Scripting the story of life
Hollowness,
empty,
no emotion,
stone-hearted,
not every feeling can be expressed,
no joy manifested at every moment,
killing and tearing into shred,
the little remaining bit of me,
lifeless tears,
running away and disintegrating!
head not in place
I can’t recognize this person!
Is it really me?
emasculated,
a paler version,
I used to EXIST.
Love
V
Book Review:
To the Moon: How I blogged my way to Bollywood
Author: Miss Malini
Publisher: Harper Collins
Rating: Four and a half
Introduction:
A brand name and inspiring, iconic figure whose name epitomizes excellence in flawlessness in bringing showbiz glamour to our doorstep and through the stroke of sheer talent revolutionized the world of fashion or celebrity blogging. Miss Malini, the Malini Aggarwal needs no introduction for the whos’ who of celebrities swear by her name. During the Mumbai days, I lapped on Mid Day when her column Miss M brought titbits of glam sham gossips and the real killer deal. Malini’s book, To the Moon: How I blogged my way to Bollywood is a real eye-opener spurning creative splash narrating her blogging journey, tapping into the lives of celebrities that the commoners can watch from a distance and won’t be wrong to say that Miss M has made them more human to our eyes!
The book is the real deal from brand Malini narrating the Bombay days-the city which makes us dream big to B-town, candid tale of screw-ups in a radio interview with bluff master Abhishek Bachchan, juicy stories, layout in dotted boxes encapsulating testimonies, quirky MM Pro Tips, IFS Brat vs UN Not so Brat as an antidote to the war of sexes with husband Nowshad, blog entries and advice to bloggers, the radio stalker, Bandra Bada$$es, digi entrepreneur and Pay Forward, something everyone should try making the book our own desi secret to tread the path of success. #TotheMoon is not just a book but the secret recipe, alluring as it gets and glamour ritual blended with spooling the purpose for life.
Narration:
Miss Malini’s book’s USP is the step by step approach be it blog entries, A to Z of Digital Entrepreneurship, MM birthday cruisers and of course the Instagram Rules-Man! I’m sold on her Insta commandments and after staying away from that world, planning to join the party soon and risking my friends’ dig at me. Let’s follow Mumbai’s Malini style sheet in a methodical fashion to narrate the quirky tale of what makes her a trusted brand. First thing first, Bombay, we call amchi. Don’t they say, Mumbai is a city, Bombay is an emotion! There is something lyrical about ‘Bombay’, the sea waves crashing at Marine Drive or Bandstand that taught us to nurture dreams and take the kick jettisoning us in the air. I am swooned by the author’s telltale of Maximum City, deeply embedded in the emotional, swag, pangs and making me time travel back to those days. Malini scores high in her depiction of the city and making the raw emotions come alive.
“When I first came to Mumbai…I had two suitcases, knew one friend and lived in an apartment with six girls and a pigeon. And every night, this suicidal bird would fly around the living room where I slept…and threatened to impaled itself on the ceiling fan…”
This vivid picture of the initial days in Maximum City is familiar, plonking tons of luggage in the hostel at Churchgate, facing Marine Drive when a white pigeon clawed the window, threatening to enter my room, scything its way to freak me out. No wonder, we all have a Mumbai tale sounding oddly familiar and makes it an intriguing Bombay affair.
“I remember it was raining that night and cars and rickshaws whooshing by me on the highway from the airport. The pink and green neon lights from restaurants and shops were reflected in the puddles and potholes along the way. I rolled down the window of my signature black and yellow Mumbai fiat taxi and, as I felt the rain and cool breeze on my face. And, I knew I was home.” Such kind of breezy language woos me and I am already sold on it. The moment I knew Malini’s Mumbai, albeit, book, gonna be a roller coaster ride and mate, wasn’t wrong for all the monies and goodies To The Moon.
What makes blogging click? Is it money or pure love for writing? One thing which irks me when people pester me on whether I can run my kitchen with it or make the moolah for a lifetime and asking how much they can earn if they jump on the bandwagon. It irritates me to no end being a journalist and blogger for whom nothing matters more than the content. Being a maven that altered the destiny of movies and celeb blogging, Miss M comes with the perfect answer for all bloggers’ intent to make a killing by penning online.
