking about the second addition of the Private India series,<br />
Private Delhi, Ashwin recalled how co-authoring with James<br />
Patterson seemed like a terrifying idea. “When the offer came to me,<br />
I was a little concerned. I din’t want it to be a colour-book exercise,<br />
meaning, I did not want someone to draw the outlines for me<br />
because that invariably meant that my creativity would be curbed.<br />
Surprisingly, James said that India is an alien territory to him, which<br />
meant that the plot lines would come from me and that is precisely<br />
what I wanted ,so I agreed to get onboard.”<br />
The union of the two thriller writers is magical and is evident in<br />
their Private Series, the research and storyline of Ashwin and the<br />
supreme detailing and twists of<br />
James makes an interesting read.<br />
Priding himself in creating<br />
grey characters, Ashwins<br />
characters can neither be loved<br />
nor loathed. For a regular reader,<br />
his Private Series would seem<br />
brutal and blood curdling, this<br />
un-Ashwin Sanghi like quality<br />
can be very well credited to the<br />
creative geniuses of the duo ,<br />
“The book was meant to be a<br />
dark. Before James and I even<br />
began writing, we were very<br />
clear on the idea that the book<br />
would be a Scandinavian or Nordic Noir. Typically in this genre the<br />
thrill that one gets is through the open spaces, the freezing<br />
temperatures, the fact that you have light for a very few hours and<br />
the number of miles between one house and the next. But India is<br />
the stark opposite of that, you have hot weather, you have daylight<br />
most of the time and you have an ever swelling population, in that<br />
sense, the overcrowding nature of our city gives us anonymity, you<br />
can slip in and out unnoticed, you are just one in a million and that,<br />
to us was an area that lend itself to a crime thriller. So, our attempt<br />
to transform an Indian setting to fit the Nordic Noir genre gave way<br />
to the blood curdling elements.”<br />
Being a purposeful writer, Ashwin has always managed to merge<br />
the past and the present beautifully. The plots would revolve around<br />
actual controversies, political unrest and shocking incidents.<br />
Keeping the pertinent theme of organ harvesting and medical<br />
tourism at the centre, Private Delhi stirs up a feeling of unrest. “As<br />
fiction writers, we are supposed to be lying to our readers by<br />
spinning tales. But I want my lie to be believable and I try to keep<br />
“ The reason behind the gravitation towards<br />
such (crime) fiction is because there is a little<br />
part of us which knows that we could also be<br />
that way, there is an element of evil in all of<br />
us. There is a strange preoccupation with serial<br />
killers even though they account for less than<br />
one percent of crime. The reason behind the<br />
gravitation towards such fiction is because<br />
there is a little part of us , which knows that<br />
we could also be that way, there is an element<br />
of evil in all of us. “<br />
my lie as close to the truth as possible. The reason my readers can<br />
recollect or relate with the incidences is because they have already<br />
appeared in the newspapers, so everything sounds believable.”<br />
Ashwin is fascinated by things around him, be it media, politics,<br />
business, the interplay between them and even serial killers. “ There<br />
is a strange preoccupation with serial killers even though they<br />
account for less than one percent of crime. The reason behind the<br />
gravitation towards such fiction is because there is a little part of us<br />
, which knows that we could also be that way, there is an element of<br />
evil in all of us. Our conscience mind would disagree but our<br />
subconscious mind knows that we are a whisper away from being<br />
mentally imbalanced and that realization is why 90 percent of crime<br />
fiction is dominated by serial killers.<br />
Ashwin is referred to as the ‘Sage of Research’, his quest for<br />
knowledge has lead him to uncover information and realities that<br />
help make his book seem real. “Research plays an important role in<br />
my books, I want the readers to know that reality and fiction can<br />
co-exist and that drives me. The<br />
research for my Bharat series are<br />
always nicer and as I can read<br />
and talk to scholars and linguists<br />
but the Private series is a whole<br />
different ball game. I have to be<br />
out there, talk to people, cops<br />
and even conmen. But, it is<br />
something which whas to be<br />
done, the grittiness of world has<br />
to be brought to peoples notice.”<br />
With the idea rooted firmly in<br />
his mind, Ashwin almost<br />
effortlessly weaves tales that are<br />
nothing but fictionalised truths.<br />
With an established foothold in the literary world and nine<br />
bestsellers in his kitty, Ashwin marches ahead steadfastly bettering<br />
himself with every novel. He commits to keep co-authoring books<br />
along with other experts, but also promises that his Bharat series<br />
would continue to be authored solo. He concludes the hour long<br />
interaction by urging budding writers to keep at it.<br />
“Those who are trying to write should write, because most people<br />
think about writing but they don’t get to it. Second would be to<br />
never worry if your book would be sellable or not. Third, would be<br />
to not look at the whole process as writing but rather as storytelling<br />
because when you write a good story, the words take a back seat.<br />
Any editor worth his merit could make your story read better but<br />
he cannot write the story for you. Fourth, is to be thick skinned to<br />
deal with inevitable rejections that come within the territory and<br />
the fifth, and the most important would be to stay rooted if you<br />
make it big.”<br />
vidyaunnithan@crememagazine.in<br />
64 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
For the second time around, Comic Con Pune is back, bigger, better and full of<br />
excitement. Venture into the fantasy land of comics, TV characters and games and<br />
unleash the fun<br />
With tremendous response and after last year’s<br />
success, Comic Con Pune is back again for its<br />
second annual comic convention, taking place<br />
on the first weekend of March. Filled with special<br />
guests, gaming zones, cosplay contest and panel discussions,<br />
this year, the convention is all geared up for famous international<br />
personality, David Lloyd, British comic artist best known for his<br />
work on V for Vendetta. In order to win assured prizes in an exciting<br />
Cosplay contest, fans can come dressed as their favourite comic,<br />
superhero or gaming characters of their choice.<br />
Comic Con India brings a special treat for tech and gaming<br />
enthusiasts, with an exclusive Maruti Suzuki Alto K10 Experience<br />
Zone, where gaming enthusiast can battle it out with feature games<br />
such as Fifa 17, Battlefield 1 and many more.<br />
Other exclusive experiential zones at Alto Pune Comic Con<br />
includes AXN Live R.E.D Zone. AXN’s Live R.E.D. zone will have<br />
exciting activities to highlight some of its iconic shows like Billions,<br />
Justified, Supernatural, The Voice, Dexter and Sherlock. There will<br />
also be a chance to experience Sherlock’s eccentric lifestyle and win<br />
lots of goodies amongst other things. So don’t miss it. Don’t forget,<br />
to meet and greet many comic artists and exhibitors and book<br />
launches. Make sure you make time for Pune’s biggest pop-culture<br />
event of the year!<br />
sanaanalwalla@crememagazine.in
ART & CULTURE<br />
Having made his way to the top 100 hottest architects to look<br />
out for, Ash Parekh, architect and owner of Opus design<br />
Studio sits down for candid chat with Sanaa Nalwalla and<br />
talks about work, current projects and his journey up till now<br />
Hailing from Mumbai, Ash<br />
Parekh’s journey started when<br />
he travelled to Washington<br />
to complete his masters and<br />
comfortably settled there for<br />
20 years. He made the switch of shifting his<br />
base to Pune and soon after, opened up The<br />
Opus D’sign Studio, a leading architectural,<br />
interior design and master planning firm<br />
involved in projects all across India back in<br />
2005. Since then, Opus D’sign Studio have<br />
developed an extensive portfolio of niche and<br />
unique projects when it comes to educational<br />
schools and colleges, hospitals such as Jehangir,<br />
N M Wadia and Ruby Hall and many other<br />
prominent projects in the industrial sector.<br />
Making headlines in 2015, as one of the<br />
hottest 100 architects in India by Architect<br />
and Interiors India Magazine, Parekh’s ethos<br />
is well reflected through his skills and design<br />
sensibilities. Parekh is a firm believer of hard<br />
work. “You have got to work smart and more<br />
importantly you have to be honest in your<br />
work and with your clients. Sometimes success<br />
might take a little longer but it’s the crux of what<br />
we do. We always have<br />
the client’s interest<br />
in mind.” Moving<br />
deeper into what most<br />
of his designs reflect,<br />
he holds the client’s<br />
needs in high regard.<br />
For an architect to<br />
design a said space,<br />
the client’s brief needs<br />
to directly respond to<br />
the space designed.<br />
The architect needs to<br />
share the same page<br />
and navigate through<br />
challenging decisions<br />
in order to build a space, in a manner which<br />
makes sense on a planning basis, makes sense<br />
on an economic basis, technical basis and most<br />
importantly on a creative basis.<br />
As an architect, urban designer and<br />
planner, Parekh has been subjected to many<br />
hindrances along the way. “From a design<br />
or planning angles, critical and paramount<br />
importance is for the architect to understand<br />
the clients design brief, their requirement,<br />
and more importantly what has created that<br />
particular requirement. He feels that the<br />
construction industry needs to rapidly start<br />
organising themselves better. From the lack of<br />
man power to the availability of skilled labour<br />
within the construction industries that are<br />
needed to lend their expertise is direly lacking.<br />
In efforts to better urban development and<br />
provide industrial professionals a standard<br />
66 MARCH 2017 www.crememagazine.in
centralised data bank is the<br />
way to move forward. “Like<br />
in the west, if architects,<br />
interior designer or an<br />
urban planner can actually<br />
draw upon. Say there are<br />
different types of floorings<br />
or paints available; you need<br />
to do your own homework.<br />
There is no central bank<br />
where anybody in the<br />
construction business<br />
can go and ask for<br />
certain materials fit for<br />
his special requirements.<br />
The challenge has been<br />
that sometimes one can<br />
vision and one can dream<br />
but design down to a<br />
level where it s practical,<br />
economical, technically<br />
feasible and constructible<br />
is a different matter,” says<br />
Parekh.<br />
An a witness to the ever changing urban<br />
landscape of Pune, Parekh feels that Pune<br />
started rapidly developing in the late 1990s and<br />
saw real changes taking places during this time.<br />
In terms of roads, infrastructure and water<br />
managements he feels, that the government<br />
needed to make certain changes when the<br />
shift as underway of Pune becoming a more<br />
developed city. On a positive note efforts are<br />
being made now for new projects coming<br />
online to respond to some of the needs that<br />
buyers are now actually demanding. “That is a<br />
good thing because buyers are well informed<br />
and respond to global trends, planning trends<br />
in terms or architectural trends and materials.<br />
And this attitude is also reflected in the<br />
builder’s attitude when it comes to catering to<br />
an audience.”<br />
In sans there is positivity on the horizon,<br />
but the infrastructural needs to start rapidly<br />
to meet the demand and change anticipated<br />
in the near future. “Pune will obviously grow;<br />
there is no two ways about it. We have a<br />
tremendous influx of IT professionals turning<br />
Pune into an educational and manufacturing<br />
hub and we have people from all walks of life<br />
who are going to continue to call Pune their<br />
home. “I think positives like social culture<br />
changes will impact and bring about a change<br />
in a positive manner, and I hope it matches the<br />
pace of the city, considering the rate at which it<br />
is growing. Look at the future growth and say<br />
30 years from now what are going to do? How<br />
are we going to respond to the city doubling in<br />
size? We need a master plan which responds<br />
to the fact that if the city is growing at 5-7%<br />
every year, you’ve got to plan 30 years into<br />
the future,” says Parekh. With a few tweaks,<br />
and future planning, the development control<br />
roles are in the process of being modified and<br />
they react looking at the future rather than<br />
tackling an ongoing issue.<br />
art & culture<br />
Talking about offering<br />
the best of both worlds in<br />
terms of advantage and<br />
designs, Parekh elaborates<br />
that, “in the West there is a<br />
certain design philosophy,<br />
there are nuances of<br />
design and planning that I<br />
learnt, and imbibed while<br />
I practiced architecture in<br />
US. India has its own style<br />
its own lifestyle. Giving a<br />
classic example of a wet<br />
and dry area in a bathroom<br />
15 years ago didn’t exist.<br />
When I started designing<br />
this space for my clients, I<br />
realised there was a need<br />
for it in India, considering<br />
it hadn’t been done before.<br />
I didn’t invent anything<br />
new; I simply applied a<br />
design aspect and that as<br />
that. Another thing we were the firsts to do<br />
back in 1997 was introducing the concept of<br />
a pre-engineered building. Where the entire<br />
building came in containers and the entire<br />
50,000 building was assembled in just 21<br />
days. A deed like this was not even remotely<br />
thought about 20 years ago. Even if you look<br />
at the concept of the walk-in closet, if you look<br />
at the concept of a cooking island, these are<br />
things which are very prevalent in the west<br />
but we have just now started imbibing into the<br />
planning of homes.”<br />
With positive prospects in the future,<br />
Parekh will continue to do good work and<br />
envisions growth in the tier two and tier three<br />
cities of India. “Architects and planners need to<br />
respond to the challenges in these cities, that is<br />
where the need of the population lie. Hospitals<br />
and schools and industries and clinics are<br />
going to be need in those cities and they are<br />
going to need qualified people. The name of<br />
the game is going to be a more compressed<br />
version of what is available in a metro into a tier<br />
two and tier three cities offering you the same<br />
functionality in design, sensibilities, aesthetics<br />
and that is something that we are gearing up<br />
for in the next 20 years.” Mean while projects<br />
like the PICT Model School, Hinjewadi, the<br />
new Ruby Hall at Amanora, and India’s first<br />
eco friendly kinder garden centre. Following<br />
suit, they are also underway designing an<br />
economical, eco friendly residential projects<br />
which focus on value housing which aims at<br />
giving maximum benefit and maximum value<br />
to the buyer.<br />
sanaanalwalla@crememagazine.in<br />
March 2017 67
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art & culture<br />
As a well-versed artist and academician Shubigi Rao<br />
is a pandora’s box of information whose interest lain<br />
in various fields which requires one to be critical and<br />
informed and openly opinionated to allow oneself to<br />
conceptual frameworks in order to teach oneself<br />
new things<br />
sanaa nalwalla<br />
Tell us a little about yourself...<br />
I’m an artist and writer, based in Singapore. I’m really an artist<br />
only because it gives me the freedom to research and make<br />
work about any field, to be critical and informed and openly<br />
opinionated, to switch between conceptual frameworks and<br />
to teach myself new things, media, and ideas. So my interests<br />
range from archaeology, neuroscience, outdated 13th-19th<br />
century science, natural history, scholarship and exploration,<br />
to language, libraries, and even historical acts of cultural<br />
genocide, to name a few.<br />
How did you come about working with the infamous<br />
Raoul? Could you elaborate on your choice of a<br />
male alias?<br />
S Raoul was an erstwhile scientist, theorist, archaeologist and<br />
scapegoat, as well as a mentor to me. As a male of no clear<br />
ethnic persuasion, he became a very useful persona under<br />
which I could make ten years worth of art, write scientific<br />
papers (all hoaxes of course), and academic art history books<br />
(also not wholly truthful). Its been fun watching how easily<br />
people accept the word (and work) of a dead male over that of<br />
a living female. So I’ve been the ‘booth girl’ who presented his<br />
neuroscientific work at the global congress of neuroscientists<br />
in 2010, while brilliant scientist admired S. Raoul’s collection<br />
of 19 th century lobotomy tools (they were really rusty crochet<br />
hooks), and have even written a biography of him. He’s really<br />
just me, with a paper moustache, but a surprising number of<br />
