WEEKLY MAGAZINE, APRIL 15, 2012Free with your copy of Hindustan Times

VIR SANGHVIVenetian tales

RAJIV MAKHNICars without drivers

SANJOY NARAYANSome for the road

SEEMA GOSWAMI Tears as catharsisindulge

Jive’s upLife in the day of aBollywood back-up dancer

ComictimingWhenJaavedJaaferibrought thehouse down

Virat Kohli andRohit Sharma willbe the two pillars

of India’s new batting trinity.But who’s the

third man?

Virat Kohli’s (left) flamboyance andRohit Sharma’s natural talent makethem exciting prospects for theIndian cricket team

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4 WATC H O UT FO R

facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunchLIKE, COMMENT, SHARE

@@hhaarrsshhiittaa__11999955 Your cover (The Shocking Truth AboutStar Prices, April 8) was as stellar as usual! You guys rock,and totally liven up my Sunday :D Keep your awesome-ness alive!

@@SSaavvaarrSSuurrii Wow!!! @PranavDixit’s article (Taking theMickey Out Of Me, April 8) in @HTBrunch is soo awe-some... It’s about disneyland... Didn’t know u were a Mick-ey fan bro..I wanna go there now :'(

@@jjaanniiccee__ppeeaarrll Vir Sanghvi (Rude Food, April 8) worded allmy fears. I’ve changed my food habits drastically this year& feel great. Only tough to find true organic :-(

TWEET YOUR HEART OUTtwitter.com/HTBrunch

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Personal AgendaActor Jaaved Jaaferi lovesmovies the most and his typicalSunday is with his family

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indulge14

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Rest of the best

Brunch Blogs

Monday night comedy withGursimran Khamba. On Tuesday,Rajneesh Kapoor’s comic stripRezi Vastav. The FakeJhunjhunwala on Wednesdayand Gautam Chintamani’s Split-Screen on Friday. Read ’em all!

Judy Balan, author of thebestseller Two Fates – TheStory of My Divorce, writeson being ‘out there’ anddoing nothing. Read her column TThhee AAcccciiddeennttaallPPhhiilloossoopphheerr every Thursday!

Drop a line atbrunchletters@hindustantimes.com

or to 18-20 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110001

EDITORIAL: Poonam Saxena (Editor), Aasheesh Sharma, Tavishi Paitandy Rastogi,Mignonne Dsouza, Veenu Singh, Parul Khanna Tewari, Yashica Dutt, Pranav Dixit,

Amrah Ashraf, Saudamini Jain, Shreya Sethuraman

DESIGN: Ashutosh Sapru (National Editor Design), Swati Chakrabarti, Rakesh Kumar,Ashish Singh, Saket Misra, Suhas Kale, Shailendra Mirgal, Monica Gupta

An eye openerYOUR COVER story (The Shocking Truth About StarPrices, April 8) was truly an eye opener. The explana-tion of why Bollywood producers are not in loss evenafter paying such a huge amount to stars was moreshocking than the sky-high price stars charge!

– MILIND PAVASKAR, via email

Cover Design: ASHUTOSH SAPRU

This week, check out Booked ForLife by Saudamini Jain. A love affairwith everything in print

BRUNCH ON THE WEBhindustantimes.com/brunch

Write in, the best letterevery week can win you aSHOPPING voucher worth

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SPECTATORThere’s nothing quite as cathartic as a good cry, is there?

RUDE TRAVELThere is now a touristy Venice and a real Venice

DOWNLOAD CENTRALOther than light woollens, packsome good wine and a greatplaylist for a road trip to the hills

TECHILICIOUSDriverless cars are coming. Butdo you really need them?

Cover StoryWho’ll form Indiancricket’s next trinityafter Tendulkar,Dravid and Laxman?

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Dancing With The StarsThey’re not extras. Bollywood’sbackground dancers chose theprofession because they love it

APRIL 15, 2012

inbox

18.03.201215.04.2012Even before actors Farhan Akhtarand Sonam Kapoor got togetherfor their first film, we checked outtheir chemistry in the latest issueof Brunch Quarterly. And boy dothey sizzle! He’s the edgy,brooding young man, she’s thepretty, chirpy girl. It’s a fabulousread. Go, get a copy!

ALL-NEW FEATURES IN 136 PAGES!

LETTER OFTHE WEEK!

What else to look out for:■ PPrraatteeiikk BBaabbbbaarr, SSuucchhiittrraaKKrriisshhnnaammoooorrtthhii and RRoonniitt RRooyyon their idea of love ■ The muted voices of the courtesan singers of India■ IIrraa TTrriivveeddii on a 14-day detoxification trip to the land of Ayurveda, Kerala

‘A wish fulfilled’ I WAS, I am and I will be always fascinated by Disney characters and your article (Taking TheMickey Out Of Me, April 8) by Pranav Dixit was thebest description about Disneyland that I have everread. THANK YOU, Brunch for such an article. Youhave fulfilled my one wish, hope you will fulfill justone more. I am an equally big Harry Potter fan. SoI request you to write a similar article about thewizarding world of Harry Potter.

— KRITI SHRESHTHA, via email

Kriti wins a shopping voucher worth ` 2,500. Congrats!

BBiinnooyy DDaassss Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Brunchday.

DDeevv RRaajj GGuullaattii A comparative analysis of the price tagsof the ‘stars’ of the regional cinema was missing in thecover story (The Shocking Truth About Star Prices, April8). Also, there was no mention of the price tags of the‘item girls’, who are so essential for the success of amovie in the present context.

VViijjaayyaallaakksshhmmii NNaarraayyaannaann Directors should choose thelocations according to the script (Cut to Kolkata, April8). It should bring out the essence of the story. Butmany times, filmmakers waste crores of rupees inshooting songs in foreign locations when it has no rele-vance to the plot. This kind of nonsense should stop.

The Accidental Philosophershuts up and stays put

NOW ONSTANDS, R100 ONLY!

new!

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5R E E L WO R L D

Photo: SATTISH BATE

Don’t call them extras. Bollywood’s newbreed of trained background dancerschose the profession because they love itby Amrah Ashraf

Dancing WithThe Stars

HERE’S A TEST for you –watch your favouriteBollywood song and nameany background dancer you

see in it. Come on, you know thesong, you know the steps, you knowthe actors, heck, you even remem-ber the costumes. But what aboutthe dancers? Well, the truth is thatyou may recognise them by face,but you won’t know them by name.That is the biggest predicament ofBollywood dancers’ lives – theyexist in the shadow of the stars.

Having said that, today, mostdancers in Bollywood have bigdreams and are not afraid of chasingthem. Yes, they are anonymous (con-sidering most of us still don’t knowthem) but they are different, verydifferent, from their predecessors.They hate the ‘extra’ label; now theyare trying to reinvent the ‘backupdancer’ image as well.

Also, the earlier generation ofdaily wage earning Bollywood asso-ciation dancers is long gone. Thisnew breed of dancers trains hardunder different choreographers,travels the world for shows anddance tours and earns well – unliketheir pot-bellied predecessors.

Interestingly, most dancers todayare also well educated, and couldhave picked up any well-payingcomfortable job, like most of us, butinstead they chose dancing –because of their aptitude, talent andlove of it. That’s the difference –today’s Bollywood dancers aredancers by choice!

Our curiosity got the better of us and we chased down a youngBollywood dancer – Navin Rajaiya– to understand how differenttoday’s Bollywood dancers are, thelife that they lead, their dreamsand their hopes.

The New PrototypeNavin Rajaiya, a contemporary Bollywooddancer, comes from awell-off family (they havea construction busi-ness), is trained in jazz,hip-hop and Bolly-wood dance. Heworks hard to stayfit and dreams of being a choreog-rapher one day.

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He: “Can I have the last dance with you?” She: “You are having it!” – Author unknown

Professional dancing has seen a surgein popularity, not just amongst dancersbut industrywallahs as well. “It’s a goodtime to dance. The film industry hasgrown to respect dancers,” says TerenceLewis, choreographer and a judge onZee TV’s Dance India Dance. Even thenumber of professional dance compa-nies have increased and Terence feelsthat’s the way forward. “Dance troupesalways existed but with increasing pro-fessionalism, dancers have a better opportunity to train hard,” he says.

