For most of us, Western and Indian classical music seem divided by eras, tonalities, their instruments, and the way they’re structured. Kathak maestro Aditi Bhagwat tells us it takes a keen eye and an ear to the ground to reveal some surprising connections. A performance by Bhagwat, accompanied by American jazz musicians Dallas Smith and Susan Mazer, and percussionist Unmesh Banerjee will aim to bridge this gap for the audience. Through a fusion of jazz and kathak titled Jazz at Prithvi: Jazz Meets Kathak, the ensemble will highlight the unexpected common ground between the two artistic styles. If it’s true that there is indeed some science behind all art, Bhagwat’s experimentations with kathak spanning decades and continents would be a fitting specimen. The 43-year-old, who has previously infused kathak with diverse art forms like lavani, flamenco and most recently, a few East Asian dance forms, shares, “I wanted to learn how much we have in common with other dance forms from across the globe. Through my experiments, I learned that although separated by terminologies, the core concepts remain the same.” Sharing an example, she tells us about her discovery of the Bol Banao ki thumri having characteristics similar to a love ballet in jazz. “These similarities form the base of the fusion, helping us build on it. But perfect harmony can only be brought about by musicians who have dedicated their lives to studying the intricacies of the individual artforms,” she notes. Dallas Smith, Aditi Bhagwat, and Susan Mazer at a previous show It’s no surprise then, that the artiste will be joined by Smith, a woodwinds veteran who has shared a close bond with Hindustani music for over four decades. “My explorations of Hindustani music are rooted in my fascination with the late Pandit Pannalal Ghosh, a veteran flautist. His works led me to India and inspired me to pick up the bansuri,” he shares, adding that soon, like Bhagwat, he realised how jazz and Hindustani were closely linked. “Just like a Hindustani musician would play with the notes within a raga, jazz musicians are used to improvising within a scale or key. Even as we swap the usual drumkit out for a tabla, the similarities between the rhythms like the seven and five beat cycles that are reflected in certain taals help us adapt to the change,” he remarks. Harmonising with Smith on the stage will be his partner, Mazer, who believes that the harp, often harmonised over by other instruments, deserves a spotlight of its own in jazz. “In most performances involving a harp, you probably can’t even identify what part of the vast soundscape is coming from the instrument,” she sighs. The upcoming performance, Bhagwat assures us, will change things for the better. A purely improvisational section of the performance will witness Bhagwat and Mazer engage in impromptu storytelling. “Mazer will play a solo piece on her electro-acoustic harp. What she plays will be dictated purely by her emotions at the moment. Drawing parallels with the navarasa mentioned in the Natyashastra, my steps will follow,” she concludes. ON March 24, 11 amAT Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu.LOG ON TO insider.inENTRY Rs 500 onwards
19 March,2024 09:27 AM IST | Mumbai | Devashish KambleFor journalist Jairaj Singh, “the most impactful stories come from vulnerable spaces.” His new children’s book, You Won’t Believe Me (Pratham Books) is a tender tale of searching for belongingness. It is about an unnamed boy who opens up about his struggles in school to ‘fit in’, and discovers one day that he isn’t the only one. The book carries a melodic narration, like a poem. When we catch up with (below) Singh over a call, he admits that that was his intention, “It had a lyrical cadence to it in my head [from the beginning].” Accompanied by relatable, humane illustrations by Bhargavi Rudraraju, the book deals with difficult themes of bullying and loneliness. Singh captures the voice of the child narrator well — almost like the story has been drawn from his own experiences. However, he tells us, “There are parts of me, yes, but there are also those of so many people whom I grew up with and who, like me, were having a hard time coexisting with others because they didn’t feel they were entitled.” It was, therefore, important for him to tell the story from that position of “how frustrating it can be to adjust.” When a child is looked at as being troubled, it can be daunting for them to even grapple with the fact that they really do belong or are worthy of being trusted. Singh elaborates, “Your biggest achievement can sometimes be that someone believes you because you are still taking into stock a sense of your own rights and where you’re being attacked.” This kind of sensitivity also made us think if the writer were, perhaps, meaning to introduce early ideas of masculinity as well, since he provides small instances that urge us to meditate on them, without spelling them out. Singh shares that it wasn’t