people bought into that fiction. I suppose it says a lot about<br />
gender politics in art, academia, and authority, as well about<br />
our willingness to believe even the most outlandish premise,<br />
if it is presented in a convincing enough fashion.<br />
What is the nature of your work which makes<br />
it interesting?<br />
I’m not sure if it’s interesting to anyone else, but I’m endlessly<br />
fascinated by the breadth and range of knowledge and wonder<br />
in the natural world, the cosmos, at the quantum level, in<br />
70 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
science, technology, literature, really, just<br />
almost all human endeavour. As an avid gamer<br />
I’m also a reader of political and military<br />
history. All this come out in strange ways – I<br />
make tongue-in-cheek books, artworks, evil<br />
board games, and complex installations of<br />
pseudo-science machines, metaphysical<br />
puzzles, video, objects, etchings, prints,<br />
drawings, handmade books and scavenged<br />
material. I’ve created archaeological archives<br />
of garbage, written ‘How To’ manuals for the<br />
aspiring tyrant seeking to build a nation and a<br />
culture from scratch. No matter what I make,<br />
there is a strong element of humour, though<br />
that sometimes masks a deep anger at injustice<br />
or human idiocy.<br />
How did you immerse yourself in a<br />
multitude of so many things, right from<br />
history to languages to neuroscience?<br />
I grew up with a huge and very eclectic library<br />
– my parents had a wonderful collection of<br />
rare and outdated books on natural history,<br />
science, literature, and the humanities. I read<br />
them as voraciosly as I read popular fiction<br />
from Agatha Christie to Sherlock Holmes.<br />
Since all I did was read as a child (friends were<br />
a waste of time, and playing outdoors was<br />
tedious), I learnt to read very quickly and<br />
critically, and to parse subtext and layered,<br />
submerged meanings or agendas. I still look to<br />
books for answers, for escapist immersion, for<br />
blurring the boundaries between fact and<br />
fiction, and for trying to decipher the<br />
inexplicable. History is much more than rise<br />
and fall of empire. For me it is also the<br />
migration of language, of culture, of<br />
mathematical concepts, and of diseases.<br />
What is the relationship between art<br />
and curation? How does the curatorial<br />
feature in your work?<br />
I used to be particularly interested in the<br />
politics of display, when I was a student, and in<br />
the way knowledge is framed, ordered and<br />
presented by institutions of authority. For<br />
instance, the display of dead animals, or ‘native’<br />
artefacts in a museum says more about the way<br />
the original context is erased, and the need to<br />
collect, classify, label, and display. All these are<br />
acts of ownership. The curating of people, flora<br />
and fauna, and the naming of things went hand<br />
in hand with imperialist expansion and<br />
eventual colonisation. Curating in the arts<br />
involves a sometimes similar erasure of origial<br />
context, and yet, I can enjoy these artifices,<br />
because we betray more about ourselves when<br />
we attempt to create order, or meaning, out of<br />
chaos, whether it is classifying and studying<br />
the teeming forms of life in the tropics, or<br />
curating the disordered mind of the artist! A<br />
lot of my installations replicate the museum<br />
environment. I curate garbage, junk, scrap and<br />
discarded ‘leftovers’ into ordered displays,<br />
properly classified and labelled. The curatorial<br />
note about my work in the guide to the Pune<br />
Biennale encapsulates, quite neatly, the need<br />
to question why and how we separate and<br />
create hierarchies for things, animals, and<br />
people. We are constantly curating — we sift<br />
out what we deem irrelevant, and only choose<br />
to remember or emphasise what confirms our<br />
worldview.<br />
Can talk to us about your obsession<br />
with octopus and how they are relevant<br />
to us beings?<br />
The octopus is a fascinating creature — it is<br />
now being studied as a wholly new form of<br />
intelligence. If we were to study the evolution<br />
of sentience, intelligence and conciousness,<br />
then the cephalopod would be a completely<br />
different branch. Instead of the usual single<br />
brain (central nervous system), it has nine, as<br />
each tentacle has a ganglion, in fact two-thirds<br />
of its brain is in its arms. It is a master of<br />
camouflage (its skin can look like seabed sand,<br />
rusty metal or bright plastic garbage), it can<br />
use tools, open jars from the inside, and<br />
predict the winners of the FIFA World Cup.<br />
It’s the closest we will probably come to<br />
studying alien intelligence, since it’s the only<br />
invertebrate that we know of (as of now), that<br />
evolved a wholly different form of intelligence.<br />
Some studies even show it capable of<br />
distinguishing between human faces, of<br />
having a rich inner life, of contemplation and<br />
reflection. It can unravel puzzles, figure out<br />
mazes, but its use of tools is doubly interesting<br />
because unlike vertebrates who learn these<br />
skills from parents or watching others in social<br />
groups, the octopus is a solitary creature who<br />
figures things out on its own. The brain, to me,<br />
is a subject of immense interest, and to be<br />
sharing a planet with this creature is a<br />
huge privilege.<br />
Can you talk about your decade-long<br />
film, book and visual art project, ‘Pulp:<br />
A Short Biography of the Banished<br />
Book’?<br />
Since 2013 I have been working on ‘Pulp: A<br />
Short Biography of the Banished Book’, a<br />
decade-long film, book and visual art project<br />
about the history of book destruction,<br />
censorship and other forms of repression, as<br />
art & culture<br />
well as the book as symbol and resistance. This<br />
involves travelling around the world to film<br />
public and private collections, libraries and<br />
archives that have served as flashpoints in<br />
history, collecting fragments, ephemera,<br />
anecdotes, buried secrets, and piecing together<br />
a composite chronology of the conjoined<br />
literary and violent trajectories of our species.<br />
I’m trying to recreate the history of our species<br />
and our fear of culture, knowledge, and the<br />
words of other people.<br />
Can you decode–‘archiving and<br />
destruction of knowledge in various<br />
forms’ for us?<br />
The library is like a brain. Apart from the<br />
obvious shared archival nature, they are similar<br />
because both are subject to decay. The brain<br />
chooses to forget, and it is the disorder of<br />
those choices that are of huge interest to me.<br />
The library, or archive of knowledge, is full of<br />
half-truths, outdated knowledge and<br />
mouldering, unread books, information that<br />
may never be accessed, and may not be wholly<br />
trustworthy. Our brains don’t store memories<br />
and then retrieve them–they remake the<br />
memory every time we call upon, and are<br />
therefore completely unreliable. Imagine that<br />
everytime we ‘put away’ information in our<br />
mental storehouses, we are destroying them,<br />
knowing that the brain will rebuild them when<br />
we need to recall them. Of course, there also<br />
more overt forms of knowledge destruction<br />
– the burning of books and libraries, the<br />
censorship of information, rewriting of history,<br />
the impostion of one language over all others,<br />
and so on.<br />
You are all about discourse, is<br />
everything related in life? Is there order<br />
to our chaos?<br />
As a species we are terribly flawed - our<br />
constant discontent and fear of what we<br />
cannot control makes us impose order where<br />
none is often needed. The mental gymnastics<br />
required to justify our systems, structures and<br />
beliefs are laughable, yet we are deathly serious<br />
about ourselves, and in our arrogance still<br />
believe we are the center of everything. So no,<br />
I really hope there is no order, because if<br />
entropy is the natural process of the universe,<br />
then our foolish, feeble attempts at order is a<br />
joke. Having said that, there are forms of order<br />
that are exquisite forms of life-support, so to<br />
speak, and are most readily apparent in the<br />
natural world. g<br />
sanaanalwalla@crememagazine.in<br />
March 2017 71
COVER STORY<br />
This International Women’s Day, Anjali Shetty<br />
brings to you four energetic and willful women,<br />
who have carved a niche in respective fields.<br />
They chose to think differently and take up<br />
professions that were different and challenging<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER: SHIVA SHARMA<br />
PARUL MEHTA,<br />
Trustee, Ishanya Foundation<br />
T<br />
ELL US ABOUT JOURNEY AS AN<br />
ENTREPRENEUR. WHAT GOT YOU TO JOIN<br />
YOUR FAMILY BUSINESS?<br />
Born and brought up in an economically sound family, life<br />
has been kind enough to provide me with an opportunity<br />
whereby I could focus towards betterment of society;<br />
something that I was always inclined to and found solace<br />
in. In the early years of my life, there was always a subtle<br />
thought of pursing my interest and dedicate my full<br />
attention towards it. But it was this one incident that hit the<br />
nail hard. It was this one event where I was part of the<br />
organising committee in our college that we organised an<br />
eye camp. One feeble old lady walked up to me post her<br />
cataract operation and mentioned that I was an angel sent<br />
by God. It had been over a couple of years that she was<br />
suffering from cataract but did not have the resources for<br />
her treatment. It was a small incident and just one more<br />
initiative among many others that I was already a part of.<br />
The joy I experienced seeing the happiness of the old lady<br />
truly touched my heart and made me think, there could be<br />
thousands more such people who are suffering but do not<br />
have appropriate support and resources. It is only after this<br />
incident, I decided to work towards building a better society<br />
and making a difference. As I met and interacted with more,<br />
I started to realise that there is a huge need to unfold buried<br />
talents and capabilities, empower people and provide them<br />
with a platform that will help them become self-reliant. On<br />
one side there were businesses that sought talented<br />
resources but could not find and on the other hand there<br />
were resources available but who were not technically<br />
sound. Thus, there was an immediate gap that needed to be<br />
bridged. It was my moment of truth and I found my path.<br />
It started off with the charitable work close to the factories<br />
in Chindran village around Taloja. Backed with an able<br />
team, we conceptualised and initiated several income<br />
generation programmes. One of the early initiative was for<br />
the youth, where we started tailoring classes. This enabled<br />
them to design and supply items to boutiques thereby<br />
making them self-reliant. Driven by the success of this<br />
project, and the underlying thought of helping people<br />
identify and develop their true potential, Ishanya<br />
Foundation (IsFon) started its journey in 2006 towards<br />
building a self-reliant and self-sustainable society.<br />
THIS WOMAN’S DAY, WHOM WOULD YOU<br />
LIKE TO THANK FOR INSPIRING YOU?<br />
My mother has been my biggest inspiration. She instilled<br />
moral values in me and taught me to strive for my<br />
aspirations. What have been the challenges of leading a<br />
72 MARCH 2017 www.crememagazine.in
cover story<br />
company, considering not everyone is comfortable with a woman boss.<br />
There are countless challenges faced by women at various stages<br />
beginning from their initial commencement of enterprise to successfully<br />
sustain it. Entrepreneurship has been traditionally seen a male preserve<br />
and idea of women taking it up is considered as a distant dream. Setting<br />
up the foundation also came with its own set of challenges for me,<br />
however, with the immense hard work and perseverance put in by me<br />
together with my team enabled us to pursue our dreams.<br />
Initially, there were huge challenges of<br />
identifying beneficiaries, make them<br />
understand the benefits of vocational<br />
courses and enroll them. To get people out<br />
of their comfort zones and to push them<br />
towards training and away from what they<br />
were currently doing was a challenge.<br />
Word of mouth played an important part.<br />
What are the inputs<br />
brought in by you?<br />
Armed with industry expertise, I have been<br />
able to successfully combine a traditional<br />
business model with a pressing social<br />
mission in ways that have been helping to<br />
transform lives of less fortunate. The<br />
foundation today works towards<br />
relentlessly identifying potential and gaps<br />
in the economic and social support<br />
systems, with special emphasis on youth,<br />
women and marginal farmers. Under its<br />
various initiatives, the foundation has been<br />
conducting several outreach programmes<br />
in the areas of women empowerment<br />
through livelihood programmes, health<br />
and education. Besides running income<br />
generation programs for underprivileged<br />
women and various vocational courses, we<br />
also organise several medical camps and<br />
initiatives across western India and mobile<br />
libraries for schools in rural areas,<br />
benefitting more than 2,000 girls and<br />
women. Observing the challenges, NGOs faced to sell their products due<br />
to lack of resources and a physical space, we conceptualized and put<br />
together a novel idea that was named — Yellow Ribbon NGO Fair<br />
(YRNF). Always held before diwali, YRNF is a unique platform that<br />
brings the collective work of NGOs, artisans and SHGs across India<br />
providing them with a platform to reach out to their stakeholders be it<br />
— individuals, corporate, government bodies among others. It provides<br />
them with a unique opportunity to learn, share, network, generate new<br />
ideas and awareness about the marketing trends with the urban and rural<br />
market. Actualising the potential of the digital medium that is connecting<br />
The pathology lab<br />
Its benefits and how can you associate:<br />
• Extend support to this initiative by giving<br />
a little of your time to generate awareness on<br />
the unique lab services to doctors, suggest<br />
innovative ways to reach the needy and<br />
recommend this to family/friends and your<br />
domestic help to avail the lab services,<br />
improve their health and well-being. Ishanya<br />
Foundation offers pathological investigations<br />
and health care services, if prescribed by the<br />
doctor, to the patients in the local community<br />
at highly subsidised rates, which are at most<br />
times unaffordable for these patients.<br />
Be an Angel<br />
Voluntary mentoring at Ishanya Foundation<br />
• Make a real difference to the lives of young<br />
people by mentoring and encouraging the<br />
aspirants to continue with courses enrolled<br />
for, to become financially independent<br />
• Aspirants join the vocational courses at the<br />
Foundation to enhance their livelihood<br />
skills, such as the professional beautician<br />
course, certificate course in IT, teachers<br />
training programme, BPO training course<br />
and need continuous encouragement,<br />
inspiration, motivation and empowerment<br />
in completing their course and placements.<br />
the world today, we conceptualised and arrived at the idea of launching a<br />
unique marketing platform — www.heart2hand.org.in to bring together<br />
over 200 NGOs and open the world as their potential buyers and<br />
stakeholders. This website currently features over 400 products from<br />
these NGOs coming from different parts of the country. In the first year<br />
of its launch, several NGOs tasted success by bagging huge orders from<br />
both international and domestic markets. Today this website is constantly<br />
growing by both bringing in new NGOs and trusts under its fold and<br />
adding newer variety of products on the<br />
list. The fact that the NGOs get to directly<br />
deal with their customers once the order is<br />
placed, goes a long way to showcase the<br />
transparency of this initiative. Over the last<br />
three years, Ishanya Foundation has<br />
initiated another unique project named<br />
Muskaan to empower financially<br />
challenged women. Under this initiative,<br />
Ishanya Foundation receives pre-owned<br />
garments, clothes and accessories through<br />
its ‘Muskaan Ambassadors’ in the city.<br />
These products are checked for quality and<br />
the ones found in good condition are sold<br />
at affordable prices to underprivileged<br />
families in various areas of Pune by 20<br />
‘MuskaanParees’ — a self-help group of<br />
women affiliated with the Foundation. My<br />
inherent sense of design, art and aesthetics<br />
has enabled me to start Pune’s first State-<br />
Of-The-Art, art gallery called Tilting Art<br />
Gallery. This gallery supports and<br />
encourages budding artists to explore their<br />
creativity complemented with training<br />
sessions conducted by some of the best<br />
names in the industry and later showcase<br />
their art works. With our retail<br />
establishment, we have become the<br />
incubation centre for several upcoming<br />
brands that display great potential.<br />
What about Pune has<br />
helped shaped you professionally and<br />
personally?<br />
