Guarding the south-east oceanic routes is paramountTHE INDIAN Ocean was a region of extreme significance for the British economy and the strategic integrity of the “empire”. In the Indian oceanic system, the determination of the segment lying between the Straits of Hormuz and Straits of Malacca as a zone of strategic concerns for the Indian state goes back to the period of the colonial rule of two centuries. But in independent India, the enunciation of this thought truly fructified with the cessation of the Cold War and the subsequent adoption of the market forces economy by the Indian state. The Nehruvian principle of the Indian Ocean as a Zone of Peace (IOZP) had recognised the value in the unhindered trade and freedom of the seas through the sea lanes of communication (SLOCs) as imperative for India’s security concerns. At heart of the matter was keeping the ocean free from power rivalries and acts of piracy on the seas.
A Role in the security of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore: The Security of navigation in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore needed to be viewed in two separate facets. The immediate and the prevalent threat had emerged from growing acts of maritime terrorism and piracy. Contrary to an assessment that the incidents had declined after the tsunami, the surge of violence that erupted since the end of February 2005, seemed to reach its peak in 2009. There were obvious ramifications; one of them being the classification of the straits as a war-risk zone in June 2005, by the Lloyd’s Market Association, and the subsequent enhancing of shipping insurance.
The inability to tackle the problem was essentially being ascribed to the inadequacy of the littorals’ security and law enforcement mechanism. They were being recognized as “armed robberies against ships” under the prevalent law, and only concerned coastal states could exercise jurisdiction. Indonesia and Malaysia were seen to be driven by this logic in opposing any external involvement in the straits, largely in the face of the then US-sponsored Regional Maritime Security Initiative (RMSI). These countries had invoked the principle of sovereignty in rejecting the initiative, although underlying the decision may have been a perception that the US may focus on terrorist issues only at the cost of other maritime crimes. And in a largely Muslim-inhabited region, the American rigid conceptions about Islam could have led to several undesirable and awkward situations for regimes, especially in Indonesia and Malaysia.
It was in the backdrop of these and other international pressures that MALSINDO (formed between Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore) came into being in July 2004. It was formed to operationally tackle such attacks, whilst working in a coordinated manner in which patrolling ships were to follow a system of handing over when approaching the limits of a country’s jurisdiction. To an extent, it was not a joint mechanism —a system considered ideal for such a venture. The misgivings about the effectiveness of the mechanism remained, since the attacks continued unabated. India had offered security assistance as an equally affected neighbour monitoring the adjacent six degrees channel. There was a precedence in Indian Naval offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) having successfully escorted US high-value vessels through the straits in 2002. This useful Indian presence was noted and the ships of Indian and Indonesian navies had jointly patrolled the waters.
The second facet that accentuated India’s interest in joining the participative security mechanism for the straits was an amalgam of far more important strategic security concerns; the aspect of energy security for the India. It was also because several crude import sources in Russia (Sakhalin), Vietnam and Indonesia had been added to augment the supply zones for India and elsewhere in the world. The safety and security of eastern sea lines and the straits of south-east Asia had, thus, jumped up in the ladder of importance, linked with India’s galloping trade with China, Japan, South Korea and the Asean countries.
The Andaman and Nicobar Command: The islands of Andaman and Nicobar have always been of strategic value to Indian policy planners, although a clear demonstration of intent manifested only in the 1990s. The Chinese communication facility on the Cocos Island was the precursor.
(Incidentally, it may have come up where the colonial “Wireless and cable” listening post was located.) Development of the Chittagong Harbour in Bangladesh and construction of naval bases, radar and electronic intelligence stations and airstrips along the entire Myanmar coast were the ominous developments to follow. The Haingyi naval base was reportedly designed to host Chinese submarines, should Myanmar’s regime acquiesce to a request. The proposed 800- mile Irrawady river road link was planned to join the Yunan province in China, to the Bay of Bengal.
India has been witnessing a substantial increase in what is termed as “nontraditional threats to security”, which manifest in spheres of drugs and gun running, illicit migration to the islands and, to some extent, deficiencies in what the mariners call good order at sea. It was also necessary to have a mechanism in place to prevent an unhindered passage to undesirable elements from terrorist groups linking up with similar groups in India. India has a formidable problem of armed militancy and India and Sri Lanka have, in the past, agreed to jointly patrol the Palk Straits, north of Sri Lanka. In conjunction, perhaps, the spectre of concerns which manifested in the early 1990s as a sequel to claims of the Peoples Republic of China (PRC) on the Spratlys and Paracel Islands of the South China Sea had irked the policymakers in New Delhi. The sinking of the Vietnamese Naval vessel by a Chinese Naval Ship was seen to be heightening tensions in the region.
It’s great for your joints, your lymphatic system and a complete mood-lifter. Workouts inside water are gaining popularity, with Aqua Tango being the newest fadAny workout you do in a fitness centre can be done inside the pool as well — yoga, Pilates, kickboxing, Zumba, step aerobics, aerobics, cardio, sculpting, stretching, and so on. Aqua Tango is a workout done inside the water/ pool. Thus, the name changes accordingly, so it becomes Aqua Yoga or Yoqua, Aqua pilates or aqualates, Aqua kickboxing or Aquaboxing, so on. Here’s a lowdown on exercising in water:
Why do all these inside the water?