And with the advent of companies,dancers are paid well. “Salaries canvary between R15,000 to R1 lakh, withhealth insurance between R1-2 lakh.Also, most dancers become assistantsto choreographers or choreographers.Some get hired as trainers. Some alsomanage the administration of dancecompanies’ branches.

“Dancers should also ideally be givena cut of profits. But I feel this will take awhile.”

6 R E E L WO R L D

APRIL 15, 2012

WHEN I got a call from ajournalist saying she want-ed to interview me, I didn’t

believe her at first. Each time shecalled, I muttered some cursewords and disconnected the line.But when she kept calling, I finallysaid, ‘Promise me you’re not joking.’She swore she wasn’t. She asked meto write a candid account of my lifeas a Bollywood dancer. So here it is,a page from my diary:

My name is Navin Rajaiya and Iam a Bollywood dancer. I amtrained in contemporary, jazz, hip-hop and Bollywood dance. I havefeatured in many hits – includingBunty Aur Babli, Kisna, Dhoomand Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. Butplease don’t label what I do as‘backup dancing’ or call me an‘extra’. Call it Bollywood dancing. Iam a trained dancer and what I docannot be replicated by anyone.

Today, the profile of a Bollywooddancer has undergone a transfor-mation. I belong to a new breed ofdancers who are trained in variousdance forms and take their profes-sion seriously. Most dancers inBollywood are now part of a chore-ographer’s troupe. We make surethat we take care of our physique.After all, who doesn’t like lookinggood on-screen?

I am an establisheddancer in choreographer

Geeta Kapoor’s troupe, but ittook me nearly a decade to gethere. These days, dancers strugglefor a year or two but in my time noone considered dancing a full-timeprofession, especially for maledancers. Whenever I told someonethat I was a dancer, people assumedthat I was good for nothing.

At 16, I dropped out of juniorcollege to pursue my dream. Mysister enrolled me in ShiamakDavar’s classes, but I couldn’t con-centrate on my passion. We have afamily construction business and Iam the only son. I knew that Iwould have to take careof that once my fatherretires.

Also, I wasn’tearning enough.

Initially, I was paid only R800 pershow. I would travel in Mumbai’slocal trains from the suburbs (MiraRoad) to town (Grant Road) everyday and have over 12 hours of prac-tice and rehearsals. I had no time torest and slowly my body was givingup on me. Dancing in Bollywoodseemed like a distant dream.

At one point, I even quit dancingto take care of my family’s busi-ness. Those were the worst days ofmy life. That is when I realised thatI was meant only for dancing.Determined to get back, I shed 10kilos. That is when I got my bigbreak with Bunty Aur Babli in2004 as a part of Shiamak Davar’stroupe. Now, not only do I dance infilms, but I have gone on manytours abroad like The

Unforgettables tour with theBachchan family, IIFA Awards,Stardust Awards etc.

The lack of recognition from theaudience does bother me. Youwouldn’t recognise me even ifyou see me in 100 films. But Iam not going to be invisible all mylife. I’ll work hard and become achoreographer. But don’t get mewrong – I am not dying for fame. Ijust want people to give us our duecredit.

The best thing about my job isthe close bond we can develop

with the stars. My friends think it’sa big deal. You have to see theirexcitement when I post a pictureof mine with a celebrity online.

I have worked with everyonefrom Vidya Balan, AbhishekBachchan, Rani Mukerji,Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, toPriyanka Chopra, Katrina Kaif andShah Rukh Khan. Vidya is verydown to earth. Shah Rukh talks tous like we’re his buddies. I also gotto know Abhishek Bachchan per-sonally during the UnforgettablesTour. Today I can proudly say thathe’s a close friend. But mostcelebrities are not as humble.

Today, dancers are well paid andI couldn’t be happier. Everydancer in a choreographer’stroupe is paid a monthly allowancewhich can vary between R15,000 toR35,000 depending on levels ofexpertise. On top of that, seasoneddancers charge anything betweenR50,000 to R90,000 per stage showand films. So, remember that youdon’t have to be an engineer ormanagement graduate to earn well

these days. Just tap your feet andmake some money.

Navin Rajaiya with Abhishek Bachchan on

the sets of Bunty Aur Babli

Photo: SATTISH BATE

‘The filmindustry

has grownto respectdancers’ TERENCE LEWIS, Choreographer

Life In The Day Of A Bollywood Dancer

With Priyanka Chopra at Femina Miss India, 2008 With SRK at the Colors ScreenAwards, 2012

‘TAP’ ON THE OTHER SIDE

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7hindustantimes.com/brunch VARIETY

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saudamini.jain@hindustantimes.com

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200 DAYS OFA SHORT GUIDE TO

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Photos: THINKSTOCK

MORE ON THE WEBhindustantimes.com/brunch

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APRIL 15, 2012

8 COVER STORY

If bowlers hunt in pairs, batsmen buildpartnerships in a trio. After Sachin-Rahul-Laxman, we think Virat and Rohit will bolster India’s middle order. The third pillar of the tripod? Cheteshwar Pujara! by N Ananthanarayanan

CALL THEM the ThreeMusketeers or simply thegreatest middle-order bat-ting trinity of the genera-

tion, but Rahul Dravid, SachinTendulkar and VVS Laxmanformed the engine room of theIndian line-up for what seemed likean eternity. Their collective andindividual class, cricketing nous anda fierce determination to propelthemselves and their team tookIndian cricket to heights that hadbeen unimaginable. But after 15years, two months and a week, thecurtain fell on the dream triple actwhen Rahul Dravid, the oldest of thegolden batting trio, announced hisinternational retirement.

They were so different in theirapproach to their batting; Dravid’sgrit wore down opposing bowlers,Tendulkar’s sheer technical bril-liance subdued them, while Laxmanwas both the delightful wrist artistand an epitome of patient battingwith the tail-enders. But they neverlost sight of the fact they needed topull the team in the same direction.

One of sport’s attractions is theattempt to fix like for like replace-ments, in place of greats on the vergeof bidding adieu. The enduring appealof football includes resurrecting aPele or Maradona in debates on play-ers currently making an impact, or ingolf, where, for all Tiger Woods’

greatness the debate whether he canoverhaul Jack Nicklaus’ 18 majorwins is still alive.

As Indian cricket passes through atrough, the time has come to scourthe horizon for new stars, and deter-mine whether an emerging set ofyoung batsmen can live up to theexacting standards set by the goldentrio. With Tendulkar and Laxman

VIRAT KOHLI

PROVENANCE: One of the threechildren of a late Delhi advocate,Kohli led India’s U-19 team to WorldCup glory in 2008.

X FACTOR: Virat, 23, batted bril-liantly in Australia and in the AsiaCup, regaining his poise after ashaky Test debut in the West Indies. Articulate and aggressive, the Delhibatsman is not apologetic about hisover-the-board celebrations whichformer greats like Sunil Gavaskarfrown upon. As a batsman, morethan his sound technique, his gritand self-belief stand out.

OFF THE FIELD: Fussy about attireand hairstyle. His favourite rest-o-bar is Shiro at Delhi’s Hotel Samrat.

WHEELS: Like Tendulkar, Virat lovescars. Owns two, including a BMW.

FOOD: Punjabi, Thai, Japanese,

MUSIC: Punjabi pop.

HOME: Lives in West Delhi’sPashchim Vihar with his family.

VIRAT KOHLI

Gritty go-getterfrom Delhi

ROHITSHARMA

The BorivaliBomberINDIA’S

SPUNKYTRINITY

Photo: AJAY AGGARWAL

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

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twitter.com/HTBrunch 9

APRIL 15, 2012

slipping into the twilight of theircareers, we can ask the question

– who among the young pre-tenders have it in them toform the new trinity?

There is no doubt aboutthe first candidate for this

fresh grouping. As Dravid playedin what turned out to be the finalTest of his illustrious career inAdelaide, Virat Kohli, 23, put hishand up and scored a century tosuggest he is one for the long haul.

So, at the moment, who are thecandidates likely to team up withVirat and form the new bulwark forthe India team? The naturally giftedRohit Sharma, and CheteshwarPujara, whose game mirrors that ofRahul Dravid, appear best equippedto guide India in Test cricket.