Pune gives an opportunity for perfect work-life balance and thus<br />
encourages entrepreneurship. Also, Pune being the cultural capital of<br />
Maharashtra it offers me to foster my interest in art and culture along with<br />
striking the perfect balance between my work and family responsibilities.<br />
This enables to work better in various social fields and help me become<br />
a better person.<br />
March 2017 73
COVER STORY<br />
SANJANA DESAI<br />
Head Business Development, Desai Brothers Ltd – Food Division<br />
TELL US ABOUT JOURNEY AS AN ENTREPRENEUR.<br />
WHAT GOT YOU TO JOIN YOUR FAMILY BUSINESS?<br />
Having watched my granddad, my father and my uncles work so diligently<br />
with profuse discipline every day to give me the education and the life I<br />
lived, joining my family business and putting in all my best efforts was<br />
always my ambition. Being a part of the family business was never an<br />
afterthought, it was always where I wanted to be. In a class full of ‘I want<br />
to be an astronaut’ I had always said proudly that my ambition was to be<br />
a successful business woman. My father always told me “learn how to read<br />
your accounts first”, which is the ground rule of any business or<br />
entrepreneurship. His advice struck a chord and I went on to pursue my<br />
majors in Finance, Economics with a minor in International Business<br />
from Bryant University in Rhode Island, USA. These years of education<br />
also broadened by understanding of business and I discovered that I was<br />
meant to join my family business. I was the first woman in four generations<br />
to join my family business. where I walked into the office with no fear nor<br />
any biased expectations.<br />
THIS WOMAN’S DAY, WHOM WOULD YOU LIKE TO<br />
THANK FOR INSPIRING YOU?<br />
My mother has been my unabated support, pushing me and inspiring me<br />
to achieve things that I didn’t think possible and she continues to give me<br />
strength so I can focus on long hours of work and travel. We never say it<br />
enough but, ‘thank you mom’ for being there, for being you.<br />
WHAT HAVE BEEN THE CHALLENGES OF LEADING A<br />
COMPANY, CONSIDERING NOT EVERYONE IS<br />
COMFORTABLE WITH A WOMAN BOSS.<br />
After completing my graduation, as a 23-year-old ‘entitled’ girl, the first<br />
thing was to learn the basic ropes of the business I was getting into and<br />
subsequently earn respect and position based on merit. Also, being the<br />
youngest one in the top management, I knew my work needs to talk<br />
louder than my name. I work hard everyday on becoming a better leader,<br />
they say ‘lack of listening’ is like the common cold in leaders. I believe it<br />
is important to be observant at all times. Listening to your stakeholders<br />
both internal and external is the key. It helps in gaining respect and loyalty<br />
from your team as well as aids in easy motivation. We cannot be<br />
complacent in life as it curbs an individual’s growth and learning.<br />
Additionally, we have a healthy gender balance in our company and are<br />
proud of it! Girls cannot spend late hours at work is a passé which is<br />
constantly being proved by the young and motivated women workforce<br />
in our enterprise. We have created a very conducive environment for<br />
women. We as promoters, set the tone and ensure that we communicate<br />
company values and shape policy with regard to gender equality.<br />
74 MARCH 2017 www.crememagazine.in
cover story<br />
What are the inputs brought in by you in<br />
the business?<br />
Working closely with my team of experts to conceptualise, develop<br />
and introduce a range of innovative products that connect the brand<br />
with the burgeoning youth segment and keeping in mind<br />
consumption trends. Apart from developing new products, creating<br />
the complete marketing communication platform for Mother’s<br />
Recipe including the social media and digital marketing to connect<br />
with the mothers of today. Created an e-commerce vertical where<br />
we are currently selling our products through 25 E-Grocers such as<br />
Big Basket, Grofers, Amazon, Snapdeal and our own exclusive<br />
e-store ‘www.shop.mothersrecipe.com’. I have been leading the<br />
International Business vertical for 6 years, I have helped created<br />
SOPs that are regarded the best in the Indian Food Processing<br />
sector, took charge of exports sales and marketing as a result, the<br />
company’s export sales have witnessed an exponential growth of 63<br />
per cent and export profitability by 70 per cent. Worked on<br />
successful acquisition of Kolkata based ELMAC brand, integrating<br />
and enhancing production capacities by five times & currently<br />
spearheading the national sales and distribution expansion plans.<br />
What about Pune has helped shaped you<br />
professionally and personally?<br />
The quality of life in Pune is incredible, it has always been a very<br />
supporting environment for women in terms of education, skill<br />
development whether it be — musical instruments, sports or art. It<br />
is a creative town with liberal culture and I have always felt safe here.<br />
What would your suggestions be to<br />
ensure independent women?<br />
For every woman to be independent they need to become selfsustainable<br />
and to achieve self-sustenance one of the basic<br />
requirement is education. So in my view it is imperative to provide<br />
basic education to ever girl to make them independent. Education<br />
lays the basic foundation for any individual to develop selfconfidence<br />
and awareness at the same time pursue their dreams.<br />
And being strong doesn’t mean behaving the way a man does, rather<br />
it is the act of embracing feminism and taking pride in expressing it<br />
to the world. Take control and responsibility for your own actions<br />
and complete them rather than getting bounded by social norms.<br />
March 2017 75
cover story<br />
Manisha Cooper<br />
Director, Marketing & Corporate Communication,<br />
Cooper Corporation<br />
Tell us about journey as an entrepreneur.<br />
What got you to join your family business?<br />
I have been a destiny’s child, born in an illustrious business family based<br />
out of Satara and being the only child my education and upbringing was<br />
governed or driven by the business environment. With an expectation to<br />
take on the business mantle from my father, after completing my<br />
graduation I joined my family business under the guidance of my father<br />
Mr. Farrokh Cooper, who is an entrepreneur. My father will always be an<br />
inspiration for me who has crafted his own journey from scratch and built<br />
Cooper Corporation, a name that has brought industrial revolution in a<br />
small city like Satara and has become household name. After becoming<br />
part of Cooper Corporation, the first personal goal was to learn the<br />
nuances of the business which is predominately driven by men. Currently<br />
my journey is of an individual who is part of this big Cooper family trying<br />
to make her own mark. Apart from this I have been fortunate enough to<br />
manage my time during weekends to pursue my interest of working for<br />
the welfare of animals with which I get best of both sides.<br />
This Woman’s day, whom would you like to<br />
thank for inspiring you?<br />
My mother taught me to be an independent individual and being the only<br />
child I always stood up for myself. I got the taste of the real world pretty<br />
early in my life as I was away from home for my studies at a very young<br />
age. It actually taught me to be myself, to survive and take inspiration from<br />
every experiences in my life. I always believed in living by my own rules,<br />
because if you live by someone else’s dream or look up to them, your true<br />
self gets blocked in some way, so be an inspiration to yourself first then to<br />
others.<br />
What have been the challenges of leading a<br />
company, considering not everyone is<br />
comfortable with a woman boss<br />
One of the basic challenge which I observed was lack of gender equality,<br />
considering that the manufacturing industry on the whole is dominated<br />
by men, acceptance of the opposite gender takes time. One of the key<br />
changes I’m pushing for is to bring more gender equality and create a<br />
team with perfect blend of youth and experience to take the company<br />
growth story forward. Also being the youngest in the team my first<br />
priority was to learn the basics and enhance my knowledge from the<br />
experienced people in the company. It helped me build a strong<br />
foundation for myself to contribute and add value to the organization.<br />
We at Cooper has been continuously working on a platform where<br />
everyone’s opinion/ ideas is heard and treated on merit without any<br />
gender or age bias.<br />
What are the inputs brought in by you in the<br />
business?<br />
• Working closely with the team, my first objective was to enhance<br />
76 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
visibility of the company and the quality<br />
products we manufacture from our 12<br />
state of the art facilities in Satara.<br />
• Improve awareness about the company<br />
and its entire product offerings through<br />
well thought out marketing and digital<br />
media plan, at the same time highlight the<br />
company legacy to enhance overall brand<br />
equity<br />
• Streamlining all the CSR work and<br />
undertaking various initiatives to enhance<br />
the standard of living for people in Satara.<br />
Also, we have commissioned activities<br />
within the company for all employees to<br />
improve communication and encourage<br />
team work.<br />
• Though my journey has just started and<br />
my team has been successful in bringing in<br />
changes; however, I believe we still have a<br />
long way to go and lot more to offer to the<br />
organization.<br />
What about Pune has<br />
helped shaped you<br />
professionally<br />
and<br />
personally?<br />
Pune in way was majorly responsible for<br />
bringing in a transformation in my life.<br />
After completing my high-school from a<br />
small town like Satara, when I moved to<br />
Pune for my college (+2) the city life was<br />
an enriching experience and sometimes<br />
even too much to absorb. The city provided<br />
me better education and exposure which<br />
led me to pursue my graduation from<br />
Scotland. Hailing from a small town where<br />
I lived in a well-protected environment,<br />
Pune exposed me to the real world and<br />
made me self-reliant.<br />
What would your<br />
suggestion be to ensure<br />
independent women?<br />
Education plays a key role in making any<br />
individual independent. One of the<br />
initiative which I’m really passionate about<br />
is child education and women<br />
empowerment. Compulsory basic<br />
education helps any individual to create a<br />
frame work for their future and pursue<br />
their dreams. It will open up a world of<br />
opportunities for anyone specially women<br />
to become self-sustainable.<br />
cover story<br />
about CooPER CORPORATION:<br />
Sir Dhanjisha B. Cooper started from humble beginnings<br />
where his father, Bomanjee Cooper worked as a carpenter<br />
in a distillery repairing barrels and hence the name Cooper<br />
which means a carpenter making barrels became the<br />
family name. From this level, Sir DB Cooper went into the<br />
business of buying land and planting date palm trees from<br />
which he extracted toddy and sold it throughout the state<br />
through retail counters.<br />
Simultaneously, he was actively running a number of<br />
liquor shops throughout the erstwhile state of Bombay<br />
Presidency. Being an entrepreneur, he utilised his profits<br />
into starting a small company in Satara Road making<br />
ploughs, agriculture equipment, and later on diesel<br />
engines. Eventually the company became known as<br />
Cooper Engineering Limited. In those days of the British<br />
Rule, it was difficult for an Indian to establish an industry<br />
anywhere leave aside the rural areas . He was one of three<br />
families- the other two being Kirloskar and Ogale who<br />
chose to locate their factories on one common railway line.<br />
With this foresight the company Cooper Engineering<br />
grew in later years under the joint ownership of Walchand<br />
into a multi-faceted engineering company making diesel<br />
engines, machine tools, looms etc.<br />
On the strong foundation of its intrinsic strengths,<br />
Cooper Corporation has undertaken mega expansion and<br />
diversification projects to reap the rewards of synergies.<br />
The manufacturing systems of Cooper are equal to the<br />
best internationally and comprise state of the art facilities<br />
for assembly and machining of major engine components.<br />
In managing the foundry business profitably, Cooper<br />
Corporation has achieved commendable costeffectiveness<br />
in factory operations through prudent cost<br />
control over operations and optimal use of funds. Its<br />
centrifugal casting process ensures manufacture of defectfree,<br />
wear-resistant and durable castings.<br />
The Cooper Corporation employs more than 3,000<br />
people; a number of these operate in our various regional<br />
offices, making us the largest employer in the area. With a<br />
modern working environment utilising high specification,<br />
computerised, and often robotic, equipment, in-house<br />
staff training programmes, excellent pay rates and staff and<br />
family benefits, the Cooper Corporation enjoys a high<br />
staff retention rate, with many employees having been<br />
recognised for 20, 25, 30, and recently 33 years’ service<br />
with the company. This experienced and well-qualified<br />
workforce using the best quality equipment and the latest<br />
delivery systems enables us to continue to build on our<br />
reputation for innovative, high quality and cost-effective<br />
engineering products and excellent customer service.<br />
With the following expansion plans being worked out in<br />
this year, it looks to build on its growth trajectory and scale<br />
to new heights. Hence, it always looks ahead towards new<br />
horizons and sets goals that make them even more<br />
valuable to their customers.<br />
March 2017 77
cover story<br />
Kanchan Naikawadi<br />
Founder-Director, Indus Health Plus Pvt Ltd<br />
Tell us about journey as an entrepreneur. What<br />
got you to join your family business?<br />
When I lost my father due to late detection of an advanced cancer, it struck<br />
us real hard that maybe we could have saved him if we got aware of it early.<br />
That huge blow in our personal lives impelled us to take a step further and<br />
create awareness in the society about this still less provoked concept of<br />
‘Prevention’. ‘Prevention Is Better than Cure’ is something that we have all<br />
heard since our school days but seldom do we actually implement it. We lay<br />
the odds and we wait and watch – our health. It’s time to wake up to the<br />
concept of preventive healthcare. Keeping this in mind, Indus Health Plus<br />
was established in the year 2000 by me and a team of like-minded professionals<br />
to provide affordable, comprehensive and qualitative preventive health<br />
checkups and diagnostics for symptomatic Indians.<br />
This Woman’s day, whom would you like to thank<br />
for inspiring you?<br />
Sadanand Bapat, an eminent entrepreneur, my uncle and friend, philosopher<br />
and mentor, has been an inspiration in my life and played an influential role<br />
in moulding my personality.<br />
Your advice to aspiring woman entrepreneurs.<br />
Woman entrepreneur should have immense passion towards their work.<br />
They should not be afraid of taking risks. Initially, it wasn’t easy for me, being<br />
a commerce graduate to move into healthcare industry, but because I was<br />
determined and was not afraid of venturing out, Indus was born and is<br />
successfully spreading the message of preventive healthcare to the masses.<br />
Another factor that women entrepreneurs should possess is the desire for<br />
control. Women should have the ability to multitask as they need to manage<br />
office and home with their goal-oriented approach.<br />
How Pune has helped shaped you professionally<br />
and personally?<br />
When we started our business, we thought that Pune suited our requirements<br />
completely. Being a diverse city like Mumbai, Pune has all the facilities that a<br />
metro or cosmopolitan city has to offer. Good infrastructure, hi-tech superspeciality<br />
hospitals, proximity to other tier II and III cities of Maharashtra, a<br />
good network of expert doctors, and a technological sound city. Keeping all<br />
these factors into consideration, we established Indus Health Plus in Model<br />
Colony, Pune. Right from here, our concept of prevention has reached out to<br />
almost 80 lakh people in almost 78 cities of India and UAE in a span of 16<br />
years. From the personal point of view, being from Mumbai, the charm of<br />
Pune’s easy-going life appealed to me the most. Pune also gives you that<br />
perfect work-life balance that you have longed for. The recreational facilities<br />
such as malls, playgrounds, movie theatres, and plethora of travelling spots<br />
nearby Pune help you to unwind with your family. Moreover, Pune’s weather<br />
is also soothing and the green cover in few areas is very pleasing.<br />
Photographer: Shiva Sharma<br />
Location Courtesy: The Westin Pune<br />
anjalishetty@crememagazine.in<br />
78 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
Lane<br />
Subscribe now<br />
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Log on to www.crememagazine.in to read more food trends and reviews.
