AhmEdABAd, NEw dELHI, mumbAI, bENGALuRu, KOLKATA, cHENNAI, HydERAbAd, cHANdIGARH*, puNE*
00
THINK
Chennai’s Kalakshetra is out
of step and out of tune
TASTE
India gets its own
tea ceremony
STyLE
The double-breasted blazer
makes a chic comeback
cuLTuRE
Hong Kong’s M+ Museum
makes a bold statement
VOL. 17 NO. 77 Rs. 15.
16 pAGES
THE ARTIST-
ACTIVIST
SATURDAY, ApRIL 1 2023 One of the most important
voices in Indian contempo-
rary art, Vivan Sundaram,
who died earlier this week in
Delhi at the age of 79, always
responded to political and
historical events in his multi-
disciplinary practice
SEE PAGE 3
NEW FTP EYES $2 TN IN EXPORTS BY 2030| PAGE 16
BESPOKE
TRAVELS LOUNGE PICKS EIGHT DESTINATIONS WITH
ITINERARIES DESIGNED BY EXPERIENCE
CURATORS TO HELP YOU MAKE LASTING
MEMORIES THIS SUMMER
02 SAturdAy, 1 April 2023
AhmedAbAd FIRST

PLAN THE WEEK

A NOTE FROM
THE EDITOR
NEW ON SCREENS AHEAD
A slow-burn Korean drama, a Matt Ruskin true crime
SHALINI UMACHANDRAN thriller and other titles to watch this weekend
ELA VEEZHA POONCHIRA

It’s the company In hilly terrain in Kottayam stands a

wireless police station, at an elevation
of 3,200ft , manned by Madhu (Soubin
Shahir) and Sudhi (Sudhi Koppa). The

you keep place is beautiful but desolate. The two

spend their days drinking, playing
cards and hearing the wireless crackle.
The bizarre plot twist comes too late in
BEAT THE HEAT

W
this Malayalam film. (Amazon Prime) hat is summer without
a scoop or two of ice
cream? The Magnolia
Bakery in Bengaluru has
launched new flavours: Each
scoop can be paired with an
array of toppings and garnishes.
So, you can choose a ruby choc-
olate, made with vanilla ice
cream blended with white choc-
olate and berries, and garnish it
with a berry fruit crumble. Or
opt for the hazelnut flavour,
topped with toasted nuts. Some
popular toppings include pecan
crumble, chocolate and blue-
berry. Those who don’t relish
JOHNNY dairy products can try out sor-
Robber Patryk (Piotr Trojan) has been bets, such as the strawberry one.
ordered to do community service at a The hand-made ice creams are
At Tons Trails, Anand Sankar curates treks ranging from moderate hospice run by the terminally ill priest churned out fresh daily. Availa-
to intense. COURTESY TONS TRAILS Jan (Dawid Ogrodnik). Based on a true ble at Magnolia Bakery outlets in
story, it’s about second chances, and Indiranagar, Sarjapur and Kon-
what a dying person needs—our pre- anakunte, Bengaluru
With the right company, the most mundane of errands can cious time. “The true value of a human
turn into a mini adventure, as I learnt during the lockdown being can only be truly seen in the pres-
in 2020, when grocery runs could turn into eventful trips in ence of a human tragedy,” says the
the company of an exuberant friend and neighbour in Delhi. priest in this Polish film. (Netflix)
Now, with the summer holidays, that time for adventure,
right around the corner, we are resurrecting our love for
adventure with our cover story.
In keeping with the idea that it’s the company that really
counts, we have picked eight itineraries where the destination
matters as much as the people curating the experiences. BOSTON STRANGLER
From a trek along the trails used by shepherds for centuries in Set in the 1960s, this film focuses on how two journalists, Loretta McLaughlin
Uttarakhand to a river safari in the Chambal Valley, from a (Keira Knightley) and Jean Cole (Carrie Coon), first connected the unexplained
cacao trail in Karnataka to a farm stay in Maharashtra, murders and broke the story of the Boston Strangler, a serial killer who is
these are experiences that will ensure you make believed to have murdered 13 women. Directed by Matt Ruskin, this true crime
memories you will treasure for years. thriller puts the women in focus and follows the reporters as they navigate sex-
Lounge covers more ground this week—from a comment ism and workplace politics to investigate the crimes. (Disney+Hotstar) A HOPE fOR RENEWAL
on Kalakshetra’s insensitive and inept handling of sexual

T
harassment allegations to a walk-through of Hong Kong’s he Art Alive gallery will be
M+ Museum, which despite the political situation in the CALL IT LOVE presenting a group show,
financial hub, is making quite a statement on freedom. Dong-jin (Kim Young- And Then Came Spring,
To mark the start of Dalit History Month, which we will be kwang) and Woo-joo (Lee featuring the work of five young
observing with articles, interviews and stories all through Sung-kyung) are both lonely artists—Meera George, Meghna
April, we revisit Ajay Navaria’s book, Unclaimed Terrain, and characters: While Dong-jin Patpatia, Mahima Kapoor,
make the point that education and opportunity may have lets everything slide—his Sukanya Garg and Vandana
given Dalits a foot in the door but that doesn’t mitigate the girlfriend of seven years Kothari. The artists have experi-
exclusion they continue to face. cheated on him—the other is mented with materiality while
We also have a tribute to contemporary artist and activist full of anger because her addressing themes such as ecol-
Vivan Sundaram, who died at the age of 79 earlier this week. father left the family for ogy, nature and femininity.
We take a look at the legacy he leaves behind as a person another woman. There are “Through their vast and diverse
who never shied away from responding to political and no big gestures here. Like visual practices, the artists
historical events, either in his multidisciplinary art practice My Liberation Notes, this K- present a rejuvenated perspec-
or through his words and actions. This is an issue with a drama is a slow burn. While tive on the existing phenome-
range of stories about the people who don’t just bring a the lead pair share great on- non of humankind that they
place, an idea or a thought alive but also add meaning screen chemistry, the explore through various medi-
to the things that matter. supporting cast is equally ums,” states the gallery note. The
good, especially Yoon-jun preview is on 5 April; the show
Write to the Lounge editor shalini.umachandran @htlive.com (Sung Joon) and Hye-seong will be on display at Art Alive,
@shalinimb (Kim Ye-won). (Disney+ Panchsheel Park, Delhi, till 15
Hotstar) May, 11am-7pm (Sundays closed)

Compiled by Nipa Charagi and Aisiri Amin. —Compiled by Avantika Bhuyan

LOUNGE TRAVEL LIVE DINE BUY

ONLINE
Would you set-jet on When you finally How India inspired Looking for an all-
YOUR your next holiday? talk to your father Qatar’s tea culture rounder laptop?
FAVOURITE
WEEKEND READ
W A D W
hen Netflix’s Emily In Paris father and daughter find them- ecades after it was brought in by ith the Yoga Slim 7i Pro X,
was released in 2020, France selves in an unexpected situation homesick migrant workers, Lenovo has crafted a laptop
NOW THROUGH became a fantasy travel escape at 56 and 32, respectively. Single. kadak has become karak in that’s not only good for every-
during the pandemic. Three years later, It’s a state of being one never expects to Qatar, which has adapted India’s chai day computing tasks but impressive for
THE WEEK the “Emily effect” still has tourists flock- have in common with a parent, and while into its own de facto national drink. An casual gaming as well, writes Sahil
ing to the city. Last December, after sea- it should have widened the scope for omnipotent sweet and spicy milky hot Bhalla, a long-time Lenovo user who put
son 2 of HBO’s The White Lotus dropped, conversation, “our journeys had been so tea, it has had more than just the odd let- the new laptop through its paces. The
The best of Mintlounge.in from Sicily came into the lime- much more apart than ter of the alphabet altered lightweight design (yes, it
light. The new travel alike that it didn’t feel like and rearranged along its can be opened with one
the week gone by and what to guides are the TV shows we belonged in the same almost 60-year-old jour- hand), aesthetics and solid
look forward to in the one ahead people binge on—with category”, writes Richa ney, writes Raul Dias. build make it a premium
exotic locations and Rungta of her relationship While the original kadak device. It comes with an
engaging storylines with her father. While he chai is a super-sweet amal- Intel Core i7-12700H pro-
inspiring them to explore new destina- doted on her and they loved each other gamation of strong black tea powder, cessor (it isn’t 13th Gen but those are few
tions, letting the main character energy deeply, conversation never flowed easily sugar, fresh milk and aromatic spices, and far between for now), Nvidia
fly quite literally. “Set-jetting”, or plan- between them. This became especially Qatari karak includes canned evapo- GeForce RTX 3050 graphics cards,
ning a travel itinerary inspired by films pronounced after her divorce. In a per- rated milk, tonnes of sugar and carda- 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD for storage. But
and shows set in exotic locations, is the sonal essay, she describes their journey mom. It even has a dedicated song, I Need does it match the competition in the seg-
new trend, writes Aisiri Amin. towards their first real conversation. A Karak, by Middle Eastern DJ Bliss. ment?

lounge@livemint.com In How To Lounge >> Movies & TV In Relationships >> It’s Complicated In Food >> Drink In Smart Living >> Innovation
@mint_lounge
@livemintlounge

ON THE COVER: A PET-FRIENDLY HERITAGE HOME: JAMBUGHODA PALACE, GUJARAT

 FIRST SAturdAy, 1 April 2023
AhmedAbAd 03

VIVAN SUNDARAM (1943-2023)

Remembering the artist-activist

An important voice in
COURTESY CHEMOULD PRESCOTT ROAD COURTESY KIRAN NADAR MUSEUM OF ART

Indian contemporary
art, the artist always
responded to political
and historical events
in his practice
Avantika Bhuyan
avantika.bhuyan@htlive.com

A
rtist Vivan Sundaram often
described himself as the
“child of May 1968”. For, it
was during this period that
he created a landmark
series, loosely titled the “London paint-
ings” and inspired by the student protests
in the city. The artist, who died earlier this
week in Delhi at the age of 79, continued
to respond to political and historical
events, making him one of the most
important voices in Indian contemporary
art. He is survived by his wife, the art his-
torian and curator Geeta Kapur.
Born in Shimla, Sundaram studied at
The Faculty of Fine Arts in Vadodara and
then at the Slade School of Fine Art, Lon-
don. There, he came under the influence
of his tutor, R.B. Kitaj, an American artist.
“He was part of the pop painting move-
ment. But he was very much an intellec-
tual painter, referring to political events,
narratives and to theorists such as Walter
Benjamin. ...he really made me think
about what I was painting,” Sundaram told
Lounge in a 2018 interview.
The London student protests prompted
him to explore politics and activism. He
joined the 1960s’ European students
movement. Curator Akansha Rastogi, in
an India Perspectives essay in 2010—now
available on the Critical Collective web-
site—talks about his continuing political
commitment on his return to India in
1970. He joined the Communist Party. He
was also one of the founders of the Safdar
Hashmi Memorial Trust, or Sahmat.
Sundaram remained one of the most
vocal artists till the end—in 2021, he was
part of a group of 75 scholars, writers, art-
ists and others who called on the Union
government to reconsider the Central
Vista redevelopment plan in Delhi.
Conversations with Sundaram were
always about “flashbacks” as he recounted
stories of the “chance encounters” that
informed each work, spanning sculpture,
installation, video art, photo archival work
and painting. This urge to revisit archives
of memories, moments and documentary
evidence—historical or personal—was vis-
ible in his work.
Take Meanings Of Failed Action: Insur-
rection 1946 (2016), an installation created
with cultural theorist Ashish Rajadhyak-
sha and film historian Valentina Vitali,
with soundwork by David Chapman. The
work, housed within a 40ft-long steel and
aluminium ship, looked at the events of
February 1946, when Royal Indian Navy
ratings, supported by Mumbai’s trade
unions, rebelled against British officers.
“Today, there seems to be an archival
fever of sorts,” Sundaram would say. He,
however, had delved into archives in the
1990s, when he presented The Sher-Gil
Archive, looking at the photographs taken
by his maternal grandfather, Umrao Singh
Sher-Gil, an aristocrat from Punjab.
“He printed his negatives, experiment-
ing with toning formulae that master
printers would employ.... In 2001, his
grandson, the artist Vivan Sundaram,
made digital photomontages using Umrao
Singh’s self-portraits and family portraits
to create fictional narratives, and pre-
sented them as Retake Of Amrita,” states
Delhi-based PHOTOINK gallery, which
has shown Sundaram’s photo archival
work.
In the 2018 interview, Sundaram talked
about painting being an isolating process,
so much so that he moved away from con-
Vivan Sundaram is considered one of
the earliest ‘breakthrough artists’;
and one of the works from
Sundaram’s retrospective, ’Step
Inside And You Are No Longer A
Stranger’ (February-July 2018).
Conversations with
Sundaram were always about
‘flashbacks’ as he recounted
stories of the ‘chance
encounters’ that informed
each work of his
ventional painting after the outbreak of
the Gulf war in 1991, creating a series of 40
drawings, Engine Oil And Charcoal, with
the slick of crude oil as his medium.
Exhibited at Delhi’s Shridharani Gal-
lery and Mumbai’s Jehangir Art Gallery
(presented by Chemould Prescott Road),
these came as a revelation. “My strongest
memory was the presence of students
during the course of not only the exhibi-
tion but also the installation of the show.
I think it was a moment of reckoning both
for us as gallerists and for the audience for
works to be perceived in this courageous
way,” notes Chemould Prescott Road’s
Shireen Gandhy in a statement.
Another significant work was Memorial
(1993), a site-specific installation response
to Mumbai’s communal violence. “Vivan
would be considered one of the earliest
‘breakthrough artists’. Often one consid-
ers artists who paved the way, as it were,
giving courage to others to walk that path,
Vivan was that when it comes to installa-
tion art. It was a new term, fairly unknown
to the contemporary world,” says Gandhy.
Collaboration, collective synergies,
became one of the cornerstones of his
work. In an interview, cultural theorist
Ranjit Hoskote noted that Sundaram was
not alone in the 1990s in feeling that the
painted surface was no longer able to con-
tain the response by artists to the sociopo-
litical issues of the times. “It is with this
idea that I started the Kasauli Art Centre
(as a cultural product to question and
debate) as well,” Sundaram said.
His work was shown in a retrospective,
Step Inside And You Are No Longer A
Stranger, at the Kiran Nadar Museum of
Art (KNMA), Delhi, in 2018, and at shows
like Disjunctures, at the Haus der Kunst in
Munich, Germany, from June 2018-Janu-
ary 2019. “I was interested in the threads
running through his work—the constant
appearance of boats, beds and trash, the
back and forth between concepts, ideas
and materials in his constantly changing
practice,” curator Roobina Karode said at
the time about the KNMA show.
One of his last commissions was for the
ongoing Sharjah Biennale 15: Thinking
Historically In The Present. Sundaram was
one of 30 artists commissioned to do new
work. “I present a photography-based
project, Six Stations Of A Life Pursued
(2022), a choreography of bodies that
have undergone violence, experienced
incarceration, and lived through mourn-
ing. The sixth ‘station’ signifies a journey
premised on the historical and rehearsed
with activist resolve,” Sundaram had said.
In a way, the work is a summation of a
nearly six-decade-long practice that never
shied away from experimentation and
interrogation of issues that mattered.