something that he had initially set out to do. He shares, “That’s the beauty of fiction; things surface. You have a sense of a child you want to talk about but once you start filling life into them, you realise it’s not that simple. I think the vulnerability of a child is a few steps before these issues begin to be formalised. This is still the age of innocence, where you don’t understand these terms but you come to confront them gradually.” As a salve from the pain, the book offers beautiful moments where the child sits by a pond full of fish near his school and watches them for hours. He knows their moods and habits, and unfamiliar with their names, learns to identify them by their colour. Singh recollects having a pond in his own school by which children played. “But that’s where the autobiographical element ends”, he tells us. Water and fish themselves have remained very close to him. He reflects on water’s calming property to nurse one out of pain. He adds, “Children, these days, rarely grow up in greenery. We’re [children] greatly disconnected from animals and other creatures. It’s a different relationship that we’re seeking suddenly. We’re so used to the urban concrete structures now. But wilderness allows a child to open up to another world or system where you can see other life.” This helps the image of the pond stand out as an interesting contrast to other architectural impressions from day-to-day city life. Available All leading bookstores and e-stores Cost Rs 90
19 March,2024 09:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Nandini Varma"To see, one must forget the name of the things we are looking at,” said French artist Claude Monet, who spearheaded the Impressionism movement. This art movement, which found its subject in the depiction of the surroundings as a whole, instead of the details of any one object, continues to seep into the contemporary world. And if you try not to read between the blurred lines, you might actually notice an avatar of this thought process in Juhu Beach — courtesy, American street photographer Craig Boehman. Boehman at work at the beach. Pic/Nimesh Dave The 53-year-old, who hails from Oregon and has found home in Mumbai since 2013, is currently re-exploring the city through a new lens, quite literally. The photographer’s most recent project includes a technique called Intentional Camera Movement (ICM), where the surroundings and people emerge as distinct, smeared shadows. “ICM is a technique that requires the shutter speed to be very slow. While I prefer to keep the speed to be a quarter of a second, some even go up to half a second to achieve their desired output,” Boehman explains, “ICM helps me give my work an impressionistic appearance. I cannot paint, and so, this method allows me to take photographs that look like paintings.” A woman holds up her dupatta against the breeze Boehman, who is currently based in Goregaon, has spent 11 years exploring the lengths of the city’s streets, starting from Bandra. The past year has been dedicated to experimenting with ICM. “I came to Mumbai with my wife [Alokananda Dasgupta]. We met in a school in Toronto in 2007, and fell in love. By 2013, she was at the peak of her career in Mumbai. As a photographer, I had no such restrictions to stay in the USA. So, I came here with her, and have accepted Mumbai as my home ever since,” he reminisces. Taking to the fast life of the city and even the high temperatures wasn’t that difficult for Boehman. “I adapted to the heat in a couple of months. The language, however, continues to be a barrier. I can speak enough Hindi now to get directions. For instance, “Yeh rasta kaha jaata hai?”, he rattles off in an American accent. A tourist clicks a selfie with the sea in the backdrop The will to take up street photography full-time only emerged upon his arrival in the city, Boehman shares. “I took a course in biomedical photography in college but the programme was abandoned somewhere near the end of it. I didn’t like that field of studying — it was boring! But the very first attempt at something artistic probably was picking up an old Polaroid instant camera and taking pictures with it when I was a kid. I was never encouraged with a camera but I remember using up all the film and flashbulbs whenever an adult, likely grandparents, would let me. I indulged in a lot of music and poetry as a young adult, and eventually found my way back to [street] photography after landing in India,” he shares. Policemen on patrolling duty While his favourite place to walk around in Mumbai is Aarey Colony, Juhu made for the perfect location to experiment with ICM due the crowds that gather in this public space. Some of these works have also been selected to be featured on New Mexico’s photography community Santa Fe Workshops’ website. He will also be taking a lecture on ICM online on May 18 (open to global audiences) for the platform. “Photography came easy to me but street photography required a lot of dedication to get it right. Circling back, all of my fine art photography works are sourced from my experience in street photography, including ICM,” he signs off. Log on to craigboehman.com (to buy limited-edition ICM prints); santafeworkshops.com (to see his featured works and sign up for the workshop)