UPSHIFT<br />
The all new Mercedes-Benz E-Class takes<br />
luxury to a whole new dimension as<br />
Vikram Gour got to find out on a drive<br />
through sunny Goa!<br />
The Mercedes-Benz E-Class has been around for close<br />
to 20 years now in India and currently there are over<br />
34,000 of them on our roads. With each generation,<br />
Mercedes-Benz definitely upped the game; however the<br />
latest one is an evolutionary step ahead of the others. It<br />
is bigger, styled to perfection and comes with enough<br />
gizmos and gadgets to keep a technophile happy as well.<br />
Set your eyes on the new E-Class and the first thing that<br />
hits you is its sheer size. This is the first extended wheelbase<br />
Mercedes-Benz E-Class to be offered in India and it<br />
measures over 5,000mm in length. As compared to the<br />
older E-Class, this is a full 184mm longer and boasts a<br />
3,000mm wheelbase. The new design language goes a<br />
long way in disguising the length as everything looks<br />
rather proportional and the elegant character lines play<br />
a vital role in creating that aura of elegance that the E-<br />
Class has always been known for. Further you get the<br />
classy looking LED high performance headlamps up<br />
front, a nice large two-slat grille with the large threepointed<br />
star integrated as part of the design, a panoramic<br />
sunroof, neat 17-inch alloys and a rear that resembles<br />
that of the S-Class. The new version might not look as<br />
edgy as its predecessor, however it definitely has a classier<br />
appeal; something that aficionados will appreciate.<br />
80 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
UPSHIFT<br />
March 2017 81
UPSHIFT<br />
CUSTOM BLEND<br />
Royal Enfield enthusiasts take customisation seriously<br />
– turning the passion into art<br />
A popularly quote adage among Enfield enthusiasts<br />
is that no two models from the brand look the same.<br />
The reason Royal Enfields are treated as blank<br />
canvasses for modifications is that the bike behaves<br />
like an extension of the rider’s personality. It is a<br />
journey of design, character and art mixed with a<br />
healthy dose of emotion that transforms a stock<br />
Bullet into a stunning piece of machinery that’s<br />
borderline art. We take a look at some of the most<br />
unique mods we’ve seen in recent times.<br />
vikram gour & muntaser mirkar<br />
82 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
UPSHIFT<br />
Among the many custom outfits catering to<br />
the Royal Enfield community, Thrissur<br />
(Kerala)-based Grid7 managed to catch our<br />
eye with its rare creations. Owned and run<br />
by Robin Davis, Grid7 offers a kit for the stock Bullet<br />
Classic 350 that’s a dark, cruiser inspired makeover. The<br />
transformation process which eventually resulted in<br />
this stunning looking machine you see here is nothing<br />
short of a piece of fine artwork.<br />
Grid7 Customs decided to do away with the regular<br />
exhaust system and fit this with a G7 custom<br />
performance exhaust that offers an enhanced sound<br />
experience. Grid7 Customs has a strong focus on<br />
creating exhaust systems and it is one of their signature<br />
changes when it comes to offering customised solutions to customers. The other custom bits on this bike include the seats, indicator<br />
lamps, front and rear mudguards, handlebars, rear view mirrors, the custom projector headlamp with a split DRL, and the Harley-<br />
Davidson tail lamp.<br />
The bike is also kitted out with a customised swing arm, a side-mounted number plate and powder coating on just about every part<br />
of the bike including the engine. The final touches to the bike include the strikingly mean looking custom black paint job with red stripes<br />
on the tank and new wheels an 18-inch front rim that runs a 100/80/18 tyre and a 15-inch rim at the rear fitted with 140/90/15<br />
rubber.<br />
The fine attention to detail and the passion that went into modifying this bike shows no matter which angle you look at it from. Sadly,<br />
Grid7 Customs hasn’t given this bike a name just yet, but us fans of the Star Wars franchise have christened it ‘The Sith’, inspired by the<br />
warmongerers from the dark side of The Force.<br />
www.motorscribes.com<br />
Muntaser Mirkar @BullSpeech<br />
MARCH 2017<br />
83
UPSHIFT<br />
Grid7 Customs also got to work<br />
on a Himalayan belonging to<br />
Shambu Vinayan, who felt that<br />
his motorcycle needed to be<br />
more personal and fit his tastes. A single<br />
worker was appointed the task of<br />
transforming this bike into a sleeker looking<br />
machine, yet retaining its core ability to be<br />
taken anywhere. The following additions can<br />
be made to make any Himalayan look<br />
distinctive. The additional mudguard below<br />
the headlight was removed, followed by the<br />
stock meter and headlight to make way for<br />
the new unit along with new clamps. The<br />
meter cluster was placed on a brace fitted to<br />
the left side of the modified tank guard.<br />
The other modification that Shambu’s<br />
Himalayan went through was at the rear.<br />
Firstly, the tail piece was removed and the<br />
number plate was mounted on the left swing<br />
arm. Afterwards, the exhaust system was<br />
completely redesigned and<br />
repositioned under the tail.<br />
The new pipes have been<br />
crafted from stainless steel,<br />
meaning they won’t rust and<br />
can withstand temperatures<br />
up to 1260 degrees. They<br />
have been made in a special<br />
way that utilizes a different<br />
technology in order to<br />
develop more back pressure<br />
and thus more power out of<br />
the 411cc engine.<br />
Grid7 got rid of the<br />
original black paint and went<br />
in for a darker shade of forest<br />
green – which is how it earns the<br />
nickname we gave it. While the<br />
paint is metallic, it has been given<br />
a matte finish in order to suit the<br />
style elements of the makeover. A<br />
glossy finish would have, in all<br />
likelihood, looked rather garish.<br />
Completing the makeover are the<br />
new set of wheels. The stock<br />
Himalayan comes with a 21-inch<br />
front wheel as stock fitment and a<br />
17-inch rear.<br />
84 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
UPSHIFT<br />
oining the modified RE bandwagon is DC Design,<br />
India’s premiere design house headed by Dilip<br />
Chhabria. Their foray into custom bikes marks the<br />
introduction of their sub-brand DC 2.The idea behind<br />
DC 2 is to bring DC’s expertise in design and materials<br />
to this segment and work on various ways to add<br />
value and accessorise bikes.<br />
Their first product, the CarbonShot is again based on a Bullet.<br />
Changes to the stock bike include the new all-LED headlamps<br />
and front indicators with a billet casing, a stylish carbon fibre<br />
fuel tank cover that is designed to mount onto the original<br />
tank, a front micro fender finished in carbon fibre, a single<br />
rider seat finished in leather and it also comes with a built-in<br />
LED stop lamp and turn indicators. The rear fender is also<br />
made from carbon fibre and the other signature element on<br />
the CarbonShot includes the luxury watch inspired air filter<br />
and battery cover made from a mix of billet aluminium and<br />
carbon fibre. The end result is drool-worthy!<br />
Offered as a limited run of just 5,000 bikes (each one is<br />
numbered for authenticity), the CarbonShot makeover costs<br />
76,000 over and above the price of the base<br />
Royal Enfield.<br />
March 2017 85
UPSHIFT<br />
Streety Treats, a mobile food chain run by Bangalore-based<br />
student Arun Varma and his band of friends, led to the creation<br />
of something uniquely quaint. After successfully running<br />
three food trucks across the city, they decided to work<br />
on the BBQ Bullet — or the ‘BBQ Ride India’ as they like to call<br />
it. The custom bike was conceived to take their business to places<br />
they previously couldn’t reach out to. Further to that, the novelty<br />
factor of having a unique contraption to serve food from had its<br />
own charm and would in many ways be a self-marketing tool.<br />
The BBQ Bullet is a neat contraption with a sidecar which is<br />
really where the story lies. Designed and developed by Arun and<br />
his friends from scratch, the sidecar houses the main BBQ pit, an<br />
additional gas stove powered by a 5 kg cylinder, two boxes for the<br />
chef ’s tools and three food grade storage boxes complete with dry<br />
ice. There is also the option of attaching a garden umbrella once<br />
the bike is parked and set up for business. The structure and frame<br />
of the sidecar is solid, while the two mounts that attach it to the<br />
Bullet have been fabricated using a thick slab of sheet metal, along<br />
with four strong bolts holding each mount in place. The Royal<br />
Enfield Bullet 350cc was chosen for the job, thanks to the low end<br />
grunt that the engine generates. The BBQ Bullet is fairly easy to<br />
ride around at slow speeds and allows the convenience of quickly<br />
setting up shop in an empty lot or outside a mall.<br />
THE BARBEQUE BULLET<br />
86 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
Log on to<br />
www.crememagazine.in<br />
to read more fashion stories.
GASTRONOMY<br />
SANAA NALWALLA<br />
Super foods are the natural<br />
superheroes of food; they are<br />
nutrient-rich, low in calories<br />
and are considered to be<br />
extremely beneficial for one’s<br />
health and wellbeing. Though<br />
there are no formal definitions<br />
of the same, they can be<br />
described as the nutrient<br />
powerhouses that are perfect<br />
to give you a healthy boost.<br />
Crème lists 10 super foods,<br />
along with their respective<br />
benefits, that you need to<br />
look forward to in 2017<br />
1<br />
Among many other types of tea that<br />
have already taken over the market,<br />
we predict that 2017 will put a box<br />
of rooibos tea in the kitchen of the<br />
health conscious out there. While<br />
locals in Africa have been drinking<br />
this tea since forever, it is only<br />
recently that exports have increased<br />
to other countries, including India.<br />
According to experts, this tea has 50<br />
times more antioxidants than green tea.<br />
It is also rich in Vitamin C, low in tannins<br />
and may ease digestive problems. Studies also<br />
show that this tea may help strengthen bones, teeth, and<br />
has a positive effect on the skin and hair. Anyone who<br />
has suffered from asthma, skin issues, eczema, insomnia,<br />
bone weakness or hypertension may also want to consider<br />
drinking rooibos tea. Most people prefer to drink this in<br />
its natural form, without any sweeteners. This red coloured<br />
drink is an excellent thirst quencher and does wonders<br />
for active people like professional athletes, hyperactive<br />
children, and of course, tea lovers. It is the ideal drink for<br />
those who simply refreshing drink without a caffeine boost.<br />
The small reddish-purple acai berry is actually a fruit that comes from<br />
the acai palm tree- and its shape is similar to that of a grape. Despite the<br />
several myths circling around it, acai berry a super foods which is full in<br />
anti-aging and weight loss properties. The acai fruit is prominently rich<br />
in antioxidants, and is packed with amino acids, fibre, essential fatty<br />
acids, vitamins and minerals. The fibre found in the berry’s pulp and skin<br />
can improve digestion and can even support a healthy cardiovascular<br />
system. Its high level of fatty acids shows a link between a healthy heart<br />
and a healthy nervous system, too. The amino acids promote muscle<br />
performance, energy production, endurance and strength. In short, acai<br />
berries are one of the small things that have the ability to make the<br />
biggest difference.<br />
2<br />
88 MARCH 2017 www.crememagazine.in
GASTRONOMY<br />
Garlic roots are closely related to the onion<br />
family, and this ‘stinking rose’ shows health<br />
potential in every area of your body. The<br />
Koreans discovered it just about five years<br />
ago, when they converted white garlic into black<br />
through a month-long process of fermentation. This<br />
3<br />
process is what makes it super garlic, and possesses twice<br />
the amount of compounds found in white garlic. These compounds are<br />
thought to help lower cholesterol and decrease the risk of cancer. Black garlic<br />
is extremely potent and its high level of antioxidants offers protection from<br />
chronic diseases. The best part is that the black garlic has none of the strong<br />
odour of white garlic and can be consumed in large quantities without the<br />
olfactory effects.<br />
4<br />
Duckweed, or water lens, are grown in<br />
nutrient rich stagnant water. It is a small<br />
aquatic plant that grows in dense groups<br />
on the surface of the water. The whole<br />
plant is used in herbal medicine, either<br />
fresh, or even dried. It contains up to 45%<br />
protein and may therefore attract many<br />
bodybuilders and vegetarians. The herb can<br />
even be used to cure headaches caused due to<br />
overexposure to the sun. Due to this cooling<br />
property, duckweed is considered to have<br />
inflammatory and diuretic effect. Externally,<br />
it has been used to treat skin rashes, eczema,<br />
swellings, and insect bites.<br />
6<br />
Seaweed is an ancient super<br />
food and is a health secret to<br />
longevity. It’s consumed for optimum<br />
nutrition, and the plant draws an extraordinary<br />
wealth of mineral elements from the sea. Thus,<br />
it contains high amounts of iodine, calcium,<br />
magnesium, iron, vitamin A and C, Protein, Vitamin<br />
B, fibre and so much more. It contains more Vitamin<br />
C than oranges. It contains more vitamins than<br />
fruits and other vegetables as well. It helps improve<br />
memory, clear skin, good eyesight, dental health,<br />
improved thyroid and immune systems, lowers<br />
blood pressure, and much more. It can be used in<br />
salads, and even soups.<br />
7<br />
5<br />
Hemp protein is made from the hemp seed, and is a high fibre<br />
protein supplement that can be used to enhance total protein<br />
intake. It is a superior protein source due to its above average<br />
digestibility. This enhances its anti fatigue properties as well<br />
as kidney protective effects. This high quality protein has<br />
greater nutritional value, if not equal to, some grains, nuts and<br />
legumes. Besides this, Hemp is extremely rich in fibre – thus,<br />
its consumption can reduce the risk of a heart disease, diabetes,<br />
constipation and diverticular diseases. A recommended portion<br />
of Hemp protein per day is 20-35 grams. Other benefits of Hemp<br />
include anti-fatigue and immune enhancing benefits.<br />
Maca Root is a member of the cruciferous familywhich also<br />
includes broccoli and cabbage. Due to its unique properties, it<br />
is considered as a super food. It is one of the few super foods<br />
that are known for its pleasant taste, and is usually available<br />
in the form of powder in the market. The Maca root benefits<br />
include a positive effect on hormone balance, energy levels and<br />
a holistic health booster. It has an extremely high calcium level,<br />
even higher than milk. Feedback from consumers include that<br />
people feel more ‘alive’, energetic, leaving them with a sense of<br />
well-being. Maca Root Powder helps with PMS, menopause,<br />
women with PCOS, hormones, fertility, energy, memory,<br />
and mood and like other super foods; it is also an antioxidant<br />
booster. You can mix Maca Powder with smoothies, oatmeal,<br />
cereal, or just milk.<br />
MARCH 2017 89
GASTRONOMY<br />
10<br />
Nutritional yeast is essentially deactivated yeast and is available in the market<br />
in the form of flakes or as yellow powder. It is a significant source of Vitamin<br />
B and is a popular cheese substitute because of its nutty, cheesy and creamy<br />