What are the benefits and effects?
These workouts are done in waist-high or even shoulder-high water. Since water has resistance, it makes the workout even more intense and challenging. It is like bearing a lot of weight while working out. Yet, it does not feel that challenging. In fact, water makes it gentle as it cushions the impacts on the joints. Yes, water provides resistance, but it also has buoyancy. We also use equipment or gadgets such as webbed gloves, aqua shoes, step, thera band, buoyancy bells and belts, noodles, balls, tubing and so on.
Are these workouts exhausting?
Aqua workouts do not tire you or make you sweaty. In fact, you come out of water fresh and relaxed, despite burning a lot of calories. People do not find this workout hard at all.
Why is it so effective?
Water is 12-14 times thicker than air. Hence, working inside water helps you tone your muscles. At the same time, it does not cause any harm to your joints like knees, spine and so on. Aqua Tango can help improve the physical and mental health of an individual. The environment helps you relieve stress and tension as the muscles are loosened once you let your body submerge in water. The little to no impact on joints and muscles helps you strengthen the body and lose weight. Unlike swimming, vertical exercise seeks to maximise resistance, which results in a core challenge.
Consequently, it is easier to keep those nasty midlife inches from accumulating in the area where they contribute to metabolic breakdown and all its associated diseases. Water can even improve and maintain balance since it unloads the spine. This form of exercise can relieve the wear and tear of joints and help you stay fit. Water workouts are a terrific crosstraining activity for runners, cyclists, and maniac aerobicisers. Water workouts, in general, are great for pregnant women, older people, and people with multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, or other degenerative diseases because moving through the water is much easier on your body.
A few minutes of interaction is enough to gauge this down-to-earth and soft spoken actor’s thirst for knowledge and a deep passion and commitment towards his art. Known for his intense and serious roles, one also sees glimpses of his stand-up comedy roots during a discussion about his acting journey.The past five years have seen Hussain — an acclaimed actor in the Indian and international theatre scene (with his spectacular performance in the lead role in Othello— making his presence known in Hindi, regional and world cinema. Although a late entrant to the world of cinema, the actor has managed to garner critical acclaim with performances in films such as Ishqiya, Kaminey, The Reluctant Fundamentalist, English Vinglish and Life of Pi, to name a few. Having traveled the world and worked with the best, Hussain has trained under veterans such as Khalid Tyabji, Shaupon Boshu and Barry John. He has reversed the roles while teaching at the National School of Drama and the Royal Conservatory of Performing Arts, Netherlands.
A perfectionist by nature, Hussain has taken his time to understand the nuances of art and points out that it is not the length of the role, but the depth of it, which makes him select a film. “What pulls me towards a role is something I have never tried, is complex, out of my comfort zone, takes my sleep away and helps me confront the unknown areas”, he says.
Genesis of the actor within
Hussain’s acting journey started at a young age in the small town of Goalpara, Assam. Having been greatly influenced by neighborhood comedians (through their art of stand-up comedy), the actor performed in several plays in his neighborhood and school. Theatre gave him the freedom to liberate his thoughts and ideas, and this connection with performing arts became stronger.
By the age of 16, Hussain left his home to study philosophy at B Borooah College, Guwahati, and started acting in college plays and performing as a stand-up comedian. He would mimic popular Bollywood actors in between performances by a local stand-up comedy group, Bhaya Mama.
While his father, a teacher by profession, wanted him to continue his studies and become a professor, he was planning to take acting as a full-time profession. “Coming from a humble middle class background, where theatre was appreciated and enjoyed as an ‘art’ but was not seen as a financially stable career choice during those times, it was not an easy decision” he says.
But the stage had already been set for his career. After achieving fame in Assam, Hussain performed in a mobile theatre group doing stage and radio plays. The group’s stand-up comedies were enjoyed and engaged the audience with its socio-political satires.
The next couple of years saw a successful run for Hussain both in the Assamese television and film industry (doing different documentaries, tele and feature films). Next, he wanted to go to Bombay and become a successful Hindi commercial film actor. Destiny had other plans, however. In a chance encounter, Hussain happened to watch Franklin J Schaffner’s Papillon starring Dustin Hoffman and Steve McQueen. “Their acting was so authentic I thought they were real characters. If it wasn’t for the movie, I might have gone to Bombay; but it was the National School of Drama (NSD) in Delhi that became my calling.” So, in 1990, at the age of 27, he was in NSD for a three-year course.
Discovering the actor within
Hussain may be a mentor to many in his alma mater but his initial NSD days as a student were tough. It took a lot of effort to adjust, open up and fight his insecurities, what with his inability to converse in Hindi. After NSD, it was the Charles Wallace India Trust Scholarship to study drama at the Drama Studio London. Back in India, It was a whole new experience for him. A road trip with his teacher, Khalid Tyabji, meant travelling to remote and tribal parts of India. The experience changed his outlook towards life, art and nature. “It taught me to look at things beyond the typical world view and gave a new understanding of looking and dealing with things, with the relationship between man and nature getting clearer,” he says.