19 March,2024 09:24 AM IST | Mumbai | Devanshi DoshiComedy is just a tragedy in the long shot, said Charlie Chaplin, or at least people claim he did. For Azeem Banatwalla, it is just a natural reaction of observing the world around him. From the travails of living in Mumbai, a traffic-choked metropolis, to the struggles of self-existentialism, his comedy spans the relatable expanse of life in India. In April, the comedian will take these experiences Down Under to Australia for his debut tour at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. “Triple Threat is an hour-long show that I have been building up to over the last couple of months and deals with the identity crisis of growing up an English-speaking Muslim in India and doing comedy, observations and events around you,” he shared. Like his hilarious take on the Gokhale bridge on Instagram, we ask. “That comes from a place of pure anguish as someone who grew up around Juhu and Versova,” he laughs, adding, “I have spent almost all of my life driving around the Gokhale bridge and Barfiwala flyover, one of which has not been functioning for half my life. In fact, it has come to such a point that once they open, I wouldn’t know what to do.” The news cycle is one of his fountains of inspiration. The comedian says, “The news cycle is a great source. I like to write down an idea, and explore it to see how far I can go. Everyone has a different process, but I am just a faster writer.” His latest one was a take on the flourish of the Maharashtra state government renaming railway stations. “Well, you can’t blame them either. There is an election looming,” he laughs. While comedy might look spontaneous, it is anything but, he assures us. “These gigs are practice runs that enable me to test the writing,” he admits. The only change being that the entire show is in English. “You adapt as you go along. It does limit my audience, then again, I was always a more English-speaking comic. I never was the guy to sell out shows in Gorakhpur,” he admits. Understandably, the show will have a number of expats to test his work out on an international audience. With a performance scheduled from April 8 to 21 in Melbourne, he has little time to prepare. Aside from rehearsing, the 35-year-old is also handling the tickets, visa applications, and formalities on his own. “People often think it is so much fun. But you travel overseas, tell a bunch of jokes and sometimes, lose money. The hope is that you break even,” he concludes with his signature dry humour. On March 26 to March 30; 4 pm onwards (multiple time slots)At Khar Comedy Club; The Habitat: Mumbai, Khar West. Log on to in.bookmyshow.comCost Rs 399 onwards
18 March,2024 09:18 AM IST | Mumbai | Shriram IyengarVibe: KoreanAmbiance: CuteService: PromptCost: ReasonableVerdict: 2/4 Sipping on soju in between piping-hot slurps of ramyeon; being piggy-backed by your ‘oppa’ as he walks along the trail of cherry blossoms on a snowy evening; racing to the nearest Life 4 Cuts photo booth to capture the evening of your life in four to six, emoticons-filled frames — these are three essential elements from some of the most successful K-Dramas. Lucky for those of us living the South Korean dream in Mumbai, the city is now dotted with spaces catering to the proliferating K-drama and K-pop fandom. The newest additions take a departure from the rise in South Korean restaurants and stalls to introduce K-services like clothes, accessories, and a photo booth. Locked away in a photograph On a Saturday at noon, this writer reaches Mahavir Nagar in Kandivali, known for its unique street food stalls and kiosks. This popular market now has a connection with this fast-emerging Korean fandom universe — Korean Point that serves Korean noodles; K-Town, which is known for its all types of cheesy corn dogs, and K-Pose, a self-photo studio (like Life 4 Cuts across South Korea). All three spaces are a few months old; the latest is the photobooth that opened in January. The photographs are available in print, digital and GIF format The photo studio is a small space painted in warm tones of purple. We are greeted at the counter by its co-founder, who goes by the name, Bhagyashri. She has just finished cleaning up the studio before the day begins, and explains about the concept. She suggests we choose from the different frames available. Options include one-framed polaroid pics to six-framed polaroid pics, all priced at R200. We pick the more famous one — four-framed pictures — and move on to choosing our props next. A wall displays over 50 props — cowboy hats, plush hats, caps, funky goggles in all shapes and sizes, among others. “Most of these are imported from