texture. Despite its unappetizing name and appearance, it could be one of<br />
the most valuable additions to your diet. It provides a wealth of nutrients,<br />
vitamins, minerals and protein. However, stay away from bakers or brewer’s<br />
yeast. It is a complete protein, and it contains even those amino acids that our<br />
body cannot produce. Through with nutritional yeast, you get a significant<br />
dose of minerals iron, selenium and zinc. Since it is a good substitute for<br />
cheese, it is even used as a condiment or a topping for popcorn. It can be<br />
used in mashed potatoes, any pasta/rice dish, or any other dish to enhance its<br />
flavours and give it a creamy texture.<br />
8<br />
These two versions<br />
of gluten free flour<br />
are way healthier<br />
than you could<br />
imagine normal<br />
flour to be. Sweet<br />
potato has been a<br />
significant source<br />
of nutrition and an<br />
integral part of one’s<br />
cuisine. It is high<br />
in fibre, Vitamin A,<br />
Iron and calcium,<br />
and helps stabilize<br />
blood sugar levels.<br />
Sweet potato flour<br />
produced from dried<br />
and milled native<br />
sweet potatoes<br />
is an easy substitution for baking, whether the fare is sweet or savoury.<br />
This versatile flour holds moisture well, brings a richness of flavour and<br />
adds a slight touch of sweetness to anything you make out of it. Despite<br />
the name sweet, it is actually an essential in your diet if you’re a diabetic.<br />
Similarly, Banana flour is dried unripe banana milled into powder. There<br />
is an only one ingredient, green banana. If you eat it raw, it has a hint of<br />
banana flavour, but when you bake with it, it has an earthy, wholesome<br />
flavour. It brings all the properties of banana with itself, high potassium<br />
and starch. This gluten-free flour works as well as a wheat flour and can<br />
be used as a full or partial replacement in the wide range of applications,<br />
from smoothies and baked goods to desserts, pancakes, stir fry, waffles<br />
and even as a thickener for soup.<br />
9<br />
Watermelon water is on the same lines as watermelon juice, except that it<br />
contains watermelon flesh, watermelon rind and lemon. The experience<br />
of having watermelon water has aptly been described as ‘summer in your<br />
mouth’. In terms of its nutritional value, it has double the potassium of a<br />
single banana. It also replenishes nutrients and is rich in antioxidants such<br />
as vitamin C and Vitamin A. This helps in preventing many ailments, right<br />
from the common cold to deadly diseases like cancer. It can be further<br />
mixed to create various kinds of mocktails like watermelon cherry mint,<br />
watermelon lychee, and so on. This water is also packed with electrolytes<br />
and amino acid that reduces muscle soreness and boost performance.<br />
It is generally used as a sport drink, and gives you more energy and<br />
stamina. It is a natural replacement for soda, or if you crave something<br />
sweet. A simple recommendation for pairing up watermelon water is with<br />
some sort of protein like a hardboiled egg, or even a handful of nuts. <br />
sanaanalwalla@crememagazine.in<br />
90 MARCH 2017 www.crememagazine.in
gastronomy<br />
Baan Tao’s newest additions to the menu encompass many nuances from China,<br />
Japan, Vietnam and Malaysia. Gorge your way through steamed dim sums and wok<br />
tossed delicacies to satiate your hunger<br />
sanaa nalwalla<br />
Nasi Goreng<br />
Yum Ma Muang<br />
Salt and pepper prawns<br />
Ahot myriad of flavours is offered with the latest additions of items on Baan Tao’s<br />
newest menu. Tossing together the essence of China, Japan, Korea, Malaysian<br />
and Vietnam is what Chef Sumit excels at. Having recently won the coveted<br />
Times Food Award for the Best Pan-Asian fine dining restaurant, Baan Tao is a<br />
taste test for the best of Pan-Asian cuisine has to offer.<br />
Their latest additions onto to the menu offer a bevy of variants. From the steam<br />
station order yourself a Baan Tao non-vegetarian dim sum platter which will<br />
allows you to sample a few of their best bets. The platter consisting of chicken bao,<br />
chicken hargao, pan seared chicken gyoza and mushroom and chicken crystal is<br />
almost too pretty to eat. The prawn and chicken siu-mai are little balls of comfort.<br />
The Salt and pepper prawns with mint and scallions are simple, yet delicious. The<br />
Vietnamese steamed rice paper wraps were fresh and incredibly crunchy giving<br />
you a multitude of textural experiences. The Sichuan pepper mushroom are crisp<br />
button mushrooms tossed in generous amount of Sichuan peppers, hailing in<br />
from China. These peppers are not spicy, but they their pungent flavours do not<br />
go unnoticed.<br />
A must try is their selection of salads. The Yum Ma Muang is a Thai raw<br />
mango salad with crushed peanuts, chilli and desiccated coconut. The sourness<br />
of the mango creates a wonderful backdrop for the chilli, onions and crunchy<br />
peanuts. The Mandarin poached chicken salad with preserved vegetables, lettuce<br />
is another must try. The traditional Malay favourite, Nasi Goreng, is presented<br />
with a helping of fried rice, pieces of chicken satay and a glistening fried egg on<br />
top to seal the deal.<br />
In terms of indulgence, the Matcha tea opera is presented covered in a<br />
chocolate ball, which dissipates when warm liquid is poured all over it. The cake<br />
is light and the layers of chocolate made the cake decadent.<br />
sanaanalwalla@crememagazine.in<br />
March 2017 91
The vineyard at<br />
Akluj by Fratelli<br />
wines calls for<br />
an exciting and<br />
relaxing visit to<br />
witness serene<br />
beauty<br />
SMS ‘creme’ to 56767<br />
000 MARCH 2017 www.crememagazine.in
gastronomy<br />
taste of the month<br />
Monthly column on<br />
fratelli wine varietals<br />
Craig Wedge<br />
As I lounge on this particular morning, shaking off the detritus<br />
of another busy week of wine dinners and tastings showcasing<br />
all that is good about Fratelli, my mind moves to the obvious<br />
contemplation of what to put in my glass, as a respect of sorts, to<br />
the malaise of a slow winding Sunday afternoon in Mumbai…<br />
My mind turns to something uncomplicated. Something in my<br />
glass where there is not a need for me to get on my wine horse<br />
and dissect the liquid it into a million pieces, something where<br />
there is no need to think but only to drink. After a pondering<br />
stroll into the darkest recesses of my wine mind, I have decided<br />
on this seventh day, to look at the world through a Rosé coloured<br />
wine in my glass.<br />
Ahhh Rosé!!...That oft-maligned sometimes misunderstood,<br />
poor cousin of the all things white and red. Ahhh Rosé!!...,<br />
That quintessential wine style of varying shades of pink, that<br />
according to the self-professed real men of the world that drink<br />
nothing but those wines that are as dark and opaque as spent<br />
engine oil, should be left for the girls, along with all the other<br />
wines that are sleek, effervescent and certainly sweet…. Ahhh<br />
Rosé!!... Let me be the one to make a firm stand in your honour.<br />
As a real man, all six feet three inches and 200 pounds of me, and<br />
as a lover of all those things sweet, effervescent and sleek in the<br />
world, you are the new black!<br />
Now, there are varying interpretations of what constitutes<br />
a good Rosé, but this is exactly the point. Rosé cannot be<br />
misconstrued as just a simple after thought of a wine anymore<br />
. It can be technical, it can be nuanced and it can be a glorious<br />
thing to put in your glass for the hot Indian summer. And with<br />
food, I stand unabashed in my belief that when it comes to<br />
anything Indian on your plate, be it Paneer Tikka Masala, Vada<br />
Pav, or Awadhi Seekh kebabs, Rosé is the king and the queen…<br />
So, is it red or is it white? Neither! It is the sum of its own parts.<br />
It can be red and white wine mixed, but in most cases, it is red<br />
grapes that have been gently pressed and not crushed. Simple<br />
fermentation. No oak, usually. Fresh and vibrant, uncomplicated,<br />
ready to drink, young. The simplest of wine equations. It so<br />
happens that this week at Fratelli, sees the launch of the newest<br />
interpretation of a Rosé from our master winemaker Piero Masi.<br />
This wine is made in conjunction with noted international wine<br />
judge, editor, journalist and all-round good guy Steven Spurrier,<br />
and fills the third spot in the line-up that is the M/S Master<br />
Selection range of wines.<br />
In this particular case, Masi’s muse Sangiovese, is the grape<br />
of choice for this very stylish Rosé. A shade of peach skin pink<br />
greats you in the glass with a delightful spring fragrance of forest<br />
fruit and subtle sweet spice notes filling the nose. Bright and<br />
fresh in the mouth with an impeccable balance of flavour and<br />
texture with bright zippy acidity on the finish. This is a very<br />
serious Rose, but I impress on you not to take it too seriously,<br />
just get it in your glass and enjoy it for what it is delicious and<br />
classy. I was fortunate to taste this wine at the winery earlier last<br />
week, and with young Amol’s Maharashtrian food in ample<br />
supply. My tough job, but someone has to do.<br />
info@crememagazine.in<br />
March 2017 93
gastronomy<br />
In conversation with Nupur Joshi, a mixologist who is<br />
determined to concoct and offer to the world —sangrias<br />
and her version of wine cocktails with a desi twist to<br />
enthral the connoisseur as well as the adventurous<br />
palates with her stellar combinations of flavours<br />
sanaa nalwalla<br />
Nupur joshi was only 18 when she<br />
tasted her first drink and ever since<br />
she was determined to follow<br />
her dream, to learn the nuances<br />
of mixology and pursue it as a focused area of<br />
study and experimentation. She received her<br />
Hotel Management training from American<br />
Hotel and Lodging Association and backed<br />
it by completing two levels from WSET<br />
(Wines and Spirits Education Trust of U.K)<br />
the foremost authority on beverage education<br />
and training, worldwide. She is now preparing<br />
for the advanced levels. During her training,<br />
Nupur spent some time basking in the Vineyard<br />
of Spain in a 100-year-old vineyard and learnt<br />
how to perfect the sangria. Her fascination<br />
with wines led her to return to her roots and<br />
experiment with various Indian based wines to<br />
concoct cocktails. After receiving a wonderful<br />
feedback, Nupur didn’t stop there, she kept<br />
experimenting at various wine tasting festivals,<br />
wherein the focus on mixing Indian wines with<br />
Indian mixers, flavour’s and spices haven`t<br />
stopped since. At many a cocktail festivals, she<br />
is seen indulging in her passion and enticing the<br />
crowd to get involved in her magical journey.<br />
Owing to the fact that every person comes<br />
with a different palate, this allows mixologists<br />
to experiment with various combinations,<br />
which one consumer may not like, but another<br />
might just love. Is there a best match of flavour<br />
combinations when it comes to mixing and<br />
matching? Nupur believes that every mixologist<br />
keeps experimenting and evolving all the time<br />
and gradually builds a repertoire of mixes for<br />
specific palettes and occasions. Ideally it is<br />
essential to unite spirits in a way that the essence<br />
of every ingredient stays intact. However, it is<br />
necessary for mixologists to have substantial<br />
knowledge about mixing flavour’s that might<br />
cause damage to digestion or health and<br />
consumers should be aware of what alky suites<br />
them or not. There are no bounds when it comes<br />
to mixing different alcohols, but, the biggest<br />
exception to the rule of mixing different types of<br />
alcohol is the classic long island iced tea which<br />
entails mixing varied dark spirits together.<br />
Gone are the days when a woman behind<br />
the bar is spawned upon or looked down upon<br />
due to her association with the liquor industry.<br />
Male or female, it is solely the individuals talent<br />
and quest that is respected and there are many<br />
who have already created a buzz in the world of<br />
the mixology. Luckily, for Nupur all the male<br />
mixologists she has encountered have been<br />
nothing but encouraging and supportive in<br />
94 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
GASTRONOMY<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER: SHIVA SHARMA<br />
all her endeavours. This, entail has allowed her to carve a niche<br />
for herself in the industry by exploring various possibilities to<br />
take wine tourism experience in India into a space of substantial<br />
immersion not just with wine tasting but the allied aspects as a<br />
complete multi-sensory experience.<br />
Because Nupur, took the road less travelled approach and<br />
learnt mixology all by herself more as self-experiments .than<br />
receiving formal education and training. She faced a few hiccups<br />
along the way, when it came to form her own processes and<br />
directions before she could feel more confident about offering<br />
a consolidated range of concoctions to people to try. Making<br />
people opt for a new drink was another task she faced. Given that<br />
in the world of cocktails, Winetails are definitely a new entrant<br />
especially so in the Indian, market, however sangrias and mimosas<br />
have always been popular classics that the consumer prefers with<br />
certain foods. Today, the experimental youngsters have an open<br />
mind to try out well-crafted bubbly and keep diverting from their<br />
regular choice of drinks.<br />
In the future, Nupur wishes to keep experimenting with wine<br />
cocktails and create a range of ready to drink bottled Winetails that<br />
can be bought off the rack at wine outlets. She is also planning on<br />
immersing back into an intense training at vineyards with expert<br />
winemakers. Hopefully this could be journey towards designing<br />
experiential wine tours and crafting some delicious<br />
signature Winetails.<br />
sanaanalwalla@crememagazine.in<br />
PAGE DESIGN: SANAA NALWALLA<br />
MARCH 2017<br />
95
EATOPIA<br />
SANAA NALWALLA<br />
Mumbai’s latest offering has finally touched base in Pune and the anxious<br />
wait is finally over. Read on to find out what’s good and what’s not with<br />
their offerings<br />
You would have to be living under a proverbial rock, not to have<br />
heard about Sassy Spoon finally touching base in Pune. Brain child<br />
of Rachel Goenka and chef Irfan Pabaney, this is their third official<br />
venture in Koregaon Park after Sassy Spoon, Nariman Point and<br />
Bandra. The restaurant has managed to recreate the same sassy<br />
experience from previous ventures with quirky bites and an<br />
innovative menu, which retains the favourite, yet makes new<br />
additions to suit the palate of Pune.<br />
The sassy experience started with a hot crispy plate of<br />
Tenderloin jerky with coriander seeds and lemon, spicy cherry<br />
tomato and chilli dip which is the perfect bar bite. Team this up<br />
with a Spiked very berry khatta with seasonal mulberries<br />
muddled with orange and hints of grape and kala khatta; which not<br />
only takes you back to your childhood days, but it’s also a match<br />
made in heaven. The Coriander and rava crusted bombil<br />
with a sweet raw mango chutney are like Romeo and Juliet. One<br />
cannot do without the other. The delicate, yet crispy bombil is<br />
encased in green chutney and fried to goodness. Delicious. The<br />
Cajun spiced, butter garlic prawns with crusty baguette is<br />
quite similar to the garlic prawns found all-around Spain, with a<br />
touch of cajun, the dish is completely transformed. Don’t forget<br />
to mop up the flavourful oils with the handy bread and soak up all<br />
the goodness. Moving on to the substantials, the creamy Grilled<br />