While Tendulkar and Laxman,despite the tough time on the tour toAustralia, haven’t spoken theirminds about their future as Indiaplayers, the time is not too far awaywhen the dressing room will wear adifferent look. It is unfair to com-pare eras and expect players to liveup to the norms laid down by theprevious generation. But the cur-rent crop of players is not fazed by

pressures or expectations.So, what can inject that

extra energy into theyoung shoulders forcarrying the hopes ofa billion plus over the

next decade? HTBrunch expects Virat,

Rohit and Cheteshwar to

rekindle the nation’s hopes in thecoming years, and script their ownstories that can inspire a new waveof younger players.

They are not alone, nor are theygoing to have a free run. Waiting inthe wings are the likes of Mumbaibatsman Ajinkya Rahane. SureshRaina, who lost a bit of momentumafter being exposed against pacebowling on overseas pitches, isyoung and still very much in theequation, just like the experiencedManoj Tiwary and WriddhimanSaha, both from Bengal.

Virat, 23, captivated fans with hisbrilliant batting in Australia and inthe Asia Cup, regaining his poiseoverseas after a shaky Test debut inthe West Indies last year. The Delhibatsman is pretty much the productof the times. Articulate and aggres-sive, he is not apologetic about hisover-the-board celebrations, whichformer greats like Sunil Gavaskarfrown upon, or about the way helikes to let his hair down.

As a batsman, more than hissound technique, his grit and self-belief which helped him score hismaiden Test century in Adelaide,have been impressive.

The former U-19 World Cup win-ning captain did have a shaky startto his international career, after ini-tially getting caught up in the glitzof the IPL, but people close to himare confident the boy who showedsteely resolve to play and bolsterthe Delhi Ranji team before reach-ing home for his father’s funeral hasput that teenage phase behind him.“Most kids lose focus at that age,but the point is how many get backon track in time. Virat understoodquickly that he would be a ‘nobody’if he didn't get his priorities right,”says his coach RK Sharma.

SPEAKING HIS MINDVirat speaks with rare maturity, tak-ing cricket and lifestyle issues headon. “See, people give the example ofthose who are very disciplined andtotally focused on their game. I don’thave any problem with this kind ofimage, it is my choice. I know that aslong as I perform on the field, I willbe fine.”

He is also sharp enough not to fallinto the comparison trap. “I don’twant the pressure to come on methinking whose shoes I’m trying tofill. I want to play my natural game.”

So, it should come as no surprisethat the ambition to play the gameat the highest level can be an exten-sion of the youngster’s lifestyle.Virat, for one, shows the same sin-

ROHIT SHARMAPROVENANCE: Had a modest childhood in the Mumbai suburb of Borivali. Played in the Under-19World Cup and was a key member of the triumphant World Twenty20 inSouth Africa in 2007 and the 2011one-day World Cup.

X FACTOR: His talent was first spotted at a camp by coach Dinesh

Lad when he was 11.Since then, there

hasn’t been anydoubt over the

explosive talentthat the youngster

possesses. But moreoften than not, the big

knocks have not comeand Rohit, 24, has had to

face questions over his attitude and fitness.

OFF THE FIELD: Likes listeningto popular Hindi and English

chartbusters.

WHEELS: A BMW.

HOME: Lives in a penthouse inMumbai’s trendy suburb, Bandra.

CUT TO THIRD MAN

C PUJARAPROVENANCE: His father Arvindand uncle Bipin were also cricketers who representedSaurashtra in the Ranji Trophy.First made headlines when hehit three triple tons in a month.His batting is reminiscent of Rahul Dravid.

X FACTOR: Quiet and reticent,Pujara’s batting reflects hispersonality. After a knee surgery, has played five firstclass matches. Scored 70 and71 in the semifinal and final ofthe Deodhar Trophy, guidingWest Zone to victory.

OFF THE FIELD: Loves watch-ing comedy films, is a fan ofGenelia D’Souza and AmitabhBachchan’s movies.

MOBILE RINGTONE:Nirbal O Pyare.

FOOD: A vegetarian whodigs his roti, sabzi and dal.

ROLE MODELS: Tendulkar,Dravid and Ganguly.

ON HIS BOOK SHELF: AndreAgassi’s autobiography Open.

That pugnacious Pujara can lendsolidity to India’s middle order isevident. But how aboutSuresh Raina, who hasflattered to deceive onlively pitches outsideIndia, or the stylish Manoj Tiwary? Forother promising batsmen whoalmost madeit to the clubof rookiesvying tostep intoTendulkar, Dravidand Laxman’sshoes, turn tothe next page

CHETESHWARPUJARA

Solid style,straight fromSaurashtra

Photo: REUTERS

gle-mindedness in his batting withwhich he constantly keeps checkinghis hairstyle. The second obsessionhas even earned him the nickname‘Chikoo’.

“Once he got his hair gelled up andasked me how he looked? Itold him he looked like‘Chikoo rabbit’ (of Hindianimation fame). Thename stuck,” says AjitChaudhary, his under-17state coach.

What about Virat’sanger on the field? Hewas fined by the ICC inAustralia for showingthe middle finger to agroup of fans who weretaunting him. And thenthere are the over-the-top angry celebrations

that make him looking like an alphamale on steroids. Virat’s friends sayanger has been part of him sincechildhood. “It’s just his way to cele-brate. He sets targets for himselfand when he achieves them, lets his

emotions out,” says Delhiteammate ShikharDhawan.

The lifestyle connectis also very much partof Rohit Sharma’simage. Ever since hewas spotted by coachDinesh Lad at a cricketcamp aged 11, his natu-ral talent has neverbeen in doubt. Butmore often than notthe big knocks have notcome and the young-ster from the Mumbai

suburb of Borivali had to face ques-tions over his injuries and attitude.Former South Africa opening bats-man Herschelle Gibbs, drawingfrom the experience as his team-mate in Deccan Chargers, wrote inhis book To The Point that Rohit wascapable of downing a few drinkswhen he set his mind to it!

But coach Lad says Rohit’s wildlifestyle is a thing of the past. Hisworld turned upside down afterpoor form and focus led to exclusionfrom last year's World Cup squad.“Today Rohit is a different person.He is focussed on his game and fit-ness,” says Lad.

His coach agrees that the boyfrom a humble background couldhave done more in the time he spentin the India dressing room. “But Iam sure he will play at least 10 yearsfor India.” That ‘for India’ refers toTest cricket, still the yardstick tomeasure a great player, although foryoungsters, it is the limited overscricket that opens doors.

Rohit is a product of Mumbai’sbrash, urban environment. Originallyfrom the suburb of Borivali, he hasnow moved into a penthouse flat inBandra. He also likes cars. But herealises it is his wristy strokeplay,rather than his skill behind the wheelthat’ll fetch him dividends.

CHIP OF THE WALLA more correct player among thetrio, Pujara is seen as the idealreplacement for Dravid, for his abilityto accumulate runs and play withinhimself. The player from Rajkot madean impressive Test debut, scoring amatch-saving 72 at Dravid’s No. 3spot. Anxiety overshadowed his tech-nical ability and prevented Pujarafrom giving his best on the SouthAfrica tour in 2010-11, before kneetrouble sidelined him for the tours ofWest Indies and England.

Pujara underwent surgeries onboth knees and is gradually playinghimself back into the reckoning. Asecond generation cricketer – hisfather Arvind as well as uncle Bipinplayed for Saurashtra – he does notseem to be touched by the urge to livelife in the fast lane. A god-fearingplayer, the one thing Pujara, 24, hasgifted himself after being picked byRoyal Challengers Bangalore in theIPL is a bungalow on the outskirts ofRajkot. He attributes his compactgame to useful India A tours. “One ofthe reasons I got selected for Indiawas because I performed well inEngland on the A tour,” he says.