Medium Talk More than small talk

Therapy takes deep work

HEART OF THE MATTER
A fortnightly column
about emotional well-being

Social media offers a

community but bite-
sized posts on instant
cures can be dangerous
Sonali Gupta

I
began my work as a psychotherapist in
2004. At the time, the number of peo-
ple reaching out for therapy was quite
small. They were scheduling consulta-
tions when there was significant distress,
particularly related to parents or their
partner. The second reason was when
they found themselves struggling with a
mental health condition such as clinical
depression, debilitating anxiety, obsessive
compulsive disorder, tendency to self-
harm, addiction and concerns which were
interfering in their professional and per-
sonal functioning. The culture of seeking
help was very different and most referrals
came from psychiatrists and fellow psy-
chologists. This was also the time when
the number of female clients reaching out
for therapy was much higher than male
clients.
The 2008 economic downturn led to an
increase in the number of people seeking
consultation—particularly families, stu-
dents who had just completed their stud-
ies, and men—as financial instability and
unemployment began to impact marria-
ges, self-esteem and dreams for the future.
This was also a reminder that global
events could impact people’s well-being at
various levels.
From 2012-18, the public discourse on
mental health gained momentum in India
as celebrities began talking openly about
their struggles, publications started focus-
ing more on mental health, and, thanks to
social media, there were lots of conversa-
tions on vulnerability and how seeking
help is a sign of strength.
Today, Indians across gender and age
groups are seeking therapy and the
stigma attached to it seems to have less-
ened. This increase in demand is not just
because of greater awareness but due to
higher distress, anxiety, the unpredicta-
Different people impacted by the same stressors will react differently.
bility prompted by global events, and
more. With our dependence on technol-
ogy and social media increasing, there
has also been a rise in loneliness. With
the hybrid model at work, the sense of
belonging, friendships and camaraderie
people associated with the workplace is
undergoing a change. Add to this signs of
global recession and subsequent layoffs,
which are leading to hypervigilance and
a consistent worry about jobs and long-
term futures.
At a time like this, social media has pro-
vided a community, an opportunity for
people to find mental health profession-
als, helpline numbers and resources to
deal with panic attacks, identifying the
signs and symptoms that demand reach-
ing out for therapy. At the same time,
there seems to be an increase in posts that
offer tools, techniques and ways to deal
with challenging mental health concerns.
My worry is that this approach is taking us
away from the nuances, subtleties of con-
text, the actual processing of emotions
that needs to be done for long-term heal-
ing to take place.
When we move quickly to solutions,
there is a tendency to put a band-aid and
not do the deep work that is key to ther-
apy. As a result, posts that often reduce
complex issues to three-five solutions
miss out the individual and their personal
ISTOCKPHOTO
story. Confusing therapy as a space where
people can find instant cures and solu-
tions is problematic.
At the core of psychotherapy lies the
belief that as clients do the inner work,
they will find their own answers—and that
the reality is that clients know what’s best
for them given their unique situation.
Keeping this in mind, we need to remind
ourselves that different people impacted
by the same stressors will react differently
and that their processing of trauma, pace
in healing will be subjective. Trying to
generalise it into bite-sized posts is dan-
gerous. As a client once told me, using the
metaphor of tea: “The process requires a
certain pause, patience and letting it brew
for a while before one feels the impact and
even finds it soothing.”
Therapy takes time and requires con-
sistent hard work; the process of staying
with the emotion and unpacking it
slowly is the real work. The techniques
can help in moments when it’s over-
whelming but we need to do the deeper
work that contributes to our long-term
well-being.
Sonali Gupta is a Mumbai-based clinical
psychologist. She is the author of the book
Anxiety: Overcome It And Live Without
Fear and has a YouTube channel, Mental
Health With Sonali.
04 SAturdAy, 1 April 2023
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HEARD ‘E AGORA’ YET?
S
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Georgina, the one who likes chorizo,
statement jewellery and uses her private
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In episode 2, her partner, the footballer
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YouTube videos show Ronaldo lip-syncing to
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The curious
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WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Gorillaz, London, 2017.
T
his piece is actually about a band that is fictional…yet one that is also
very real. That could seem paradoxical but then that is what the hugely
successful band, Gorillaz, really is. It was in 1998 that Damon Albarn,
founder, frontman and main driving force of the Britpop band Blur,
decided—on a whim—to form a “virtual band” called Gorillaz.
Blur, a constantly experimenting act that had gained the approval of critics
and adulation of fans, were already successful, delivering the occasional hits
but also influencing a gamut of other indie bands. So it came as a bit of a sur-
prise when Albarn, a keyboardist and singer, formed Gorillaz. What was
astonishing, though, was the sort of band Gorillaz turned out to be.
Albarn collaborated with the artist Jamie Hewlett to form his band. Hew-
lett, an English comic book writer, created the cartoon characters that made
up the band and Albarn made the music. Yes, Gorillaz comprise virtual car-
toon characters that are musicians in the band: Murdoc Niccals on bass and
drum machine; 2-D on vocals, keyboards, melodica, rhythm guitar, piano and
synthesizers; Noodle on lead guitar, keyboards and vocals; and Russel Hobbs
on drums, percussion and drum machine. Besides the attribution to the
music, the characters have their own personalities—and even give interviews.
In 2001, even as critics and Blur fans were scratching their heads, wonder-
ing what Albarn was up to, Gorillaz released their first eponymous album. An
unexpected success, it saw sales reaching seven million. Albarn, now 55,
used Gorillaz as a project to make music that Blur couldn’t. A polymath
when it came to music, he wanted to make music that is a fusion of genres,
including alternative rock, hip hop, electronic and world music. The Goril-
laz style blends elements of reggae, dub, funk and trip-hop with a pro-
nounced overlay of electronic sound and craft. Since their debut album,
Gorillaz have released seven more albums, with their latest, Cracker Island,
out this February.
There are a host of collaborators on this album, some of them heavyweights
in the music world. Consider: The eponymous opener on the album features
Thundercat, the Los Angeles bassist and producer; Fleetwood Mac veteran
Stevie Nicks sings on Oil; on New Gold, it is Tame Impala, the name by which
the Australian neo-psychedelic
musician Kevin Parker goes; and
on another track, Tormenta, Bad
Bunny, the Puerto Rican rapper
THE LOUNGE
who has become a sensation.
The result is a concept album
LIST
that dwells (but not overly obses- Five tracks by Gorillaz to
sively) on a sort of semi-religious bookend your week
cult that recalls the perils of living
online. That theme is something 1. ‘Cracker Island’ (featuring
longtime Gorillaz fanatics will no
doubt delve into and find allusions
and meanings for, especially in
Thundercat) from ‘Cracker Island’
2. ‘Oil’ (featuring Stevie Nicks)
lyrics such as: They taught them- from ‘Cracker Island’
selves to be occult/ They didn’t know
its many strategies/ They taught 3. ‘Baby Queen’ from ‘Cracker
themselves to be occult/ They didn’t Island’
know its many strategies (fanta-
sies)/ What world is this?/ What 4. ‘On Melancholy Hill’ from ‘Plas-
world is this? tic Beach’
But for the rest, who enjoy
Gorillaz for the innovative music 5. ‘Clint Eastwood’ from ‘Gorillaz’
they make, there is much to exult
about on Cracker Island. New
Gold’s dreamy Tame Impala vocals, interspersed with rap verses by Bootie
Brown of the alternative hip hop band The Pharcyde, can wipe off even the
darkest of moods. Baby Queen, inspired by the crown princess of Thailand,
who is believed to have gone to a Blur concert in the late 1990s, is a catchy,
quintessential pop song that hooks you no matter where and when you lis-
ten to it.
Gorillaz have collaborated with giants in the past. In 2020, on Song
Machine Season One: Strange Timez, the artists featured included The Cure’s
Robert Smith, Elton John, Beck, Peter Hook (of Joy Division) and St Vincent.
On 2010’s Plastic Beach, collaborators included British post-punk band The
Fall’s Mark E. Smith, The Velvet Underground’s Lou Reed, Super Furry Ani-
mals’ Gruff Rhys, De La Soul, and the rapper Snoop Dogg. Plastic Beach has
been described as “a meditation on the state of our oceans”.
Like Cracker Island and Plastic Beach, many Gorillaz albums are themed on
political, social and environmental issues but they are always dealt with play-
fully, with, above all, eclectically enthralling musical treatment.
Albarn, as I mentioned, is a polymath in music. A keyboardist and com-
poser, his projects span genres and styles. Besides Blur and Gorillaz, he has
a myriad other projects to his credit. Rocket Juice & The Moon is his
project with Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea and the legendary Nigerian
drummer Tony Allen; he has been part of the British supergroup The Good,
the Bad & the Queen, which featured Allen too but also The Clash’s bassist
Paul Simonon and The Verve’s guitarist Simon Tong. Plus, he has com-
posed soundtracks for films (Blur composed a song for Trainspotting); com-
posed songs for plays and operas; and has two solo albums.
Albarn’s Gorillaz, however, really stands out as a story of how a “fictional”
band with cartoon characters in a venture that may have started as a joke has
become one of the most successful and revered rock acts of this era.
First Beat is a column on what’s new and groovy in the world of music.
@sanjoynarayan

Age, a number just like the value of pi
CHEAP
THRILLS
NISHA
SUSAN
am about to embark on something
I slightly unusual for someone my age.
I am writing this firmly in anticipa-
tion of somebody somewhere saying,
“Aren’t you too old for it?” But the fact
is, no one has so far.
I feel slightly self-congratulatory for
having friends and acquaintances who
lean towards generosity, and, more
importantly, like to keep their doubts
to themselves. But I also think we
might be in a pleasant period of people
loosening their age-appropriate stric-
tures for adults (while tightening their
age-appropriate strictures for chil-
dren. But that’s a complaint for
another day). Especially if the project
being undertaken is vaguely in the
self-improvement category. Higher
education, weight loss, nice haircuts,
climbing Mount Everest, career pro-
gression…all this is now in the “never
too old for it” category. When my
friend Laxmi recently mentioned
teaching her 65-year-old mother to
drive a two-wheeler in Bengaluru, she
was festooned with sincere admiration
in the WhatsApp group. “Never too
OUT OF STEP, OUT OF TUNE
Institutions like
Kalakshetra should
understand that a
willingness to be
accountable will only
burnish reputations
Swarna Rajagopalan
S
ince December 2022, when
the first public post about
serial incidents of alleged sex-
ual harassment at the Kalak-
shetra Foundation appeared,
the Chennai arts community has been in
tumult. Two weeks ago, the story finally
appeared in national media outlets,
immediately plunging the scandal into
political waters. The issue is being cast in
cultural nationalist terms—“people are
trying to malign our culture”—and victims
are being named, intentionally or inad-
vertently, with or without consent. Slowly,
inevitably, we are losing sight of the hor-
ror of the experience of sexual harassment
and trying to grapple with a host of exter-
nal issues that are, in fact, irrelevant.
But Kalakshetra is not unique. Since
2018, when the first allegations of sexual
harassment at the workplace, hitherto
unspoken, began to be shared in public,
victims have spoken up at eminent arts
institutions across the country, including
the Dhrupad Sansthan in Bhopal. Many
teachers and performers have been
accused. And as they continued to be
invited to perform at prestigious plat-
forms, conversations on how to address
the problem intensified.
Some of the challenges in dealing with
sexual harassment allegations are peculiar
to the Indian arts. First, the teaching rela-
tionship is considered sacred tradition-
ally, with revered gurus wielding
immense power and influence. Second,
most teaching relationships are informal,
with no teacher training, no regulation of
learning settings and no contracts. Con-
tracts are also rare for performance
arrangements.
This means the teacher or concert orga-
niser is rarely accountable and there are
no redressal mechanisms. Where they do
exist within institutions, they may not be
functional. Add intersectional power
imbalances to this hierarchical culture,
such as caste, class and family background
or disability, and the potential for violence
is evident. Inequality of status and power
enables sexual harassment and this is the
most common feature of Indian arts edu-
cation, which remains largely untouched
by the democratising changes experi-
enced elsewhere—albeit still unevenly.
Learning the arts in an institution does
not mitigate students’ vulnerability to sex-
ual exploitation. Each institution’s
response to allegations has led to a lively,
though short-lived, discussion on
whether they were fully in compliance
with the Sexual Harassment of Women at
Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and
Redressal) Act, 2013 or not (educational
institutions are workplaces where teach-
ers do the work of teaching; students, the
work of learning; and administrative and
support staff, the work of institutional and
late,” as she said.
I was thinking of how so much of the
great literature we grew up reading and
the movies we grew up watching
needed the “too late” and “chance
missed forever” trope to work. People
were forever running to airports and
train stations because apparently once
the love of your life got on to that plane,
it was never going to land. There was
never a chance of calling them. Ever. It
was that psychological moment or
never again. I want to confess it made
me crazy to watch it when I was young
and leaves me utterly bored now.
Instead, life is circular and full of all
kinds of chances to replay decisions.
And when replayed, you may yet think
that the decision to not chase the mov-
ing train was made with the fullness of
understanding of who you are. I was
reading Mrs Dalloway, a novel that is
wholly set in a day in which the main
character, Clarissa Dalloway, revisits
various decisions, a man with whom she
might have “had all this gaiety” if she
had married him, a woman with whom
she wished she had had the option to be,
and so on.
When Clarissa is informed by her ex
that he is newly in love, she is thunder-
struck at the possibility of love still
being open to him. The ex, meanwhile,
is also thinking of what being with Cla-
rissa would have been like. It’s a bit like
that complicated line from Everything
Everywhere All At Once, when Way-
mond (played by Ke Huy Quan) is talk-
infrastructural maintenance). Legal com-
pliance, however, is only the beginning. It
is only a publicised accusation that moti-
vates institutions and individuals to think
about prevention.
The first response by most institutions
and individuals is damage control. They
hurry to deny the allegations. They offer
testimonials to the talent and service
record of the individual concerned. They
point to the heritage and reputation of the
institution. Under pressure, they catch up
on or clarify their compliance record.
When that record is clarified, lacunae
are discovered. In one instance, there may
be no organisational policy against sexual
harassment, as required, and if there is
one, it may predate the law, need updating
and/or be buried in a folder somewhere.
The law requires that such a policy be
shared with members of the organisation,
even displayed in a public place.
Ditto, the internal committee (IC). A
committee which is sometimes hastily put
together. Where it does exist, we find
some common problems. First, the head
of the institution chairs it. This is a bad
practice because it changes the power bal-
ance within the IC in favour of the status
quo or institutional prestige. Other mem-
bers are beholden to, or dependent on, the
head. Second, gender imbalance within
the committee—a male head (which is
against the law); a majority of men or an
absence of men (which goes against natu-
ral justice); and usually, the absence of any
LGBTQ+ member. Third, different func-
tions and levels across the organisation
are unrepresented, so that the IC only has
department heads, teachers or adminis-
trators. Often, with teaching institutions,
the IC has no student representative. The
ideal is that a complainant or accused
should find someone “of their own” before
them during this intimidating experience.
Fourth, the external member may or may
not be qualified. The law specifies certain
qualifications but I would submit that it is
not just the letter of the law but an under-
standing of the law and the social context
that qualifies a member. Finally, ICs are
supposed to have three-year terms so that
they do not become an additional vested
interest. This rarely happens because it is
THINK
Gillian Anderson played Miss Havisham in ‘Great Expectations’ at the age of 43.
ing to main character Evelyn (Michelle
Yeoh) in an alternate universe. In this
universe, Evelyn is not a laundromat
owner but a movie star. In this version,
where she and Waymond are not mar-
ried to each other, he says, “So, even
though you have broken my heart yet
again, I wanted to say, in another life, I
would have really liked just doing laun-
dry and taxes with you.”
When I watched it, I understood it as
less about Waymond and more about
Michelle Yeoh commenting on her
own fabulous series of choices—hang-
so hard to constitute them correctly.
There are other common problems—no
dedicated, clear way of reaching the IC
and inconsistent procedures for accepting
complaints among them. In other words,
you may have the perfect IC but no one
knows how to reach it.
Creating awareness about the policy,
the IC and the complaints procedure
aside, the law also requires organisations
to conduct awareness training. This
IMDB
ing from a helicopter in front of the
Hollywood sign for a photoshoot, being
awesome, taking this amazing role
which Jackie Chan now claims to have
rejected. So far from doing laundry and
taxes. My highly idiosyncratic interpre-
tation is funnier when you hear that a
Korean news channel broadcast her
Oscar acceptance speech—where Yeoh
said, “And ladies, don’t let anybody tell
you you are ever past your prime”—
with a translation that omitted the
word “ladies”.
While reading Mrs Dalloway, I
Scenes from the
Kalakshetra Foundation.
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM GETTY IMAGES
looked up Clarissa’s age. 51. This is a
new hobby of mine. It’s a hobby I began
when I recently re-read Pride And Prej-
udice and texted everyone I know that I
am now probably Mrs Bennet’s age.
Not quite but not so far either. Mrs
Bennet was probably around 45. It
makes me giggle to think of how
ancient all the BBC adaptations made
the elder Bennets.
One of the most comic discoveries
has been about Miss Havisham, the
woman in Charles Dickens’ Great
Expectations who froze into a perma-
nent state of trauma after her fiancé
abandoned her on the day of the wed-
ding. This particular character was ter-
rifying in the illustrations of the
abridged versions I read as a child.
Dressed in white cobwebby outfits and
with wild, white hair. Miss Havisham
was the Transylvanian vision of what
happens to the woman who wanted to
be loved and wasn’t.
In the movie adaptations, she has
been played by Joan Hickson at the age
of 75 and Anne Bancroft at 67. Some
years ago, when Gillian Anderson
played her at 43, it was considered a
very youthful interpretation. Dickens
himself doesn’t mention her age but lit-
erary historians calculate her age
as…40! This calculation is based on facts
mentioned in the book as well as Dick-
ens’ notes, which placed her as “scarcely
40”. Gillian Anderson, in her infinite X
Files wisdom, calculated her age as
being around 37. As old as Deepika Pad-
should include, first and foremost,
awareness about what constitutes work-
place sexual harassment, how to recog-
nise it, and, with rapidly changing social
mores, how to mark interpersonal
boundaries in the workplace. One ques-
tion that has arisen in most cases is why
those in positions of authority let sexual
harassment continue for so long. If there
were whisper networks and if sexual
exploitation and bullying were open
secrets, why did someone not act? The
answer: What can we do once it has hap-
pened and if no one complains? Aware-
ness training is more than compliance; it
is key to building a culture of equality,
mutual respect and transparency in the
organisation.
The issue is not just how you deal with
what has happened. The issue is also how
you prevent its recurrence—and the
answer is not CCTV cameras.
When an institutional head or any other
person in authority (the Vishaka Guide-
lines clearly extend responsibility beyond
the formal employer) hears about inci-
dents or even hears rumours, they must
not wait for the victim to file a complaint.
The structures that enable abuse will usu-
ally deter the victim from speaking out.
Sexual harassment is an act of intimida-
tion, not uncontrollable passion.
What leaders can do is to create safe set-
tings for discussions that raise awareness.
Invite an expert for a general talk. Show a
short film and have small group discus-
sions. Host groups of students and staff to
talk with you freely about issues within the
institution—they may start with canteen
SAturdAy, 1 April 2023
AhmedAbAd 05
ukone is today.
Literary historians like Kristen Han-
ley Cardozo have also pointed out that it
was not like 40 was considered particu-
larly old in Dickens’ time, so we must
place some of the unintentional comedy
at the door of the artists and film-mak-
ers who followed. Just like how old
Harry Potter’s parents look in the movie
versions. They were around 21 when
they died but are always middle-aged in
the movies. Perhaps we can blame it on
how we always think of parents as being
old when we are children and then are
wholly shocked and unprepared for
when they actually are old.
Age is just a number but it’s a number
just like the value of pi. Recently, a
friend overheard her younger colleague
gushing about seeing a couple in their
40s being cosy in a bus. The younger
colleague’s “how cute at their age” made
my friend fully murderous. “What does
she mean ‘their age’!” my friend com-
plained. “Does she think our genitals
have fallen off?” This had me in splits.
For some reason, this reminded me of
my brother talking about an acquaint-
ance we hadn’t seen in a while. “Is their
tortoise still alive?” I asked. He replied
deadpan, “They may be dead but their
tortoise is likely to still be alive.” Talk
about great expectations.
Nisha Susan is the editor of the webzine
The Ladies Finger and author of The
Women Who Forgot To Invent Face-
book And Other Stories.
complaints but once you build trust, they
will speak out about other things. In other
words, open the windows and doors and
let truth flow freely.
In the recent case, Kalakshetra claimed
it had conducted a confidential, suo motu
hearing and established the allegations
were false. What does “confidential”
mean? It means not naming the victim and
the accused and not sharing prurient
details. It means the testimonies are confi-
dential and the report is confidential.
In the mandatory reporting, you
record the existence of a case, when the
complaint was received and when the
report was submitted, without names and
particulars. It does not mean that the
hearing should be so secret that com-
plainants do not know and witnesses are
not called. Compliance is incomplete
without an understanding of the spirit of
the law.
The biggest mistake institutions make
is to not understand this: Your reputation
is damaged by the opaque obfuscation of
your response and the willingness to tol-
erate injustice in the name of prestige.
Your openness, responsiveness and will-
ingness to be accountable burnish your
reputation. Art seeks and expresses truth
and murkiness, panic and blind loyalty
diminish your art. We are left not with
artistic culture but rape culture.
Swarna Rajagopalan is the founder of
Prajnya, which works to raise awareness
about gender-based violence, including
supporting the creation of safe and equal
workplaces.
06 SAturdAy, 1 April 2023
AhmedAbAd TASTE