chicken poi dressed with mint, coriander and jalapenos seems a<br />
little bland, but the spicy kick from the jalapeno kicks the dish up<br />
a notch. At Sassy Spoon the menu is well distributed from Indian,<br />
to European to Asian. Drawing its influence from Asia, the Otak<br />
otak is a serving of fish mousse mixed with spices and chilli and<br />
steamed in neatly packed banana leaves. The texture s smooth<br />
with a strong lemongrass hit served with a sweet chilli dip and<br />
cucumber relish to cool down your palate.<br />
Everyone loves BBQ. Chicken BBQ, fish BBQ, BBQ wings...<br />
but there are two BBQ lovers, one who like the sweet more sticky<br />
BBQ sauce, where as the other prefer the more spicy yet thin coat<br />
of pungency. The BBQ pork ribs here are on the sweeter side,<br />
and what else they have on their side are generous portions! The<br />
ribs come in four-five portions on a plate with a side of extremely<br />
creamy mashed potatoes and steamed veggies. I would have liked<br />
the ribs to be cooked for a longer time just so that the meat can<br />
just fall off the bone, but for this one some assistance from my<br />
knife was needed. Vegetarians have no fear. The Aglio Olio style<br />
risotto with curried zucchini, baby corn, beans and broccoli will<br />
make your day. Pair that with a Soul cooler, which comes with<br />
or without alcohol and you’ll be thanking your stars. The sourness<br />
from the kokam and the pungency from the chilli will satiate<br />
your senses.<br />
For the sweeter treats, we tried chef Rachel’s special Red<br />
velvet Sassy stacks which is three layers of red velvet cake neatly<br />
stacked with generous and copious amount of cream cheese. You<br />
really need to love your cream cheese to truly appreciate this<br />
96 MARCH 2017 www.crememagazine.in
PHOTOGRAPHER: SHIVA SHARMA<br />
dessert. The side of coffee foam will help you<br />
to cut down the sweetness. The Sticky toffee<br />
pudding is a must try! The classic hot pud<br />
with a sticky, sweet caramel sauce and a scoop<br />
of vanilla ice cream, hit the right spot. Do give<br />
the Coffee and almond fudge a try; it’s a<br />
gluten free dessert, which I have liked in a long<br />
time. It’s not dry and crumbly and actually<br />
moist. The chunky apricot preserve goes well<br />
with little pieces of meringue for some added<br />
texture. Forget about the dwindling winters<br />
and dig into their house made ice creams,<br />
out of which the Guava chilli sorbet and<br />
Caramel are my best picks.<br />
The servers at Sassy Spoon are well<br />
educated, but a little slow on their feet. The<br />
ambiance is a right fit for an overall calm yet<br />
hip feel. The painter mug chandelier and little<br />
rustic pink bricks on the walls, or the neatly<br />
stacked library which will make any OCD<br />
person at ease is all about the thought and<br />
effort put into composing the restaurant. The<br />
portions are generous, and with little to fault,<br />
I need to go back to try the rest of the items<br />
on the menu. g<br />
sanaanalwalla@crememagazine.in<br />
PAGE DESIGN: SANAA NALWALLA<br />
March 2017<br />
97
fitness and well-being<br />
Crème brings to you fit mommies,<br />
who make it a point to train or<br />
exercise with their little ones. Here’s a<br />
sneak peek into their fitness regimen<br />
PHOTOGRAPHER: SHIVA SHARMA<br />
LOCATION COURTESY: HYATT REGENCY PUNE<br />
98 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
fitness and well-being<br />
LOCATION COURTESY: FITNESS CENTRE, HYATT REGENCY PUNE<br />
March 2017<br />
99
fitness and well-being<br />
LOCATION COURTESY: AROGYA SPA ENTRANCE, HYATT REGENCY PUNE<br />
100 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
fitness and well-being<br />
LOCATION COURTESY: FITNESS CENTRE, HYATT REGENCY PUNE<br />
March 2017 101
fitness and well-being<br />
Aarav, Nimisha and<br />
Arnav Nadkarni<br />
Fitness has always been a preferred lifestyle in her family. Weekdays each does their specific fitness<br />
related activities, but weekends are reserved for family fitness sessions which is usually trekking. “My<br />
husband and I are avid trekkers and introduced our kids to local treks. We started taking them to the<br />
local fort treks around Pune, then longer overnight treks and gradually to the Himalayas.”<br />
LOCATION COURTESY: HALLWAY, HYATT REGENCY PUNE<br />
102 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
fitness and well-being<br />
Sara, Mayuri and<br />
Sanaa Kapasi<br />
Mayuri’s fitness mantra is one should choose or pick a regimen which they enjoy, Don’t slave to get<br />
results. Have fun with it. “I most enjoy yoga with my kids as it’s something we can do on our own<br />
without a class or gym as well. So on holidays or lazy days we gather around, open up our mats and<br />
stretch.Yoga exercises the mind and body and that’s an incredible gift to equip our kids with.”<br />
LOCATION COURTESY: FITNESS CENTRE, HYATT REGENCY PUNE<br />
March 2017 103
fitness and well-being<br />
Medha and<br />
Samara Gurbaxani<br />
As a mom, Medha’s fitness mantra is<br />
to be as active as possible even if she<br />
can’t hit the gym or make it to a yoga<br />
class and with a toddler, that’s not<br />
difficult to achieve. “I enjoy going for a<br />
walk with my toddler. I also practise<br />
exercises with her at home which she<br />
finds quite entertaining.”<br />
LOCATION COURTESY: HALLWAY, HYATT REGENCY PUNE<br />
ASSISTANT PHOTOGRAPHER: GOPINATH TEGGI<br />
SHOOT COORDINATION: SANAA NALWALLA<br />
104 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
fitness and well-being<br />
March 2017 105
FITNESS AND WELL-BEING<br />
THE ART<br />
Essa Duhaime describes the form of dance<br />
which is closest to her heart for us. She says,<br />
“Belly dance is juicy-gooey and sensuous with<br />
soft movements and isolations. It is a very<br />
intense form of exercise. It helps in regaining<br />
the proper alignment of your feet and getting<br />
a good posture. This form looks easy but it’s<br />
initially very difficult to learn. People feel<br />
awkward initially, but then they slowly gain<br />
confidence. It tones up your body and makes<br />
you feel beautiful. It is beneficial for one’s<br />
digestive system and enhances muscle control,<br />
which in turn is better for the mind as one<br />
needs to think to isolate and use muscles in<br />
different movements. Belly dance is a very, soft,<br />
gentle and feminine form of dance and hence,<br />
there is less risk of injuries. It improves posture<br />
and can cure misalignments of the body.” It<br />
covers the three most important elements of<br />
fitness, namely, core strengthening, flexibility<br />
and cardio. It is a way of relieving the stress of<br />
your daily life. It teaches you to love yourself,<br />
be less self-conscious and to appreciate your<br />
own body.<br />
TRAINING WITH THE DIVA<br />
Diva Belly Dance Academy trains women<br />
exclusively. Training involves classes on<br />
techniques initially, which is followed by<br />
choreography sessions. She even conducts a<br />
teachers’ training course wherein she trains<br />
dancers in order to become teachers. This<br />
is an authentic certification course in belly<br />
dancing. The technical classes are intense and<br />
involve a combination of warm up exercises,<br />
dance movements, pilates which is an intense<br />
core strengthening workout and cool down<br />
exercises. The higher levels introduce the<br />
use of veils and the students even learn to<br />
create their own rhythms or music along with<br />
dancing. Also, bellyfit, which is a combination<br />
of aerobics, core strength and yoga exercises<br />
is conducted.<br />
DANCING IS HAPPINESS<br />
Essa believes that not just dancing, but<br />
any physical activity may it be running,<br />
swimming or dancing makes you happy. She<br />
says, “Dancing, is a great physical activity<br />
which makes you strong, agile and flexible.<br />
It enhances your blood circulation, leads to<br />
effective oxygen intake and gets in line all your<br />
bodily systems such as your digestive and<br />
reproductive system.”<br />
A DIVALICIOUS ROUTINE<br />
Essa starts her day early with a nutritious<br />
breakfast of fruits, oats and eggs. She follows<br />
this with an extremely healthy diet throughout<br />
the day, by eating wholesome food at regular<br />
intervals. She believes in maintaining a<br />
balance when it comes to food, exercise and<br />
lifestyle. She tries to maintain a varied pattern<br />
of exercise.<br />
CHALLENGES IN THE JOURNEY<br />
When asked whether she faced a lot of<br />
challenges in her journey of becoming a belly<br />
dancer, she says, “I have been dancing since<br />
I was five, but I started belly dance at 21. I<br />
believe, it’s never too late to start anything in<br />
life. I started in Canada, where I come from<br />
originally. Belly dancing was very popular<br />
there. I believe, every dancer has one style,<br />
that is his/her! I had learned different styles<br />
of dancing, but somehow never found my<br />
style. But when I started learning belly dance,<br />
it just came naturally to me, I had found my<br />
perfect style. And that’s why it was never too<br />
challenging for me. It was ‘love at first feel for<br />
me’. The only challenge that I faced was that<br />
there were not many Arabic speaking people in<br />
Canada back then so I had difficulties getting<br />
songs translated and getting musicians.”<br />
106 MARCH 2017 www.crememagazine.in
FITNESS AND WELL-BEING<br />
As we gear up to celebrate the International Women's day, let's take a look at<br />
the journey of a woman who pioneered the art of belly dancing in the city, Essa<br />
Duhaime. She is not just a performer of the form belly dance, but also a teacher<br />
and she runs her own institute known as the Diva belly dance academy in Pune.<br />
Essa talks to Tanwi Dixit about how she celebrates womanhood<br />
BUSTING THE MYTHS<br />
This form has no age bar as anyone right from kids to women, 70 years of<br />
age, can learn belly dance. There is a lot of doubt about the kind of clothes<br />
women are expected to wear in a belly dance class. Many are conscious<br />
of exposing their bellies. She clarifies, “I don’t make it mandatory for<br />
anyone to wear anything in my classes, they can wear full length clothes.<br />
Also, there is a lot of concern about the body type required for belly<br />
dancing. There is no body type requirement. In fact, belly dance looks<br />
better on curvier women as the movements are more pronounced.”<br />
THE SOCIAL ANGLE<br />
Essa explains the response that the form initially received from the society.<br />
She says, “The Indian society had a lot of hesitations and misconceptions<br />
when it came to belly dancing. This mainly happened because, most of<br />
the Indian classical dance forms focus on linear movements while belly<br />
dance has circular movements, so this was a totally different<br />
style of dancing. Also, the kind of costumes used<br />
in belly dance performances bothered people<br />
as they thought of it as sleazy and seductive.<br />
But slowly, the society opened up to the form.<br />
People started realising that it depends on the<br />
performer if a dance looks sleazy or elegant.<br />
It’s all about the programming of one’s mind.<br />
Initially, as a performer, I didn’t get a good<br />
response from the audience and that exhausted<br />
me. Therefore, I ventured into teaching<br />
and slowly realised this was what made me<br />
feel satisfied.”<br />
EXPLORING THE FORM<br />
Essa teaches us three easy to perform<br />
steps which can be practised at home and<br />
which will benefit the body. The first one<br />
is the lateral hip circle which is a circular<br />
movement of the hips while keeping them<br />
at the same level. This step strengthens the<br />
core and tones up the belly. The second<br />
movement is hip lifts, which involves<br />
lifting one side of the hip at a time and<br />
bringing it back to the original position. This<br />
movement requires isolation of muscles as no<br />
other muscle is moving during this and this<br />
improves muscle control. The third movement<br />
is shoulder shimmies which involves the forward and back pushing of<br />
shoulders. This movement looks elegant and strengthens the back and<br />
shoulder muscles.<br />
BELLY DANCE AND PREGNANCY<br />
Belly dance originated as a prenatal dance to ensure that the woman had<br />
a smooth, easy and less painful delivery. The science behind this, is that<br />
the form strengthens your core and pelvic muscles. A stronger pelvis<br />
leads to the woman having more control over her muscles and being<br />
able to push better. Good body alignment and core strength is extremely<br />
helpful in pregnancy. Essa cites her own example, “When I was pregnant,<br />
I exercised throughout and my labour pains lasted just for two hours.”<br />
FOR THE BEGINNER<br />
She advises her students and those who want to learn saying, “A dancer<br />
should know that there are no quick results. Focus on what you’re<br />
learning at the moment rather than trying to learn too fast. Allow yourself<br />
to be a beginner as your body and mind needs time to get comfortable<br />
and adapt to a new physical activity. Your body will also need time to<br />
tone up and show results. Some people, connect quickly while<br />
some take more time but everyone gets there eventually.<br />
Focus on perfecting the techniques and you will be able to<br />
create your own choreographies.”<br />
MEN AND THE DANCE FORM<br />
Essa expresses , “For me, belly dance is a woman’s dance. Women<br />
in the middle east, when they didn’t have a lot of freedom, would<br />
go to each other’s places, dance together and have fun. This was<br />
their form of social interaction and recreation. I don’t take<br />
men in my class because I feel, if a man is there in the class,<br />
women become more conscious, they’re not as free. This<br />
dance form, for me, signifies women empowerment.”<br />
FITNESS AND THE WORKING WOMAN<br />
Fitness and a healthy lifestyle are major concerns when<br />
it comes to working women as they hardly get free time.<br />
Essa gives her take on how a working woman should look<br />
after herself. She says, “Eat well, exercise and get enough<br />
sleep.Take some time out for yourself, to do something you<br />
love, to pursue a hobby. Go out, meet friends and don’t get<br />
stuck in a pattern. Pace yourself and realize that life is all<br />
about happiness.”<br />
info@crememagazine.in<br />
MARCH 2017 107
fitness and well-being<br />
There is a difference between being gymfit<br />
and physically robust. 35 year old, Aarti<br />
Pandey, Founder of Folk Fitness,<br />
understands this difference in all its entity.<br />
With her well-conceptualised routines that<br />
disband the otherwise popular western<br />
form of dance fitness, she clubs India’s<br />
rich culture into a fitness routine to provide<br />
a fun, quirky and desi routine to meet<br />
one’s fitness needs. In an exclusive<br />
interview with Vidya Unnithan, Aarti<br />
reveals the idea behind folk fitness and its<br />
many benefits<br />
Like a quintessential Indian kid, Aarti Pandey’s tryst with<br />
dance began at a young age when she joined a Bharatnatiyam<br />
class. The dance form and the fluidity it offered,<br />
proffered her to venture deep into the foxtrot. Being<br />
limitless in her persuasion, she gathered knowledge and understanding<br />
of each form, from the myriad international dance<br />
routines to the traditional folk dances of India, she mastered<br />
it all, almost compulsively.<br />
Leaving behind six years of corporate experience to<br />
pursue her calling, she set up a dance studio Danza De La Liga<br />
in 2010 as her first and very successful entrepreneurial endeavour.<br />
“I started dancing at a very young age and I always knew that<br />
dance was my passion but back in 1990s dance was not really<br />
pursued as a career, so I followed what everyone else was doing<br />