Inputs from Khurram Habib,Nilankur Das and Sharad Deep

10 COVER STORY

APRIL 15, 2012

‘When he sethis mind to

it, Rohit wascapable ofdowning afew drinks,wrote Gibbsin his book’

EXPERTSPEAK

The former India captain andcoach says that the talentedthree batsmen will find ittough to step into the shoes of the stalwarts. He also believes that switching from limited oversto first-class and Tests would not be easy for the trio. TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW: “Thethree giants are products of longerduration cricket. These kids,whether it is Virat or Rohit, theyhave come up through limitedovers cricket. So, they have tomake adjustments – it will be toughto switch back and forth fromshorter to longer formats.”

PAST PERFECT: “In the case ofRahul and Sachin, they startedTwenty20 at the fag end of their careers. They were weaned on thelonger version, Test cricket, andthat is how it should be.”

THE IDEAL TRANSITION: “It is easier to convert oneself from aplayer of the longer version to theshorter version rather than the other way around.”

LESSONS FROM THE VETERANS:“What can they learn? Numbers 1,2 and 3… is consistency and then –over a period of time – displaying itin the longer version of the game.Tests are the real test, always.”

THE LIFESTYLE QUESTION: “It will definitely tell on physical health.People like Sachin and Rahul – evenLaxman – their discipline was impeccable. They were controlledand had discipline. I’d like to thinkPujara has the capacity to mouldhimself to an extent on thoselines.”

STRIKING THE RIGHT BALANCE:“For all the exuberance of ViratKohli and Rohit Sharma and their uncontrollable energy, they willhave to strike the right balance.They are in the deep end of thepool and have to swim, they can’tafford not to. Their innate professional in-stinct has to cometo the fore.”

BISHANBEDI

AJINKYA RAHANE

PROVENANCE: Hails from a middleclass family, his father is an officialwith the BEST, the Mumbai transportauthority.

X FACTOR: Rahane, 23, was a consistent scorer for Mumbai in thedomestic circuit and made his mark during his debut in the One Day series in England last year when little else went right for India.

OFF THE FIELD: Not exactly a party animal like many of his

contemporaries. Very religious, carries tiny

idols of deities in his backpack.

WHEELS: Drives a Honda City.

SURESH RAINA

PROVENANCE: Youngest of fourchildren of a central governmentemployee. Played a crucial role inthe World Cup quarterfinal againstAustralia. But flopped in Tests inWest Indies and England last year.

X FACTOR: Raina, 25, is an attacking left-hander and an electric fielder in the circle.

OFF THE FIELD: Likes todress well, visits AalimHakim’s salon in Mumbaito get his hair styled.

WHEELS: Owns an Audi Q7, Honda Accord

and a Honda CRV.

FOOD: Lucknowi.

MUSIC: PopularPunjabi numbers.

MANOJ TIWARY

PROVENANCE: One of the threesons of an Eastern Railway Group Demployee, Tiwary, 26, scored hismaiden international 100 against theWest Indies in Chennai last year.

X FACTOR: After a stint as Bengalcaptain in 2010-11 he had to handover to Sourav Ganguly because hewas asked to play for India. Unfortunately, he had to sit out for12 consecutive matches.

OFF THE FIELD: Lovesthe gym and the pool.Has a big following onsocial networking sites.

WHEELS: Hyundai i20.

MUSIC: Kishore Kumar’ssongs.

WRIDDHIMAN SAHA

PROVENANCE: The only son of abank officer in Siliguri, north Bengal,coach Jayanta Bhowmick helped himshift base to Kolkata.

X FACTOR: Being a wicketkeeper,Saha, 27, knows he’ll have to waitlonger than anyone else to cementhis place in a side led by MS Dhoni.

OFF THE FIELD: His quiet nature might haveprompted him to shunBengal’s captaincy andgive it to Ganguly.

WHEELS: Swift Dzire.

HOME: Has shifted to an apartment in Rajarhat, nearKolkata’s IThub.

...THE OTHER CONTENDERS

Photo: PRABHAS ROY

Photo: PRAFUL GANGURDE

Photo: PRADEEP MANDHANI Photo: VIPIN KUMAR

Photo: SUNIL SAXENA

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TEARS. THEY’RE a tricky business. Keepthem all bottled up and you risk being seenas a heartless so-and-so. Turn them on

whenever you feel overwhelmed and you are indanger of being dismissed as an emotional wreck.

You can see tears in a hundred different ways.They are the mark of a sensitive soul. They are asign of emotional incontinence. They are theweapon of last resort for women. They turn meninto helpless puddles of contrition. They are asign of weakness, the preserve of those who don’tknow how to keep their feelings under control.

Oh, and did I mention that men aren’t supposedto spill them at all. No, never ever. That is not the‘manly’ thing to do. It doesn’t matter if their feel-ings are hurt or their knees badly scraped. Boysare not meant to cry unless they want to be asked,“What are you? A girl?”

Well, what can I say? I am a girl and have thetear-stained handkerchiefs to prove it.

I have to admit it doesn’t take much to makeme cry. I well up whenever I am singing the nation-al anthem. I get all teary watching soppy rom-coms like Sleepless in Seattle. I cry with laugh-ter while catching up with the new season ofModern Family. I blub when I hear a particular-ly moving bhajan. A beautiful painting or a perfect sunset canmove me to tears. The spectacle of Barack Obama being swornin as the first African-American President of the United Stateshad me sobbing on my couch.

My tears are very versatile. They can express almost everyemotion across the spectrum: anger, frustration, sorrow, joy, love.Which, I concede, can sometimes get a bit overwhelming for peo-ple who are trying to figure out why I am welling up all over again.

To be honest, though, sometimes I don’t quite understand theprocess myself either. Why is it that I can sit through a regulartear-jerker of a Hindi movie and find myself completely unmoved?And yet, the sight of a man sitting down to a lonely dinner on a

table set for one on a TV show makes me feel allweepy? Go figure; I certainly can’t.

In fact, sometimes the smallest, most insignif-icant thing, can set off the tears. The wizened faceof a grandmother as she holds the hand of hergranddaughter and helps her cross the street (oris it the other way round?). The toothless grin ofa baby. The strains of a long-forgotten song. Hell,on one embarrassing occasion, I even had tearsrolling down my cheeks because a bowl of chilliin a Washington restaurant wasn’t quite as Iremembered it. Yes, I know, it’s silly beyond belief;but there you have it.

But whatever the reason for their appearance,my tears are invariably cathartic. As the clichégoes, there’s nothing quite like a good cry to makeyou feel better about yourself. There is a com-plete cleansing of emotions; an overhauling of

your nervous system that leaves you feeling both light and exhaust-ed, both wrung out and ready to take on the world.

The only problem is that crying gets a very bad rap these days– especially if you are a woman. If you are arguing with yourboyfriend/husband and begin tearing up out of sheer frustrationyou will be accused of playing dirty. “Ah, here come the water-works.” (Don’t bother explaining that you’re not crying on pur-pose; that you simply can’t help it. Nobody is going to believe you.)

And don’t even think of letting the tears flow when you are atwork. Not unless you want to be dismissed as a hysterical, hor-monal, pre menstrual/menstrual/menopausal (choose any onethat fits) cry baby. Just do the smart thing. Retreat to the ladiesroom whenever you feel your eyes welling and your chin begin-ning to tremble. Lock yourself in and let the tears flow. Thenblow your nose, wash your face, re-apply your make-up and headout to face the world again.

Strangely enough, though, even as women are being markeddown for being emotionally overwrought and teary, men areincreasingly being applauded for being in touch with their emo-tions when they let a tear or two escape their eyes. Clearly, polit-ical correctness has come a full circle on this one.

Our hearts well up when we see our cricketing heroes likeYuvraj Singh and Sachin Tendulkar with tears flowing down theircheeks as they celebrate their World Cup victory. David Beckham’sconfession that he gets all teary when he looks at his daughter,Harper Seven, is enough to make all of us go, “Aww, how sweet!”

But while I am all for men being in touch with their emotions andexpressing them in a honest way (and what could be more honestthan tears?) one part of me is a little scared that this may just openthe floodgates. Remember that Friendsepisode when Rachel (JenniferAniston) finally gets her boyfriend Paul (Bruce Willis in a hilariouscameo) to open up and express his emotions? And then has to drophim because he simply won’t stop blubbering?

Well, none of us wants that now, do we?seema_ht@rediffmail.com. Follow Seema on Twitter at twitter.com/seemagoswami

SeemaGoswami

spectator

SOB STORYThere’snothing quiteas catharticas a goodcry, is there?