The actor within
In 1999, Hussain was offered the lead role in Othello, directed by Roysten Abel (friend from NSD). The play was a turning point in his theatre career. Now only did it get the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe First Award, the play also brought international acclaim for Hussain and helped him establish as a theatre actor in India. TV offers also came his way, and he played lead roles in several television series such as Jasoos Vijay, Iti Srikanto and For Real . Stagnancy set in after a while, however, and Hussain started to feel artistically deprived. So he left everything in Delhi and went to Kerala. For six months, he just read books at his friend’s house and shifted to Pondicherry to read some more. “I was seeking answers to a lot of question through books on theatre and mysticism from India, Russia, Japan and other countries”.
pproached by a group of NSD students who wanted to learn acting and had heard about his experimentations in exploring acting. Since he had time, they decided to go to Hampi to teach and learn. While the focus of the study was to search a doorway towards the elusive creative reservoir that we all have within (using body as instrument), the experiences they gained and the bonds created were priceless. Word spread and they were joined with more students from New Zealand, America, Austria, Denmark, France and Germany. During this time, he remained the artistic director and trainer of the Society for Artists and Performers in Hampi (from 2004 to 2007). “There was an emotional connect with the topography, rocks, rivers and we had so much learning and fun, which did not impact on the basic issues of no electricity or continuous running water. Having planned to stay for six months, we ended up staying for almost 31/2 years,” he says
The big screen
Life became fast-paced when he accepted a cameo in Abhishek Choubey’s Ishqiya (2010), which was a beginning of his successful run in the world of films. Although his first major role was inAgent Vinod (2012), films such as Gangor, Life of Pi, The Reluctant Fundamentalist and Lessons in Forgetting got him critical international acclaim. In 2012, Hussain won the best actor award at the New Jersey South Indian Independent Film Festival for his movie Lessons in Forgetting.
The driving force
“The journey to explore yourself through different characters, the freedom to express and use your imagination to portray the character gives a high that gets missed in doing films or television,” says Hussain, defending his love for theatre. The continuous rehearsing in theatre also brings more self-awareness and improves acting, he feels. Having first-hand experience of the benefit of art on society’s evolution, Hussain points out that until the ruling class does not understand the function of art in human growth, its progress will not happen. After all, cinema is just 120 years old, while theatre is a 10,000- year-old craft. Thus, the audience and the government need to take concrete steps for it work at a deeper level. “In an evolved society like that of Europe, which cares for its women, kids, has basic human values, stresses on social security, one can see the influence of art in its evolution. India has a rich tradition of art, be it folk theatre or dance forms,” he comments, adding what needs to be done is to make people aware of their roots. “The focus should be to awaken and target the upper-body senses such as heart and mind, rather than focusing on sex and violence,” he explains. Based in Delhi, Hussain is doing all that he loves — cooking, reading books and scripts, doing meaningful movies, teaching students the art of acting and performing his play Karmnistha, a dialogue between Krishna and Arjun on the battlefield, along with his guide and friend, Dilip Shankar.
For Bhabananda Barbayan, dance is not just passion. As he continues learning to excel in the age-old Sattriya nritya, he finds it’s an act of spiritualism, a mission, a thought process, and a journey into discovering the selfIt’s breathing,” he tells me, when I ask 38-year-old Bhabananda Barbayan about what dance means to him. Many of you may not have heard of this young man. Sattriya nritya, which he has devoted his life to promoting, is a dance form that needs to be recognised far more in the public domain than it is, at present. Although it is among the eight principal classical Indian dance traditions — it was recognised in 2000 as a classical dance by Sangeet Natak Akademi – Sattriya nritya, agrees Hazarika, still has a lot of potential in terms of reaching out to people at large.
Before we talk about the man, let’s pause to understand what this dance form is all about. What makes it so ethereal when you’re observing the dance as a viewer? What defines its glory? How does it serve to enrich the viewers who watch this dance spellbound, in rapt attention? Hazarika, exponent of this richly layered dance form, has the answers. “The dance,” he says, “is spiritual, and that’s a reason why viewers watching it are enchanted with it.” To understand how elegantly this dance form is immersed in mysticism and charm, it’s worthwhile to know the genesis of this dance form.
It is, in fact, a living tradition — with dance being an integral part of the Sattriya tradition — since the 15th century, when it was introduced by Srimanta Sankardeva in Assam. Although performed by celibate male monks (a tradition that continues till date) initially, Sattriya nritya is now performed by both male and female artists. Begun as part of the bhakti tradition, in which the unique dance and its accompanying music offers respect to Krishna by showcasing mythological tales and episodes, Sattriya dance has remained a living tradition in Assam’s Vaishnava monasteries, known as sattras, for over 500 years now.
It’s not an easy life either, especially when you realise how painstakingly exponents of this dance form have learnt it.
For Hazarika, who has travelled all over the world, to France, Britain, Portugal, Switzerland, China and Malaysia, among other destinations, for lectures, seminars, dance-demos, festivals and events, promoting this dance form is his lifelong mission.