“People often ask me how to become a rich and famous blogger and I have a simple answer: Don’t start by wanting to be a rich-and-famous anything. Step back, close your eyes and imagine the one thing you’d want to do for the rest of your life even if nobody paid you to do it. Find a way to make your career, and fame and fortune will surely follow. And, hey you’ll enjoy the ride no matter what, right! The passionate pursuit of happiness, THAT’s what it’s all about. If they ask you, tell them Miss Malini told you so and off to the moon you go!”
Yo! Attagirl! I bet nobody can ever teach you the way Miss M does even if blogging was taught in colleges to earn a diploma or degree.
I don’t call it a book nor a rehearsed account but every drop taken into the tiny ocean feels like an extraordinary and adventurous trip. There are somethings, the splashy moments that takes me back to one incident or the other in life. If a name like Malini can screw things up so can we! Nothing can be kosher be it relationships or work. The screw up with Abhishek Bachchan during a radio interview…full panic mode, being in love and blogs he reads! Ahem! Ahem! I screwed majorly during my first journalist and editing days. Trust me, it haunted me during the nights that I couldn’t sleep at all. I love ya Malini! The midnight or 4 am boyfriend anecdote and her mom’s answer is the real killer. Read it! Of course, Malini has had a radio stalker and would be bizarre if she never had one but her down-to-earth and mushy narration made the anecdote-no matter how much scary-sound like a terrific scene-stealing reel from a movie. She is an ultimate rockstar. Or, flirting with danger during one of her Dad’s assignment in Beirut and still feel the pang flitting page 103.
To the Moon is a book to make way into your most prized collection and a treasury that cannot be parted away from. The design is out of the world and I mean, the inside pages, dotted boxes of celebrities testi, reminding of our childhood slams or Orkut scrapbook. Trust, Miss M to bring them back to life. Or the cool boxes where she sketches tales and tales like Grandma stories making us sleep to perfection. MM Pro Tips! I haven’t seen anything like that and mean it in a super creative and novel way, the birthday cruises, pre-whatsapp era Bombay or whatsapp folks who matter, gossip sources, pinging Farhan Akhtar on FB for a show-yeah! I’ve done that for an interview as a scribe, blurbs and love the countless blog entries on Pay it Forward post. You should all try it once and what makes us grateful bums.
The A-Z Digital entrepreneur journey on how Miss M made the cut and Ikiga and Purpose turning into your go-to Guru, the simple questions that we have come across but making us comfortable. Miss M lends her glamorous touch to the simple questions on purpose, deleting the scare and discomfort, Venn diagrams-sounds familiar, right with Japanese insights, Gualaosi. Here you go! Miss M will guide you like this coach you could fork money on like magic for you only splurge on the book price to find your passion and the real you. Not a bad deal, right!
What’s Not!
What’s not to like? After all, you are buying a free trip to The Moon. Okay! Ain’t know what imma smoking or puffing right now. A to Z of Digital Entrepreneurship goes a bit lengthy and diluting the fun quotient for someone wanna it to be an all-out fun trip to starry heaven. But, then who I am mango person to complain about the flaws lie the perfection spurned by Miss M. Ah! Wait! Here another one me donning the garb of the Joker in Superman, lack of gossip and she could’ve have revealed more about our stars that none wanna hear but public lapping on. Dekho! How unfunny I am!
Final words:
Me hope there is no final and a sequel is soon on its way to continue this extravagant tale larger than life. Honestly, it’s been after a longish time that I have enjoyed a fun book, full masti and trusts Malini who has inspired not just this review but a handful of posts so much it earned me an Indi blogger win. Miss M has taught me an important rule, learn, unlearn and learn again as a blogger and writer. What sets her apart is the honesty and not putting anyone in the wrong just for effects and the flair in building personal relations which are vouched in the sheer amount of goodwill she earned with celebrities footprints in To The Moon. Of course, give credit where it is due. Touche Miss M! You wanna make it and losing the brain to crack the secret code! Go and buy To The Moon for it will unravel the treasury box and give you the time of life. Yeah, miss Mumbai’s Malini! I really do! Perhaps a book will do.