South Korea,” she informs, and recommends that we choose at least four props. However, overwhelmed with options, we lose nearly 20 minutes before we settle down with our final picks. We carry the basket filled with adorable wearables into a room, where to our astonishment, the photo machine is exactly like the ones the writer has spotted in K-Dramas. This one, too, is imported from South Korea. It is a self-service machine where you choose your mode of payment (if it is online, ask for a code at the reception), pick the number of the frames you want and get ready to be clicked. The fun part begins now. You can choose and play around with filters, templates and emoticons to enhance your final copy of the photographs. You get nearly a minute for each frame to make up your mind before the camera automatically captures a photo. However, you get three retakes for each frame that allows room for trial and error. We leave the space with a pleasant surprise: on scanning a QR code that appears after your photograph has materialised, you can get a digital print and a GIF of the polaroid as well. The photobooth allows you to borrow a moment from your favourite K-Drama, and makes for a perfect spot to spend some quality time away from your screens with your friends, irrespective of whether you’re a fan. K PoseAT Opposite SBI bank, Mahavir Nagar, Kandivali West. Time 12 pm to 11 pm; all days Call 9920707413 Cost Rs 200 (for any photo strip); Rs 100 (for additional copies) Also check out Street Fashion Korea for South Korean apparels At Plot B, Shop No 15, 79, near Seawoods Station East, Sector 23, Seawoods, Navi Mumbai.Log on to @streetfashion_korea Wardrobe wow The space is best-known for their wide range in Korean bags A 10-minute-long autorickshaw drive from the photobooth to Gautam Nagar in Borivali will take you to N.Cat, a whole new world of Korean accessories. Here, you can expect everything right from imported Korean goggles, bags, caps, bows, chains and earrings to a separate section just for men’s accessories including the same range of accessories. N.CatAt Kent Garden Shopping Centre, Dr DG Palkar Road, Borivali West. Time 10.30 am to 8.30 pm, all days Log on to @ncatindia The Guide’s top picks 1. Clutch Bag Cost Rs 2,000 2. Q necklace Cost Rs 1,477 3. Q necklace (black, for men)Cost Rs 652 4. Piercing Cost Rs 869 5. SunglassesCost Rs 2,652 4/4 Exceptional, 3/4 Excellent, 2/4 very Good, 1/4 Good, 0/4 Average. K Pose and N.Cat didn’t know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for services
18 March,2024 09:10 AM IST | Mumbai | Devanshi DoshiIt is, by all accounts, a royal mess. And this time, the uproar surrounding the British monarchs is linked to a seemingly innocuous photograph of the Princess of Wales, Catherine (Kate) Middleton and her children. The photograph was released by Kensington Palace to honour a Mother’s Day tradition and also to quell speculation about The Princess of Wales’ recent surgery. But, the move yielded quite the opposite results. As keen observers pointed out oddities in the photograph, alleging that the image was heavily edited or worse AI generated, Middleton issued an apology admitting to have edited the photograph. Her admission has sparked, not for the first time, a heated debate about the perils and pitfalls of editing, and when a few tweaks to a photo can compromise its integrity. Living, as we do, in an increasingly digital world where photos and videos can be FaceTuned and filtered by amateur users in a matter of mere minutes, where does one draw the line when it comes to editing? Experts suggest that one should avoid digitally altering images to unreal standards A fine line The fascination with editing and retouching is hardly recent, points out Ritesh Uttamchandani, an independent photographer. “It’s important to understand that a photograph is a truth and a lie at the same time; it is a carefully curated section of time, space and a person’s persona and behaviour. It is quite natural to want to control others’ perception of you and by deciding what you want to include or exclude in a frame, you can control the narrative to quite an extent. The tendency to curate photographs — during or after a shoot — has become even more urgent with the advent of digital cameras, which offer immediate playback,” he explains. The urge to retouch images or videos becomes that much higher when the subject matter is of heightened interest to the public. “This was the case far before digital photography became the norm. I remember when, during a very eagerly anticipated football match, a photographer had captured a great image during a pivotal moment — however, the ball was missing from the frame. There was so much pressure to produce that perfect image, to have that a-ha moment frozen in time, that the editor used a coin to cast a shadow in such a way that it seemed as though the ball was, indeed, in the frame,” he adds. Greeshma Thampi and Ritesh Uttamchandani “The question today