and did my MBA and dancing continued to be a hobby. So, I<br />
worked for five days a week and I would attend Latin dance classes<br />
on weekends. During my certification, I was offered a position to<br />
teach and I continued to do so for a long time. It was only after my<br />
first kid was born that I truly considered letting my corporate<br />
career go to pursue passion and that’s how Danza De La Liga<br />
happened. I went places with it, I went abroad taught these dance<br />
forms and got certified in Zumba. While I was in a happy place<br />
in my life, I also realised that there is a lot of fitness opportunity<br />
through dance and thats when me and the co-founders ideated<br />
Folk Fitness.”<br />
108 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
fitness and well-being<br />
Delivering fitness through folk dance was an alien concept, but the<br />
determination was in dismissible. Aarti decided to seek help from<br />
her brother, Ashwin, who like her was a gifted dancer but it was his<br />
passion for India and its culture that lead her to actualise the concept<br />
of Folk Fitness. “After Ashwin was on board everything took pace<br />
and we were driven by the idea of merging folk with fitness but we<br />
did not stop there, we wanted it to be purely scientific and researched<br />
upon. It took us two years to complete the process before we brought<br />
Folk Fitness into the market.” Today, the intensely satisfying dance<br />
form is approved by NASN, AFFA and FSSA and they have<br />
successfully trained over 85 trainers. The routines are tested by<br />
Velocity Fitness from US to ensure that they are injury proof. “The<br />
process is demanding, once we get a thumbs up from Velocity and<br />
the physiotherapist on the board, the routines are video graphed and<br />
sent across to the trainers.”<br />
In Folk Fitness, every routine starts and ends with meditation<br />
and lasts for about an hour. A minimum 10-15 folk styles are used<br />
in a session and it is ensured that the routines change each month to<br />
ward of monotony. “The idea behind the meditation is simple.<br />
When we workout we are always stressed out and looking at the<br />
clock, the meditation helps calm your nerves and bring all your<br />
energy in one place. It is nothing but a ‘me’ time.” The routine is<br />
divided perfectly into eight minutes each targeting upper and lower<br />
body and cardio. Being the only fitness programme designed under<br />
the ‘Make in India’ module, the fitness programme is India’s biggest<br />
gift to Global Fitness Fraternity. “We have a team that ensures that<br />
the programme is highly authentic, even the music we use are actual<br />
recorded and written folk songs, which are re-created using live<br />
musicians and singers keeping in mind the tempo of the workout”<br />
For most people, the idea of visiting a gym or even working out in a<br />
crowded, competitive environment is horrifying and Folk Fitness<br />
aims to and have successfully tweeted this attitude by making their<br />
workouts fun, relatable and effective.<br />
Since its inception, Folk Fitness has been widely mistaken to be<br />
a dance based workout. “It is actually a fitness routine inspired by<br />
folk steps. For example, the Kohli dance, which is the fishermen<br />
dance uses upper body movements like rowing, these movements<br />
are inspired by their daily chore of pulling the fishing net out of the<br />
water or even anchoring the boat. So the entire fitness routines is<br />
based on movements like this which target special group of muscles.<br />
It is not a dance routine but rather a fitness routine, inspired by our<br />
folk dances.” Each session of folk fitness is designed to be intense and<br />
targets to burn around 900-1,000 calories making the members<br />
yield higher benefits. “Although we try to make our routines fun, we<br />
also ensure that the purpose of working out is met. The fact that the<br />
workout is done in a group is helpful as people don’t keep a track of<br />
the time and are not always in a hurry to leave. And because the<br />
tempo of the workout is relatable, people usually leave feeling<br />
energised and positive and that for us is an achievement.” The fitness<br />
program is also divided further into three categories — folk fitness<br />
Yuva, Nanhe and Pranaam for adults, kids and elders respectively.<br />
Unlike regular gyms in the city, Folk Fitness sways away from<br />
offering diet or nutrition charts, “We are not dieticians or<br />
nutritionists, it is a very different study that we are not qualified to<br />
advise. However, there are a few basic dos and don’ts like ensuring<br />
an adequate intake of protein or finding a right balance between<br />
carbs and fat. But other than that, we do not advise anything, we<br />
maintain folk fitness devoid all this unnecessary implications.”<br />
Flexibility, weightloss and even endurance are few of the benefits<br />
that regular folk fitness members have observed. The many<br />
testimonials on their website is just another proof of the effect Folk<br />
Fitness has on the members.<br />
Being flexible in its form, folk fitness can be combined with a<br />
regular workout twice or thrice a week. “It is important to give our<br />
body its fair share of rest and also folk fitness cannot do what lifting<br />
weights can and vice versa, so it is important to strike a balance<br />
between the two workout to achieve optimum result.” With the<br />
whole idea of reinventing the fitness scene in our country, the<br />
founders and trainers understand that fitness requirement is<br />
subjective and ensure that the members are not pushed into<br />
something they do not require. “For a housewife, lifting weights is<br />
not a must because her daily chores involve fair share of lifting. For<br />
a person who sits for eight hours in front of a computer, it is not<br />
important for him to have a six pack, for him, having a strong back<br />
is important so that is something we hold true to and explain to all<br />
our members.”<br />
India is a dominant theme at Folk Fitness, from using the 140<br />
plus folk dances to educating the members about the origin of<br />
certain folks, Aarti and her team has managed to keep the roots firm,<br />
“Most fitness form have originated from the west, even Yoga for that<br />
matter was popularised due to its western influence. Pilates, Piloxing,<br />
Zumba, Aerobics are are adapted by us without realising that our<br />
country is rich, not only cultural but even when it comes to fitness.<br />
My whole idea was to put India on the map, create an Indianised<br />
form of fitness, go abroad and teach the westerners our form of<br />
fitness.” Currently, Folk Fitness is spread out in major cities like Pune,<br />
Mumbai, Bangalore, Indore and Aurangabad and is set to soon<br />
establish itself as a pan India movement.<br />
vidyaunnithan@crememagazine.in<br />
March 2017 109
fitness and well-being<br />
Farah Khan with her kids<br />
Anya, Czar and Diva<br />
Anjali Shetty<br />
Farah Khan leads the talk on<br />
infertility with Merck’s ‘Parents of<br />
Fertility’ initiative. She speaks to<br />
Crème on the procedure and why<br />
one should go in for it<br />
Farah Khan, ace director, actor and choreographer recently<br />
released a video on infertility. The video, a personal memoir of<br />
Farah’s journey to parenthood is a vivid recollection of her fears,<br />
challenges, doubts and ultimately her story of hope, belief and<br />
positivity towards IVF that led her to become a mother. Merck<br />
released this video as part of their ‘Parents of Fertility’ awareness initiative<br />
that helps and supports couples in India through this journey of<br />
parenthood. Farah Khan talks about her experience of going through IVF.<br />
As a society, we still haven’t accepted IVF as<br />
a whole. People still frown upon the idea.<br />
What got you to embrace it?<br />
I got married at the age of 40, and my husband, Shirish, and I were keen<br />
to start a family soon. We tried for two years but had no success, which<br />
got me worried. I did not think I would require any special help as my<br />
gynaecologist then, seemed to think I would get pregnant naturally. It<br />
was at a chance meeting with a friend of mine at someone’s party where<br />
she gave me her doctor’s number. It was as if the universe had it all<br />
planned from the beginning that I would meet an IVF expert. I was<br />
pretty sure from day one that I wanted to have a family, taking the first<br />
step was hard but it was one of the best decisions that I’ve made and my<br />
doctor helped me through each step of the way. But I didn’t lose hope<br />
and now I’m blessed with beautiful angels. We make society, it rests in<br />
our able hands and minds, we are the components that make it<br />
function as a unit, so the faster we adapt to changes the more we grow<br />
as individuals and as a whole. I would have never let any frowns come<br />
in the way of the smiles I am blessed with.<br />
What is your advice to young/old couples<br />
hoping to be parents?<br />
My advice to all couples out there trying to conceive will be that,<br />
infertility can be dealt with. Relatives will talk about a lot of things and<br />
there will be weird suggestions. But please don’t waste time searching<br />
for solutions outside the medical domain. It changed my life and could<br />
change yours too. It’s about time you take that step.<br />
Did you face any challenges while<br />
undertaking the treatment?<br />
Seeking treatment for infertility is challenging – emotionally and<br />
physically. My first session with the doctor included a detailed history<br />
and review of all my past treatments. The great part about it was that my<br />
doctor was completely honest with me. In the same way, support from<br />
your family and husband is of utmost importance. Shirish was with me<br />
throughout the sessions, he even used to carry his laptop and work at<br />
the IVF centre when I used to go for check-ups. It’s true that one needs<br />
equal amounts of iron will and faith that the procedure will work. It will<br />
be stressful and things may not always go your way. It thus becomes<br />
important to have someone, family/husband/confidante to help you<br />
during these tough times. When the doctor told me that I had<br />
conceived, I knew right away that becoming a mother would add more<br />
meaning to my life as I was happy when it came to my career.<br />
What hAS been the best part of being<br />
ASSociated with Merck?<br />
It has been amazing partnering with Merck, a global leader in fertility.<br />
They are always coming out with cause-driven initiatives intended to<br />
reach out to the public at large, and this time the cause was close to my<br />
heart. It gave me a chance to share my journey of hope with couples<br />
seeking help to fulfil their dream of parenthood.<br />
110 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
fitness and well-being<br />
Srinivas Madabusi, director specialities, Merck India throws light on the Parents of Fertility<br />
initiative, which has begun a journey of hope that infertility can be dealt with.<br />
The initiative<br />
Parents of Fertility is an educational initiative by Merck which aims to spread awareness<br />
about infertility and help couples fulfil their dream of parent-hood. Today, despite rapid<br />
advances in treatment infertility affects nearly 10-15 per cent of married couples in India,<br />
nearly 27.5 million couples. Nambiar says, “With this initiative, we aim to reach out to them<br />
with the message of hope that infertility can be dealt with. We understand that seeking<br />
treatment is emotionally physically challenging. Also, there is a lot of stigma associated<br />
around IVF. Therefore, our objective was to simplify the entire process of sharing<br />
information for couples seeking help for infertility and connect them with fertility centres<br />
that will provide them with quality care. Through this initiative, we want to reach out to<br />
couples across segments who are seeking help.”<br />
The USP<br />
Merck combines more than 60 years of heritage in fertility and a deep understanding of<br />
the needs of patients and healthcare practioners globally. They believe it is their responsibility<br />
to use their knowledge and expertise to spread fertility awareness. They are also working<br />
with stakeholders to drive awareness on quality in IVF and build capability and capacity.<br />
Challenges<br />
The stigma around infertility in India and the limited information available on IVF pose as<br />
a major hurdle for people seeking treatment. Given the taboo around infertility, it is difficult<br />
to convince some parents to take up IVF. Sometimes even if the couple is ready, due to<br />
parental and societal pressures they do not reach out to seek help of specialists. Although<br />
society is opening up to this medium and we have seen many successful cases with IVF,<br />
there is still a gap in the number of infertile couples in India and the ones who actually seek<br />
intervention. To bust myths and support this journey, we recently released a video on<br />
infertility. The video, a personal memoir of Farah’s journey into parenthood is a vivid<br />
recollection of her fears, challenges, doubts and ultimately her story of hope, belief and<br />
positivity towards IVF that led her to become a mother. With this video, they expect to<br />
reach out to millions of couples seeking help with the message that infertility can be dealt<br />
with and one should not lose hope and seek help of specialists to fulfil their dream.<br />
anjalishetty@crememagazine.in<br />
March 2017 111
eyond pune<br />
For most people, the beguiling state of Goa stirs up images of raves and parties,<br />
youngsters and foreigners, sun-kissed beaches and water sports. But Goa is so much<br />
more than that, it is surreal, intoxicating, quaint and liberating. It is far and beyond a<br />
mere vacation spot, it is magnetic as much as it is addictive. Head to Goa this summer<br />
to break free from your daily routine and unwind while gaping at the swaying palms<br />
trees and unhurried waves<br />
112 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
eyond pune<br />
Goa like most other states is<br />
divided into North and<br />
South, creating a clear distinction<br />
between the two<br />
areas with regards to tourism, food and<br />
ambience. Tourist flock to North Goa<br />
for reasons varied and different including<br />
the over popularised beaches and<br />
party destinations, but for anyone<br />
looking to visit Goa, purely to relax,<br />
South Goa is the best bet. It is laid-back<br />
and nonchalant and serves some of the<br />
best sea food in the country.<br />
Dwelling heavily on the old<br />
Portuguese charm, with well-maintained<br />
colonies and impossibly green<br />
countryside, the place is for anyone<br />
seeking an uninterrupted break from<br />
daily routine. ituated 2 km away from<br />
Colva lies the tranquil town of<br />
Benaulim. Untouched by domestic<br />
tourists and shrouded in mythology,<br />
the tiny beach town is said to have<br />
come into existence when Parusharama,<br />
the sixth incarnation of Lord Vishnu<br />
shot an arrow from the Sahyadri<br />
ranges into the sea asking it to retreat<br />
till the point the arrow was shot. The<br />
sea god Varuna relented, leading to the<br />
creation of Goa. The place where the<br />
arrow landed has been identified as the<br />
village of Benaulim or Benahalli- Bena<br />
meaning arrow in Sanskrit and Halli<br />
meaning village in Kannada.<br />
The census town of Benaulim, with a merger population of over ten thousand,<br />
is a treasure cove in true sense, tucked away neatly among palm<br />
fringed golden beaches. Being well connected to Margoa and all other<br />
cities by road, the town offers budgeted stays in peaceful locales, most<br />
hotels and resorts are located a kilometre or two away from the beaches,<br />