CONFESSIONS OF A NEW DADDavid Beckham’s confession that he gets all tearywhen he looks at his daughter, Harper Seven, makesall of us go, “Aww, how sweet!”

APRIL 15, 2012

A MOVING OVATIONThe spectacle of BarackObama being sworn in asthe first African-AmericanPresident of the UnitedStates had me sobbing on my couch

My tears arevery versatile.

They canexpress

almost everyemotion

across thespectrum

14 indulge twitter.com/HTBrunchPh

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APRIL 15, 2012

NO MATTER how often you have beenthere before, no matter how many pho-tos you have seen, no matter how manymovies set in the city you have watched

(The Tourist with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Deppis merely the latest in a long line), nothing quiteprepares you for your first sight of Venice as thecity comes into view from the lagoon.

Yes, it is beautiful – but then, a lot of Italy is verybeautiful. What makes Venice special is that it isentirely theatrical, a city built by generations ofproduction designers all seeking to impress. Partof the theatricality is the sense of timelessness.Venice is one of the few cities in the world to stillbe largely as it was five centuries ago. New con-struction is not allowed. Even to put up a sign ona building, you need to get special permission fromthe city council.

Nor are Venetians obsessed with seeming cleanor new: many buildings show their age with fadingpaint and crumbling walls, giving Venice its fabledcombination of beauty and decay. As you wander through the nar-row streets you can imagine Antonio, Portia and the rest walkingdown the same lanes; the Rialto that Shylock talks about is stillthere and it is still much the same as it was when Shakespearewrote The Merchant of Venice.

Then, there is the strange combination of land and water. Venicewas founded over 1,500 years ago by early settlers fleeing fromAttila the Hun. They took shelter in marshy areas made up ofscores of tiny islands. Because the land was so swamp-like, theywere only able to build houses on stilts, sinking wooden poles intothe bottom of the lagoon and balancing their homes on these poles.

More than any other major city in the world, Venice is built onwater. You can’t walk for more than a few minutes without havingto cross a canal and boats are the only method of transportation– all cars are banned in Venice. At first you think the city looks dif-ferent only because of the canals and waterways. But when youthink about it, another reason becomes apparent: there are fewtrees or green spaces in Venice. It is an entirely urban landscape,created by history’s greatest theatrical designers and architects.

Unlike many other Italian cities where there was an aristocrat-ic tradition with kings and courts, Venice was createdby merchants and traders. It had no king and calleditself a republic. It was ruled – from time to time – bya Doge who was elected by Venetians and who workedto advance the city’s commercial interests. The ethoswas set by the merchants who sought to impress,who worshipped wealth and ostentation and had aparticular fondness for ornamentation.

In that sense, Venice was the world’s first baniarepublic.

Nearly all of Venice’s grandest buildings andpublic spaces were designed for effect and intend-ed to impress. The landmark St Mark’s Basilicawas built because Venice felt that it deserved a

saint of its own. When none could be found, Venetians stole the

remains of St Mark from Alexandria, reburied themin Venice and built a church in the saint’s honour.Years later, when a Venetian fleet sackedConstantinople, Venetians stole gold, artifacts andprecious stones from that city and used them to

renovate St Mark’s Basilica to stunning effect. The great palazzos on the Grand Canal which feature in most

postcards of Venice were built by merchants eager to show offtheir wealth. But, because these were traders, business came first:the ground floor of each palazzo was used as a warehouse-cum-office so that deals could be struck on the spot.

In those days (till the 16th century) Venice was Europe’s Gatewayto the East. (Marco Polo was a Venetian). The influence of Byzantium,then the greatest kingdom in the world, can be seen in the domesand the ornate architecture of the city, lending Venice a characterthat is neither particularly Italian nor especially Eastern but entire-ly Venetian.

After Vasco da Gama discovered the sea-route to India howev-er, Venice ceased to be the Gateway to the East. (The land routetook longer and was much more dangerous than the sea route thatda Gama used). But it re-invented itself as a trading centre with-in Europe, using Jewish expertise (the term ‘ghetto’ comes fromthe Jewish quarter of Venice) while emphasising its tradition ofart and music (Titian, Canaletto, Vivaldi, Bellini etc.) and sellingitself as the pleasure capital of the world. (Casanova was Venetianand the city’s bordellos were globally renowned).

Ever since the English discovered Venice three centuries agoas the first stop on the grand tour of Europe, the city has under-gone yet another re-invention: as the tourist capital of the world.These days there are only 65,000 native Venetians but the city getsupwards of 20 million tourists a year.

This means that there is now a tourist Venice, full of crowds ofsightseers with cameras and a real Venice, zealously guarded byVenetians, most of whom loathe tourists while recognising thatthe city’s economy depends on tourism.

It means also that everything in Venice is outrageously expen-sive, that you have a greater chance of being ripped off here thanin any other part of Europe, and that you will eat very badly whilepaying through the nose because most restaurants cater to tourists,and don’t really give a damn about the quality of food.

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VENICE – LOSTAND FOUNDThere is nowa touristVenice, fullof crowds ofsightseers,and a realVenice, zealouslyguarded byVenetians,most ofwhom loathetourists

Vir Sanghvi

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STUNNING BEAUTYMore than any other major city in the world, Venice is built on water

ONE OF MANYThe Tourist with AngelinaJolie and Johnny Depp ismerely the latest in a longline of movies set in Venice

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It is the ambition of every discerning visitor to Venice to get pastTourist Venice with its camera-carrying hordes and to discover theVenice of locals. This is a doomed enterprise because Venetianshave no real interest in befriending travellers. And besides, localVenice is hard to find. In London, for instance, once you get pastthe West End with its throngs of foreigners, you will find realLondoners. But local Venice exists cheek by jowl with tourist Venice.You turn into a side street, cross a bridge, walk for three minutesand suddenly the whole environment has changed. There are notourists in half pants, no shops selling so-called Venetian masks (allmade in China these days) or restaurants offering Menu Turisticos.

The trick, of course, is knowing which sidestreet to step into,which bridge to cross and how to avoid the tourist traps. The trou-ble is that this is a trick that few visitors ever master. Instead, mostof us end up in a middle ground: places that cater to some Venetiansbut are mainly favoured by a more upmarket kind of tourist.

It does not help that you can’t really go to Venice and not do thetouristy things. You have to see the spectacular interiors of StMark’s Basilica. You must have a coffee or a drink at Caffe Florianwhich, despite its popularity with tourists, is still the second old-est café in the world and an important part of Venice’s history. (Thecity’s most celebrated and elegant bordello was located one floorabove Florian). And if you have any interest in food and drink, youneed to pop into Harry’s Bar where both the Bellini and BeefCarpaccio were invented.

I spent four days in Venice last week, two as a guest of Chanel(for the launch of a still-secret fragrance which I am writing aboutfor Another Magazine!) and two on my own in an effort to get outof tourist Venice; one of those seemingly doomed efforts I’ve madeon each of my four visits to the city with only limited success eachtime.

I stayed at the Danieli, one of the world’s great hotels (and thelocation for some of the scenes in The Tourist). Because Venicehas strict zoning laws, the Danieli has only been able to expandby taking over adjoining buildings. So the main hotel (where thelobby is located and which features in all the photos) is a 14thcentury building that was once the residence of the Doge’s fam-ily. But the Danieli also includes two other palazzos on either sidewhich are slightly more recent (i.e the 16th or 17th century) butare fully merged with the first original building so that once you

are inside, you lose track of which building youare actually in.

The Danieli is, arguably, Venice’s most famoushotel (though I imagine the Cipriani and the GrittiPalace would make the same claim) and the keyto its appeal is the location. It adjoins the Doge’sPalace, is a three-minute walk from St Mark’s andmakes the most of the amazing views of the lagoonthat you get from the windows, terraces and bal-conies. (If you saw The Tourist, then be warned:the scene where Johnny Depp jumps on the roofon the hotel was shot elsewhere; the Danieli is notnext to the Rialto!)