When he was four years old, Hazarika’s parents sent him away to Uttar Kamalabari Sattra, one of the prominent Vaishnavite monasteries of Assam. There, for the next decade-and-a-half or so, he would learn to live a rigorous life — few hours of sleep, taking care of the monastery complex, cooking, farming, looking after the cattle, studying, dancing… Wasn’t it tough, to give up the idyllic childhood days of growing up with his parents and getting embroiled in such a tough routine at such an early age? “I was the tenth generation in my family who was sent to the monastery as part of a continuing tradition to learn the Sattra way of life. I wasn’t isolated in any way. I kept visiting my parents regularly, I made friends, I had completed my formal studies,” he explains, adding, “It was a way of life. It taught me discipline and gave me a routine I still follow.”
Hazarika has post-graduate degrees in geography and Assamese literature. His PhD in dance, which he completed from Rabindra Bharati University, Kolkata, not surprisingly, was on the rhythmic patterns of Sattriya. And although he could have made a choice of not pursuing the dance form professionally – given his educational accomplishments – Hazarika decided to pursue dance fulltime. “This dance form is my life. It has allowed me to develop my personality – physically, mentally, and emotionally. Sattriya dance has allowed me to grow and develop into the person that I am today,” he says.
There are challenges, he reckons. In the earlier days, this dance form was only performed in the confines of the sattra (monastery) simply because it was an offering, a prayer, a purifying of the senses through dance. Later, however, for it to reach out, Sattriya dancers started performing in prosceniums where the time was restricted. The spirit of the dance, however, couldn’t be compromised on and that’s why exponents such Hazarika have to really struggle to ensure the dance pieces are perfected and thoroughly convey the message of spirituality, of bhakti.
To be sure, some of Hazarika’s dance dramas are changing their complexion and fitting many more legendary tales of bravery from Assam.
“I do a lot of research before starting any production,” explains this dance guru who is packing his bags to go to Assam to teach students (he divides his time between Delhi and Assam, interspersing it further with his travels abroad) and also work on his forthcoming production. Hazarika will be scouring the traditional texts, closely examining historical and mythological tales, and finding more literature from sources on Srimanta Sankardeva and Krishna bhakti for his next production.
“Dance,” Hazarika says pensively, “has taught me to live responsibly.” He corrects anyone who suggests how dance is such an important part of his life. “No, it’s not a part. It is my life,” he adds. “It has taught me how to respect everyone, first and foremost my art. It has taught me how to move forward in my life, how to face difficulties, how to overcome them… Yes, I am because of what I have learnt all my life. And all my life, I have devoted to growing this art form and bringing it to people,” he says.
What is the filmmaker’s role in the debate on society influencing cinema or vice versa?CinemA iS a product of culture. It is also something that contributes to it. Populist cinema, because of its mass appeal, has a strong influence. Indian masses seem to be particularly swayed by movies due to their dependence on the medium to escape from their daily worries, into the world of make-believe. Cinema in India also shapes the cultural, social and political values of the society in more ways than one.
The influence of Hindi films over how we behave, the songs we dance to, the situations that make us laugh and cry, and the construction of popular culture in general is undeniable. Indian cinema is a crucial and unifying socio-cultural factor. It can be seen as one of the most effective mediums of visual communications today. While the medium of films may be escapist, the increasing questioning of cinematic influence on social culture has led to a whole range of discussions on the possibilities of the film medium as such. One of the biggest debates about the social impact of any media can be summarised in one question — does the media have a significant amount of power over its audience, or does the audience have more power than the media?
Ingmar Bergman had once famously said this about his purpose in filmmaking as being “…to illuminate the human soul with an infinitely more vivid light, … and to annex to our field of knowledge new domains of reality….”
At the crux of this debate is also the medium of the filmmaker who brings the thought on screen and conveys it to the audiences. What is his role then in the debate on society influencing cinema or vice versa?
It is through conversations of the authors with various contemporary filmmakers in the book Brave New Bollywood that we can get an insight into the standpoint of eight directors — Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Banerjee, Shonali Bose, Tigmanshu Dhulia, Reema Kagti, Onir, Kiran Rao and Anusha Rizvi — who chose to swim against the tide and, therefore, influenced a change in the direction of cinematic storytelling in India. Akhtar and Dhulia, who have, for the sake of wanting to make their cinema reach the masses, not stayed away from hiring stars, are the most commercial of the eight.
Besides Satyajit Ray, no other Indian filmmaker has hitherto been able to discuss his craft and the kind of influences that have shaped the film — threadbare. In his 1966 essay, The Odds Against Us, the world-renowned filmmaker had written, “Avantgardism is a luxury we cannot yet afford in our country.” Almost five decades later, there are a handful of directors who are being lauded for their iconoclastic narratives and challenging comfortable representations.
Each of these eight directors, have, seemingly conscientiously, held aloft the torch of radical cinema in a day and age where stereotypes have ruled the roost. The authors, Nirmal Kumar and Preeti Chaturvedi, have been able to draw out the filmmakers to explain their craft and their backgrounds, which “includes their religious beliefs, social moorings and cinematic influences”. Conversations with each reveal their particular brand of cinema, what draws them to it, the social milieu that helped them mature and the struggles of their creative journeys.