isn’t about whether photographs should be edited or not; how much the image has been edited is where the question arises,” says image consultant, Greeshma Thampi. She elaborates that slightly enhancing one’s features or body is still considered acceptable, as long as the photograph isn’t contributing towards fake or unrealistic body standards. In the latter case, the individual can lose credibility and will be perceived as ‘fake’, she points out. For her, the litmus test is to ask yourself if a popular celebrity would be trolled if they had edited their image to the same extent as you are. Intent is everything The boundaries of what can be considered acceptable keep shifting over time, especially for public figures, Uttamchandani says. But what matters the most is the intent of the individual taking the photograph as well as the subject. He points to a recent video featuring Hollywood actress Kate Winslet, in which she wipes off her make-up and embraces her natural self. “That video was intended to be empowering, and it did achieve that. If the intention is right, the outcome will follow suit,” he emphasises. Kate Winslet in the advertising campaign. Pic Courtesy/YouTube Both he and Thampi emphasise the importance of adding a disclaimer to an edited image, if you don’t want to be accused of being inauthentic. Thampi foresees credible platforms implementing a vetting process for heavily manipulated images, so as to not mislead people, while Uttamchandani highlights the importance of pausing to question what you see on social media instead of taking things at face value. “The obsession with celebrities will not die down anytime soon and neither will the pressure on these public figures to perpetuate a very curated perception of themselves. Each feeds the other, and as viewers and consumers, we must acknowledge and be cautious of the way we consume,” he signs off. The apology note shared by the Duchess of Cambridge after the controversy over the doctored image. Pic Courtesy/X How to set your boundaries Image consultant Greeshma Thampi lays down a simple checklist to keep in mind before you share edited images for public consumption: . Do not lie that the pictures are not retouched or claim that you have not used a filter, if that isn’t the truth. The #nofilter hashtag isn’t meant to be used indiscriminately. . Ensure that the images you share look realistic. Examine them carefully for any flagrant oddities. Credibility, once lost, is extremely challenging to build back . Strict no-nos include blurry patches and shoddy, very obvious signs of editing. . For social media, maintain consistency in the quality and type of images on your feed. Any glaring digressions will instantly stand out. . Do not use images that belong to someone else without their permission. Always give credit where due.
18 March,2024 09:04 AM IST | Mumbai | Anindita PaulMeghna Pant’s new book The Man Who Lost India attempts to explore what it would be like if India and China were at war in the near future. Seth, the richest man in what remains of India, lives with his family in the small town of Lalbag, safe under the shelter of Mount Akaho and saved by a ‘religious miracle’. He wants to marry his daughter off to Harsh Shah, who owns a National Identification Card, which is transferable to the spouse, and, therefore, could save her life. But she is in love with their domestic help, Manu. With this story emerging as central to the novel, one also slowly sees signs of the troops entering Seth’s town. The novel, unfortunately, falls short on several accounts. Firstly, it claims that “India is being forgotten,” as deaths continue to take place with the Chinese occupying India. The novel notes how cultural markers like language, salutations, children in the family, religious inclinations, etc., are being erased by the Chinese government. Considering that all this is supposed to have happened by 2032, this is hard to believe. It certainly doesn’t help the novel’s guise of showing its readers a glimpse into a dystopian society. Moreover, with so much geopolitical unrest around the world today, the book needed to have engaged in a more nuanced take on the subjects of war and occupation. We would have loved it if the author had delved a bit deeper on the subject. The premise is tenuous, and fails to show any real distinction between civilians and governments of the two nations fighting to be the next Asian superpower. There were several glaring problems with the language used as well. Some sections in particular, like those that introduced the Chinese way of living or ‘Chinese English’, those that played with gender analogies through reckless metaphors, and those that offered a seemingly sympathetic look at class differences, required better perceptive and more responsible treatment by the author. TITLEThe Man Who Lost IndiaAUTHOR Meghna PantGENRE FictionPublisher Simon & SchusterCost Rs 499