Love ya
V
A needle shall be pricked in the skin and a blade sensation reaching the unconscious soul, maketh travel light, experience anguish, agony and bright side of the universe to detach and cut off from everything. The stitch would run like football on this pitch called my body. You shall play and dance with the souls in the imagination to make it a real affair, flirting with the extraordinary and unique jittery sensation. Pretend drunk, breathe easy and detach for you shall not be aware of the game they shall play with your blood, vein and skin.
Come Tuesday, I am going for a minor surgery. Nothing to worry about. A bump was growing the size a bit less than an earphone on my back, behind the neck and the diagnostic showed a lipoma. The doctor calls for a surgery and the bump gotta be removed. It’s something I realized that many people have on the skin after speaking to some friends and acquaintances. Today, met a couple of friends doc at the funeral of my close friend’s Mom who died on Saturday and they told that the lipoma, size of a ball, shall be removed like a child game. To think, I shall be undergoing a surgery after ages, the last time faced the knife was as a child. I shall gear up for D Day and conditioning the self to sustain the pain post that. Hoping the pain shall not be excruciating.
A week flitted in the nick of time and it hasn’t been a good one on Saturday with aunty passing away suddenly which came as a rude shock. The image of the kind lady sitting and chatting with me, making chai, walking or sitting to speak softly, always giving the best of advice. The calm and gentle voice still lingers. It brings me back to the first time I visited their house to meet Prashant and became friends with Prabhas and Pratibha, uncle always motivated me in the positively harsh way on weathering the storms or facing the demons. Two decades plus of great friendship. Of course, aunty always patiently listened to me and making me sit to explain things in the most gentle manner, sharing her student days in India, narrating tales about her hometown in Assam, traveling to Mumbai, the connecting flights or train, filling my plate with amazing food, advising what to eat for a stable health, and the Ayurvedic tips. There are so many beautiful things about life which aunty shared that demands for a brand new post.
Today, when I saw aunty lying on her bed and visitors thronging for one last visit, the impression we got is that she was sleeping and would soon wake in few minutes to make this cup of tea or opening this packet of biscuit. She looks graceful than ever and vivid. But, guess, the memories made will be captured forever and thinking about the happy moments, the ever-smiling lady who spread her energy around.
Memory haunts like an arrow piercing the heart. I watched Sriram Raghavan’s brilliant and cleverly crafted Andhadun with fantabulous performances from the entire crew right from Ayushman Khurana, Tabu and Radhika Apte. There is no doubt the movie is soulful, deep and intriguing beautiful but made the eyes moist. No! Nothing saccharine or mushy mushy emotions about it. It was about Pune. Yes! The movie was shot at locations like Prabhat Road and Cafe Good luck. The brick apartment facing the road and buildings, scooter ride bringing back a vivid picture of exploring this journey and stopping in front of the bungalow gave a sense of powerful vibes in those days. Tears flew watching the movie inside the theater for you know how the lenses captured Pune in its charming essence. Some days were like that.
I shall write in a week’s time or so post the surgery. Wish me luck and love.
Ciao and much love
V
Mumbai, June/July 2006:
The eyes woke up to the splutter of rain and soggy morning welcoming me in the nerve center of Mumbai Central. A quick shower, dressed in a jiffy and skittering out of the modest hotel for which I forked 250 bucks a day in those days, barely enough time to gulp a cutting chai at the doodhwala shop jutting out at the pavement’s edge.
The rain continued unabated. Mud patch formed on the road and pool of water flowing to form a semi-circle. Pressed by time, I got Xerox of certificate done fast and hurtled my way towards the railway station for the post-grad admission at Mumbai University. Our Bachelor results were delayed forever and gotta make the plunge. In those days, nothing would stop me. Another story of foraying past the dingy lanes and posse of city strugglers to eke a life, losing the way from right to left, asking for directions and finally walking down towards the railway station.
One step into the mud and a splutter for you know the shoe is drenched making the awkward step to save the crisply ironed and washed jeans bearing the print of muddy water. I walked in slow motion, avoiding the mud splayed on every spotted surface and no power on earth would save my clothes. I attempted a leg jump from the bridge to hop on the floor at Mumbai Central station, almost slipped and saved by the jerky body movement, scrumming my way at the ticket window.