Dibakar Banerjee calls his work “anti-dumb cinema”, and his statement sets the mood and tone of the book that seeks a backward journey into the minds of the directors who have almost started a new movement in Hindi cinema where it is good to bring your mind to the movie theatre. “Either you get subverted or you will subvert” is Banerjee’s answer when asked if stars will be allowed to dictate his content.
While stars still sell more than scripts, there is a palpable change in the air. And if more auteur talent continues to join Bollywood’s brave new brigade, soon Indian cinema will be a global influencer, artistically, and not just commercially.
There is something about the mountains — something inspiring and moving; something .that which makes a person pick up a pen and write down something that makes a mark in the world of books. Shivdutt Sharma did just that with his first book, The Hill Billy. It’s a book full of nostalgia about his childhood he spent in the 1950s-1960s in Mussoorie and its enchanted surroundings.The 200-page novella begins with the protagonist recalling his family’s escape from Sialkot, Pakistan, making its way to India” “Angry. Turbulent. Vicious. Violent. The river that normally ran shallow and placid had overnight swollen in the July rain to a flood. The small bus carrying sixteen people including mine and our neighbour’s family, both fleeing from Sialkot in Pakistan, came to a halt at the riverbank. The driver turned and asked my father, “Ab kya karna hai Bauji?” “Paar toh jaana hi hai, Makhan Singh…” “Toh Bauji, bacchon ko bus mein baitha rehne doh, aur aap sab badhey log uttar kar paidal chalo nahin toh paar jaana namumkin hai.”
The Hill Billy is a personal memoir of Sharma’s early years in Mussoorie. As the author claims, “I led a very interesting childhood, and a fairly colourful and exciting life in the hills, and that I thought it would make a lively and exhilarating memoir.” And so he put pen to papers, and his hard work and determination took close to over a year as he jotted down stories he heard, and wrote down about his encounters with, tigers, murderers, fairies, swamis and more in Mussoorie.
These are just a few exciting events that a child who grew up in a hill-station would empathise and relate to as seen from the viewpoint of The Hill Billy. The book also brings to life ordinary people we come across in our day-to-day life in the hills with its crisp and crackling narrative. The easy-flowing prose creates vivid word images. It is a must-read for those who believe that once the mountains are in your blood, there is no escape.
This maze of wall-to-wall immense structure is something that you have to see it with your own eyes. No camera does it justice. No write-ups suffice.Yes, you can’t deny the religious overtones in the Vatican City. And why would you want to, when you’re visiting a place that is ruled by the Bishop of Rome himself. But then Vatican City isn't just another neighbourhood in the historic city of Rome either; it’s a city within a city, a micro-nation of sorts. This independent papal state Vatican or Holy See is only 0.44 km2 and is the world's smallest sovereign state. The walled enclave of the Vatican City is also home to the iconic dome of St Peter’s Basilica.
It is also essential to understand the difference between Vatican City and the Holy See, which is technically the seat of the Bishop of Rome — we know him as the Pope.
The history of the Vatican and the history of the Catholic Church are barely separable. The history of the Vatican as a sovereign city-state dates back to 1929, while the Vatican as the main seat of the Catholic Church goes back to the 14th century.
This maze of wall-to-wall immense structure is something that you have to see it with your own eyes to really get the look and feel. No camera does it justice. You must be there.
The Vatican museum is huge! There’s a sense of tranquility when you enter. The paintings and artifacts are truly a treasure — from ancient Greece to the Renaissance period. I spent about a couple of hours inside the museum before heading over to St Peter's Basilica. And yes, the skies opened up while I was queuing!
St Peter's is a major basilica in Vatican City, an enclave of Rome. Originally founded by Constantine in 324, St Peter’s Basilica was rebuilt in the 16th century by Renaissance masters including Bramante, Michelangelo and Bernini. It was, until recently, the largest church ever built and it remains one of the holiest sites in Christendom. It Basilica stands on the traditional site where Peter — the apostle who is considered the first pope — was crucified and buried. St Peter’s tomb is under the main altar and many other popes are buried in the basilica as well.
Save exclusive time for Michelangelo’s other masterpiece at St Peter’s: the dome, reached via a side door to the right of the Basilica, a creaky elevator ride, and a narrow, slippery 320-step climb up a winding staircase. The dome was finished as far as the drum, the base on which the dome sits. The great double dome is made of brick and is 42.3 metres in interior diameter (almost as large as the Pantheon), rising to 120 metres above the floor. In the early 18th century, cracks appeared in the dome, so four iron chains were installed between the two shells to bind it. The central balcony is called the Loggia of the Blessings, and is used for the announcement of the new pope with the “Habemus Papam”.
On the legendary Sistine Chapel is another unquestioned Michelangelo masterpiece. Signs request visitors to remain silent in the chapel, but gasping is a given as one comes across the allpowerful gesture. Before you get to the Sistine Chapel, you are bombarded with endless hallways of religious art, statues, and artifacts to last you a lifetime. It is today one of the most famous art galleries in the western world.