WHAT’S COOKING FOR

NILANJAN BANDYOPADHYAY

RAMZAN IN ASSAM?
The cuisine of
Assamese Muslims
embraces age-old Guests at Kokoro attending a Bodhi Cha ceremony.
influences and local
ingredients to create a TEA NANNY
distinct identity
Jahnabee Borah
India’s very own
tea ceremony
jahnabee.b@livemint.com

L
ast week, the Mumbai-based
home chef Gitika Saikia sent me
a WhatsApp text about her Ram-
zan menu, featuring Assamese Aravinda Anantharaman
Muslim specialities like pulao

with cashews and raisins, minced mutton pak-
odas and chicken curry with potatoes fla-
voured with a squeeze of kaji nemu—consider
it the sourer, juicier cousin of gondhoraj lime.
The menu, titled Meera Pehi’s Ramadan Menu,
piqued my interest.
Meera Rahman was Saikia’s neighbour
about 40 years ago, when she was growing up
in the small town of Namrup in Upper Assam.
“Meera pehi (aunt) would make food for me
when my parents were out of town. We waited
for Eid to be invited to her place. My mother
wasn’t a good cook and Meera pehi’s utmost
love for cooking left a lasting impression on
me as a child. This menu is an ode to her,” says
Saikia, whose Ramzan menu is available till
Sunday.
It is believed Islam was introduced to Assam
by Sufi saints, with Azan Fakir being a notable
name. He came from Baghdad in the 17th cen-
tury and settled in Sivasagar, the capital of the
Ahom kingdom. As it happens, most of the
people interviewed for this story trace their
roots to Sivasagar, though they are settled in
different parts of Assam and India and have
adopted the food practices of the places they
now call home.
Regional cuisine is a product of the inter-
mingling of indigenous ingredients and local
cooking practices. This is evident in the dishes
of the Assamese Muslim community. The
alkaline khar (an ash filtrate that acts like
cooking soda) is used to tenderise meat, the
local rice variety, kunkuni joha, goes into
pulaos, and pani pitha (rice flour crepes) are
eaten with jaggery for breakfast.
Nagaon-based homemaker Jharna Ali says
pani pitha with aloo sabzi is distributed among
the poor who come to pray at the neighbour-
hood mosque. She packs boxes of fruit, pre-
pares lightly fried brown chana (a staple iftar
food item) and cooks semolina halwa for them
too. On the day we speak, she says, “Today I
have soaked half a kilo of chickpeas that will be
prepared like a salad with ginger and corian-
der for the devotees.”
All this is served to the family too, along
with masoor or besan pakodas, red meat bhuna
(roasted) with rice, and a rotating variety of
halwa, from refined flour and semolina to
besan (gram flour). For sehri, the menu is
lighter, with fish or chicken torkari (curry) or
egg curry infused with ground poppy seeds
and served with steamed rice replacing red
meat.
“I can categorically say that biryani
is not part of our food repertoire,” says
Delhi-based media professional Sarwar Borah.
Korma pulao, where rice and meat are cooked
separately and then mixed, is the quintessen-
tial main dish. The rice, caramelised with a lit-
tle sugar, spiced with whole cloves, carda-
mom, cinnamon and bay leaf, is flecked with
onions, cashews and raisins. It is bhuno-ed
continuously with a ladle till it acquires a light
brown colour. The korma has minced-meat
balls simmered in a curd-based gravy with
whole garam masala. Borah says he has seen
some cooks adding a paste of melon seeds for
a creamy texture.
Chillies are used sparingly and the food is
not laden with spices. Salma Rahman, a home-
maker from Dibrugarh, lists onions, garlic,
ginger, whole garam masala, whole
black pepper, zeera (cumin) and
dhania (coriander) pow-
der as the main spi-
ces in her kitchen
(clockwise, from above) ‘Pulao’,
fried chicken and red meat
‘torkari’ at Jharna Ali’s home; ‘iftar’
food boxes for the mosque
packed by Ali; and ‘shami kebabs’.
cabinet. She uses these in varying proportions
and combinations to make korma, simple
chicken or fish curries and roast.
The Assamese Muslim roast is not baked, it’s
slow-cooked in a pan. Large pieces of chicken
are marinated for more than two hours in vin-
egar and ginger-garlic paste, then cooked with
onion, and, just before the dish is taken off the
flame, a bit of ketchup is added. It is paired
with parathas. Served during Ramzan, this is
a must-have at weddings too, says Rahman.
The use of vinegar to cook meats is unique
to Assamese Muslims. Jharna Ali needs it to
cook her popular red meat gravy dish. Meat
pie, baked minced meat coated with biscuit
or bread crumbs, is another speciality. Per-
haps ingredients like vinegar and dishes such
as pies and puddings were introduced by the
British, who set up tea estates in Assam, set-
tled there for more than 150 years and
worked closely with the Assamese Muslim
community. Borah points out that there is
even a koni pudding, the localised version of
caramel custard.
Ali’s iftar and Eid spreads have a remarkable
variety of baked treats, from cakes and cookies
to puddings. She makes moon-shaped naank-
hatai for the Eid feast and distributes khejuri
(a cookie made with refined flour, sugar and
eggs) among neighbours and family.
For Eid, kebabs and kormas are placed on
the table. Usually, there are two types—shami
kebab and Nargisi kofta stuffed with boiled
eggs. There’s also a vegetarian kebab made
with kas kol, or raw banana. With YouTube
making recipes accessible, one can also find
the occasional galouti, seekh kebab and batter-
fried KFC-style chicken.
Jolpaan, Assamese for a small meal or
breakfast, includes bora saul (sticky
rice), mixed with egg mildly spiced
with onion and green chill-
ies. It’s eaten by some dur-
ing sehri too.
Borah notes,
“Simply put,
Assamese Muslim
food, like most regional
dishes of east India, is laden
with rice, meat and potatoes.” One
could say it has imbibed the best of
culinary influences and regional flavours.
T
his week’s story comes from Saptarshi, a reader of this
column, who wrote to me about a tea ceremony at San-
tiniketan, West Bengal. Called Bodhi Cha, it’s designed
by Nilanjan Bandyopadhyay, an artist and a calligrapher, who
felt that as a nation of tea drinkers, with fine teas growing here,
we ought to have a ceremony befitting them.
The tea ceremony borrows from the Chinese and Japanese
traditions of gongfu and sado, respectively, but Bandyopad-
hyay has introduced elements to make it an Indian one, as
much about the tea as about harmony. The accessories are
chosen as carefully as the tea. There is no charge. One partici-
pates by paying attention to the tea and the process of tea-
making; a YouTube link to a ceremony is available on the
channel Kokoro Santiniketan.
“It was in Japan that I learnt how to drink Darjeeling tea,”
says Bandyopadhyay on phone. As is the case with most Ben-
gali families, milk tea was a fixture at home. On his first trip to
Japan in 1999, he was served the sencha. He also tasted fine
Darjeelings—and it changed his perception of tea. From then,
it was “2g of tea in 150g of hot water, steeped for five minutes”.
However, it was the process of tea-making that left an
impact. We pay little attention to how tea is made, he says: the
process of choosing utensils, the bowls, the pot and the tea,
and then the tea itself, untainted by anything else.
I learn that Rabindranath Tagore saw tea as a way to estab-
lish friendships and invited tea masters to Santiniketan. On his
first trip to Japan in 1916, Tagore is said to have attended a tea
festival and later wrote, “Immersing oneself in the profundity
of beauty away from disorder and intemperance is the essence
of the tea celebration.”
For Bandyopadhyay, Bodhi Cha, which he started in 2021,
is about beauty, in the flowers chosen, the calligraphy and
poetry he adds, the garden, and even just a clean home. People
can contact him via his Instagram handle (kokoro.santini-
ketan) or on Facebook; if he’s available, he accommodates
requests.
My favourite part of the story is of the time Bandyopadhyay
considered creating a custom Bodhi Cha blend. He asked the
Japanese tea master Ajioka whether he had ever wanted a
blend of his choice. Ajioka said he never had because it would
have meant he was showing disrespect to those who produce
tea. A profound lesson in pride and humility.
Bandyopadhyay dropped the idea of creating a blend.
Instead, he introduced another element to Bodhi Cha, a tiny
cup named the Cup of Humanity. It borrows from the Indian
tradition of first offering food to the gods. This is where the
first tea is offered, as a tribute to those who make the tea, pots
and cups. He hopes the art and practice of Bodhi Cha can offer
a sense of beauty, an acceptance of imperfection, and a
reminder of the joy of changing seasons.
Tea Nanny is a fortnightly series steeped in the world of tea.
Aravinda Anantharaman is a Bengaluru-based tea blogger and
writer who reports on the tea industry.
@AravindaAnanth1

ISTOCKPHOTO

Are there really almonds in your almond milk?

When my husband recently switched Quarter cup almonds soaked in boiling 3-4 cloves garlic
to almond milk for his coffee (it leads to hot water for 10 minutes 1 green chilli
DOUBLE a smaller spike in blood sugar than
cow’s milk in his case), I was shocked to
4 tomatoes, large, ripe
8-10 Italian basil leaves
Half tsp grated ginger
Half tsp salt
TESTED discover that the label showed 15 ingre- 2 cloves garlic -----
dients, with only 5% almond content. In 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp oil
N A N D I TA an ideal world, the label should have Half tsp salt 2 green cardamons
IYER read “almonds and water”. 1 bay leaf
It is quite easy to make your own Method Half tsp cumin seeds
almond milk but it can be a messy affair. Peel off the skin from the blanched Half cup thick yogurt (not sour)

A
few almonds soaked overnight,
peeled meditatively and
munched on is a little oasis of
self-care on a busy morning.
Our earlier generations enjoyed
almonds whole as a part of their morn-
ing routines, a special garnish for hal-
was and other sweets, or entire sweet
dishes made with almonds as the main
ingredient, such as badam halwa and
badam kheer. Almonds also make the
base of gravy dishes with the shahi pre-
fix, although cost-cutting measures see
restaurants substituting them with
cheaper alternatives like melon seeds.
With changing times, the use of
almonds has also evolved.
“Where does almond milk come
from” memes are a thing. These are best
enjoyed as images, so let me not spoil
that laugh by writing about it here.
Jokes apart, the almond milk market in
India is at a nascent stage but with rising
awareness of lactose intolerance,
increasing adoption of veganism and
growing concerns about animal welfare
and environmental sustainability, it is
poised to grow rapidly.
All you need to do is soak a handful of
almonds, blend them with water, filter it
through a nut milk bag, and you have
your own home-made, one-ingredient
almond milk. Coffees, smoothies and
almond milk yogurt are the common
uses for almond milk.
If the reason to switch to almond milk
is sustainability, then you must be
aware of these facts. Almond trees are
notorious for their water requirement,
making matters worse in drought-
prone California, which produces 80%
of the world’s supply and 100% of the
US’ commercial supply. They need
water all year round, even when they
are not producing almonds.
Another issue is with the bees
required for their pollination. Almond
farmers often rent honeybee colonies
from beekeepers to ensure adequate
pollination. During almond pollination
season, a small window of three weeks,
there is a high demand for honeybees.
To meet this demand, beekeepers
transport their bee colonies across the
country on flatbed trucks and drive for
many days or weeks to reach California.
(left) Pesto trapanese; and ‘shahi’ gravy.
Cross-country driving aside, this pro-
cess can lead to disease in bees as well as
displacement of the local wild bee pop-
ulation. This just goes to show how sus-
tainability is never black or white. Liv-
ing in India, milk from an environmen-
tally responsible local dairy farm may be
far more sustainable than processed
almond milk from almonds grown
unsustainably in California, at the other
end of the globe. And way cheaper too.
With the popularity of the keto diet,
almond flour has become a popular sub-
stitute for plain flour. It is low in carbs
and high in fat and protein, making it an
excellent choice for breading, baking,
even pizza crust. Almond meal, a
coarser form of almond flour, is also
PHOTOGRAPHS BY NANDITA IYER
available and used for similar purposes.
Almond butter is another new-age
way to eat almonds—spread on toast,
add to oatmeal or top smoothie bowls.
While almond butter is rich in fibre,
vitamin E, calcium and magnesium,
peanut butter scores slightly higher in
protein and is much more affordable.
Whether consuming almonds whole,
as a garnish or in one of the new-age
avatars, it is good to eat them in modera-
tion as they are an energy-dense food—
and not entirely sustainable.
PESTO TRAPANESE
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients
almonds. Transfer to a medium hot pan
and toast for five minutes or until lightly
golden. Make cross-cuts on the toma-
toes and immerse them in boiling hot
water for two-three minutes. Remove
and place in a bowl of cold water. Peel
off skins, quarter the tomatoes, scoop
out seeds, chop roughly and keep aside.
To make the pesto, coarsely blend
together basil, garlic, extra virgin olive
oil, almonds and salt in a food processor.
Add chopped tomatoes and blend to get
a smooth pesto. Toss the cooked pasta
in this sauce and top with garnishes like
basil or grated Parmesan cheese.
WHITE BASE GRAVY/SHAHI GRAVY
(Makes a base for restaurant-style pan-
eer, kofta or vegetable dishes)
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients
For the paste
Quarter cup almonds
2 tbsp cashews
1 tbsp melon seeds
1 cup roughly chopped onions (use
white onions if possible)
A pinch of garam masala powder
Method
In a small pressure cooker, combine all
the ingredients for the paste. Add quar-
ter cup water and pressure-cook for five
minutes after full pressure (one whistle).
Open the cooker and let it cool. Blend
the ingredients to a smooth paste (you
may peel the almonds before blending
but it’s not necessary).
In a pan, heat the oil. Sauté the green
cardamom, bay leaf and cumin seeds.
Add the prepared paste and sauté on
medium flame for three-four minutes.
Lower the flame and add the yogurt,
with constant stirring. Sprinkle garam
masala and stir to combine. The shahi
gravy is ready for use.
Double Tested is a fortnightly column
on vegetarian cooking, highlighting a
single ingredient prepared two ways.
Nandita Iyer’s latest book is The Great
Indian Thali—Seasonal Vegetarian
Wholesomeness (Roli Books).
@saffrontrail