Mud and rainwater flooding the floor always brought discomfort and what with the fear of tripping and clothes getting soiled. I hate that but slowly the denim’s leg was sucked by the mud. I have a peculiar way of walking, doddering one step at a time to finally reach the platform. Trust me, it was quite a task for me and yeah cutting corners to reach the kiosk buying the morning newspapers. I could breathe and settled at the window seat, flipping the newspaper and watching the view outside. The train slowly chugged and rattled its way outside Central which got me an inkling into this superlong journey to Santacruz. You know the story right? Boogie running slowly during the rains, playing hide and seek much to the chagrin of commuters.
That’s another story on struggling to get off the train at Santacruz, braving an arrow of rain on the bridge transforming itself into water lilies and scampering down on the rickshaw hunt, some acting pricey and the moment I got into one, already soaked from top to toe, clothes sticking like glue. Worst is done. I meekly tell him, Kalina Campus, University of Mumbai braving the rain and harrumphing like an action hero kicking dozen villains’ asses.
The time you try to locate the department, getting into the wrong area and way out, the feeling of being drained and mustering the courage in a feeble voice, asking the administration guy the necessary procedures and removing the file containing all certificates from the bag. The rain knocked me down. I took a breath and few toilet trips. All done. A cup of tea at the canteen.
The rain subsided and smoldered. I plodded my steps into the sprawling Kalina campus walking past the huge gate, hailing a rickshaw back to Santacruz station. A smooth to Mumbai Central this journey. The legs were paining walking at Mumbai Central, past the line of shopping and stopped at the Xerox shop buying notebook and Pen. A never-ending journey, scything my way, skedaddling, sodden in the water pool. Finally, a day’s job done storming in the water. My sweet tooth was craving. I stopped at the sweet mart and indulged in delectable savouries, from hot samosas and sweetery to enjoy the baarish. Back to the hotel room and crashed to wake up in the evening. A second shower called and got down to eat. Treat of the day: Hitting the dance bar, Kingfisher beer flowing and dinner.
Mumbai Monsoon is truly unique and the first bash feels like blip on the memory, a real-time sensory experience that it happened just now. So much for the carefree days where every moment of life counted like water.
Love
V
In party mood and wanna bring the house down! Meghna’s birthday in Mumbai and the Maximum city will sing, ‘It’s your birthday and let’s party. Yesh! I didn’t forget her birthday after learning my lessons the hard way and like a good boy, Madam’s birthday saved on the Ipad calendar not to bear her brunt.
A special post on M’s special day for we’ve known each other for more than 10 years having studied together in Pune at Fergusson College and caught up quite a bit later when both of us moved to Mumbai. She is one of my closest friends and turns to her for almost anything be it my anxiety issues and like last year was unsure whether I should go for the iPhone. She said life is short. Decision was taken in a jiffy and glad I did. I remember her as one of the sweetest, cutest and shyest person in college. Remember A telling me once if you go and speak to her, she might just run away. Ha! Guess! That’s not true. Well! Almost! But, not anymore.
The first time Madam snapped at me was in class when I asked her phone number which she gave, not without telling me, ‘Don’t just call for any reason’ and I didn’t for the fear of waking up Goddess Durga dormant in her. See! She has a history of shouting at me and another time before leaving India, we clicked a couple of pictures at Andheri when she told, “Vishal! If I ever see my pictures on Facebook, I will never ever speak to you.” The never ever sounded like female version of Arnab Goswami but then didn’t know this man existed.
Time can be buried in the relics of the past. Now, that everyone is literally on WhatsApp, we were the Gchat babies, sitting and chatting forever, whining about our miseries. I used to call her my ‘Internet Girl Friend’. She has seen me closely, at my bad and worse when I was struggling with getting a proper job, the super dark phase and the breakup time in Mumbai. I was literally on alcohol the whole night and she called a couple of times during that week when the slurred voice missing S in the breakup phase. She sweetly chided, “Piyo! Piyo! You are becoming Devdas!” Yes, Meghna! This fancy pen that you gifted me with the tag intact and called Mr Personality is still lying on the table and so what it’s inkless after a decade-plus, I ain’t parting away and still hide it from everyone. Priceless gift from priceless friend.