The Sistine Chapel is one of the most famous and ornate churches in all of Europe. The masterpiece of Renaissance art, known as the Cappella Sistina in Italian, is a part of the Apostolic Palace, the Pope's official residence in Vatican City. The Chapel is more than the sum of its artistic wonders, however. It is a symbolic statement of papal authority and the place in which papal elections in conclave are held to this day. The Sistine Chapel was commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV, from whom it derives its name, in 1475. It was designed to be — and still is — the Pope’s chapel and the site of papal elections.
Michelangelo’s famous Sistine ceiling depicts scenes from Genesis in dramatic and moving detail, while The Last Judgement on the end wall is striking and powerful. Because of Michelangelo's sculpting skills, the details of the bodies adorning the ceiling are phenomenal.
Michelangelo was called away from his work on the Pope’s behest. It is said he was initially reluctant since he had always insisted he was a sculptor and was contemptuous of fresco painting. But the result was a glorious depiction of human bodies, which could only be created by a sculptor, and the project Michelangelo hated so much ironically became his most well-known work.
Michelangelo was asked to paint the Twelve Apostles and a few ornaments on the ceiling of the chapel. But as he began work on the project, Michelangelo conceived grander designs and ended up painting more than 300 figures. Michelangelo was in his 60s when he was called back to the chapel, again against his wishes, to paint The Last Judgement on the altar wall. The work was commissioned by Pope Clement shortly before his death, and Clement's successor, Pope Paul III, forced Michelangelo to complete it quickly. It was the largest fresco of the century.
The grandest view of Bernini’s colonnaded St Peter's Square is usually in the afternoon, when sunlight plays hide-and-seek through the four rows of Doric columns. The area is bordered on two sides by semi-circular colonnades which, according to Bernini, symbolise the stretched arms of the church embracing the world. This is where you receive blessing from the Pope at close range, if you arrive in the square well before his noon appearance on Sundays.
As you recover from the sublime experience of being at the Vatican City all day long, you feel truly blessed walking alongside the Tiber River, under the inky indigo sky with a bottle of artisanal beer, or better so some Lazio wine for the rest of the evening.
Ever dreamed of cooking a gourmet meal at home? Food start-ups now offer you pre-boxed ingredients for a top-notch dish. All you need to do is don your chef's hat and cook your dream mealHave you heard of TV dinners — where you get a pre-plated meal, ready to eat? All you need to do is bung it in your microwave while your sitcom is on a break and then eat while you watch your favourite show. These days, with primetime soaps including cooking-based shows such as Masterchef or My Kitchen Rules, people are increasingly becoming inspired to cook. But instead of stocking your shelves with gourmet sauces, different kinds of pasta, meats, and exotic vegetables, wouldn’t it be easier if someone else did all the shopping and all you needed to do was cook it and show off to your culinary skills?
This is exactly what several food startups are doing: catering to the desire to cook and enjoy gourmet food. There’s a whole range of ventures to choose from: Haute Chef, Seven Sexy Dinners, Cook Gourmet, Chef’s Basket, Chefkraft, Cook Fresh, and For My Belly, to name a few. For as low as Rs 199, these companies send you a pre-boxed set of ingredients, along with a step-bystep guide to prepare the dish. This gives you the thrill of eating a gourmet meal, with the added satisfaction that you have made it yourself. And of course, you don’t need to step out to the supermarket and look for olives, kale or yellow peppers — they come with your order!
Take Cook Gourmet, for instance. It serves pre-boxed ingredients in Delhi NCR. Usually on offer are three vegetarian and three non-vegetarian dishes for the week, prepared by their chefs. So you can browse through their recipes for the week and pick a dish to order. Set up by an IIT Delhi alumnus Sanny Choudhary and his partner, Daman Singh Kohli, the company’s vision statement says: “We take care of everything right from helping you select a recipe to delivering its fresh ingredients fully pre-processed to minimise cooking time and effort, right at your doorstep. All you have to do is just spend a bit of your precious time cooking our exotic, and you’re ready to brag about your culinary skills to your friends and loved ones and have them marvel at the wonderful food you cook!”
When a person orders, she gets a cardboard carton with all the ingredients needed to cook the meal, a recipe with pictures and detailed instructions. It also gives you estimated cooking time and how to plate your dish. And viola, you have a fine-dining restaurant quality dish on your table in less than an hour. Says Upasana Luthra, of Madras Cooking Company, “I like experimenting with new recipes and when they come previously tried and tested, it doubles my joy.” Luthra teaches teens and kids how to cook simple dishes and ordering a dish from a food startup saves her a lot of time and effort, especially when it comes to cooking new dishes.
To experiment how well it works, the author ordered Fettucini pasta with spinach and white wine from Cook Gourmet, a company set up by two former engineers, who are now pursuing their passion for food. The box arrived within the stipulated two hours and had all the ingredients to cook the dish, except water. In less that 45minutes, I had perfect fettucine on my table! Of course, I did a little of my own experimenting and added sliced chicken ham to turn the vegetarian recipe into a nonvegetarian dish. It turned out so well, that my best critic, my son, too gave it a big thumbs-up.