The double-breasted blazer
is back, in a chic avatar
PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY INSTAGRAM/SHALEENANATHANI
Dhara Vora Sabhnani
ick any popular Hindi film
P from the 1990s and chances
are you will find leading
male actors, from Shah
Rukh Khan and Anil
Kapoor to Sanjay Dutt, in stuffy, boxy dou-
ble-breasted jackets.
During the 2000s, these fell out of
favour. The male millennial viewed dou-
ble-breasted jackets, with the couple of
buttons sitting symmetrical to one
another, along with an overlapping front
closure, as something worn by grandpas
or leaders, thanks to its oversized look and
exaggerated features that broaden the
shoulders and cover the waist.
Fast-forward to 2023 and the double-
breasted blazer is slowly becoming part of
the casual wardrobe. From Ranveer Singh
and Austin Butler to Harry Styles and
Machine Gun Kelly, the double-breasted
jacket, or the DB as it’s now popularly
called, is being worn casually over jeans or
chinos, even in solid colours on the red
carpet. One of the reasons for its return is
the resurgence of tailored pieces, with
brands like Etro, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis
Vuitton and Gucci giving classic silhou-
ettes a modern makeover. Unlike the DB
of the past, today’s version is sleeker and
cut shorter, as could be seen at the latest
edition of Pitti Uomo, the bi-annual men-
swear gathering in Italy.
THE CHANGING SHAPES
“The origins of the double-breasted jacket
go back to a distinctly casual style called a
reefer jacket,” says celebrity stylist Sheefa
Gilani. “Like many men’s jackets, the
Cutting through the skincare clatter
Star dermatologist
Jaishree Sharad’s new
book offers a level-
headed understanding
of skincare
The Skincare Answer
Book: By Dr Jaishree
Sharad, Penguin
Random House India,
344 pages, ₹299.
reefer jacket was born in the sporting
world. Considered inappropriate by many
businesses, it was worn casually as outer-
wear for sporting events and country
affairs. The 1930s and 1940s saw it evolve
into a business-formal look, favoured by
bankers, businessmen, even the mafia.”
The DB was also fit for royalty.
Vangmayi Parakala
vangmayi.parakala@htlive.com
T
he celebrity endorsements in star
dermatologist Jaishree Sharad’s
third book, which has just released,
are strong: It opens with nine pages of tes-
timonials and messages from popular
names, in addition to front and back cover
blurbs, from Bollywood actors like Ami-
tabh Bachchan, Alia Bhatt and Dimple
Kapadia. Through blurbs and forewords,
Bachchan’s support, for instance, has fea-
tured in her previous two books, Skin
Talks (2014) and Skin Rules (2018), too.
Other than this, The Skincare Answer
Book is one of the drabbest examples of
self-help in beauty that I have seen in a
long time—and for someone who has
learnt most of what she knows about skin-
care from social media videos, what sweet
relief that it is.
I turned 30 during the pandemic. Hit-
ting a milestone age like this is never easy,
either mentally or physically—and being
locked down, with unmatched levels of
anxiety about and around the world rising,
only made it a little more complicated. It
was around this time, with little to no IRL
interactions, that I found myself drawn to
beautifully filmed skincare videos online.
They would hype up just the very basic
human act of a stranger on the internet
washing their face, tapping in some serum
and slathering on a moisturiser.
Watching these felt oddly comforting,
even calming. When their previously tired
faces revealed themselves as fresher,
softer and more relaxed versions, the vid-
eos bordered on the hypnotic.
For many middle-millennials, these
videos and Reels, which boomed espe-
cially during the pandemic, brought a
STYLE
“Originally designed as a sporting suit
for the British aristocracy, the double-
breasted jacket was considered informal
attire until it was popularised by the
Prince of Wales in the 1920s and 1930s,”
says Harmann Kaur, stylist to stars like
Vijay Deverakonda and Allu Arjun.
Old-school DB suits (remember the
shift in understanding, and engaging with,
skincare as a daily lifestyle choice. In
October 2022, Kofluence, a platform that
connects brands with influencers, carried
a piece which noted that “millions of
Indian men and women from varying
socioeconomic backgrounds are increas-
ingly joining a flourishing consumer base
for India’s budding beauty and personal
care industry…80% of consumers prefer
to make purchases based on influencer
recommendations”.
This may seem trivial to state now but
for a large section of us, a visit to the der-
matologist is still largely considered only
for a medical need; it is not a choice for
detailed and disciplined DIY upkeep. We
did not have anyone hand us a detailed but
quick breakdown of the steps to follow
every day, like Sharad—herself pretty big
on social media—does at the end of the
chapter on Layering Of Skincare Products.
The simple, tabulated format, one for day-
care and one for nightcare, marks out
what is optional and what especially dry
skin might necessitate.
During the lockdowns, stuck in the loop
of endless days indoors, it was not easy to
turn away from the lure of routines egging
me on to experiment with serums and
actives. Especially because a few months
into 30, it felt like even the slightest devi-
ance in my day would show up on my skin:
Dehydration, especially if dinner the pre-
vious night included alcohol, meant I
would wake up with terribly oily skin the
next day; a bad night’s sleep would make
my face visibly dull and my smile lines
starker; and just as I thought I would never
have to deal with acne again, a more stub-
born version flared up with a vengeance.
These were not just cosmetic concerns.
The frustration and helplessness at how
COURTESY/SHEEFAJGILANI
(from top, left) Shah Rukh Khan;
Deepika Padukone; Chris Pine; and
(above) Mrunal Thakur.
ones the gangsters would wear in Holly-
wood?) were characterised by their boxy,
looser shape. Kaur says a well-fitting DB
jacket must be slightly longer than your
usual suit, elongating your silhouette, as it
tends to look boxy otherwise. The back
panel should fall slightly below your bot-
tom, while the front should just about pass
the crotch of your trousers. Broad or slim,
the collar should rest against the collar of
your shirt and ensure there are no gaps or
bunching when you turn your body, she
suggests.
“Look for a slightly shorter jacket than
The book offers bite-sized responses to questions.
the largest organ of my body was getting
so easily affected by anything and every-
thing could have been better calmed and
helped by the almost-boring, textbook-
like approach Sharad takes in The Skin-
care Answer Book than the exciting and
well-produced glamour of skincare con-
tent on Instagram. The latter only pushed
the many new products of the $26.8 bil-
lion (around ₹2.2 trillion) Indian personal
care industry my way, with only a side of
information.
I did pick up a fair bit of the lingo online.
From being raised on wholesome sunni
Whether it’s the male or
female wardrobe, the
boxy garment is
undergoing a makeover,
becoming a must-have
AP
HOW TO
STYLE A DB
u Think of fit, colour and fabric
u Ensure your DB jacket is a bit
longer than the usual suit, to
help elongate the silhouette.
The back panel should fall
slightly below your bottom,
while the front should just
about pass the crotch of your
trousers. For colours, you can
opt for bolds as well as neutrals,
depending on your mood. In
terms of fabric, try to stick with
cotton during summers and
wool for winters.
u For a formal look, opt for a
crisp shirt underneath, along
with a tie. When in the mood for
something casual, try a fitted
T-shirt.
—By stylists Sheefa Gilani and
Harmann Kaur
ISTOCKPHOTO
pindi (an ubtan typically made in Andhra
homes, a mild exfoliant) and Mysore San-
dal Soap, I thought I was now fluent in
AHAs, BHAs and the benefits of hyalu-
ronic acid versus ceramides. Had I read
Sharad’s book, though, I would have
known better than to buy random BHA
serums. Instead of the reduced acne and
blackheads one expects from using BHAs,
an Instagram-popular brand’s serum left
me with a bright red rash and burning skin
(this industry’s alarming lack of access to
patch tests or sample sizes for online
orders did not help). It is only upon read-
SAturdAy, 1 April 2023
AhmedAbAd 07
the average single-breasted blazer and
wide peak lapels that broaden your upper
body for maximum alpha male posturing,”
says Gilani. “The DB can be styled for any
occasion, just as long as you are willing to
get noticed.”
Gilani likes styling male and female
stars in a DB as it broadens the shoulders,
cinches the waist and hides the belly.
“You can dress it up, play it straight-laced
and corporate, or unbutton the stuffy
connotations with a boxy fit that slopes off
the shoulders. Whatever your preferred
style, it will see you right through job
interviews, first dates, corporate away
days, party season and more,” she says.
“Single-breasted blazers simply aren’t as
versatile.”
If you are petite and do not want your
torso to look elongated, or if you are con-
scious of wide shoulders, you can avoid
the DB and wear what makes you feel con-
fident. Today’s versions, however, “are
slimmer all over, which makes them much
more flattering and wearable. If the stom-
ach area of the jacket is cut slim instead of
looking like a square, it will help you shave
off a couple of inches,” says Gilani. “That
said, make sure the jacket doesn’t pull
when buttoned and that the lapels lay flat.
When it comes to fit, too tight is just as
unflattering as too big.”
MANY WAYS TO WEAR
Bright, bold colours (even peachy nude
tones, often worn by Justin Bieber and
Post Malone) are all the rage right now. If
you feel like experimenting, a colourful
DB or even a blue DB with gold buttons
can add a dash of character to simple tai-
loring. “With the right shoes and tie, a col-
ourful DB can also be styled as formal
attire. A T-shirt and sneakers with your
DB is a safe bet,” suggests Kaur.
You can even choose a unique fabric for
the jacket, giving your simple DB blazer a
stand-out look.
“Bold or classic, you need a contrast
between the top and bottom but one that
works harmoniously. Think cream and
olive or brown and charcoal,” says Gilani.
Before you go for a DB, do consider the
fabric: linen for summer, wool for winter.
“Finally, the little peacocky touches that
you pretend were just an accident or after-
thought: some pleated trousers, contrast
buttons, tonal pocket square and tassel
loafers,” recommends Gilani.
According to Kaur, you can wear a fitted
DB jacket with a crisp shirt and tie for a
formal look. For a relaxed yet formal look,
pair the blazer with a turtleneck or leave
your shirt buttons undone. Or just roll up
your sleeves for the effortless casual look.
As boxy, masculine cuts find their way
back into fashion, this 1990s-style power
dressing makes the DB a stylish bet for any
wardrobe.
Dhara Vora Sabhnani is a Mumbai-
based journalist.
ing Sharad’s book that I have realised
what might have gone wrong: She
explains that for a person with sensitive
skin, like me, AHA and BHA serums are
better avoided. “You can use a polyhy-
droxy acid-based serum for mild chemical
exfoliation,” she writes.
Before jumping into the sea of recom-
mendations online, Sharad’s book would
be a great kiddie pool, divided into sec-
tions starting from the Basics Of Skin,
building towards Active Ingredients, Lay-
ering Of Skincare Products, and on to Skin
Aging and Home Use Gadgets.
While the book hasn’t offered me any-
thing new on topics I was already inter-
ested in, it is a great resource for a level-
headed, foundational understanding of
skincare—whether it is as basic as the need
to double-cleanse or topics as specialised
as HIFU (high-intensity focused ultra-
sound) or the Morpheus 8, a radio-fre-
quency micro-needling device.
Her passages are bite-sized responses to
questions. They do not set out to “influ-
ence”, only to inform, while their length
keeps in mind the attention spans they are
fighting for. They just about prepare the
reader enough to know what they need to
seek from a dermatologist when consider-
ing a lifestyle change or a medical inter-
vention. What an individual follows up on
from this is, as Sharad iterates through the
book, best left to these specialists.
I couldn’t help but notice that the
unglamorous FAQ style also keeps time
with the rise of the “deinfluencer”—a pop-
ular social media person who tries to take
the authenticity game to the next level,
telling you a specific social media-popular
product is not worth your money.
Regardless, I wish I had had this book
sooner.
08 SAturdAy, 1 April 2023
AhmedAbAd
A SUMMER OF
bespoke travel
Far removed from
must-do lists,
experience curators
are spinning their
adventures into
itineraries for the
discerning traveller
Avantika Bhuyan
avantika.bhuyan@htlive.com
I
n Roads To Mussoorie, an anthology of
stories, Ruskin Bond wrote: “The
adventure is not in getting some-
where, it’s on-the-way experience. It
is not the expected: it’s the surprise.”
But what is it that makes an adventure memo-
rable? I would like to believe that the secret
sauce to any sojourn, that which makes it
momentous, even life-changing, lies in the
people you meet en route. It is that human
touch that uplifts any trip, whether it is a pow-
erful raconteur, who spends an evening narrat-
ing a region’s vibrant folklore, or a social entre-
preneur, who introduces you to the cheese-
making tradition of nomadic tribes. You could
meet a former army officer who knows trails in
the mountains like the back of his hand, or a
former advertising professional who curates
the most fabulous Famous Five-esque farm
adventures.
These are people who don’t just bring a place
alive but also add meaning to your holiday. So,
this summer, why not travel for the people and
not just the destination? Lounge suggests eight
destinations that will be made all the more
memorable by the people you meet.
Follow the path of shepherds
in Tons Valley, Uttarakhand
With Anand Sankar
Experience the pastoral life, taking the sheep to high-altitude grasslands
with the shepherds, spending the days making goat cheese or foraging in
the jungle for edibles. Anand Sankar, a former journalist who runs the eco-
tourism social enterprise Tons Trails in Uttarakhand, does two nomad trails
every summer. The six-day moderate one takes you up to Beejay Dhar, or
the musk deer mountain, at 11,500ft, offering stunning views of the Supin
and Rupin valleys. The 11-day intensive trail leads up to Barad Sar, a glacial
lake at 14,100ft, and is followed by a trek to Manjhi Van, a grassland at
14,600ft, where you camp with the shepherds at Kukar Kanda.
Sankar’s knowledge of the region and pastoral community ensures the
journey is filled with nuggets of information. On the moderate trail, for
instance, you may have dinner cooked over a shepherd’s campfire, try goat
cheese making sessions with locals and explore the remote village of Kalap.
If you aren’t keen on hiking, there’s a three-day heritage trail to the upper
Tons Valley, redolent with myths from the Mahabharat. You visit Rupin val-
ley, going up to Doni village, where you stay in a traditional wooden “Chowk-
hat” home and trek to the pristine village of Khanna. Sankar’s aim is to
empower the locals while offering a unique experience to travellers. “Hence,
we do only small groups, with the upper limit being 12 guests. We strictly
follow a ‘leave no trace’ policy, picking up our own garbage and recycling. All
our trips are led by people from the local community,” he says.
The nomad trails are priced at ₹18,000-31,000, the heritage trail at
₹9,500-11,500.
COVER
Enjoy a heritage
home with your pets
at Jambughoda
Palace, Gujarat
With the Jambughoda Family
This heritage home in Gujarat’s Panchmahal dis-
trict never has less than five dogs. “The number
could go up to 13-15 at times,” laughs Bhavna Devi,
whose family owns the Jambughoda Palace.
The estate’s history stretches back 600 years,
when the Jambughoda state was founded by the
Parmars, a Rajput royal family from Dhar. Today,
besides dogs, you can see a flock of geese strolling
on the front lawns. “In the 1900s, we had around 25
horses in the palace. So we have always coexisted
with animals—pets and otherwise—at home,” she
adds. The 12-acre compound, within which the heri-
tage property is located, is surrounded by mango
orchards and farmland.
During summer, you can treat yourself to the 12
varieties of mango that grow on the estate or listen
to stories from Bhavna Devi and her family—her
mother-in-law, Gyaneshwari Devi, and her husband,
Karmaveer Sinhji.
Her father-in-law, Vikramsinhji, worked with Ver-
ghese Kurien when the National Dairy Development
Board was set up in the 1970s and introduced dairy
farming to Jambughoda taluka, starting the first milk
cooperative. Today, the area has around 34 milk
cooperatives, four operated entirely by women. You
can get a glimpse of the lives of indigenous commu-
nities such as the Rathwas and Nayaks or head to
Champaner, a 40-minute drive away, to take in the
exquisite fusion architecture.
The Jambughoda family, which continues to live in
the oldest part of the property, has opened 21 rooms
to travellers since 2000. You won’t just stay in a
beautiful room but a space that is imbued with his-
tory. Ingredients from the farm are used to bring
generations-old recipes to life, slow-cooked on a
wood fire. “I have been told by a lot of travellers that
living in a heritage home is a very different experi-
ence as the family is always around to interact with
them. It is a place that has soul,” says Bhavna Devi.
Prices for the three categories of rooms range
from ₹2,500-7,000, plus taxes, a night.
The perfect forest adventure
in Sangla, Himachal Pradesh
With Ajay Sud
At the Banjara Camps and Retreats, a collection of Swiss tents and cotta-
ges set in an apple orchard 6km from Sangla town, you wake up to the gur-
gle of the Baspa river and the sight of Kinner Kailash shining golden in the
sun. After a hearty breakfast, you set out with Ajay Sud for a four- to five-
hour hike. Sud, a former Indian Army officer, guides you patiently, keeping
up a steady supply of kind words and stories. He knows the region from
Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti to Manali intimately, having travelled it extensively
since 1993 with his friend, Rajesh Ojha. In fact, Banjara Camps and
Retreats—spread across the northern Himalaya—was born out of this love
for the mountains and the wish to share this joy with like-minded travellers.
The Rakcham hike is just one of the trails that introduce you to the forests
and glaciers of Sangla. You can start from the Banjara property and cross
the river up to Batseri village, see old wooden houses with massive, com-
plex locks, and be joined very often by genial Pahadi dogs. The landscape
changes dramatically, with lush green vistas giving way to the icy tips of a
glacier, eventually opening up to golden forests of sea buckthorn. The hike
ends with a breathtaking view of the valley below and the snow-capped
mountains ahead.You could also walk to Chitkul, the last Indian village on
the Indo-Tibetan border, and make a phone call from the last Indian tele-
phone booth there.
A double room costs ₹11,000, plus GST, while an orchard hut is priced at
₹12,500, plus GST, per night.
The Udayan Building in the Uttarayan complex of Santiniketan.
R STORY
Up close and personal with
Kashmir’s craft heritage
With Gulzar Hussain
There is something meditative about watching a sozani shawl maker at
work. After needles thread their way through the fabric over hours, exqui-
site patterns of shikaras, the lotus on the Dal lake and beautiful flora spill on
to the shawls. “Every single day for two years, an artisan spends seven hours
on a single shawl,” says Gulzar Hussain, co-founder of Frozen Himalayas,
which focuses on unique and sustainable ways of travel through the western
Himalaya.
The organisation runs a customised craft trail through Srinagar, focusing
on the heritage keepers of the city. You can watch embroiderers work with
silk skeins on jamawar shawls and hear stories about mystics who practised
this art for its meditative qualities, or watch papier-mâché artists create
exquisite pieces with gold, mineral dyes and cats’ hair brushes. The trail
focuses on some of the major crafts in the region, including walnut wood-
work. Hussain doesn’t just take you for a rendezvous with the artists, he also
offers historical and modern context to these crafts.
Walk in the old city, starting from Zaina Kadal, and get a glimpse of the
Mughal and local architecture that has inspired craftspersons. The trail
takes you to culinary landmarks such as Ahdoos for a traditional Kashmiri
wazwan meal as well.
This unique initiative started as a collaboration between Hussain and
Jammu and Kashmir Tourism 12 years ago. “The government asked us to run
the trail and today an intensive craft tour takes around five nights-six days,”
says Hussain. Those pressed for time can do a truncated version spanning
three-four hours.
The trail design aims to battle fake Kashmiri crafts in the market. “We
connect the craftsperson straight with the customer. Also, buying craft
need not be the superficial process that it has become. Why not know more
about the story behind each craft and craftsperson? When you see the
process, each piece acquires newer meaning,” he adds.
The trail, which costs around ₹80,000 per person on twin-sharing basis,
includes pick-ups from the airport and accommodation.
Soak in the Santiniketan vibe at Amoli, West Bengal
With Bidisha Tagore and Aloke Ghosh
The sense of aesthetic at Amoli is very strong—warm, open spaces
tastefully done up with contemporary wooden accents, local crafts
and textiles. Plants flourish. This home-stay, with
four guest rooms, a café and a store, has been
conceptualised by Bidisha Tagore and Aloke
Ghosh, a couple in their 60s, who used to live in
Mumbai. The added attraction is that it is walking
distance from the Visva-Bharati University, mak-
ing Amoli the preferred destination for poets,
artists, photographers and writers.
“After Aloke retired, I asked my mother, who
lives in Santiniketan, to move in with us in Mum-
bai. She refused as she had lived there for so long
and had a strong community,” reminisces Bidisha.
Ghosh had always wanted to return to Santini-
ketan, the couple’s alma mater. “I had always