Megs, Meggo and Megh! She preferred Meggo as her pet name and at times calling her Megs but Megh is a killer name. No prize for guessing! Desi flavor. She knows quite a bit about my embarrassing moments and no spilling the beans here for some reason or the other. And, our secret profession that both of us could have been? In the time of no Whatsapp, we were forever on Gchat, witnessing our darkest secrets.
In the heydays, I turned into a prankster and calling her total loss for not asking that guy S out…nah not spilling the beans for what happens in the past…well stays in the past. Funny how when she crushed on her current boyfriend T she pinged and wow, that was breaking news. She was like I’m telling something and don’t say anything. Our hilarious G talk when she did all the talking and me staying mum, listening. And to think she always complained about how I keep blabbering and constantly telling to eat my food. Those days!
We spoke on phonewa today and endlessly on birthday gal plans! I know everything, you see and hope to see ya soon when I land in Amchi Mumbai. Hope you like this virtual birthday wala gift! Don’t fire me, alrighty.
Happy birthday Meghna and not calling you M on this post for you could have been a gossip columnist. Do you remember Flute?
Love
V
listened to her crush story!
Meet the versatile Nozzer Pardiwala whose latest film, IISTOO is making waves and deemed as a game changer in the Indie film categories based on the vibrant Parsi community. Educator, book author, supercool Dad and husband, blogger.
For the first time, you can watch IISTOO dialogue promo on the below link:
There is something very candid and in-your-face about Nozzer Pardiwala, he can be straightforward in a super gentle manner. We have come across countless tales and splash of passion for films. After all, who is that person on earth or truly Desi Indian who is not crazy about films being a nation sworn off lights, camera and action?
Nozzer Bhai, like I call him, is passionate about everything that he does in bundles, an educator and writer of several books and films. He started with the short film, Dabba with his two boys, Shahaan and Shahen about food wastage while Khwaab Not Out on the undying love for cricket.
The No Coppola filmmaker, as Nozzer Pardiwala calls himself has recently helmed the 32 minutes film IISTOO depicting the typical Parsi household. A filmmaker or passion for movies makes him a maverick, crazy soul for method in madness rules. Nozzer has a crazy little secret to share: “Life is a big circle where many prefer to call it a long journey. I always wanted to become a film maker but lacked the courage in telling it to the world. It occurred umpteen times in coming close to my dream but never made that choice. Once as a teenager, I went all the way to FTII Pune with the ‘full intention’ to hone the skills of becoming a filmmaker,” he muses.
“For some reason, I presented the prospectus to my father who would fork out the fees but told him that I wanted to pursue Cinematography. He scanned the prospectus and told, ‘But, for that you need to be in Science.’ I responded, ‘Yes, that’s the reason I cannot do it. Full stop. I couldn’t muster the courage to tell, ‘Dad! I am intrigued by the entire process and want to become a director. I wanted to make Films!!!’ Finally, I just wanted to convey the same to my father which I am doing through this interview.”
Like in the movies, there is poetic justice and felicity perhaps. Nozzer Pardiwala is churning his dreams with both gaiety and passion, a rare trait in a pursuer of dreams. He is a charmer of sort and the various anecdotes narrated in the vicissitude of passion for films and finding an element of grace, unwavering charm in Nozzer’s tales. Here’s another one: “Once in college, I happened to bump into Vishal Bhardwaj in the washroom of a restaurant in Juhu. I was peeing and saw him. The moment, I was washing my hand and walking out, I complimented him for Satya’s musical score.”
An elated Bhardwaj asked the young man politely, “You recognize me?” Anyone would be on the top of the moon and the film infatuated young man said, “Yes! I do.” He recounts: “Those were the days when Vishal was just a music director and not yet the accomplished filmmaker that we all know today. He walked back to the table with Robin Bhatt and another gentleman I didn’t recognize. As I sat devouring the starters and the conversation slipping from the mind, someone tapped me on the shoulder. Guess what? Vishal Bhardwaj handed me a phone number scribbled on the restaurant receipt’s counterfoil, asking me to call him for a meeting. What else can one ask?”
Nozzer shares, “My relatives asked who he is. I was dazzled and convinced this was it. But, again, what stopped me from reaching out him was the lack of faith in the self and yet destiny kept showering me with opportunities.”
He harked with a philosophical twinge how at that time, the voice of reason came from other people telling him that Bhardwaj was probably drunk and wouldn’t remember him. Don’t they say destiny is a strange thing and years later, the film maker made a serial, Gubbare and the much acclaimed Makdee.