16 March,2024 07:38 AM IST | Mumbai | Nandini VarmaAs the last office in the city flicks off its lights, the final local train calls it a night, and citizens in Mumbai and its suburbs tuck themselves into a well-deserved slumber, another party comes to life not too far way. On the guestlist are nocturnal bamboo pit vipers, tarantulas and geckos; and their floor is the lush green forest of the Bombay Natural History Society Nature Reserve illuminated by the night sky. An overnight experience organized by BNHS is offering us a wildcard entry to this party in the dark. “The sky that we see in the city is illuminated by city lights. A true dark sky can only be witnessed from the interiors of the forests,” shares naturalist Shardul Bajikar. To that end, a stargazing session by astronomer Satish Shirodkar will offer participants the opportunity to spot celestial bodies and identify constellations in the clear night sky. “Photographers can also get clear shots of the full moon through our specialised telescope,” he adds. We learn that if the schedules align, one might also spot the International Space Station in transit during the session. A Giri’s gecko spotted at a previous trail. Pic Courtesy/Yogesh Patel The spotlight will then pan to nocturnal fauna, in a night trail led by naturalists Pranav Joshi and Chaitanya Keer where participants can expect to spot tarantulas, snakes, and other species. “Walking through the woods, where your primal instincts dictate each move is probably the closest you’ll ever get to feeling fully human. Unfortunately, most of us miss it because forest spaces are closed to visitors after sunset. It is nothing like simply walking through a daytime trail. You have to be there to get it,” Bajikar signs off. While the upcoming camp, limited to 22 participants, is already filling fast, the organisers inform us that spots at the second edition to be held the following weekend, are still up for grabs. On March 23; 4 pm Meeting Point Nature Information Center, BNHS, Goregaon East. Call 9821120494 (for registrations)Cost Rs 2,500 onwards (includes food and accommodation) Forest trail guide Dos. Wear dull coloured, comfortable cotton clothes. Wear rugged walking shoes. Carry your own torch Don’ts. Avoid wearing perfumes. Do not pick up or touch unfamiliar objects. Never wander outside the path planned by experts
16 March,2024 07:25 AM IST | Mumbai | Devashish KambleIn a middle-class home, 75-year-old Pandhari Juker, fondly known as Pandhari Dada, shares tips and hacks on how to perfect the art of make-up, with an attentive crowd. This opening scene of the 35-minute documentary titled, Pandhari ke Rang (Pandhari’s colours) is a telling of the veteran artist’s skill and patience. Directed by Sachin Shirke and Pankaj Sharma, the film shines light on the artistic journey of a man who was responsible for the way many leading stars looked from the 1950s to the late ’90s. Juker examines a poster of Yash Chopra’s Lamhe “When we had an opportunity to make a documentary for the Films Division, we initially thought of making a film about Bollywood technicians who work behind the scenes and often don’t get the recognition they deserve. We thought of looking at the work of costume designer Bhanu Athaiya, but then we realised, there’s a lot of information available including a book about her. That’s when we thought of make-up,” recalls Shirke. “When we researched for information about Pandhari Dada, it was surprising that despite doing over 700 films, there was hardly any information about him, not even a Wikipedia page. He started his career in the 1950s with V Shantaram. He was the first make-up artiste to receive a diploma from the University of Russia. This was done on the recommendation of Nargis Dutt and KA Abbas,” he adds. The make-up artiste with the late Priya Tendulkar. File pic Several actors, including Waheeda Rehman, Madhuri Dixit, Saroj Khan, Juhi Chawla, Manisha Koirala, Subhash Ghai, Renuka Shahane, Sudha Chandran and Gulshan Grover, among others, speak fondly about Pandhari Dada in the film. “We had no trouble slotting the interviews. Everyone we approached was happy to speak about him because of the goodwill he has had. The popular belief in the industry was that if you have your make-up done by Pandhari Dada then you are bound to be successful,” says Sharma. The documentary has interviews in Hindi and Marathi with certain sections in English as well. While celebrities shared warm, personalised anecdotes about his hard work and warmth, Juhi Chawla pointed out that he always applied make-up using his hands. Actor Ashwini Bhave joked that she always told him that he must get his fingers insured. (Left) Film director Sachin Shirke and (right) DOP Nikhil Kamble chat with actress Renuka Shahane “Back in the day, there was no 3D make-up and technology but he still made actors look beautiful — from Meena Kumari to Dimple Kapadia, Rekha, Jaya Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Sridevi and Kajol. Pandhari Dada was a constant for many leading film