dreamt of starting a café with a little place to stay
and a curio shop,” she adds. Luckily, the couple
had some land right next to where Bidisha’s mother lived. The archi-
tectural and décor plans for Amoli began to fall in place from 2017.
ISTOCKPHOTO Today, the two houses stand connected, with Bidisha’s mother
SAturdAy, 1 April 2023
AhmedAbAd 09
Embark on a cacao trail at
Varanashi Farms, Karnataka
With Partha Varanashi
It’s time to don your Willy Wonka hats and immerse yourself in the world
of chocolate at Varanashi Organic Farms. Located in Adyanadka in Dakshin
Kannada district, this natural haven sprawls over about 100 acres, with
seven irrigation ponds, a river and a rivulet crisscrossing its pristine land-
scape. It feels like a veritable Eden, with 60% of the farm still untouched
forest, while the rest of the land has multilayered crop trees such as areca
nut, coconut, nutmeg, banana, black pepper, and, of course, cacao, all
grown on regenerative farming principles.
The land has been with the Varanashi family for at least 200 years, passed
down through six generations. Today, the youngest member, Partha—a
coach for team India in the 2019 World Aquatics Championships and a men-
tor for movement sports and aquatic education—manages it. It’s an ideal
destination for families who wish to be one with nature or corporate teams
keen to experience a minimalist lifestyle.
The cacao trail, spanning three/five days, is a highlight and you can often
hear children squealing in excitement at the small chocolate-making facility.
“We prefer to do this in groups. You see the entire process of grafting, har-
vesting cacao pods, seed removal, fermentation and more on the farm. We
have an expert chocolatier, Ketaki Churi, who takes the groups through
tree-to-bar chocolate-making. So you go back with a bar you have created,”
explains Partha.
You can learn about regenerative farming practices, take walks, or go
kayaking and open-water swimming. “We take people to water caves in the
vicinity. In fact, one of the farmers, Amai Mahalinga Naik, has won a Padma
Shri for having built a water cave himself and we take guests to his farm,”
adds Partha. Varanashi is not a resort but a farm-stay, so make sure not to
Learn bullock cart riding at add to the carbon footprint by taking plastic bottles.
The cacao trail costs ₹1,500-6,000 per day, depending on whether you
this farm in Maharashtra pick a dorm, room, mud cottage or treehouse.
With Rahul and Sampada Kulkarni
In the tiny village of Phungus, in the verdant Ratnagiri region, lies a farm
where birds are forever chirping, the cattle are always happy and the trees
abound with fruit. The Farm of Happiness is run by Rahul and Sampada
Kulkarni, a former creative director at an advertising firm and an actor,
respectively, who left their jobs in Mumbai in 2007 to follow their passion
for agro-tourism.
The Farm of Happiness, which they opened to guests in 2014, has not just
emerged as an example of sustainable farming but as a cosy, comforting
space for children. “We warn families that there is no television or mobile
network. Initially, parents are worried if their children will take to this kind of
life but within hours, when they see kids running after the chickens or taking
the cattle grazing, they are pleasantly surprised,” says Rahul.
The food comes from the farm, where crops and vegetables are grown
only for sustenance, not for commercial purposes. “Whatever you need and
what the land allows” is their farming motto. So, you will find a lot of ragi
(finger millet), paddy, turmeric, gourds, beans and lentils on the menu.
“A farm is a most exciting place for a child, who thinks everything comes
from a supermarket. They have never seen a cashew fruit drop or played
with a calf; 95% of the kids don’t want to go back. We get very mushy, wet-
eyed goodbye hugs with requests like ‘can I take the bull home?’, ‘can I play
with the dog one more time?’” says Rahul. Children even get a bullock cart
riding licence.
You can work on the farm, pick out vegetables for meals and go on nature
trails. Nightwalks, pre-monsoon, are a huge attraction, with the fireflies
eliciting gasps of wonder. The Kulkarnis encourage stargazing sessions for
children and also take them birdwatching, introducing them to a vibrant
world inhabited by the green bee-eater, purple sunbird, red wattled lapwing
and Malabar whistling thrush. Do keep seasonality in mind, though, and
don’t expect all the crops, birds and other fauna to be present at all times.
A two-day package costs ₹12,000 per room for two adults, with addi-
tional costs for children depending on the age group.
A river safari on the Chambal,
Rajasthan/Uttar Pradesh
With Kunal Jain
For the longest time, the Chambal river and its ravines were associated
with dacoits. Kunal Jain’s Agra, Uttar Pradesh-based travel agency Travel
With hopes to change that perception through a Chambal river safari that
aims to create awareness of the area’s rich biodiversity.
For little do people who visit Agra realise that one of the country’s “most
alive river ecosystems” is barely an hour away. The Chambal is home, among
others, to the critically endangered gharial, marsh crocodiles, eight species
of turtles, including the red-crowned roofed turtle, Gangetic river dolphins
and Indian skimmer. During the two- to three-hour safari, you could also
spot the striped hyena, jackal, jungle cat and desert fox on land.
Jain’s fascination with the river is linked to his journey in conservation and
tourism. He was working as an auditor in Singapore when he took a sabbati-
cal and volunteered with the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Centre
for Wildlife Studies. He started Travel With in 2018.
Jain serves not just as a naturalist but as a sutradhar, or narrator, of leg-
ends. He talks about the contribution of the ravines’ residents to the first
war of independence in 1857, particularly in Bhareh—where the Chambal
merges with the Yamuna, and which is the site of a medieval fortress. In 1857,
the British only managed to recapture the fort after getting on to French
frigates brought to the Chambal and firing cannons at the fort walls.
Local legend suggests the Chambal area is where Draupadi was disrobed.
She cursed the land and its people. “...these (stories) have been passed
down through time and kept the river largely undisturbed,” says Jain. Fear of
dacoits ensured no factories or buildings came up either, other than in Kota.
Jain organises the safaris from October-March—this year, he has
extended it to April, since the weather has remained cool. Jain reminds
groups to take back the garbage, be quiet and respectful of wildlife, and
observe safety norms. “Stow your mobile phones away, drink in the sights
and sounds of the river as what you are going to see, you won’t see any-
where else in the world (in the wild). I am here to take images with my cam-
era, which I share with all my guests. Nothing should come between the
Chambal and you,” says Jain.
Prices, starting from ₹12,000, depend on the size of the group and the
duration of the safari.
closely associated with running the home-stay.
Bidisha put dishes she could cook well, both Bengali and Western,
on the menu and today people can’t stop gushing about the food.
“We employed people from the village and trained
them in every aspect of running the place. It was
our way of giving back to the community. We also
have equal opportunities for people with learning
disabilities. It has been a year and a half since we
opened and the response has been great. We
have built a little Amoli community (of repeat
visitors),” says Bidisha.
A stone’s throw from the university, Amoli has a
close association with the Tagore family of Joras-
anko. Bidisha’s father was the grandson of artist
Gaganendranath Tagore and the décor and archi-
tectural elements have been informed by stories
of his childhood. “In the Tagore home, during any
auspicious occasion, a light fish was bought. And
after a small ceremony, it would be thrown into
this one well. It was where all the kids learnt to fish. I simply had to
have those little elements in the architecture,” says Bidisha.
Double rooms are priced ₹6,000 onwards (inclusive of breakfast). The red-crowned roofed turtle. KUNAL JAIN
10 SAturdAy, 1 April 2023
AhmedAbAd
A day out in Scotland’s
silver city, Aberdeen
Aberdeen offers
everything from
’golden sands’ and
North Sea views to an
iconic football ground
Nitin Sreedhar
nitin.s@htlive.com
I
t’s called the silver city and as my
taxi approaches the outskirts of
Aberdeen, I begin to understand
why. You look around and you
see granite buildings every-
where. Granite is a key element in the
architecture of Aberdeen, the third most
populous city in Scotland.
Why silver? That’s because when sun-
light hits the mica crystals in the granite,
the buildings sparkle. Even though I reach
Aberdeen on a particularly overcast and
windy day in March, there is still a lot to
admire about the city.
Aberdeen began as two burghs—old
Aberdeen and Aberdeen—that eventu-
ally became one in 1891. Today, it is a
curious mix of its history and a modern
“supercity”.
My visit, in fact, began in old Aberdeen,
from where I decide to walk around.
Running into Charlie Chaplin in Vevey
A little town on Lake
Geneva was home to the
iconic actor for 25 years.
Today his presence
remains as strong as ever
Anita Rao Kashi
T
he mid-morning air is nippy and
crisp, carrying the distinctive fresh-
ness that comes from a freshwater
lake. The lake surface is still and glassy,
broken by gentle ripples near the pebbly
shore where a gaggle of geese dive in for
breakfast in turns. In the backdrop are
dark blue hills, their summits an uneven
line under an unbelievably blue sky spec-
kled with clouds that seem like tufts of
white cotton. Along the lake’s edge is a
promenade lined with linden trees and
beds of colourful flowers. Except for a few
walkers, some with dogs, it is deserted. It’s
meditative to sit on the low promenade
wall and soak in the sight and the silence.
No surprise then that Vevey, on the east-
ern end of Lac Leman, or Lake Geneva, in
Switzerland, has attracted creative people
from the world over for centuries.
I walk along the promenade, Quai Per-
donnet, where it quickly becomes appar-
ent that the town appreciates the illustri-
ous visitors who made Vevey, located in a
region called the Swiss Riviera, their
home for varying lengths of time. It’s
called the “town of images” owing to the
presence of the world-acclaimed Swiss
Camera Museum and school. But some of
its creative guests have possibly contrib-
uted more through written words and
moving images. Along the promenade, I
encounter monuments to Romanian
Before I start, I ask my driver, Allan Reid,
if I should be wary of anything. “Just the
odd drunk near the beach. So avoid going
there after dark,” Reid replies in his thick,
beautiful Scottish accent. “It’s a nice city
otherwise.”
While cabs will be expensive, a practi-
cal—and economical—way of travelling
around Aberdeen is to use the bus net-
work. The First Bus app gives you the
live location of every bus, the nearby
bus stands based on your current loca-
tion, and also allows you to purchase
m-tickets.
As a traveller, I would also recommend
bookmarking Union Square on your navi-
gation apps and map. It is the closest land-
mark to both the Aberdeen railway station
and bus station, apart from being a popu-
lar shopping location. For those who don’t
want to shop, there are plenty of other
landmarks, from a horticultural delight to
an iconic football stadium.
ST MACHAR’S CATHEDRAL
There’s a particular road in the old Aber-
deen region which catches the eye.
Known as the Chanonry, it’s a cobbled
street which leads to the 12th century St
Machar’s Cathedral, located in the city’s
university area. It is now known as a High
Kirk rather than a cathedral, for it has had
no bishop since 1690.
Also known as the Cathedral Church of
romantic poet Mihai Eminescu and Rus-
sian novelist Nikolai Gogol. Elsewhere, I
read that Fyodor Dostoevsky, Graham
Greene, Victor Hugo, Friedrich Engels
and Jean-Jacques Rousseau too called
Vevey home for a time.
One name overshadows them all.
Almost halfway down the Quai Perdonnet,
close to the interactive food museum Ali-
mentarium, surrounded by shrubs and
flower beds, is a bronze statue of Charlie
Chaplin. Evocative of his character in The
Tramp, it’s largely black, with patches of
green and shiny brown, where it has prob-
ably been touched by visitors. Barely life-
size, it was installed in 1989, on the actor’s
birth centenary, and is a tribute to the
town’s most famous resident, who spent
the last 25 years of his life in Vevey.
Even from a distance, the statue exudes
melancholy, an emotion that defined
Chaplin’s role and an aspect that British
sculptor John Doubleday has managed to
capture so beautifully. It’s difficult not to
be drawn into that melancholia.
When a large tour group descends, I
head into town, discovering that Chaplin
is a silent yet dominating presence every-
where. A few metres from the promenade,
I stumble upon one of Vevey’s long-stand-
ing traditions: the bi-weekly market at
Place du Marche. It’s a yawning space, the
size of almost half a football field, and is
the town’s parking space on most days.
Except till 1pm on Tuesdays and Satur-
days, when the market is held.
Aromas vie for attention, with the gen-
tle smell of fresh fruits, vegetables and
greens quickly overpowered by the earthy
aroma from mushrooms and root vegeta-
bles. They have stiff competition from
giant wheels and portioned segments of
cheese, the strong smell tickling the nos-
trils. And then there are the seductive aro-
TRAVEL
(clockwise, from top) The Town House building; St Machar’s Cathedral; and Seaton Park.
St Machar, it is a fine example of a forti-
fied kirk, with twin towers built in the
fashion of 14th century tower houses;
spires were added in the 15th century.
According to records at the National
Churches Trust, a place of worship was
established in this area in about 580 CE.
A stone carved with a Celtic cross, an
indication of the site’s Celtic roots and
believed to have been associated with
this original church, is also on display in
the church.
A unique part of the architecture is its
The Chaplin statue on the banks of Lake Geneva; and (right) the market in Vevey.
mas of warm breads and croissants.
The most magnetic, though, is the scent
of fresh brewed coffee. The first sip deliv-
ers a comforting hit, the perfect boost.
Some accounts say the market began
sometime in the mid-14th century. That it
is rooted in the community is evident:
There is a cheerful air, a bonhomie and
camaraderie between the vendors and
customers that comes from years-long
acquaintance. Knick-knacks such as the
distinctive bowler hat and cane, as well as
postcards and posters related to Chaplin,
catch the eye.
To the right of Place du Marche, narrow
lanes branch off to form Vevey’s old town.
It is filled with pale yellow, pink and white
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM ISTOCKPHOTO
Aberdeen, which began as
two burghs that eventually
became one in 1891, is
today a curious mix of
its history and a
modern ‘supercity’
PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANITA RAO KASHI
buildings, hidden historical monuments,
museums and churches. Some are just
alleys, so narrow it is almost possible to
spread the arms and touch buildings on
either side. Lore has it that Chaplin’s wife,
Oona, would push him in his wheelchair
along these streets and the lakeside,
where he posed for photographs with
tourists.
About 5km north of the Place du
Marche, at the other end of town, is Man-
oir de Ban, a 37-acre estate with a neo-
classical mansion that was his home. On a
London-bound ocean liner for the pre-
miere of his movie Limelight in 1952, he
learnt his permit had been revoked and he
would need to submit to interrogation on
HOW TO
GET THERE
REACHING ABERDEEN
You generally have to take con-
necting flights from India to
Aberdeen. The best option is to
head there from Heathrow,
London.
WITHIN THE CITY
Cabs might not suit everyone’s
budget. FirstBus is a great app
to access and use the city’s bus
services.
WALK AROUND
Use the fun trail guide maps on
the Aberdeen City Council
website to explore the city on
foot.
oak ceiling, erected in 1520. A guided tour
document tells me that this is probably the
earliest flat ceiling in a British public
building. It is also a work of art of real
importance, for the ceiling illustrates the
verse from Psalm 47 and is decorated with
48 carved and painted heraldic shields,
representing historical figures from
Henry VIII to the Holy Roman emperor
Charles V, according to the National
Churches Trust website.
It is only when you climb a staircase
through the church gift shop and stand
on the upper floor that you can truly
admire the interiors of the building—the
stained-glass windows, the church
organ, and, most of all, the calm and
quiet environment.
SEATON PARK
Right down the Chanonry from St
Machar’s is a small gate that gives way to a
path—almost a slope—to Seaton Park,
which lies on the banks of the Don and is
one of the city’s largest green spaces.
Aberdeen, in fact, gets its name from the
Don river, roughly translating to “mouth
of the river Don”.
Walking down this steep slope, I reach
the Cathedral Walk, dotted with colourful
flower beds and benches, some of which
are also memorials dedicated to individu-
als by their families.
The long pathways are scenic, perfect
for a stroll. The public park is also used fre-
quently by students as a path to the uni-
his return. He snapped ties with the US
and settled in Vevey till his death in 1977
(he returned just once, in 1972, to receive
an Academy award).
Almost 40 years later, it was restored
and converted into a museum. Called
Chaplin’s World, it showcases his life and
work and is possibly the closest embodi-
ment of him as a person and a profes-
sional. His trademark hat, cane and
Oscars are part of the small collection of
static displays. But most of the museum
encourages interaction, inviting visitors to
sit on the barber chair in The Great Dicta-
tor or tilt the sets of The Gold Rush, or
immerse oneself in the sound-stage rooms
from Modern Times and The Kid.
Predictably, movies and everything
around that part of Chaplin’s life dominate
the museum. But there are glimpses of
him as a person. In a 1960s’ home video,
the white-haired star of the silent movie
era can be seen frolicking on the lawns,
NITIN SREEDHAR
versity area since Seaton sits between the
University of Aberdeen campus and the
Hillhead Halls of Residence.
The Don, which eventually reaches the
North Sea, passes through the edge of the
park—almost like a natural boundary—
and if you follow the riverbank, you can
reach Brig o’ Balgownie, a 13th century
Gothic bridge that has stood the test of
time. Since the park is low-lying, it has a
tendency to flood. In 2016, a part of the
park was turned into a designated wet-
lands region to tackle flooding issues.
ABERDEEN BEACH
Aberdeen Beach is what gives the silver
city its “golden sands”. The city’s long
coastline, facing Aberdeen Bay and the
North Sea, has long stretches of sand, pro-
tected by groynes, or walls, that provide a
form of defence against erosion and
movement of sediment.
While there isn’t much to do at the
beach on the particularly cold, windy aft-
ernoon I am there—apart from spotting a
few runners keeping pace with their run-
ning mates and a couple playing fetch with
their dog—Aberdeen Beach attracts water
sports enthusiasts and surfers in summer
(June-August). The cold is harsh but the
panoramic views and vastness of the
North Sea are worth every second.
PITTODRIE STREET
A short walk away from the beach lies Pit-
todrie Street, home to the Aberdeen Foot-
ball Club and the Pittodrie Stadium. This
is like a small pilgrimage for football fans.
Before he transformed Manchester
United into one of the most recognisable
football clubs on the planet, it was at the
Aberdeen Football Club that Scotland’s
Sir Alex Ferguson made his name as a foot-
ball manager.
Under Ferguson, who was at Pittodrie
Street from 1978-86, the Aberdeen Foot-
ball Club enjoyed an immensely suc-
cessful spell, winning three Scottish
league championships, four Scottish
Cups and the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup
in 1983. It is no surprise that a bronze
statue of Ferguson stands outside Pit-
todrie Stadium, a memorable picture
spot for football fans.
But that’s not the only reason for you to
visit. Pittodrie Stadium is also the first sta-
dium to feature a dugout, known in the
modern game as the technical area, which
was devised by former trainer and coach
Donald Colman in the 1920s.
playing with his children, dining with the
family, performing tricks... It is here that
Chaplin’s real persona comes through,
much fuller in character, playful and
childlike with his children, far from his
melancholic on-screen persona.
Back in the old part of town, the narrow
streets are full of pretty doors with ornate
brass and bronze knockers, exquisite
facades with embellishments, pots of col-
ourful flowers hanging from roofs and
window sills, arched doorways, pillared
balconies and cobbled nooks overflowing
with flowering bushes. Many of the build-
ings house shops, boutique stores and
cafés with old-world wrought-iron furni-
ture lining the pavements. Occasionally,
I spot a Chaplin poster or memorabilia.
On Rue du Théâtre, I stumble across a
store of the Swiss chocolate brand Läder-
ach, displaying a unique chocolate: a pair
of shoes. It is about an inch and a half in
length, in a pale gold-coloured metal tin.
Even without reading the label—Charlie’s
Shoes—the reference in clearly evident.
It is designed the resemble the oversize
shoes from The Tramp. Dark, delicate and
beautifully moulded, it feels a crime to bite
into it. But a series of tastes rush across the
palate at first bite: bitter from the outer
dark chocolate but also chewy sweetness
from caramel and texture from pine nuts.
It is supposedly based on three of Chap-
lin’s attributes—strong temperament,
romance and originality.
All the other references to him in Vevey
are expected; the chocolate, however,
feels personal, like literally savouring a bit
of Chaplin or taking back a piece of him.
For some reason, I think he would
approve.
Anita Rao Kashi is a Bengaluru-based
journalist and travel writer.