“I called him after Makdee and went to meet him to the office when we crossed each other’s path in the lift. I handed him a letter, telling about the meeting eons ago. But…he moved ahead in life while I was still stuck in time. It took me years in the routine humdrum of life to finally proclaim, I was ready to make films. It struck me that the best way to learn filmmaking was to make one. I have been doing just that.”
Nozzer has to his credit an incredible record of 16 short films, kickstarting with Dabba and the latest offering is IISTOO. He says, “I am no Coppola because am still mastering the art of filmmaking. Every film has been a great learning step, understanding the rules and breaking a few.”
Dabba was the first step in Nozzer’s journey and one can say he hit the ‘marquee’ with IISTOO depicting the typical Parsi household. There are many of us holding an image of the Parsi community as a close-knit family with our own ideas, probably owing it to the picture painted by mainstream Hindi films. The Parsi film-maker belches out, “The film is not at all the ‘Bollywood’ caricature portrayed about the community and in more than one way, the film brings to light several issues faced that we were shying away from.”
He says, “The only issue that we keep lamenting is the fact that we are dwindling but no one really wants to delve on the reasons. I am truly proud of the fact that IISTOO comes close and is a true-to-life account of the Parsi culture and using certain lingo from my childhood days that even my actors were surprised to hear.”
The film is a startup project described by Nozzer Pardiwala as, ‘The Non-Conforming Parsi Filmz’ paid in real time by subscribers, removing the middlemen when it comes to private viewing, bringing closer the maker and audience. The concept, he says, is not easy or smooth. “Today, giants like Netflix has taken the market by storm, offering viewers a slew of content globally and while a host of major players like Amazon, Hotstar are offering subscriptions at dirt price that makes it very difficult to thrive and survive, or for that matter convincing a viewer to watch a short film for 31 minutes,” he affirms.
The filmmaker avers on a reality about getting accustomed to watching free content on You Tube that one cannot imagine something like pay per view exists.
“I experimented with this idea but this Self Publishing has in various ways ruined the literary world of books. In many ways, free viewing was good for You Tube but not for small content makers who actually in sum total make up what You Tube is. The latter is going the Netflix way in conveniently filtering off small content partners like us,” Nozzer rues.
“On a personal level, I feel that as an independent filmmaker either to keep churning film content for a niche audience and taking the products to the audience, like some Indie makers are doing or simply wait for a media giant to acquire the rights.”
The plethora of film content showcased should be encouraged at a time where the entire space is festooned by Web TV. Where does the independent maker go in the scheme of things or make up for the lack of funding? Nozeer reflects, “Funding is a word, I am sure, every indie film maker is intimidated or afraid of. It’s a near-impossible task to secure funding unless you are a name to reckon with and have a couple of filthy rich friends with an acting dream. All my projects are self-funded and still waiting for someone to finance my next venture.”
Film festivals are a good way to get your pet project noticed, he tells, but then again one has to be wary of the fact that not all such fests are genuine but just a money-making racket. One such portal is, ‘filmfreeway.com’ as a good and right place to showcase one’s project’, he says. IISTOO is making waves for being officially selected for screening at the PALENA Film Festival Italy and is taking off at Filmi Toronto’s South Asian Film festival, Filmingo Film Festival and Mami.
In an age besotted by technology and social media, paid viewing comes at the right time as an interesting and attractive value proposal to drive content and giving fillip to young, passionate filmmakers trudging this route. There may be no secret formula to unearth but Nozzer believes that in the near future, a working segment hovering between 50 minutes to 90 minutes screen time may come as a good start.
“This concept may not be the exact fit for a short film but just about a feature length which of course, is not comparable to Bollywood with a running time above 2 hours. Such kind of films would have a particular reach at the niche box office and earn decent money at the ticket counters. We need to honor actors like Manoj Bajpai for their courage and effort to make such model work, albeit Hindi films. In parallel, Akshay Kumar is doing the same in mainstream Hindi cinema. We need more courageous actors like Bajpai to follow this route to ensure the viability of such products. Before this happens, I suppose the short films genre should be used simply to showcase one’s skills to keep learning and growing,” he says.