The experiment seems to have attracted some big players, too. Zoravar Kalra, the man behind popular fine dining restaurants such as Farzi Café, Masala Library, and Made in Punjab, is also planning to enter this sector. The company plans to start operations soon in the capital and then move on to other metros.
Another trend for food startups that is catching up fast is getting home food made by home cooks as well as professional chefs. There are Bite Club, Hola Chef, Spoon Joy, Frsh, and Fresh Menu, to name a few. They sign up home cooks and professional chefs to sell their signature dishes online. The websites have lists of menu each chef offers and you can place an order for what you want.
One such person who delivers gourmet meals in Mumbai is former journalist-turned-chef, Garima Khurana Kochar. Her Vanilla Pods Kitchen dishes up simple, yet exotic meals, which are completely organic and locally sourced. She started with cakes and pastry but has now forayed into meals, since she found the “tiffin” service was not up to the mark. Not surprising then that she has an A-list clientele including Bollywood actors such as Kangana Ranaut. “I recently made a watermelon, caramelised pecans, caramelised onion, roquette and fresh-flower salad, and a layered quinoa with roasted bell pepper sauce, and garlicy almond-bean sprout topping. My star client loved both these dishes,” says Kochar, adding. “Our meals are either oil-free or made with the minutest amount of oil possible with natural, homemade whey being used as the base. We limit ourselves to a small number of clients to be able to take the greatest care in the preparation of food rather than treat it like a mass-produced item. From A-list Bollywood celebs to high ranking corporate execs, housewives and young professionals, our client lists are varied.”
But the reviews are mixed. For Anupama Jain, co-author of Crossed and Knotted, her expectations have been belied. “Being a vegetarian, your options get limited and I can rustle decent fare across cuisines, so you kind of get nit-picky. In my opinion, dal makhani is a test of a food deliverer’s benchmark. Very few live up to that. Most of these are for working people who are hard pressed for time.”
Others like Astuti Bhantanagar, who often orders from Bite Club, instead of a restaurant says, “It gives me a very ghar-ka-khana like experience. I can order food that’s not restaurant-y but home cooked.” And yet others want the gourmet experience. As Puja SS, puts it, “I want to grab a bite of the experience.”
Not only has Harshvardhan Neotia impacted the way West Bengal shops, eats and lives, the industrialist has learnt his own lessons along the wayAs this copy goes to print, Harshvardhan Neotia will be away in London with West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and a number of other industrialists such as ITC Chairman Y C Deveshwar and RPSanjiv Goenka Group Chairman Sanjiv Goenka. Neotia is a part of the chief minister’s delegation visiting the UK on a six-day tour to attract investment to the state. The delegation was put together in response to British Prime Minister David Cameron extending an invitation to the state chief minister, assuring his country’s investment in the state. There are plans for the UK to invest in the state’s tourism and transport sectors, along with a look at inland water transport and river-front beautification.
For Neotia, this will be yet another time when he invests his time, money and efforts into making people believe in the West Bengal growth story. Born and brought up in Kolkata, Neotia’s heart clearly lies with the City of Joy. “It is quire natural that the city of your birth and education will have a special place in your heart. Kolkata certainly has a very special place in mine. The people, the friends, the milieu – all have shaped me to be what I am,” he says, humbly.
That’s another thing about Neotia – the soft-spoken industrialist who has made a significant difference to the state capital’s skyline and adda (the ubiquitous Bengali word for a place to hang out) venues is quick to pass on the credit for his group’s success to the city he was born in, the people who are a part of his team and, of course, his family.
One can’t, however, underestimate his canny sense of business and keen understanding of what the customer wants. It isn’t easy to have an accurate understanding of market, however, he admits. While you have the conventional sources of inputs from the media, your team, various studies and reports, finally it is the gut instinct that one has to rely upon.
Take, for instance, Kolkata’s first integrated and unconventional hangout (adda, remember?) and shopping option, which was designed by the famous Charles Correa himself, who died this June. Few people know, however, that Correa changed the layout at the last moment, and Neotia let him have his way, simply because not only did he trust Correa’s decision, he agreed with him, too. The result? The 40,000 sq ft space was celebrated by the architect himself when he said, “The City Centre in Kolkata is a very special place… a microcosm of the whole metropolis, catering to multiple land-used and diverse income profiles… a kaleidoscope of contract, colour and energy.”
In fact, most realty projects under the Ambuja Neotia Group have not only caught the customers’ fancy, they have also inspired other players in the business to take heed of aesthetics and comfort over just trying to be different. Today, the group has developed housing solutions, townships, country homes, malls and business parks.
“We have tried to gift Kolkata some special projects. Be it Kolkata’s first getaway at Raichak, or the first condoville complex Udayan, the first horizontal openstyle mall City Centre, or the heritage plaza, Swabhumi. We are grateful to the people of the city who have accepted our projects and patronised them,” he says.