HONG KONG’S M+ MUSEUM
MAKES A BOLD STATEMENT
Now open to
international visitors,
some artworks are a
surprisingly direct
comment on the
political environment
Rahul Jacob
L
eading a group around the
galleries dedicated to main-
land Chinese art in Hong
Kong’s M+ Museum, the art
collector and former Swiss
ambassador to China, Uli Sigg, stopped in
front of a giant canvas of four Cultural
Revolution guards that also seemed to be
a billboard for Chanel No.5. It was a dra-
matic rendition of that everyday contra-
diction of Chinese life, the coexistence of
consumerism and communism. This is a
well-worn theme in mainland art but Sigg
says the painting, part of the collection he
donated to M+, has become the most pho-
tographed in the museum. Maybe, he
mused aloud, the painting by Wang Guan-
gyi might prove to be “the Mona Lisa of
the museum”.
This was an emblematic moment
among many amusingly idiosyncratic
ones during the week of 20 March, the
museum’s coming out party to the inter-
national media and international visitors.
It has 6,709 works, with the Sigg collec-
tion accounting for about 1,500 of them.
There are 33 galleries devoted to Asian
contemporary art and design in a 65,000
sq. m building that offers 17,000 sq. m of
exhibition space.
M+ has spent the better part of the 21st
century navigating controversies while
evolving from a concept to this grand sec-
Why access to opportunity doesn’t wash away exclusion
RE READINGS
A monthly column on backlisted
books that have much to offer in
contemporary times
Ajay Navaria’s ‘Unclaimed
Terrain’ is a reminder that
Dalits may have a foot in
the door today but are
yet to be truly included
Somak Ghoshal
n 2013, when I first read Ajay Navaria’s
I collection of Hindi short stories,
Unclaimed Terrain, in Laura Brueck’s
translation, I was shaken. As a journalist,
I had been exposed, for years, to a steady
stream of stories of atrocity spawned by
identity politics. News media, then as now,
was strewn with accounts of caste vio-
lence. From a lower-caste groom being
assaulted by Thakurs for riding a horse to
his wedding, to carpenters refusing to
build a bier for a Dalit woman, a whole
spectrum of “punishments” were being
meted out daily by kangaroo courts.
With the advent of social media and
wider access to the internet, such heinous
crimes now get aired on virtual plat-
forms—either as twisted bravado or to
ond opening to the world. It opened in
November 2021 but shut in February
2022 as Hong Kong was, in effect, closed
to the world because its quarantine rules
were among the most extreme anywhere.
Reopening to local visitors in April 2022,
M+ is an exuberant space for contempo-
rary exhibitions that somehow combines
Asia’s love of video games and crassly
commercial pop art with bold political
statements and a moving walk-through of
Hong Kong’s history of the past 50 years.
One example of this in the exhibition,
Hong Kong: Here And Beyond, that some-
how manages to be all things at once is
Casey Wong’s satire of the high price of
housing. In a tragicomic commentary on
one of the world’s wealthiest cities, where
the average living space for a person is 13.5
sq. m, Wong put a house the size of a large
dog kennel atop a raft powered with an
outboard motor. A bottle of Penfolds’ red
wine was visible on a table in the small
home, again perhaps a side swipe at an
administration that has paid dispropor-
tionate attention in the past decade and a
half to making the city an international
wine trading hub. Nearby was a video of
Wong, dressed in naval attire, captaining
his solo expedition as the raft bobs around
Hong Kong’s harbour.
There were lots of such zany and occa-
sionally satirical touches of breezy confi-
dence to M+’s curation, which determin-
edly puts the museum’s controversial past
behind it. Its major ongoing show of Japa-
nese artist Yayoi Kusama, who turned 94
in March, will travel this summer to the
Guggenheim in Bilbao, Spain, raising M+’s
profile globally. Her playful, spectacularly
technicoloured work seemed to pop up
everywhere in Hong Kong, including vid-
eos of the exhibition that greeted com-
muters stepping off the airport express as
well as other galleries exhibiting during
Art Basel Hong Kong last month.
The museum has lived through many a
seek justice. However, Navaria’s stories,
with their running theme of cruelty,
alerted me to nuances that I, as an upper-
caste man, hadn’t picked up on before.
In spite of state-sanctioned affirmative
action, it would be disingenuous to under-
state the pervasive hold of caste on society.
Discrimination doesn’t necessarily come
in the form of overt violence. There are
many other forms of exclusion and mental
torture, which can be as devastating, espe-
cially in a society that tends to naively
equate education and opportunities with
mitigating antidotes to evils like untouch-
ability.
Navaria’s tales are shocking precisely
because they are set in mundane, every-
day situations—in the local gym or sarkari
(government)offices. His crisp, searing
prose exposes the fault lines hiding in
plain sight. Rereading the stories 10 years
on, in the lead-up to Dalit History Month
(observed for B.R. Ambedkar’s birth anni-
versary in April), I was besieged with a
renewed sense of despair.
It has been a decade, and, in this time,
we have had Tina Dabi, the first Scheduled
Caste woman to top the Union Public Ser-
vice Commission (UPSC) exam. Rohini
Ghavari, the daughter of a sanitation
worker, recently spoke at the United
Nations Commission on Human Rights
about India’s affirmative action policies.
Yet, there are still a bevy of Rohith Vemu-
las and Darshan Solankis, who have paid
with their lives for alleged caste-based dis-
crimination at elite institutions.
CULTURE
crisis since the early 2000s, when the ini-
tial plans for the West Kowloon Cultural
District (WKCD), home to M+, were heav-
ily criticised as a property grab by overly
powerful developers before private sector
involvement was substantially cut back.
Then there were controversies about the
selection of the art, criticised as being too
expensive and not sufficiently Hong Kong
focused. Sigg’s bequest of more than 1,500
works of contemporary mainland Chinese
art in 2012, the foundation of the
museum’s collection, prompted concerns
that Chinese art would dominate the
museum. Two years ago, against the back-
drop of a new national security law in
Hong Kong, draconian arrests of pro-de-
mocracy politicians and the jailing of its
most prominent newspaper tycoon,
another war of words erupted. This con-
cerned some of the works in the Sigg col-
lection, which were harshly critiqued as
fostering hatred of the communist gov-
ernment in Beijing, after M+ director
Suhanya Raffel said exhibiting a famous Ai
Weiwei work in the collection would be
Navaria’s tales are set in mundane, everyday situations.
“We haven’t had a social revolution in
the last 10 years but there has been a shift
in public consciousness,” says Navaria, a
professor of Hindi at Delhi’s Jamia Millia
Islamia. “Dalits have been always told to
accept their destiny as it is. But this way of
thinking is now shifting, especially as stu-
dents in schools and colleges are becom-
ing more aware of caste,” he says on the
phone. The emerging middle class is
explaining to its children that caste is only
a reality, not their destiny. The Gen Zs,
Navaria believes, have a chance to rewrite
the narrative. “They will not hate each
©YAYOI KUSAMA
IWAN BAAN©HERZOG & DE MEURON
(clockwise, from top) Yayoi Kusama,
‘Self Obliteration’ (1966-74); Michael
Wolf, ‘Architecture Of Density #8b’
(2005); and M+, Hong Kong.
The museum has 6,709
works, with 33 galleries
devoted to Asian
contemporary art and
design and 17,000 sq. m of
exhibition space
ISTOCKPHOTO
other, hopefully,” he adds.
There is also the flip side, in that it’s
always tempting, and easy, to put a caste
angle to every form of rivalry. As Navaria
puts it, “The difference of opinions
between a Dalit and savarna person may
be tied to the simple problem of two con-
flicting egos, nothing else.”
A similar strain of prudent optimism
runs through some of the stories. In Sacri-
fice, the patriarch of a lower-caste family is
furious with his son for marrying below
his caste. He hurls abuses at his son and
daughter-in-law, night and day. But one
“no problem” in Hong Kong.
The M+ Sigg Collection Exhibition: From
Revolution To Globalisation walks the deli-
cate line between being thought-provok-
ing and landing the museum in another
political storm. As a foreign correspond-
ent in the city for six years after the hand-
over, I often marvelled at how, under the
principles which guided the return of
Hong Kong to China in 1997, it had
enjoyed freedom of expression befitting a
global financial centre. That changed with
the new national security law in 2020.
A collage of the headlines of these poly-
crises the museum endured before its
doors even opened would make for a lively
exhibit in itself. In the event, the exhibi-
tions at M+ are exhilaratingly oblivious to
the typhoons it has survived. It was helped
by the fact that Art Basel returned to Hong
Kong from 21-25 March, for the first time
since 2019. Many international gallerists
said the event was enhanced because
Hong Kong finally had a museum of con-
temporary art of global ambition.
Yet while so much of the art at Art Basel
Hong Kong seemed cookie-cutter com-
mercial variations of manga and Asian
art’s saccharine childlike themes, much of
the art at M+ had important messages to
convey. In the M+ Sigg Collection, I was
astounded to see a video artwork by Zhang
Peili playing in an endless loop on an old-
fashioned TV set. A newscaster was
monotonously reiterating the Chinese
word shui, which, depending on the tone
it’s spoken in, means water, sleep or who.
The “meaningless monologue”, the cap-
tion observes, points to the “absurdity” of
government propaganda systems. You
could have knocked me over with a TV
remote.
Especially after Beijing’s crackdown on
protests over the past couple of years, I did
not expect such candour about commu-
nism in the inaugural exhibitions. Nearby
was Ai Weiwei’s installation of lines of
whitewashed Chinese Neolithic earthen-
ware pots, some with the paint having
come off. The work is a commentary on
autocratic regimes’ attempts to clean up
history, making it something else alto-
day, as the memory of his own forbidden
youthful romance with a Brahmin girl
comes back to him, the scales of empathy
get tilted. In a unique gambit that adds a
layer of complication to Navaria’s already
complex stories, we see hierarchies of
power and control play out between two
underprivileged castes. “People still con-
tinue to form bonds by their jatis,” he says.
“To this day, Dobhi, Chamar or Mahar
communities are known to keep social
distances from each other. Sometimes
they even practise untouchability. This
wasn’t Dr Ambedkar’s dream utopia.”
New Custom, in contrast, deconstructs
the hypothesis of class triumphing caste.
A chance encounter between an upper-
caste tea-seller and a gentrified lower-
caste man opens the floodgates of hatred.
After initial obsequiousness, the servile
tea-seller transforms into a venomous
thug the moment he learns about the gen-
tleman’s caste, ordering his client to wash
his glass after he has had his tea. The story
trails off on a note of bittersweet revenge,
although justice is far from served.
In Scream, he explores the interplay of
tensions between jatis and the slippery
slope these rivalries can lead to. While it’s
taut and superbly executed, this is the only
story where I missed a larger canvas, a
chance to experience this powerful seed of
an idea bloom into a full-fledged novel.
In spite of their largely realist style, the
stories move in and out of two distinct
modes of existence: the archaic, rule-
bound ethos in rural areas, where lower
SAturdAy, 1 April 2023
AhmedAbAd 11
©MICHAEL WOLF ESTATE
gether. In fact, the genesis of Hong Kong’s
protests of the past decade was a protest by
school-going students and their parents
against a proposed curriculum change
that left out dark episodes such as the
Tiananmen massacre. Again, the caption
leaves little doubt about the message
behind the metaphor.
Last week, the US’ consul general in
Hong Kong, Gregory May, argued that
“despite all the recent changes”, freedom
of expression in Hong Kong was qualita-
tively better than on the mainland. Walk-
ing though these exhibitions was to feel
that this was demonstrably true. When I
asked Raffel about the surprisingly ques-
tioning art on display, she said: “There
have been assumptions about what we can
and can’t do. It is important for you (the
visitor) to come and see the curatorial
integrity that was always there.”
Sri Lankan-born Raffel, the first South
Asian in a major cultural role in the pre-
dominantly Chinese metropolis, symbol-
ised the confidence of Hong Kong’s com-
ing-out party after three years in covid-19
quarantine-induced isolation. At a public
event on 20 March, she celebrated the fact
that the museum has crossed 2.9 million
visitors, a remarkable two-thirds of them
between the ages of 18-44.
Raffel seemed a woman in a Hong Kong
hurry to see M+ seize its place as Asia’s
most exciting space for contemporary art.
The competition, as for any large building
in Hong Kong, is from its natural setting.
As I stood in a hall in the Hong Kong exhibi-
tion one evening, a floor-to-ceiling win-
dow offered a view of the gigantic 40-hec-
tare cultural district still being built
around the museum. When I left the
museum in the glow of sunset, tugs and
boats with construction materials that
resembled beaten metal artworks shim-
mered as they stood anchored in the hallu-
cinatory harbour, waiting for the chance to
build Hong Kong’s place in art history.
Rahul Jacob is a former Hong Kong
bureau chief for the Financial Times Lon-
don and a former travel, food and drink edi-
tor of its weekend paper.
castes have designated wells for water and
the slightest infringement of age-old
norms can invite fire and brimstone; and
the so-called genteel environment of
urban spaces, where distaste and hatred
are pushed under the carpet, though not
always successfully contained out of sight.
In Tattoo, for instance, the well-to-do
protagonist is besieged with pangs of self-
doubt as he steps into a posh gym near
Khan Market in Delhi. Everywhere he
looks, every step he takes, he is conscious
of others sizing him up, judging him
because he doesn’t fit in. It’s hard to tell
whether his apprehensions are real or
unfounded. As Navaria writes elsewhere,
“Money doesn’t smell.” But can wealth
really erase ancient boundaries that have
been erected to keep people apart?
The tell-all mark that the protagonist of
Tattoo has imprinted on his skin remains
indelible. No amount of worldly success
can wash away the stigma he has interna-
lised. It’s 2023, and his perception is still
the reality for many around us. Today,
though, social media has changed the
rules of the game. “There is more scope for
staging protests because of the internet,”
as Navaria says. “It’s also evident that icons
like Tina Dabi have got where they have
not because of reservations but merit.”
Hopefully, in the next 10 years, the
scales of justice will become more evenly