making it an ideal location to enjoy days at the beach and nights, away<br />
from it.<br />
Being a popular fishing centre, the day breaks in early in Benaulim as<br />
boats filled with fishermen traverse into the sea at day break. You could<br />
head to the beach in the morning to watch the fishermen head back with<br />
their catch, an event that is almost ceremonious for localities.<br />
Popular mostly among European travellers, the beach is dotted by<br />
tourists who come in to experience the Zen life while basking in the sun.<br />
Apart from the carefree crowd, one can also spot locals indulging in beach<br />
games or honeymooners making most of their stay, each enjoying a common<br />
fix- the Benaulim Vibe. The beaches in Beanulim are open all day<br />
long offering services at all hours, from relaxing beach beds to on-call<br />
service.<br />
If you stay long enough to watch the setting sun, it can be guaranteed<br />
that you will find it difficult to tear yourself away from your spot. The atmosphere<br />
is magical as the warm orange glow disappears to give rise to<br />
descending darkness, the beach lights along the coast being your only<br />
guide. Barring a few, most restaurants in Benaulim set up candlelit tables<br />
along the beach, creating a picturesque ambience to help amplify your<br />
experience. Fipless, AJ’s, Johncy’s and Hawaii Garden are few of the reatuarant<br />
that can help satiate your epicurean hunger in Benaulim.<br />
Being famous for its handicraft markets and local crafts, the beaches<br />
are abuzz with shops each with its unique products, catering to toursits,<br />
both domestic and international. Benaulim also has several monumental<br />
churches including the Holy Trinity Church and the Church of St. John<br />
the Baptist, which was originally built near the shore and was shifted to<br />
the hill beyond Benaulim in 1956. The Goa Chitra and the Art Escape<br />
Mueseum also deserve a visit.<br />
vidyaunnithan@crememagazine.in<br />
March 2017 113
eyond pune<br />
Hawa Mahal<br />
Architect Saleel Savarkar<br />
is an avid traveller and<br />
shares his latest journey to<br />
Rajasthan with us<br />
Saleel Savarkar<br />
We all remember a<br />
famous quote by<br />
Saint Augustine<br />
where he said,<br />
“The world is a book, and those<br />
who don’t travel — read just one<br />
page.” But we fail to understand<br />
the depth of it, until when our<br />
travels take us to new places, and<br />
we meet new people.<br />
Rajasthan is the place to<br />
be, for winter travel in India,<br />
but you need to plan your trip<br />
beforehand to avoid last minute<br />
disappointments. Although<br />
Rajasthan has a variety of<br />
offerings — one needs to be<br />
sure what suits his/her interest<br />
and choose accordingly, art,<br />
culture, touristy travel, or<br />
even architecture!<br />
The capital city of Jaipur, is<br />
India’s first ever planned city.<br />
Designed and built in the mid<br />
eighteenth century by Maharaja<br />
Jai Singh II, Jaipur boasts of nice<br />
wide roads, characteristic shaded<br />
walkways along the busy streets,<br />
strong aesthetic fortifications<br />
around the old city and not to<br />
forget architectural marvels<br />
playing the role of essential spices<br />
for a perfect recipe! While one<br />
should make it a point to visit the<br />
Hawa Mahal, City Palace, Jantar<br />
Mantar and other attractions, a<br />
visit to the erstwhile capital of<br />
Amer just a few km away from<br />
the city will complete your trip<br />
to Jaipur. Amer is the same place<br />
where Sanjay Leela Bhansali<br />
shot his magnum opus Bajirao<br />
Mastani! Jaipur is abuzz with many<br />
old havelis or mansions converted<br />
into heritage hotels, where you<br />
will be treated like royalty.<br />
As one embarks on his<br />
journey down south, the next stop<br />
is Pushkar, which enshrines the<br />
only temple of Lord Brahma in<br />
this whole wide world. Although<br />
not a very tourist friendly city, you<br />
may fall in love with the beautiful<br />
temple complexes along the<br />
lake Pushkar. Next up you drive<br />
through the beautiful Pushkar<br />
Ghati to reach Jodhpur. Jodhpur<br />
114 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
is a quaint city, home to one of India’s biggest military set ups. ‘On the Rocks’<br />
is a lounge — restaurant which is designed and run by the royal family and<br />
is the local favourite. Begin your day at Jodhpur by visiting the historical<br />
Mehrangarh fort. The fort houses beautifully kept royal possessions and offers<br />
splendid views of the blue city. If you’re an adventure freak, don’t miss the<br />
famous ZipLine at the fort. Umaid Bhawan Palace, a part hotel, part museum<br />
is also the residence of the Jodhpur Royal Family. It is a magnificently built<br />
structure, and is tastefully decorated in art deco style!<br />
Mount Abu comes next on the itinerary. Nestled high up in the Aravalis,<br />
Mount Abu is paradise. The Jain temples at Delwada are in fact poetry<br />
carved in marble, so be sure not to miss this. As one begins his journey to<br />
Udaipur from here, a small detour from the national highway, leads you to<br />
another treasure hidden in the forests of Kumbalgarh — the Ranakpur Jain<br />
Temple. Plan to reach here by noon, so that post lunch one can reach Fort<br />
Kumbhalgarh, the birthplace of Maharana Pratap. The mighty 12th century<br />
fortress, has Asia’s longest fortified wall admeasuring 36 km in length, only<br />
second to the great wall in China! The road from Kumbhalharh takes you to<br />
the last stop on your journey — Udaipur, the city of lakes. Udaipur houses a<br />
total of four big lakes, and the city is built around these serene water bodies.<br />
One of the most picturesque locations, Udaipur offers you the most fitting<br />
conclusion to your trip. The city offers the traveller sometime of leisure. The<br />
newly opened cable car allows you to capture a bird’s eye view of the city, that<br />
unravels in front of you in colours of blue, green and white. Chittorgarh, the<br />
capital of Mewad, is just 120 km from Udaipur. It is estimated to be one of<br />
the biggest forts in India and houses some of the most beautiful monuments.<br />
Spend a day at Chittor and return for a cosy candle light dinner by the lake<br />
with your loved ones. Udaipur is a shopper’s paradise, and you can really<br />
get some good deals in the market. Shilpgram, a handicraft village-museum<br />
offers tourists some of the finest collection of local art and culture and one<br />
cannot miss this place.<br />
Rajasthan, stands testimony to the colourful palette that India has<br />
to offer. Adorned with one of the most scenic locations, coupled with<br />
magnanimous history immortalised in its forts, and complemented by an<br />
array of arts, Rajasthan is a must visit by every tourist. Travel often has several<br />
Mehrangarh Jodhpur<br />
beyond pune<br />
Amer fort<br />
Kumbhalgarh Vantage Pt<br />
take homes to each individual, and this<br />
place essentially allows you to enjoy this<br />
very aspect of it. The warm hospitality,<br />
the tasty food leaves a lingering taste in<br />
your mind, one which makes sure you<br />
come back again and again.<br />
info@crememagazine.in<br />
March 2017 115
crème de la crème<br />
Dmitrii Ebel and family<br />
Linda Sowerby, Vikas Roongta<br />
and Paul Sowerby<br />
Richard Jamison, Vikas Roongta,<br />
Chris Lloyd and Paul Dawson<br />
Vikas Roongta, Preeti Roongta and Anirudh Seolekar<br />
116 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
Beth and Richard Winsor<br />
Shweta and Vishal<br />
Agarwal<br />
Vishal Agarwal,<br />
Bavaria Motors<br />
Bogdain with family<br />
March 2017 117
crème de la crèmee<br />
Hutokshi and Cawas Pundole<br />
Aneeshya Aurora<br />
Moushumi<br />
Kuvawala<br />
Antje Wittek<br />
Nicky and Anil Lamba<br />
Archana Rathi, Bhavna Mehta, Sonja Fritz, Esther, Iris, Jill Grant,<br />
Antje Wittek, Nicola Pawar, Nishita Shah and Aneeshya Aurora<br />
118 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
CRÈME DE LA CRÈMEE<br />
Anupama and Asheet Pasricha<br />
Iris<br />
Mala & Kinnary<br />
Bhavna Mehta<br />
Glenda Bouzek<br />
Birgit<br />
Joyce Khatri<br />
MALA & KINNARY adorned women<br />
from all over the world at a fashion p<br />
arade held recently by a women’s club<br />
as a part of their annual event to pro-<br />
Mmote intercultural friendship. Ladies from Germany,<br />
France, Italy, Korea, America, Russia, Canada and<br />
India walked the ramp in Indo-western wear, gowns,<br />
lehengas and sarees. It was a spectacular sight!<br />
Sonja Fritz<br />
Nicola<br />
Pawar<br />
Illaria Gaudino<br />
Isadora<br />
MARCH 2017 119
crème de la crème<br />
120 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
crème de la crème<br />
As the sun set on Vh1 Supersonic, Pune<br />
witnessed a multitude of emotions in the<br />
span of a few hours. The three-day festival<br />
set a new benchmark with its final<br />
electrifying lineup and mesmerizing experiences. There<br />
was a palpable sense of electricity in the air that<br />
contained a certain level of nostalgia, as well as<br />
excitement, when headlining act ZEDD hit the final beat<br />
at the festival. The fourth edition of Vh1 Supersonic<br />
witnessed a lot of love from its audience through their<br />
overwhelming response to the festival’s transformation.<br />
Thousands of music lovers united at Laxmi Lawns to<br />
experience the biggest names in international music<br />
such as Eric Prydz, Macklemore and Zedd. What<br />
brought the festival to life were the immersive<br />
experiences curated by Team Supersonic keeping in<br />
mind every need of festival goers.<br />
March 2017 121
crème de la crème<br />
Four-legged guests had a<br />
blast at The Little Next<br />
Door on a Saturday<br />
afternoon with<br />
arrangements like grooming<br />
sessions, trainers and delicious<br />
pet food that was spread around<br />
for them.<br />
While pets enjoyed the special<br />
arrangements, their owners<br />
also had a blast while shopping<br />
and meeting other pet owners<br />
and exchanging tips and tricks<br />
from pet trainers, vets, etc. The<br />
event was organised by NGO<br />
partner Bodhisattva, headed by<br />
Mojdeh Arab Farashahi. And<br />
the event was lovingly<br />
photographed by Manisha<br />
Cooper of Cooper<br />
corporation. All in all, it was a<br />
fun day out for people with<br />
their four-legged love.<br />
122 march 2017 www.crememagazine.in
CRÈME DE LA CRÈME<br />
Sabina Sanghvi, Usha Chandani, Maneesha<br />
Shah, Ritu Kochar, Reshma Shah and Namita Pal<br />
Gayatri Malli, Samantha Sirohi and Katya Hegde<br />
Natasha Seth, Devika Vohra, Irfan Pabaney, Zia<br />
Chaney, Archana Rathi, Tanaz Irani and Tanaaz<br />
Kothari<br />
Jeet, Nuni and Niku Gaiekwar<br />
An afternoon of giggles and<br />
gossip took place at The Sassy<br />
Spoon, Pune. A specially<br />
designed lunch featuring some brand<br />
favorites was dished out to Pune’s<br />
sassiest ladies! Chef Irfan Pabaney was<br />
at the helm, introducing dishes and<br />
sharing his passion for the brand with<br />
the ladies. Mixologists from behind the<br />
bar had the ladies unwinding with<br />
cocktails such as Love Lorn, Very Berry<br />
Khatta and Morning Brew. The Cajun<br />
Spiced Prawns, Warm Lemony<br />
Couscous Salad, Homestyle Prawns,<br />
Pumpkin Tart with Goat Cheese were<br />
amongst the dishes served. Signature<br />
desserts were enjoyed and even taken<br />
home. Swati Dholepatil, Namita Pal,<br />
Sabina Sanghvi, Samantha Sirohi,<br />
Smita Kulkarni were amongst the ladies<br />
who lunched!<br />
Maitry Lawyer with friends<br />
Sunita Mukar, Nimisha Nadkarni,<br />
Smita Kulkarni, Rina Popat, Dr<br />
Saroj Ratta, Moushumi Kuvawala<br />
Sunita Mukar, Nimisha Nadkarni and<br />
Sunita Singh<br />
Anita Advani, Shirley Punjabi, Ripple Mirchandani,<br />
Tarvin Veenu Kaur and Diva Budhrani<br />
MARCH 2017 123
HOROSCOPE<br />
THE STARS SPEAK<br />
Communicate to a medium level<br />
keeping out unwarranted calls as<br />
trouble might lurk around. Forget<br />
the past and live in the present. It<br />
has a lot to offer in your love and<br />
relationship arena. Your emotional<br />
and mental makeup has a lot to play<br />
in this time.<br />
The positioning of stars and planets undergo<br />
constant changes in the universal paradigm,<br />
due to which every aspect of your life, be it<br />
health, love, career or finance will also be<br />
constantly evolving.<br />
Some luck and fortune is in store<br />
for you this month. Some high value<br />
purchases are predicted during the<br />
first week. Make sure your bond<br />
with partner remains intact despite<br />
the problems ahead. Your honesty<br />
would certainly pay in the long term.<br />
Some luck and fortune is in store.<br />
Improvement is predicted in your<br />
career for March. It does not mean<br />
that it would be a path of roses. You<br />
have to untangle many knots. Your<br />
love life is in for better stability. Make<br />
sure your desires and wishes are<br />
met by your partner. Avoid unwanted<br />
food that add nothing but calories.<br />
Your social status and living also<br />
gets an enhancement. If willing there<br />
is scope for a change of residence,<br />
career or relationship. However, the<br />
uncertainty that had been looming<br />
large shall leave you. There would be<br />
a total change in your visualisation<br />
of love, romance and emotions.<br />
This month certain compromises<br />
ought to be made in your personal<br />
and professional life. Learn to<br />
balance your expenditure and<br />
savings. Your emotions need to be<br />
caged up. Patience would be the<br />
keyword here. Your health is likely to<br />
get some negative aspects.<br />
New ideas of all sorts take shape<br />
this month. Keep your cool, and<br />
enter into actions to meet your<br />
plans. Confidence shall help you to<br />
ward off any negative effects in the<br />
career side. Maintain your financial<br />
balance in a sensible way. Stability in<br />
relationships is also guaranteed.<br />
Here is a comprehensive<br />
insight, along with details<br />
about your lucky number<br />
and lucky tips, from celebrity<br />
astrologer Jai Madaan!<br />
Emotional happiness is predicted for<br />
the year ahead. Manage your energy<br />
levels in the best possible way. You<br />
would be attracted to those who<br />
understand your feelings, emotions<br />
and sensitivity. Express your feelings<br />
with an open heart to your partner.<br />
Some of your resolutions shall take<br />
wings and land on better grounds.<br />
Pursue your ambitions with renewed<br />
vigor and you would be able to<br />
meet a considerable amount of your<br />
pursuits. Come out and show the<br />
world that you have soft feelings.<br />
Take life as it comes by and live<br />
positively. Though personal<br />
problems might drag you, you shall<br />
come out with good colors in the<br />
professional field. Many sensual<br />
and intense moments in your<br />
relationship are in the forecast for<br />
the month ahead.<br />
Be optimistic and try<br />
to avoid all sorts of<br />
nervousness and negativity.<br />
Decide precisely what<br />
is to be done in your<br />
professional field. Avoid all<br />
unnecessary impulses to<br />
spend money. Take careful<br />
decisions and do not<br />
overspend in this month.<br />
You would be empowered by<br />
much freedom than before.<br />
Some expenses related<br />
to health issues for family<br />
members might hinder your<br />
financial development. If<br />
frustrations and loss of<br />
partner comes on the way do<br />
not lose your heart. It is just<br />
a passing phase.<br />
Time is on your side and hence<br />
do not compromise on quality and<br />
quantity of work done this month.<br />
Do not rely on any transitory<br />
partners or friends. There would be<br />
a tendency to neglect your general<br />
health but beware. Luck is on your<br />
side this month.<br />
124 MARCH 2017 www.crememagazine.in