Chanel did its best to show us Famous Venicewithout letting the trip encroach on Tourist Venice.So when we did go to Caffé Florian we were seat-ed in a private room. When we went to St Mark’sBasilica, Chanel blocked the entire church andorganised a private organ recital. Then, a guidetook us to the parts of the church that touristsnever see, pointing out the gold screens studdedwith emeralds and sapphires looted fromConstantinople.

Chanel also chose local restaurants wheneverpossible. Obviously we ended up having lunch onthe terrace of the Danieli on both days for reasonsof convenience but the view was so spectacularand the food so good (apparently the chef worked

at the old Casa Medici at the Delhi Taj decades ago) that nobodyminded. We ate dinner one night at the Osteria Santa Marina, oneof Venice’s better restaurants (great seafood antipasti) which ishighly regarded by many locals.

For the perfume preview itself, Chanel took over the PalazzoContarini Polignac, an old palace now owned by a French familyand stuffed it with memories of Coco Chanel’s time in Venice.

The big deal, however, was the small (30 people) gala dinner atanother historic palace, the Palazzo Albrizzi. Apparently the Albrizzifamily still lives in this glittering palace with its grand paintingsand its ornate ceilings so photography was forbidden. But I’verarely eaten in a more spectacular location, with hundreds of can-dles illuminating the dining room and chefs struggling to inventcanapés, each of which was more elaborate then the last: hollowed-out eggs stuffed with caviar, macaroons with foie gras centres,potatoes with more caviar, tiny portions of fish and chips on skew-ers etc. I am sure the Albrizzis love living in the palazzo but I doubtif they’ve eaten as well as we did that night.

My two days on my own were more relaxed. A few years ago,a local Venetian had taken me to a restaurant that actively discouraged tourists. A sign on the door said “No Pizza. NoLasagna. No Menu Turistico.” And everybody in the restaurantspoke Italian and seemed to be regulars. Nobody even botheredto look at the menu. The owner told them what fresh fish hadcome in that morning and guests chose their dinner according

APRIL 15, 2012

17hindustantimes.com/brunch

IN GREAT TASTEFor reasons of convenience, we had lunch on two days on the terraceof the Danieli. The view was spectacular and the food, very good

These daysthere are

only 65,000native

Venetiansbut the city

gets upwardsof 20 million

tourists ayear

IN REWIND MODEFor the perfume preview,Chanel took over the Palazzo ContariniPolignac, and stuffed it withmemories of Coco Chanel’s(below) time in Venice

Photo: CC/PROCSILAS

Photo: GETTY IMAGES

17

to his recommendations.I was determined to track the restaurant down, which was dif-

ficult because I did not even remember the name. But after describ-ing it to two or three local Venetians, I decided that it was proba-bly the Antiche Carampane on the Rio Terra Delle Carampane.

I took a vaporetto (Venice’s water bus) to a nearby stop and thenblundered around for ten minutes asking for directions till I final-ly stumbled on the restaurant. It was as I remembered it (samerude anti-tourist sign on the door). But though nearly every tablewas packed with Venetians speaking in the local dialect and kiss-ing each other (it was that sort of local restaurant, full of regulars),there was also a nice couple from Milano who explained to me, intheir broken English, that friends had recommended the restau-rant. And as I was leaving, a family of Americansarrived, guide book in hand. So obviously, it is nowless obscure than it seemed to be when I first went.

The amuse bouche was a paper cornet filled withthe small sweet local shrimp fried whole. (Delicious!).Then came a course of the most amazing baby scal-lops I have ever tried, grilled on the shell so that theytasted of the charcoal they were cooked in and thengently softened with a buttery sauce. (The Milanesecouple took one look at my plate and ordered a por-tion for themselves as an extra course!) My maincourse was a fresh John Dory buried under an ava-lanche of clams. Overall, it was the best meal I hadin Venice.

The following day I went to Acqua Pazza, a restau-rant at the edge of tourist Venice (not far from the Opera house)which makes its anti-tourist stand clear by refusing to print anEnglish menu. The food was fine (home made spaghetti with awhole lobster, fish baked in a potato crust etc.) but the standoutfeatures were a) the amazing aubergine and tomato bruschettathat went out free to every guest; b) the small beaker of limoncel-

lo (a liqueur-like drink made with fresh lemons)that was also given free with the coffee and c) theterrific location with tables out in the open on theedge of a square.

Some wandering tourists did stumble in. Theygave them pizzas, did not offer them the full menu

and there was no question of free bruschettaor limoncello. I guess that made theirpolicy clear enough! (How did I avoidthe tourist treatment? Simple. I got alocal to book me in).

One of the better meals I had was atthe Hotel Regina and Europa. This is also

a combination of three separate palazzosfacing the Grand Canal which is run by

Westin. (But they have not been able to put

up a Westin sign on the Grand Canal because the city council willnot let them!) It is a historic property with a great location, qui-eter than the Danieli (and slightly cheaper, I would imagine – butthen, everything is cheaper than the Danieli), and very nice rooms.For my money, it’s the best hotel to stay in if you go to Venice andyou are willing to splash out on accommodation without re-mort-gaging your house.

I had dinner on a table by the lagoon on a full moon night. Asthe water splashed against the gondolas tied to the wall of the hotel,I ate outstanding porcini raviolo and perfectly juicy beef tagliata.It is – almost by definition – Tourist Venice. But I have to say Ienjoyed it.

There are two must-dos in Venice these days. The first is cichette.These are small snacks that have always been served at bacarrasor Venetian bars but have suddenly acquired a trendy status aftera man called Russell Norman opened a series of bacarras in London(Polpo, Polpetto and Spuntino).

I’m sure that there are great bacarras in Venice but sadly boththe places the concierge at the Danieli sent me to were a littletouristy. At least one of them, the Bancogiro, had the advantage ofhistory – the bar is built on the location of the world’s first inter-national bank (the transfer of money between global banks was aVenetian invention). Cichetti can take many forms but the twomost common are bits of bread with things (ham, octopus etc.)placed on them (like open sandwiches) and fried meat balls madewith pork, chicken etc.

Both baccarras were fine. Plus, I ate out in the open, near theRialto on the banks of a canal which sure as hell beats RussellNorman’s Soho locations. But I couldn’t help feeling that I hadmissed the point. Perhaps I will find better bacarras with moreinteresting food, the next time.

The other must do in Venice is Harry’s Bar. Fewbars have the kind of reputation that Harry’s does.Founded by an Italian called Cipriani with moneyloaned to him by an American. (the ‘Harry’ of thename), it is the place where the Bellini (proseccoand peach juice) was invented. And the bar alsoinvented carpaccio, now one of the most famousItalian dishes in the world. (The Ciprianis have builta global restaurant empire around the Harry’s Barmenu though there is a running feud with theCipriani hotel which is now owned by OrientExpress).

Though Harry’s serves meals (when the upstairssection is also available), it stays open all day, serv-

ing coffee and drinks to masses of tourists. It is anextraordinarily unimpressive room, rather like the bar on an age-ing mid-market cruise ship or the bar at some fading club in anIndian hill station.

But each day, it is jampacked with tourists who order the Bellinis,small tumblers of peach pulp (frozen, I guess, at this time of year)mixed with a sparkling wine of no great distinction for around 17euro a glass, a price that represents a triumph of branding overquality.

Each time I go (and I like to drop in to see if the place is stillthriving), I discover that it is full of bemused English speakers whokeep looking around and asking each other “Is this really Harry’sBar? Are you sure that we’ve come to the right place?”

The success of Harry’s Bar and its hugely expensive Bellinisseems to me to sum up what Tourist Venice is about. It is a baniarepublic where everything is theatrical and where the reputationis enough to make outsiders pay through their noses – and notmind too much.

But there is also the other Venice, the Venice of history, of art,of decadence, of tradition, of beauty, of elegance and of romance.

And that is the Venice that keeps drawing me back. One day Iguess I’ll finally make the jump to the real Venice that only Venetiansknow.