balanced.
Somak Ghoshal is a writer and an editor
based in Delhi.
12 SAturdAy, 1 ApriL 2023
AHmEdAbAd
Carving
out time
wisely
SHELF HELP
A guide to a better you at work, home and life.
Shalini Umachandran
shalini.umachandran@htlive.com
P
roductivity is inextricably linked to time,
so it’s always annoying to read platitudes
like “You have the same number of hours
in the day as Beyoncé”, who, as we all know, is
an award-winning singer-songwriter, mother
of three, an entrepreneur, a philanthropist and
something of a feminist icon. Amantha Imber,
author of Time Wise, acknowledges that such
overachievers—and she counts herself as one,
being a businesswoman, organisational psy-
chologist, mother, and host of the podcast
How I Work—can be supremely irritating but
says she draws on the habits of others who use
time wisely to manage her own.
The premise of the book is not terribly origi-
nal—about 90 leading founders, CEOs and
behavioural experts share the one time-man-
agement tip they swear by—but Imber’s easy
style and candid humour, often taking digs at
her own high productivity, make this a good
read. The book’s structure, too, helps: The
strategies are categorised into seven sections
and you can choose to read the book depend-
ing on what you are aiming for, whether
improving efficiency or focus, or learning to
network better or set priorities. Reading a
book like this cover to cover would, ironically,
be a bit of a waste of time. The categorisation,
therefore, is practical, with each strategy lead-
ing to a different kind of outcome.
Most advice about time management and
productivity tells you to make lists, delegate,
prioritise and create no-phone hours in your
day. And most of
this advice is quite
meaningless or
impossible to fol-
low. Instead, Imber
picks strategies
that have worked
over and over for
behavioural
experts like Cal
Newport, Adam
Grant, Emily Oster
and Marissa King.
These are ideas you
could actually try, Time Wise: By
such as creating a Amantha Imber, Ebury
might-do list of Edge, 320 pages, ₹799.
boring, non-urgent
administrative tasks instead of piling them all
into an anxiety-inducing, two-page to-do list.
These are jobs that distract you from the work
you really need to do and can be batched
together to tackle at one shot on a day you are
not feeling particularly creative or productive.
When you clear that might-do list, as I found,
even a day you have written off as being one
where you will not get anything done turns
around dramatically.
Imber also lists founders’ advice to avoid
small talk, to network at a party when you
know nobody, and to write funnier, warmer
emails at work. This last bit of advice is much
needed for management types who load
emails with jargon. Some of these strategies
might already be available in other books—
after all, everyone and their aunt has written
about time-saving techniques—but this serves
as a good compendium.
There’s a suggestion to create a “Joy” folder
on your desktop or physical box on your desk
with photographs, objects, printouts of emails
of praise and more to remind yourself, on a bad
day, that you are doing a good job and things
aren’t so bad after all. I especially liked Cal
Newport’s advice to start the day by schedul-
ing your lunch break, which isn’t a tip just to
make sure you eat on time but also to carve out
30 minutes of time for yourself right in the
middle of the working day. Breaks are no
longer an afterthought. He also suggests
scheduling five-minute breaks for yourself
every hour just to stretch.
It’s the little tips that remind you to have fun
that really make this book worth reading.
The stories form a microcosm of a society torn between a
feudal past and the modern present. ISTOCKPHOTO
A lush portrait of Hindi
literature’s first family
With ‘Raw Umber’, writer
and translator Sara Rai
candidly, but
compassionately, recalls
the experiences that
framed and formed her
Anukrti Upadhyay
O
ne early autumn morning in San
Francisco a few years ago, I
walked into an art store on Market
Street. I moved along an aisle of
paints, gawking at the brilliant
yellows and blues before finding myself among
the browns. No artist myself, I was fascinated by
the colours and the graded poetry of their
names—terra, sienna, umber. These browns
moved me more than all the surrounding jewel-
tones and light-brights. It seemed to me that the
browns were living colours, not just stains and
pigments, for they lived in my skin and eyes and
hair. I remembered this a few weeks ago while
reading Raw Umber, writer, editor and translator
Sara Rai’s memoir, where she writes about her
encounter with colours and their names in her
father’s studio.
My experience of reading Rai’s sensitive, evoc-
ative, insightful memoir of an extraordinary fam-
ily was peppered with several such connections,
creating the kind of reading experience Rai calls
“literary ventriloquism” in the chapter titled On
Not Writing. She explains the term as a situation
in which a “writer’s voice was out there on the
page, but it sounded as if it came from within me”.
The words in Raw Umber repeatedly found an
echo in me—her wonder of place names, thoughts
on the written word or the urge to write—evoca-
tive and detailed, bringing to life a fascinating
family and a time long gone.
Raw Umber is essentially a collection of essays
on people, places and experiences that framed
and formed Rai’s life—her paternal grandfather
and father of the modern Hindi novel, Munshi
Premchand; an ancestor from her maternal side,
Bharatendu Harishchandra, father of modern
Hindi; her formidable grandmothers, Shivrani
Devi and Munawwari Begum; her incomprehen-
sible father, the literary critic and painter Sripat
Rai; her baffled, opaque mother and short-story
writer Zohra; her troubled brother Atul; the old
homes and family lore of loves and partings that
moulded her seeking and searching self.
Given that she belonged to arguably one of the
first families of Hindi literature, one can imagine
the pressures and fears Rai would have experi-
enced, how they must have impacted, hindered
and finally shaped her own writing. She writes
candidly but with compassion about her family,
about the taciturnity of Shivrani Devi, Prem-
chand’s controlling and capable wife, and the
caustic tongue of Munawwari Begum; about the
complex relationship between her parents; about
the grief she grew up surrounded by after the
rather mysterious death of one of her brothers
and the alcoholism of another; and above it all,
N B
o one
captures
daily life’s
arduousness
better than Tamil
writer Imayam.
These slice-of-life
short stories are
unfortunately let
down by clumsy
translation and
footnotes for
everything from
vanakkam to
neem. Translated by Vasantha Surya,
HarperCollins India, 365 pages, ₹599.
A look at Gopinath Mohanty’s Odisha
Mihir Vatsa
O
blivion And Other Stories, an anthology of
Odia short stories translated into English,
is an exciting project. The collection
attempts to introduce non-Odia speakers to the
works of the late Gopinath Mohanty, one of the
most respected Indian writers of the 20th cen-
tury, while also offering a vivid glimpse of the
social fabric in pre-liberalisation Odisha.
Reviewing a collection like this is to tread not
merely through the book’s content but to simulta-
neously rescue oneself from the suffused shadow
of the exceptional author and recipient of multi-
ple national honours and awards.
Mohanty’s work weaves together the human
condition and the non-human world delightfully,
lending a pastoralism to the tales and reminding
the reader of the loss of this quality in contempo-
rary writing. This becomes especially relevant in
a time when literature is also trying to grapple
BOOKS
The stories are about everyday lives and grief—small, usual, commonplace. ISTOCKPHOTO
shadowing their lives and yet placing them firmly short stories in Hindi, particularly those collected and their lives, of Hindi literature.
in the limelight, the looming figure of Prem- in Ababeel Ki Udaan (2019) and Biyaban Mein She quotes from her journals, sparingly and
chand, the person and the legend. As one reads (2005), keenly observed and unhurriedly, empa- self-deprecatingly, about her conflicts with her-
about the family’s tragedies, there’s a sense of thetically and elegantly told, deserve to be read self and her deep concern with writing. It seemed
foreboding—art and creativity aren’t unmixed and discussed more. to me that her struggle was perhaps more against
blessings, they must be paid for over generations. These stories about everyday lives and griefs, what writing stood for—perhaps not a rebellion or
While reading Raw Umber, I could visualise a small, usual, commonplace, set in towns she is way of self-expression but a conformance with
young Rai in her old Prayagraj home, with its familiar with—Prayagraj, Varanasi, Delhi—are family tradition. Despite this, and perhaps
shade-filled garden and large rooms, or the made special and engrossing through careful tell- because of it too, the insights into writing and her
houses in Varanasi—whether the ing. She uses the stream-of-con- approach to the art and craft of fiction are sharp
ancient, crumbling Nawab-ki-dy- sciousness and third-person limited and thoughtful. For those alone, this book is a
orhi or the one where her paternal narrative techniques adroitly to rewarding experience.
grandmother lived with an old offer close-ups or objective clarity An additional noteworthy feature is the Appen-
helper and a goat tethered in one of about essentially solitary lives, lived dix—her translations of four short stories, one
the street-facing rooms. I could see among people in big and small cities, each by Zohra Rai, Moghal Mehmood, her mater-
Rai—observing, wondering and in proximity but without closeness, nal aunt, Shivrani Devi and Premchand. I found
later questioning what she saw and in commerce but without under- the choice of stories curious, from the sensuality
believed; ruminating, probing and standing. The alienations she writes of Zohra Rai’s Mango Blossoms to the pathos of
finally searching for words for the about are largely urban, ubiquitous thwarted hope in The Will by Mehmood, the ide-
sense of despair and longing she felt. and individually experienced. alism of The Holi Of Ruin by Shivrani Devi, and the
I could visualise it all because of While Raw Umber, unlike her fic- compassion and awakening social consciousness
Rai’s fine, rich and gently paced tion, offers glimpses of storied lives, of the boy-narrator of Premchand’s Ramlila. They
writing. Raw Umber is a reminder, if the chapter On Not Writing stands cover a wide spectrum and varied writerly sensi-
one is needed, that Rai is one of the Raw Umber—A out. I cannot recommend it enough bilities.
finest fiction writers and translators Memoir: By Sara Rai, to all writers/aspiring writers to All in all, Raw Umber is a family portrait and just
of our times, with unfaltering com- Context, examine their motivations. Rai like Rai’s fiction—in the preface and in the first
mand over two languages. Among 240 pages, ₹699. writes about her preoccupation and chapter, Palimpsest, she writes about the blurring
other works, she has translated a struggles with writing. There is a of boundary between memory and fiction—it is,
selection of short stories originally written in brief reference to her going abroad and not writ- by turns, lush and panoramic, acute and micro-
Hindi by Premchand and collected over eight vol- ing a word for many years, finally giving in and scopic.
umes of Mansarovar. She has also, together with sharing her stories with her father, who makes a
Arvind Krishna Mehrotra, produced the best weighty prediction—that she would be the Kath- Anukrti Upadhyay is a writer of Hindi and
translation yet of Hindi writer Vinod Kumar erine Mansfield, arguably one of the most influen- English prose and poetry. Her latest work, The Blue
Shukla’s remarkable short stories in the award- tial short-story writers of modern times, writing Women, a collection of short stories in English,
winning anthology, Blue Is Like Blue (2019). Her finely observed and detailed stories about women came out in January.
NEW ON SHELVES
B F
uddhism angladeshi ormer prime
originated writer minister
in India but Shahidul P.V. Narasi-
is believed to Zahir’s retelling mha Rao’s press
have declined of the 1971 war is secretary, S.
over a few filled with razor- Narendra,
centuries before sharp wit and contextualises
the colonial lightness. Moving Rao’s actions
period. But this through time, it is during his tenure,
book argues that at once the tale of a five-year period
its sociopolitical a poor, bright boy which saw big-
impact continued and the story of a bang reforms on
and explains its newly formed the one hand and
role in the nation. events like the
making of contemporary India. Navayana, Translated by V. Ramaswamy, Penguin Babri Masjid demolition on the other.
394 pages, ₹699. Random House India, 256 pages, ₹499. Bloomsbury India, 212 pages, ₹699.
with climate change. idealism-spewing bureaucrat who has his own commentary on the times) becomes an over-
Oblivion, the titular tale, follows a tribal man secrets, an ageing hunter who cannot reconcile worked trope.
travelling through the Eastern Ghats in a lorry; his his present with the past, and, among others, an If a character is ageing, as in Dã, they are ageing
innocuous wish darkly Indian family of Chinese descent struggling in the worst way, with eyes sunk “deep enough to
comes true. In Dã, an eld- to make sense of post- hold fistfuls of rice in their creases”; if someone is
erly concubine remembers Oblivion And 1962 India. starving, they remain hungry. Stories like Cricket,
her youth, her affair with Other Stories: The very act of Just Around This Bend and The Foreigner offer
the zamindar’s son, and the By Gopinath remembering, there- some complexity and respite from the despair but
precarious position she Mohanty, fore,underlies several one is still left disappointed with the generic play
occupies in the household. translated by stories, for it is in social realism gets in the anthology. It is a selec-
Endless is the bittersweet Sudeshna Mohanty memories that the tion issue which seems to limit the scope of
tale of a boy waiting for his and Sudhansu losses suffered by the Mohanty’s work.
father to return with a Mohanty, characters become Nevertheless, thanks to deft translation by
promised gift, and how its Penguin Ebury, stark. Sudeshna Mohanty and Sudhansu Mohanty,
absence hits his “honour” 288 pages, ₹499. Two major issues, Oblivion And Other Stories is a welcome addition
amongst friends. however, diminish a to the corpus of literature from Indian languages
The stories form a micro- reader’s interest. being brought into English.
cosm of a society torn First, the tonality, uniform across the
between a feudal past and the modern present. book, makes the stories predictable. Second, Mihir Vatsa is the author of Tales of Hazari-
There is a grandmother fervently praying for the powerlessness of most characters against bagh: An Intimate Exploration Of Chhotanagpur
India’s win in a cricket match against England, an their circumstances, (even if this is the author’s Plateau.
LIVEMINT.COM NEWS SAturdAy, 1 April 2023
AhmedAbAd 13