banners. For example, Yash Chopra would work only with him. He was part of the team for all his films,” Shirke reveals. Pandhari Dada also worked extensively with Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms. “On one show, Sudha Chandran played the role of a vamp called Ramola Sikand. Pandhari Dada had designed a bindi for her which everyone including the actress felt was too loud and were sceptical about it. Pandhari Dada promised that in a few months the style would become a trend, and everyone would follow it, and he was right,” says Shirke. The filmmakers with (centre) Waheeda Rehman Sharma recollects how the artiste always wanted to know what was happening on the shoot; if the edits had gone well or if artistes willingly gave interviews for their film. “He wasn’t too well and his family members requested us to not keep calling him to different locations for the shoot. However, he would get upset if we didn’t involve him. He is one of the nicest people we have worked with. We are sad that despite the contribution of several such legendary artistes in the field of make-up, none of the popular film awards present awards in this field and the artistes do not get the recognition they deserve,” says Sharma. Sharma and Shirke began shooting the film in 2019, in 2020 it had to be stalled due to COVID-19, and was finally completed it in 2021. Pandhari Dada passed away in 2021 but had a chance to see the rough cut. The screening is a part of NCPA’s Reality Check curated by Cinema Collective, where two other documentaries will be screened along with this. The team meets (centre) actress Sudha Chandran The film, Aravali – The Lost Mountains is about marble quarrying in Rajasthan’s Rajsamand district and the serious water crisis and air pollution that mining causes in this region. The film explores the right balance between economy and the environment. The other film Raga of River Narmada (Waterscapes) India, looks at the many moods, colours and shapes of the Narmada juxtaposed with a traditional Dhrupad recitation. The film screenings will be followed by a post film discussion. The crew also interviewed (left) Kiran Shantaram, son of renowned filmmaker late V Shataram “Typically, we screen films that are 60 minutes to 120 minutes; however, we had these three gems with us that are roughly 30 minutes each. So, it was a calculated decision to put these together, irrespective of them not being thematic but giving the audience a smorgasbord of themes,” says Veena Bakshi, Cinema Collective. On: March 20; 6.30 pm onwardsAt: Godrej Dance Theatre, NCPA, NCPA Marg, Nariman Point.Log on to: in.bookmyshow.comEntry: First come first served basis (till 6.20 pm)
15 March,2024 06:48 AM IST | Mumbai | Suprita MitterSchedule mattersDr Wilona Annunciation, MD consultant psychiatrist and founder, Catalysts Clinic Owing to our hectic schedules and limited attention spans, maintaining and following a sleep routine feels like a Herculean task. Thankfully, with the progress in technology, we have quite a few good apps that actually aid in our attempts to achieve sound sleep. However, it is important to remember that while these apps may help us try to get better sleep, we still need to put in active efforts to truly enhance our sleep quality. Maintaining a sleep schedule, having a bedtime routine, keeping your devices away around bedtime, etc, can be the little steps that we take along with these apps to ensure sound sleep. My recco: I use my Apple watch with Health App and that helps me track my sleep routine. I usually monitor it weekly and ensure I get at least six to eight hours of restful sleep. When I notice discrepancies patterns, I link that to diet and exercise habits, and factor in any major changes in my routine. Understanding and modifying these in the longer run helps me stay consistent with my sleep routine. The hunger-sleep linkDr Juhi Agarwal, clinical nutritionist Less sleep makes you less productive, hungrier and more lethargic the next day. But why is this? One of the main reasons is the imbalance of your hunger hormone, ghrelin, and stress hormone, cortisol. Lack of sleep increases both and this causes you to reach out for high carb, processed and high sugar foods, and increases your heart rate. My recco: I use the Oura Ring to track my sleep. It helps me prioritise my rest so that I can increase productivity and immunity. It tracks the quality of your sleep through heart rate variability. If the variability is high, it means the recovery and rest was of good quality. This helps me correlate the types of food that reduce the variability and therefore, the quality of sleep. Additionally, it gives me insights into how my body is on low reserves and I reduce the intensity of my workout or take a rest day accordingly, especially a week before my period. Plan your routineDr Joy Desai, director of neurology at Jaslok Hospital & Research Centre For sleep benefits to be accrued, it is vital to ensure sleep