Cinema is growing in leaps and bounds. There is no doubt that there is enough room for everyone whether it’s mainstream movies and indie films where crunching BO numbers have significantly altered with scope for growth. Of course, there is a new generation increasingly restless what with technology on exclusive forums where less censorship stands to benefit motion pictures, sit-coms and shorties. Nozzer agrees, “It is definitely an exciting phase but purely for the art of filmmaking. Film-makers are experimenting and working wonders on the screen.”
He hints at Rima Das’s Village Rockstars described as ‘truly an Indie film carving a place as an Oscar nomination for India representing today’s times when filmmaking is truly an art form and not a jagir of mainstream production houses.’
Of course, the economics of films is still prevalent with no big banners initially supporting Village Rockstar, he tells the unvarnished truth.
Working a fine balance between art and commerce should be the tipping point. Heralding the first step for an indie filmmaker should be the norm since nobody is waiting with truckload of money to pour into your creation. He urges, “Pick up that camera and start shooting.”
Being a typical Gemini, Nozzer creative head is brimming with ideas with a slew of projects lining up. He announces, “Firstly, the web series based on my blogs KEKI KAKA is vying for my attention and next on my list is the feature Bun Maska at the scripting stage. I may just pick up my camera to shoot another shortie. The ideas are flowing and so let’s see which one hits the screen first.”
Click here to know more about ISSTOO and support Independent film makers by paying a nominal amount to watch the movie in real time.
Remember our delectable food palate in childhood concocted with grandmotherly love to whip a food haven and a perfect storm beating the fever hands down, saving a dreaded trip away from the doctor’s injection. The infallible grandmother hack, a maven of sort is back with a bang blowing every known ailment into smithereens.
Our own desi celebrity nutritionist, Kavita Devgan who is eponymous with excellence and the who’s who in glamour and wellness swearing by her name dabbles into a multitude of things, right from being a popular journalist, columnist for leading publications, brand ambassador for healthy products and panelist comes with her second book, Ultimate Grandmother Hacks. The book is already getting rave reviews after her first outing, ‘Don’t Diet! 50 Habits of Thin People’ hit the bull’s eye.
In this hearty tete-a-tete, Kavita bares it all on what went behind writing the Ultimate Grandmother Hacks serving as a tribute to the old granny’s wisdom. She calls her new book as, “A compilation of habits I grew with and consider as super healthy, time-tested food habits to groom a cohesive lifestyle. It’s all about rediscovering the joy in eating.”
The nuggets not of munching a bite at KFC but wisdom are found plenty in the book, discussing at length the various foods and habits followed to the hilt by our grandparents and parents are as relevant today as it were before. “I basically didn’t want us and the next generation to put them into oblivion the age-old wisdom and hence, incepted the tricks in the book. This constitutes the drive behind its making,” she elaborates.
The prolific health consultant has a career spanning over 20 years, having built a solid reputation in wellness the right way, contributing significantly to alter lifestyle by innovating big time through cutting-edge, customized but down-to-earth programmes. Like many, Kavita has an interesting story laden with an anecdote to tell where she almost wore the white gown in hospitals.
She quips: “Well! My Dad wanted me to become a doctor and I even took up bio in plus two which shows my love for the subject. He was really keen but by the time, I finished my 12th standard, I already made my mind. Medicine would not be the next step!”
“I wasn’t very sure what to pursue but somehow it became crystal clear of not seeing myself as a doctor. My Dad tried to coax me. I resisted and finally got my way.”
One can well sense that Kavita was quite the rebel and she gets candid, “Once I make up my mind, I stick to it. The rest followed. She studied Home science (Hons) with specialization in nutrition at Delhi University which was, ‘More interesting than other Science streams like Botany and Zoology.”
Kavita found her ‘mojo’ like a delectable plate for which she thanks God as, ‘love at first lesson for me.’ “The potential of prevention dawned upon and was as sure as hell to what I wanted to do. What helped was that I was naturally inclined or put it this way, maybe a healthy eater owing to my genes and mom’s effort making me a good fit.”
Post-graduation, the diet connoisseur topped it up with a specialization in Dietetics and Public health nutrition. An internship followed at Safdurjung Hospital giving her the first career exposure before becoming a qualified dietician. She was ready to embrace this tryst with destiny.