With a slow economy, however, Neotia is playing safe. He discusses how, for the past three years, the economy has been moving slowly and the real estate sector, in particular, has been adversely impacted. “Our main focus in the next two years would be to consolidate our operations and to lease/ sell the unsold stock and cautiously move towards announcing new projects,” he says.
Neotia’s business sense was honed while working with his father, late Vinod Kumar Neotia. Also, having grown up in a joint family, he saw his father and two uncles work really hard as they excitedly pursued projects. “This naturally excited me, too, and I wanted to join the family business right from the beginning.”
Having finished his schooling in La Martinere for Boys, Neotia joined St Xavier’s College in Kolkata. He would hang around in the Park Street office after his morning classes, sit for meetings, and get a general understanding of company structure and business insights. “I joined business in 1982 while I was still apprenticing under my father. It was the preliberalisation days and the business environment was fairly stifling. In that sense, the initial experiences were all very mixed,” admits Neotia, candidly.
So when his father sent him to take charge of the company’s flagship cement plant in Gujarat, Neotia obeyed, but came back since his heart was not in it. At 22, he pushed his father to assign him a real estate project, which was a huge success. The realty growth continues.
And what lessons has he learnt? “On the business front, our family has had many ups and downs in the past 120 years of doing business in Kolkata. Not everything worked and we obviously had to pick up our threads and reinvent,” Neotia states, “But it has been an exciting journey so far.”
The volatility of business also seems to have instilled a stoic strain in the entrepreneur. For him, the understanding that sometimes your efforts pay and sometimes they don’t, is a realised one. “God has his own designs and sometimes they don’t match with yours,” he says, telling how some projects where they labored hard didn’t achieve much financial success. On the other hand, others that the group took in the stride have brought very good financial results. “However, the learning is to simply carry on doing your work to the best of your ability and not get too perturbed by the irregular pattern of the rewards,” he says.
That doesn’t mean you don’t give it your 100 per cent. Known for his self-discipline and eye for detail, Neotia leaves no stone unturned when it comes to the deliverables. He also feels if work is something you enjoy and pursue with a passion, you will blur the distinction between work and life.
His big learning? “There is no short cut to success. Perseverance, hard work and integrity are the cornerstones of building something worthwhile,” he says, adding how without these, even if some small successes come your way, they are unlikely to be sustainable unless you have planned meticulously.
Talking about planning, how does the industrialist manage to keep so many balls in the air? He serves as the Honorary Consul of Israel in Kolkata, and holds other positions such as the member of the board of governors of IIM-Kolkata; member of board of trade, Government of India; Member of Rajasthan Foundation and Nathdwara Temple Board; and Member of Heritage Commission, Government of West Bengal. He is also slated to be President, FICCI next.
“It’s a lesson I’m still learning,” sighs Neotia, explaining how there are always conflicting demands and time management isn’t easy. His wife Madhu Neotia is a great support as well. Although she has family responsibilities and various social obligations, she helps her husband in marketing some of the group’s hospitality and healthcare initiatives.
He does, however, try to find time for his tennis, which not only helps him unwind, but also gives him the required workout time. Living in Kolkata, how could Neotia not have love for football seep into his blood stream? The opportunity to get that much closer to the sport came in 2014, when he became a co-owner of Atletico de Kolkata, an Indian Super League football team, along with Sourav Ganguly, Atletico Madrid, Sanjeev Goenka, Santosh Shaw and Utsav Parekh. The team lifted the first Indian Super League Cup in 2014.
Neotia’s other passion includes reading Indian wisdom literature and biographies. He rues the fact that he can’t find enough time for this hobby, however.
What is non-negotiable for Neotia is the group’s commitment to its CSR initiatives. The goal is to incorporate CSR in all the group’s activities. Thus, in housing, for instance, the Ambuja Neotia group provides some units for the low-income group. There are free beds for the needy in healthcare. In education, there are scholarships for students from economically-weak backgrounds, which includes free education under the Udayan Shalini Scholarships programme. There are also several company-sponsored activities in the form of health camps in remote areas of Raichak and the Sunderbans.
TERRORISM// In the first major terror strike in Punjab in eight years, heavilyarmed terrorists in army uniform sprayed bullets on a moving bus and stormed a police station, killing six persons, including an SP, and injuring eight others in Gurdaspur bordering Pakistan on June 27. One terrorist was killed and another seriously injured in the gunbattle with security forces that stretched for over 10 hours as the terrorists, who went on a rampage at around 5 AM, were holed up in a vacant building adjacent Dinanagar police station.
The terrorists suspected to be members of either Lashkar-e-Taiba or Jaish-e-Mohammad have killed six persons — three civilians and three policemen including Superintendent of Police (Detective), Baljit Singh, a Punjab provincial service officer, police said.
Before striking the poilice station, the militants had also planted five bombs on nearby railway tracks. Official sources said it was too early to say which terrorist outfit had carried out the strike, but finger of suspicion is on Pakistan-based Lashkare- Taiba as the modus operandi of the terrorists was similar to the attacks in Jammu region in recent past.
Punjab Police personnel said they heard the terrorists shout “Allah hu Akbar” — Arabic for “God is great”. The army was mobilised as the militants were holed up in Dinanagar police station complex.