duration, timing, depth/quality throughout life. Sleeping late and waking up late in a rhythm out of sync with the circadian clocks is also deleterious for health. Maintaining a regular sleep routine, exercising in the morning, meditation, avoiding coffee after 3 pm, curtailing alcohol consumption, and restricting screen time within one hour of bedtime are simple sleep hygiene promoting lifestyle measures. Sleep apps are essentially wired to track sleep timings and to some extent measured sleep depth. My Recco: Sleep Cycle is a popular choice and most other sleep apps, including the ones built into smart watches, are similar. However, they do not provide cues to maintain sleep timing and circadian rhythms. An app called My Circadian Clock [above] tries to bridge this gap but requires individual activity timings from your daily routine to be fed into the app algorithm for it to gauge optimacy. Also check out Sleep Watch: The app tracks sleep, sounds of snoring, tossing and turning. When connected with the Apple watch, it also provides details of heart rate throughout the night. The next day, it creates a report on the basis of a few questions like how well rested one feels, and how many times one gets up in the middle of the night, etc. It provides information regarding BMI and what somebody’s sleep quality should be like by comparing it with that of the others of the same age. Note that only some of these features can be availed for free.Log on to: AppStore Sleep Cycle: This app has a collection of meditating music, bedtime stories, ASMR (Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response) and sleep coaching segments. Its smart alarm clock wakes you up in your lightest sleep phase with soft and gentle alarm tones. The app provides reminders before bedtime. However, several features are exclusively for paid users; it also does not give sleep statistics daily. For more detailed statistics, it needs at least five successive days of sleep tracking.Log on to: AppStore; PlayStore Prime Nap: This free app uses the phone’s microphone to detect any movement or disturbances in sleep. It includes a dream journal to track dream patterns. The smart alarm comes with a customisable sound library. Cons for the app is that the interface is a tad difficult to navigate, with not very sleek and up-to-date graphics.Log on to: AppStore Inputs by Dr Wilona Annunciation
15 March,2024 06:41 AM IST | Mumbai | Devanshi DoshiThey might argue over it, the Kiwis and the Aussies, but the coffee from Down Under — flat white — has eked out a space among the Americanos, espressos and the lattes. So much so that Google put out a doodle on March 11 to commemorate its inclusion in the Oxford English Dictionary. Served traditionally in a smaller ceramic cup with a higher ratio of milk to espresso, and less foam than the latte, the flat white is a stronger concoction, says Apoorv Agarwal, founder and brewer, The Simple Brew. The beverage has been in circulation since the late ’80s, adds Agarwal, saying, “Accessibility to coffee flavours and styles changed things. Until recently, Indians only knew about the flat white if they had travelled overseas or were seriously into exploring coffee.” Flat white coffee While it is similar to cappuccino, the flat white is a single or double espresso shot with steamed milk. The nomenclature comes from the absence of foam in the drink. Agarwal notes, “Since it is a stronger drink, you can taste the nature and flavour of the coffee bean better in a flat white than in a latte. With a latte, you can mask the taste even if it was a substandard bean or roast.” This makes it a choice for the experienced coffee drinker or someone willing to explore flavours. “The popular choice for Indians continues to be the latte or cappuccino,” he remarks. Apoorv Agarwal For the brewer, the availability of information and diversity of coffee in the market is the reason why it has grown popular. “We have known of the drink and its nature. But the availability has been an issue. Now, with access to information on beans, origins, and roasting techniques, people are more willing to explore these flavours with a flat white,” he points out. As for his personal taste, Agarwal prefers the latte. “If I am familiar with their brew and method, I would choose the flat white. But if I am in the mood to customise my drink — I add some caramel, or chocolate or vanilla — I would always choose the latte,” he concludes. Flat white fix If you have an espresso machine, get it to filter a double shot espresso. A flat white latte also depends on the type of milk you use. You do not want to foam your milk; simply steam it. The accepted ratio is 1:2 for coffee to milk. In case you are using a manual brewing equipment or an aeropress, you might not get the same consistency. So, you might want to use a stronger concentration with the same 1:2 ratio, to get the right flavour. - Apoorv Agarwal
15 March,2024 06:32 AM IST | Mumbai | Shriram IyengarADVERTISEMENT