18 facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunchindulge

APRIL 15, 2012

Venice is oneof the few

cities in theworld to still

be largely as itwas five

centuries ago

OUR OWN SAINTThe landmark St Mark’sBasilica was built becauseVenice felt that it deserveda saint of its own

GRAB A BITEIf you have any interest infood and drink, you need topop into Harry’s Bar whereboth the Bellini and beefcarpaccio were invented

MUST VISITCaffe Florian is the secondoldest café in the world

Phot

o: R

EUTE

RS

Photo: CC/GRUENEMANN

Photos: THINKSTOCK

18

IT WAS intended to be a nice road trip. It was an extended weekend. Two men. Two women. A child (a very well-behavedone). A great car – one of those luxury SUVs that cost more

than what my flat did when we bought the latter. A destinationtucked away in the upper reaches of Kumaon where email reaches you only in fits and bursts. It helped that both the men – one young and the other middle-aged – enjoyed driving withthe former being an expert driver and an information whale onSUVs. We had everything we would need up there in the hilly nookwe were headed for – a case of wine, light woollens and so on. Theonly thing left was the music we’d listen to on the way.

I burnt a compilation: The Shins’ new albumPort of Morrow (2012), their first in five years – I’dhad it for a couple of weeks but hadn’t heard itproperly; an EP from Allen Stone, the young soulsinger from Washington (the state not the capital)whom I’d heard of but not yet heard; I threw insome Big Baby Gandhi, the rapper from Queensone of whose tracks I’d heard and liked simplybecause it began with a typically Bengali-accent-ed intro where a guy asks: “You like song? You likeBangladeshi song?”; I loaded up some tracks fromfolkie-rock singer Sharon Van Etten’s new album,Tramp; and, although it isn’t exactly new, Death Cab for Cutie’sCodes and Keys (2011), just in case. I carried the Treme sound-track (I know I tried to overdose you with it in this space lastweek and I promise this is the last time I’ll mention it) too becauseit’s become an obsessive listen for me and Arctic Monkey’s Suckit and See (2011) because I’d still not heard it at all.

In short, I was (or, rather, I thought I was), fully loaded for theroad trip. It began well enough. We left a little after five in themorning when it was still dark and the roads out of Gurgaon andinto Delhi and then out of it were nearly deserted. I slipped inthe compilation and The Shins’ Port of Morrow began. The Shins’frontman and principal songwriter, James Mercer, is associated

with many other acts – Broken Bells being one ofthem – but this new Shins’ album, within a monthafter being released, had already become sto-ried. Metacritic had compiled a healthymetascore of 72, with Pitchfork, Pastemagazine and Mojo praising itresoundingly. Not surprising,because Mercer is very talented.His song-writing combines thought-fulness with popular appeal and hissongs do the thing that most songwriterswould love to be able to: they sound like power-pop if you choose not to pay much attention tothe lyrics but if you do, they sound like a think-ing person’s pop.

Port of Morrow’s 10 songs are catchy and invokeall kinds of feelings – they’re dreamy, angst-ladenand hopeful. The album may not be as indie asThe Shins’ older ones but it’s an album that – ifyou like Mercer’s falsetto – can be a good openerfor a good road trip soundtrack.

Or so I thought. A couple of hours into our drive,the road trip soon became pear-shaped. We gotstuck on NH24 in what could quite easily be theworst traffic jam. It was a three-hour gridlock thatcaused reactions that began with small wisecracksand wry humour but soon turned into irritationwith everything, including poor Mercer’s falsetto.I switched briefly to Alabama Shakes in the hopethat Brittany Howard’s growl would make the jama bit more tolerable. No such luck. Peremptorymultiple orders from the backseat made me switchagain, this time to the soul singer Allen Stone.

Stone is young and white. But like many gospel and soul singers,notably the legendary Aretha Franklin, he began singing in hisfather’s church. He also went to Bible college but dropped outand now is a soul singer who’s wowing his audiences. One criticcalled him the “love-child of Amy Winehouse and Stevie Wonder”and, indeed, he’s been compared to Wonder as well as the earlyPrince. Stone is 24 and has two self-released albums under hisbelt and has already done the rounds of the prominent late-nighttalk shows, performing his songs to open-mouthed audiences.

Stone went down well with the audience in the car even as weinched out of the jam and headed slowly towards ourdestination. After Stone, I put on Sharon Van Etten’sTramp – her elegant vocals and lyrics that are purepoetry brought no protests from the others in thecar. Her songs deal with heartbreak and sadness butaren’t morose, probably because of her vocals andher lyrics. Consider a stanza from Warsaw, one ofthe best tracks on Tramp: Here. Sing me yourself/Tell me you want to be shown or/ You’ll only listen/to an endless sea you want to be over.

You’d think Van Etten would not go down well ona road trip in a macho SUV, which, by the time I

played her album, was doing 140 kmph. But it did.Everybody liked it. Or, rather, no one protested.

For the curious. The normally seven-hour journey took 12. Butall the frayed tempers got assuaged in the end by the cool mountain air and, I’d like to believe, by my choice of music.

Postscript: on the trip back, I was not-so-subtly coerced intoputting on FM radio by the time we neared the plains and everyone listened to Six Pence None the Richer, Tracy Chapmanand Eddie Vedder. My stuff stayed put in the swish CD changer.Ah well. It could have been much worse.

To give feedback, stream or download the music mentioned inthis column, go to http://blogs.hindustantimes.com/

download-central. And follow argus48 on Twitter

SanjoyNarayan

down

load c

entral

I’d like tobelieve the

frayed tempersgot assuagedby my choice

of music

19facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch indulge

Things topack for aroad trip tothe hills: Light woollens. Good wine. And a greatplaylist

STILL I’M SADSharon Van Etten’s songsdeal with sadness butaren’t morose

MR. POPULARSoul singer Allen Stone has beencalled the “love-child of Amy Winehouse and Stevie Wonder”

WHY DON’T WEDO IT IN THE ROAD

APRIL 15, 2012

Photo: DUSDIN CONDREN

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IFINALLY find it. ‘Shivam Second Hand SuperCars’ turns out to be a dilapidated, rundownwarehouse on the outskirts of town. A car

salesman in a cheap polyester suit two sizes smallfor him approaches me while unsuccessfully try-ing to smoothen down the wrinkles on his shirtwith a sweaty palm. I ask about the 2020 RedRoboto Car advertised and for a 10-year-old car,it turns out to be in a pretty good condition.

I ask about the number of lasers that the caris equipped with, whether the six infrared cameras on the front and back are all working,the number of pixels on the Heads Up windscreenand most importantly how well the first generation radars work. I sit in the rear seat andas the car starts to drive, I check for steeringwheel encoder faults as well as how the twowindshield mounted cameras are able to keep thecar on a straight road. The car’s voice commandsystem doesn’t work well, the Wireless Net con-nection modules aren’t as fast as I want them tobe – but hey – it’s a 10-year-old car!I’m amused by just how antiquat-ed the technology is, how riskythese kind of cars were whenthey were first unleashed on theroads with very rudimentary safe-ty features and how most of the sen-sors have delays in executing commands.

We strike a deal and Mr Polyester Crumpled Suitseems very pleased with my offer. Maybe I paid too much– but that’s okay – I truly love collecting first generationdriverless cars and this one is a pure classic.

NOT WILD SPECULATION ANY MOREWhile all the above may sound like typical rambling when try-ing to paint a future scenario, it highlights an important detail. Technology being tested today will ensure thatthe cars in the future will drive themselves. What started off astests and prototypes has now evolved into very serious technology that works. In the last few months, this category hasimproved by leaps and bounds and the world’s top car-makersas well as technology forerunners like Mercedes, BMW, GM,Ford, Continental Automotive, VW, Audi, Google, Stanford anddozens of serious contenders – are vying to become the first tounveil a driverless car. Most predict that the first of such carswill be commercially available in less than five years. And whileit sounds like a dream come true, it’s not all good.

HOW IT WORKSLet’s first understand how a driverless car will work. While

each company has its own approach – the basic skeleton remainsthe same. The car will be equipped with a smorgasbord of sensors, radars, lasers, cameras and detection units – all ofwhich together will make sure that the car gets information

on everything around it. This will be relayed back to a centralcommand unit within the car that will then give the other systemsreactive commands. For instance, keeping to a designated lane withcameras, making the steering wheel automatically turn as the GPS

unit tells the car that the destination is on the left,slowly braking as a red light approaches, differen-tiating between a piece of wood and a human babyon the road and a thousand other scenarios thatplay out on the roads everyday. The mind bogglesto think how much information the human driveris able to process and control without batting aneyelid – and how many sensors are required to tryand replicate that same complex control we all havebuilt into us and never think about. When hardwareand software take over the wheel, it may well godown as the greatest invention of the century.