Ultimate Grandmother Hacks is a blend of the old school and modern methods, serving as the yummiest topping and irresistible in inculcating time-tested food habits in our lifestyle forming the taste bud. The book, she says, was brewing in her mind for quite some time and wasn’t really an uphill task to pen. The idea of selling old age hacks remained an important challenge, though. Kavita says, “The complex task was to make the hacks inviting and doable to the present generation…I wanted to shatter the myth that old advice is impractical, time-consuming and tough to follow.” The trick lies in diligently cherry picking 50 habits in the book that today’s generation wouldn’t reject outright. She calls them, ‘a treasure trove that made it a smooth sailing affair.”
We live in the age of social media and internet where every single bit of information about proper diet is obtained at one click. How does one become discernible when it comes to the truckload of proper diet and nutrition in making the balancing act, whittling down to eating right and proper? Kavita doles out a simple advice: “Always follow common sense and only believe information hailing from a professional having recognized medicinal and nutritional qualifications responding to your needs and common sense. Most importantly, take it up only if it speaks to you in such a way ensuring follow-up for the long-term.
We live in hectic times warranting a change in a crazy routine, food habits and to trim the fats building inside the body. When it comes to dieting and proper nutrition, there are huge misconceptions wrecking our world. “Ah yes, most of us got our fundas all wrong,” Kavita tells. “Dieting has been giving a wrong connotation and it doesn’t mean giving up on food but replacing bad ones with the good. Fact remains that we need to stop bringing focus on calories only but train our guns on nutrients. The moment we do that and plating ‘good for us food’, calories will take care of themselves. You lose weight automatically,” she asserts.
Her first book, ‘Don’t Diet! 50 Habits of Thin People’ garnered several accolades for proper and healthy lifestyle making the D-word for dieting easy. The author believes the book worked because of its real and down-to-earth approach. “In the book, I’ve woven together the simple good habits observed during my practice which worked. The methods are not only time-tested but practical advice helping people to stay thin.”
“I firmly believe people are becoming increasingly tired of impractical, silly fad diets that only mess up their health and the book’s USP was its reliable factor felt by readers in dishing out doable advice…I guess the reason it got unprecedented love.”
It’s been two years since ‘Don’t Diet! 50 Habits of Thin People’ was out and Kavita says, people still come to her and telling the impact it had on them to alter their health and losing weight for the better.
It’s all about breaking a myth and decoding the person behind the name. Kavita Devgan calls herself, ‘a very liberal dietician’ who doesn’t believe in ‘All’ or ‘Nothing approach’ but rather the answer lies somewhere in between.
“The inner core belief is all about practicing moderation and serving as the answer to everything,” she says. The mantra and advice to everyone is, “More of the good and less of the bad.” She has a tale to narrate: “In the start, I had people coming to me and telling they find it difficult to wrap around the head that I let them eat everything, and worry about actually putting on weight instead of losing. But, slowly they understand this is the right way,” she muses.
The next time you try to resist the temptation of munching on the sweet or yummy dish, remember the quintessential food date with Kavita Devgan and old age ‘Ultimate Grandmother Hacks.’ As good as it gets, the Kavita way!
You got a date with the Ultimate Grandmother Hacks and click on Amazon and Flipkart to book your space.
Nutri Shot/Tips!
Morning breakfast:
A combo of high quality protein, complex carbohydrate and good fat. Egg with some oats, few nuts or a tbsp of roasted seeds.
Dieting means:
Focussing on nutrition -quality more than quantity.
Afternoon snacks:
Always a fruit; this is the best time to eat a portion of mandatory fruit.
Grandmother Hacks vs modern day pills:
Our grandmothers somehow already knew (though logic and common sense) what modern science is only now discovering.
Being Healthy means:
Waking up with a spring in your feet every morning and having boundless energy through the day. Making it an everyday affair.
First thing you have in the morning:
Lots of water.
Your food consists of:
A little of everything.
Three nutrition tips in a day:
Get in enough protein,fats and fibre; ensure enough antioxidants and micro nutrients, and eat something raw everyday to score good enzymes.
If you were a food, you’d be:
Water. Because it’s life.
Kavita Devgan in three words:
Passionate about prevention.
With love
V