A DREAM DRIVEDriverless cars may be the greatest boon everfor a country like ours. Imagine order and not

chaos on the roads. Every car having built-in discipline, no desire to break

rules, driving only in its own lane,no dimwitted macho driving, no

overspeeding, none of the sensors on the car will ever getdrunk and drive, no cars blocking

free left turns, perfect utilisation ofevery inch of the road and no road rage.

The skill of the person behind the wheel doesn’tmatter, fewer accidents, better fuel consumption, better

road usage, automated efficient parking and pure bliss! It is esti-mated that if no driver broke any rules, the number of cars onthe roads could double and yet you would get to your destination in about half the time.

BREAKING THE CONNECTIONBut like I said. It’s not all good. There are technical, legal and emotional issues that haven’t been solved. If a driverless car has anaccident, who is responsible – the car manufacturer or you? Whatabout insurance issues or a law being broken due to a car sensormalfunction? You’re going to feel very let down to be issued a ‘challan’ for something you didn’t do. Then there’s the emotionalissue. Giving up control over your car is a huge decision. For many,the entire connect between you and the car comes from the driving itself. To give up on all of that – the sheer pleasure of driving – is a big one. To those who say you can take over manually whenever you like, you’re missing the point. The perfectworld of driverless cars can only work if ALL cars are driverless.A mix of human-driven, semi-robotic and pure driverless cars wouldmake things much worse. It’s either all or nothing!

Thus the important question is – driverless cars are coming;but do you want one?

Rajiv Makhni is managing editor, Technology, NDTV and the anchor of Gadget Guru,Cell Guru and Newsnet 3. Follow Rajiv on Twitter at twitter.com/RajivMakhni

It will be safeand fuel- efficient. Butwill you reallywant one?

SERIOUS CONTENDERThe GM En-V

ON THE RIGHT PLANE This pilotless concept carcan also take to the air

APRIL 15, 2012

Rajiv Makhni

20 indulgeTHE DRIVERLESSCAR IS HERE

techilicious

A SEAMLESS TRANSITIONAn array of sensors, cameras and radars will be built intocars (above); And eventually they’ll look like this (below)

REAR ENDEDImagine sitting inthe back seat of this!

All tech nohands – thebest way to

drive?

iCARIf Apple made a driverless car...

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21hindustantimes.com/brunch

AS WE STEP slowly towards peaksummer, it’s time to think of how

we can balance the summer heat byconsuming food items which balancethe body pitta (heat) and are cooling in nature. Summer is the season of highpitta. During this time, the heat outsideand inside the body increases. Also your body faces a threat of dehydration in this season. To counterthese problems, you must take care ofyour nutrition. Some food items whichcalm the agni of the body are:BARLEY: They are round grains whichlook white after husking. Barley coolsthe body post digestion. It can be consumed in different forms like barleywater, barley grain salad, barley flourmixed with wheat flour for chapatis

and barley grass juice mixed withaloe vera juice and

tomato. Barley is not only great for theintestine and liver but is also good forthe kidneys. It helps relieve water retention and swelling experienced insummers, especially by women. Justdrink a glass of barley and wheat grassjuice in the morning to get rid of waterretention.

WATER: The best way to balance thebody’s water is by drinking more moreof it. Our body is made up of two thirdswater and whenever there is an imbal-ance in the body, you can treat it by let-ting the wisdom of the body prevail. Inorder to auto-balance the body, keep awater fast for a day. During a waterfast you can consume nothing but wa-ter for an entire day. Of course, you canadd a few drops of lemon juice to makeit more palatable (but do not turn itinto a shikanji by adding salt or sugar).

SUMMER FRUITS: Consume as manysummer fruits as possible. Fruits havenatural sugar, which unlike refined sugar, is coolingand healthy for the body as

it balances the pitta of thebody. Sweet rasa is one of thechief rasas to balance the agniof the body. Fruits can be con-sumed as whole fruit, chaat or in theform of shakes.

VEGETABLES: Bitter and astringentvegetables are very cooling for pitta ofthe body. You can consume

vegetables in the morning as a juice comprising beetroot, tomato, bottlegourd, mint, ginger and half an applefor flavouring.

You can also make fresh salads likeboiled potatoes, olives, gherkins, cher-ry tomatoes, chopped almonds, let-tuce, rocket leaves, bell peppers, etc.,all tossed together in a pot with a dashof olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

HERBS: Rose water, rose leaves, saunf,elaichi and khus are some usefulspices for summers. This season, youmust avoid high pitta foods such asfried foods, garam masala, sesame

seeds, mustard oil, non-vegetarianfoods and eggs.

ask@drshikha.com

MIND BODY SOULSHIKHA SHARMA

EAT RIGHT THIS SUMMER

WELLNESS

Photos: THINKSTOCK

The natural sugarfound is fruits is

cooling as well ashealthy

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If you had to make a comedy film,who would you cast?Jim Carrey and myself.One role of yours that you dislike?One of my old films, ZakhmiRooh.On what occasion would you lie?When someone would ask meto lie (down).Which living person do you most despise?I don’t despise people, I

despise mindsets.What is your idea of per-fect happiness? Perfect ignorance.What is your greatestfear? That people willknow I do not writemy own answersand that someoneelse does it for me. Movies, dance shows orTV gigs, what do you en-joy most?Movies.Your ultimate travel des-tination? Maldives,Switzer-land.One film dialogue youlove?

It’s from Pyaasa –“Mujhe kisi insaan se koi

shikayat nahi. Mujheshikayat hai samaaj

ke us dhaanchese jo insaan seuski insaniyaatcheen leta hai. One thing you

can’t do with-out?

Nothing.The timeyour actback-firedonstage?

Oncein college. The craziest

rumour you’veheard about

yourself?That I took twoRussian girls to myhotel room at four inthe morning in Delhi.

Dancers you most admire?Fred Astaire, GeneKelly and MikhailBaryshnikov.The one time youbrought the housedown?Quite a few times...Once literally with a logcabin in Kulu Man-ali.Describe your personalstyle.Clothes don’t makea man, characterdoes...

A cause that’s dearto your heart?Education for

the underprivilegedand food for the impover-

ished.What are you addicted to?Movies and ‘Words withFriends’ (a game on myphone).The one woman you want to kiss?Can’t really say that here. I ama happily married man ;-)The one thing you love doing withyour kids?Just being with them andspending time doingwhatever they are happy with.Your mantra for success?Give your 100 per cent. Success is incidental, if itcomes. Enjoy the effort.If you could change one thing aboutyourself, what would it be?My allergies (to certain people).A practical joke that went off nicely?I’m not much of a practicaljoker.Your typical Sunday?It’s mostly with family.

22 PERSONAL AGENDA

FIRST BREAK Meri Jung

I WOULD CHANGE THEPOLITICS OF THIS COUNTRY

SUN SIGNSagittarius

BIRTHDAYDecember 4

LOW POINT OFYOUR LIFEWhen I visited theDead Sea

HIGH POINTOF YOUR LIFE When I got marriedand went for Haj.Also when my kidswere bornHOMETOWN

Bombay

Jaaved Jaaferi Actor/Producer

SCHOOL/COLLEGESt Teresa High School,National College, Bandra

APRIL 15, 2012

if i could... CURRENTLY DOINGI recently funded and co-produced a documentary. I am also working on the post production of a film I produced and trying to gettwo massive television properties off the ground,but I can’t disclose much at this stage

facebook.com/hindustantimesbrunch

DEVELOP A GIZMO TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WOMEN ARE THINKING

—Interviewed by Mignonne Dsouza

YOUR FAVOURITE CAR-TOON CHARACTER?

Johnny Bravo andDon Karnage fromTaleSpin

WHAT’S YOURFAVORITEFLAVOUR OFSAUCE?

Hot &sweettomato chilisauceLah-sun, adrakand lalmirch ki chutney

SAVE TREES!

Convert Westernersfrom wiping to washing

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