Indian
m MINT SHORTS
Domestic gas prices on hold for now
stocks soar Consumer durable sales
as India mulls change in formula
New Delhi: India will provisionally keep the price of locally pro-
duced gas from old fields at $8.57 per million metric British ther-
mal units (mmBtu), the government said on Friday, while it consid-
as global
contagion
remain under the weather
ers a potential change to the pricing formula. Under the existing
formula, the price was due to go up for April-September, but to
ensure fair prices for consumers and that inflation is kept in check
fear recedes
the federal government last year set up a panel to review it.REUTERS Unseasonal rains play spoilsport and add to uncertainties in sales of ACs, fridges and coolers
FROM PAGE 16

HAL revenue grows 8% in rities. Experts believe conta- Ujjval Jauhari or at best in early double digits in cer-
gion fears have eased since no ujjval.j@livemint.com tain segments. The much-hoped for
2022-23 to ₹26,500 crore foreign bank failures have been NEW DELHI revival in sales in March didn’t happen.
reported recently. US markets The challenges are high for larger

have recovered, and technol-
ogy stocks have rallied. The
tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 entered
a bull market, rising 20% from
its December low.
“Improving sentiments in
the developed markets, espe-
cially the US, was reflected in
the domestic equity markets.
Rising expectations of a con-
tained banking crisis without
any contagion, coupled with
higher jobless claims, led to
Bengaluru: Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd said on Friday it has regis- markets betting on the Fed
tered highest-ever revenue from operations of around ₹26,500 going slow on the rate hike
crore (provisional and unaudited) for 2022-23 as against ₹24,620 in front,” said Joseph Thomas,
the previous financial year, an 8% growth. HAL CMD, C. B. Anan- head of research at Emkay
thakrishnan said, “Despite the challenges of supply chain disrup- Wealth Management.
tions due to geo-political situations, the Company could achieve the Large caps led Friday’s rally,
targeted growth in the top line. This was possible with the increased with support from small and
thrust on indigenisation and with the available inventory.” PTI medium caps. Stocks in real
estate, infrastructure, oil and
gas, and commodities rose as
Law firms ask for entry of foreign well, with all sectoral indices
ending in the green.
companies to be put on hold Morgan Stanley has
New Delhi: A group of 125 law firms has called for a reform that upgraded India to equal
will allow the entry of foreign firms into India to be put on hold, weight, citing its narrowing
calling the proposal “discriminatory” and saying it creates an valuation premiums and resil-
unlevel playing field between local and overseas companies. In a ient economy.
20-page letter to the Bar Council of India, dated 30 March, the After a steep correction,
Society of Indian Law Firms argued that domestic reforms are Indian stock valuations have
needed before the market can be opened. REUTERS moderated, attracting global
investors in the last two ses-
sions. Foreign portfolio inves-
HC quashes CIC order to give tors (FPIs) were buyers for the
third session on Friday, buying
information on PM Modi’s degree a provisional ₹357.86 crore.
“The market is oversold, and
this can lead to short-covering
and a tactical rally in the near
term,” said V.K. Vijayakumar,
chief investment strategist at
Geojit Financial Services. How-
ever, he added that a sustained
rally is unlikely since FIIs will
sell at higher levels.
Markets seem to have dis-
counted some positives, and
future movements may depend
more on data and validation of
expectations, said analysts.
New Delhi: The Gujarat high court on Friday set aside the Investors will keep an eye on
seven-year-old order of the Central Information Commis- March auto sales numbers that
sion (CIC) asking the Gujarat University to provide informa- will start coming from 1 April
tion on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s degree to Delhi and the Reserve Bank of India’s
chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. While noting that both Kejri- monetary policy committee
wal and the CIC were “absolutely casual” in their approach, (MPC) decision on interest
the court also observed there was “indiscriminate misuse” of rates on 6 April. The earnings
the RTI Act in this case. PTI season beginning 13 April will
also influence market senti-
ments and stock movements.
Zee enters into settlement on Siti Despite this week’s rally,
markets may remain volatile in
Networks loan with StanChart the near term, Kulkarni of Axis
New Delhi: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has Securities said, since the bank-
entered into a one-time settlement agreement with Standard ing crisis in the US and Europe
Chartered Bank for the loan taken by Siti Networks, a part of the has not abated completely.
Essel Group. Standard Chartered Bank had sanctioned certain Oil prices that had been eas-
credit facilities to Siti Networks, which was inter-alia secured by ing, however, have been rising
Debt Service Reserve Account (DSRA) support and undertaking in the recent past. Brent at
from ZEEL. $79.20 a barrel has rebounded
PTI
from $73.79 a barrel on 20
March, which doesn’t bode
Singapore govt sells 2.9% stake in well for India. The rupee, how-
ever, strengthened thanks to
Phoenix Mills for ₹670 crore gains in the equity markets and
New Delhi: The Singapore government sold its 2.9% stake in FPI buying. At 82.18 to a dollar
Phoenix Mills, a retail-led mixed-use developer, for ₹670 crore on Friday, it was stronger by
through an open market transaction.Following the deal, shares of around 16 paise compared with
Phoenix Mills declined 3.33% to settle at ₹1,296 apiece on the 82.34 to a dollar during the pre-
National Stock Exchange. PTI vious session.
T
he weatherman’s predic- ticket size consumer durables such as
tions during early March of a ACs, refrigerators and even coolers as
strong summer, with ‘above inflation-led price hikes have made
normal’ temperatures in them costlier, impacting sales. Interest
many parts of India, had rates, too, have risen sharply, putting
raised expectations among consumer further pressure on sales. Even for
durable makers of a pickup in sales of manufacturers, a higher interest rate
fans, air conditioners (ACs), refrigera- environment isn’t favourable as it
tors, air coolers and even water pumps inflates working capital costs with
(both agricultural and domestic). How- higher interest outgo.
ever, the recent unseasonal rains have Demand recovery is also vital for
played spoilsport and added to uncer- exhausting high-channel stocks, and it
tainties. is only after liquidation of inventories
“Our channel checks suggest that that primary sales (from manufacturers
consumer durables retailers saw fewer The challenges are high for larger ticket size consumer durables such as air to dealers) can see an increase now.
footfalls post the Holi festival, as many conditioners, refrigerators and coolers. HT ACs and air coolers have seen chan-
regions had unseasonal rains,” said nel filling ahead of summer; inventory
analysts at BNP Paribas. February and early March had been, “We spoke to 9-10 dealers/retailers is now higher than normal, the analysts
Summer sales are crucial, and they slightly encouraging with dealers start- across regions. Most dealers have cited at Jefferies said. Normal inventory is
set the tone for annual growth expecta- ing to build AC inventory levels, and improved demand for fans, AC and considered to be 3-4 weeks.
tions for consumer durables, especially channel partners turning optimistic of coolers in February and early March. Analysts at JM Financial Institu-
cooling products, during a year. Festi- a demand revival for seasonal products However, unseasonal rains in March tional equities said, “For ACs, primary
val demand during the have dampened offtake, sales is expected to witness growth in
December quarter also CooLINg off especially in ACs,” said 4Q23 given pre-stocking by dealers
lagged expectations, analysts at Jefferies India (80- 90 days) in anticipation of strong
resulting in high channel fESTIvAL demand NEw energy ratings SUMMER sales set Pvt. Ltd in a 28 March summer, secondary sales is expected to
inventory. The changes in the December
quarter had not
applicable from 1
January, have hit
the tone for annual
growth expectations
report. pick up from mid-March, but due to
in energy ratings applica- been as per sales of fans and for consumer Now, it remains wait- unseasonal rains in North and West
ble from 1 January, fur- expectations other products durables in a year and -watch for sales to India has slowed momentum.”
ther meant that fans and pick up, said Harshit Pickup in sales and liquidation of
other products saw Kapadia, analyst at Elara inventory is also necessary for produc-
impact on sales as these products like ACs and refrigerators, said ana- Securities (India) Pvt. Ltd. Sales of con- ers to be able to take more price hikes,
became costlier. Thus, all efforts have lysts. However, March as a whole saw sumer durables, electricals and even pointed out Kapadia. Though prices
been on liquidation of existing stocks subdued sales as rains lashed several smaller appliances wasn’t very encour- have been raised continuously, it has
and adding fresh inventory in the parts of the country in the second half aging earlier during the quarter, too, been gradual and associated with
March quarter. of the month. with sales growth likely in single digits energy rating changes.
India aims for $2 tn in exports by 2030 Oyo files
FROM PAGE 16 are burdened by high duty and
afresh for
slowing demand in advanced
economies. The policy has also
interest costs associated with
pending cases.
“All pending cases of default
IPO, up to
emphasized trade facilitation
through technology with a
in meeting export obligations
(EO) of authorizations men- $600 mn
focus on emerging areas such tioned can be regularized on
as e-commerce exports, devel-
oping districts as export hubs
payment of all customs duties
that were exempted in propor-
targeted
and boosting merchanting tion to unfulfilled export obli-
trade and pushing for rupee gation. The interest payable is FROM PAGE 16
payment under FTP schemes. capped at 100% of these
To facilitate e-commerce exempted duties under this adjusted Ebitda of ₹248 crore
exports, the consignment-wise scheme. However, no interest for FY23.
cap on e-commerce exports is payable on the portion of Startups have been report-
through courier has been Additional Customs Duty and ing Ebitda profitability on an
raised from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh Consignment-wise cap on e-commerce exports through courier Special Additional Customs “adjusted” level to avoid
in FTP 2023. has been raised from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh in FTP 2023. BLOOMBERG Duty,” the ministry said. India’s accounting for non-cash
“Depending on the export- foreign trade, exports and expenses such as employee
ers’ feedback, this cap will be electric vehicles (BEVs) of all motion Capital Goods (EPCG) imports of merchandise and stock option plans. Paytm also
further revised or eventually types, vertical farming equip- from ₹1 lakh to ₹5,000, he services are estimated to cross reported adjusted Ebitda prof-
removed. Integration of cou- ment, wastewater treatment added. $1.6 trillion or 48% of India’s itability in February.
rier and postal exports with and recycling systems, rainwa- To help settle tax disputes nominal GDP of $3.4 trillion for “For the full financial year
Indian Customs Electronic ter harvesting sys- amicably, a spe- the fiscal year ending March 2023, Oyo’s revenue is
Data Interchange Gateway tems and rainwa- Application fee cial one-time 2023. expected to be over ₹5,700
(ICEGATE) will enable export- ter filters, and for MSMEs is amnesty scheme Despite sectoral weaknesses, crore, a growth of 19% from the
ers to claim benefits under green hydrogen being reduced for was announced high trade figures underline ₹4,780 crore in FY22,” the
FTP,” the commerce ministry have been added advance under the FTP the emergence of trade as an person cited above said.
said in a statement. to green technol-
authorization and 2023 to address important component of the In a town hall meeting on
The comprehensive e-com- ogy products. default on export Indian economy. The higher Monday, Oyo’s co-founder
merce policy addressing the They will now be EPCG from ₹1 lakh obligations. The trade-to-GDP ratio also speaks Ritesh Agarwal told employ-
export or import ecosystem eligible for to ₹5,000 scheme is of high trade openness to ees that the company expects
would be elaborated soon, reduced export intended to pro- Indian practices, Global Trade to make approximately ₹800
based on the recommenda- obligation vide relief to Research Initiative (GTRI) said. crore in adjusted Ebitda in
tions of the working committee requirement under EPCG exporters who have been una- A higher growth rate in ser- FY24. He said the company
on e-commerce exports and Scheme, he said. ble to meet their commitments vices exports compared to mer- had a cash balance of approxi-
inter-ministerial deliberations, Application fee for MSMEs is under the Export Promotion chandise exports has improved mately ₹2,700 crore.
the government added. being reduced for advance Capital Goods scheme and the overall performance of Growth in India, Indonesia,
Sarangi further said battery authorization and Export Pro- Advance Authorizations and India’s exports. the US and UK and “relevant
optimization as well as syner-
gies in its European vacation
homes business” was respon-

Mubadala eyes investments in highways Advertisement revenues for IPL sible for the rebound in finan-
cials, the person cited above
added.

FROM PAGE 16
highways in India. We also
invested $225 million in Tata
Renewables. We are looking at
other opportunities as well as
we speak in infrastructure and
drop as media rights get divided
already constructed and the area, I think this will help actu-
building of new highways. ally convert the energy from
things around the world,
including carbon storage and
In September 2021, Oyo had
filed to raise ₹8,430 crore in
fresh capital, including an
Highways are very important coal into renewable, so there smart meters. offer for sale by some of Oyo’s
for a country like India to would be less pollution, less One of the main reasons FROM PAGE 16 hasn’t happened. And that’s into it last minute and maybe investors amounting to ₹1,430
progress and improve the pressure on India’s budget by behind establishing Mubadala primarily because of the mac- get a good price, which is why, crore.
economy in so many different importing more coal. Its also is that we have a double bot- Digital also allows for various roeconomic climate,” said one this time, deals are still being SoftBank Group, which
areas. going to be cheaper for the tom line, one is, of course, ben- banner ads, for which packa- of the people cited above. signed and negotiated,” he owns 46% of Oyo, initially

other sectors as well.
What are the new sectors
you are looking at?
There are so many opportu-
nities in the market. We are
looking at other renewable
opportunities. Infrastructure
and highways are sectors we
like. We may keep expanding
and put in more capital in that
area. The city gas network is
something we have looked at
recently. Currently, we are
working with someone (on city
gas distribution). We already
have telecommunications and
digital transformation. We are
active in highway infrastruc-
ture. We want to do more.
What are your plans for
investments in highways?
We are interested in invest-
ments targeting both assets
‘
As India has an ambitious consumers... We are looking efits around the world, but it ges are allowed between ₹100 “There were a lot of advertis- pointed out. planned to sell around 2% of
energy tran- with Tata has to be done in a sustainable per CPM to customized packa- ers who initially thought about Viacom18 secured the IPL the company in the IPO.
sition plan, Renewables way; otherwise, it will be diffi- ges starting at ₹80 lakh. wanting to partner with IPL streaming rights for five years, Southeast Asian taxi-hailing
should we We are interested in to expand EV cult to continue. We invest “It is difficult to put an exact but partially pulled back outbidding Disney Star, by app Grab, which invested $100
expect your investments targeting c h a r g i n g around the world for both rea- number, but if JioCinema because of a lack paying ₹23,757 million in Oyo in 2018, pro-
footprint to both assets already infrastruc- sons. delivers what they have prom- of clarity on what Disney Star has an crore, while Dis- posed to sell about ₹51.6 crore
expand in ture across the You invested in the telecom ised to the brands, they may the economic advertising sales ney Star retained worth of shares. HuaZhu
the green constructed and the country, and technology space with touch up to ₹1,500 crore. So outlook is going target of ₹3,700 cr the TV rights for Hotels or China Lodging
energy sec- building of new which will your investment in Jio. Are far, their bookings are worth to be, not just in this IPL, while ₹23,575 crore. Holdings, which invested in
also reduce ₹1,000 crore,” said the media India, but also
tor? highways you looking at more invest-
Viacom18 has an This marks the 2017, proposed to sell ₹23.13
I t ’ s fuel imports. ments in that space? agency executive. globally.” first time that rival crore, while the family office of
extremely Can you In technology, we have Disney Star has an advertis- Email queries internal target of networks hold Sunil Munjal planned to sell
important. Today, India is share details on your plans done a lot to date, about $2 bil- ing sales target of ₹3,700 crore sent to spokes- ₹2,800 cr separate TV and shares worth ₹26.71 crore. The
already the third largest energy for newer sectors of green lion between both telecom- this IPL, while Viacom18 has an people for Disney streaming IPL offer-for-sale plan has now
consumer, only second to the hydrogen and energy stor- munication and digital retail internal target of ₹2,800 crore, Star and Via- rights. The 2023 been dropped.
US and China. It’s the fastest- age? business. For now, we are according to the people cited com18 remained unanswered. BCCI-backed league season In September 2021, Oyo also
growing energy market in the We are looking at this whole happy with that. If some above. Both companies are The standoff between the started on 31 March in Ahmed- said it planned to use the IPO
world. A lot of that energy is area of energy transition. Any- opportunities come in the unlikely to meet the targets, two rights holders also con- abad, with the defending proceeds of around ₹2,441
predominantly from coal- thing that helps the country’s future, we will take a look. But they said. fused advertisers a bit and champions Gujarat Titans fac- crore to repay the debt owed
based plants. And a lot of that economy to move from coal we are happy... So, we are not “This year, originally, the played spoilsport, said a top ing off against the four-time by its units, including Oravel
coal is imported, which bur- and gas-based power plants is exactly looking at that space expectation was that you broadcaster, one of the people league winners Chennai Super Stays Singapore Pte Ltd, Ora-
dens its fiscal policy greatly. So, something of interest to us right now, but if something would see a minimum 20% cited above. “Many also Kings. vel Hotels LLC and Oyo Hospi-
when we are investing in this ...We have invested in so many comes up, we will look at it. bump, which unfortunately decided to hold back and go gaurav.laghate@livemint.com tality Netherlands BV.
14 SAturdAy, 1 April 2023
AhmedAbAd NEWS LIVEMINT.COM

ICICI Sec to double Core sector growth slowed Interest on

wealth team, eyes small savings
$60 billion assets in Feb, fiscal deficit at 83% schemes up
by 10-70 bps
Bloomberg
feedback@livemint.com Gireesh Chandra Prasad
gireesh.p@livemint.com
Poor show by core sectors will also impact industrial production data for the month
I
CICI Securities Ltd aims to NEW DELHI
double its wealth managers

T
and boost the assets from he government on Fri-
rich clients to $60 billion in the Saurav Anand & Rituraj Baruah day raised interest rates
next two years, as competition saurav.anand@livemint.com
Steep decline on various small savings
Core sector growth In FY23
ramps up in India’s rapidly (April-February).
schemes by 10-70 basis points

I
growing wealth industry. ndia’s core eight infrastructure from 1 April to 30 June. The
Growth rate (in %)
The current crisis at Credit sectors expanded by 6% from a 20 highest increase is for National
Suisse Group AG and the year ago in February, the slowest Savings Certificates, from 7%
uncertainty around its wealth pace in the past three months, in January-June to 7.7%. Five-
business in India could provide ICICI Sec more than tripled its according to government data year time deposits will earn
some hiring opportunities, said assets to $39.47 bn. ISTOCK released on Friday. interest of 7.5% from the ear-
15
Anupam Guha, business head This marks a deceleration from lier 7%, while the rate on five-
of private wealth management increased four-fold, Guha said. January’s 8.9% growth and a slight year recurring deposits was
at ICICI Securities. “We used to clock 2 billion improvement from February 2022’s raised from 5.8% to 6.2% for
The wealth management rupees ($24.3 million) of reve- 5.9% expansion. the period.
unit, a subsidiary of ICICI Bank, nues in 2019. Today we clock According to the ministry of com- 10 For Senior Citizen Savings
plans to double its team of that amount every quarter,” merce and industry data, growth was Schemes interest rate has been
9.5
around 350 relationship man- Guha said. reported across all segments, barring raised from 8% to 8.2%, while
agers and roughly 100 virtual The sweet spot for ICICI’s crude oil. So far in FY23 (April-Feb- monthly income schemes will
managers. wealth unit is Indians with ruary), the eight infrastructure sec- earn 7.4% compared to 7.1%
5 6.0
India’s $600 billion wealth between $1 million and $50 tors—coal, crude oil, natural gas, earlier, showed the order.
industry is growing 12% annu- million of wealth, according to refinery products, fertilizers, steel, Rate for Kisan Vikas Patras
ally as more Indians get com- Guha. “There are nearly cement and electricity—witnessed was raised from 7.2% to 7.5%.
fortable with professional 800,000 Indians in this group, 7.8% growth against 11.1% in the year- The scheme will now mature
wealth management. Large essentially ‘grown-rich Indians’ ago period. 0 in 115 months, compared to the
Apr 2022 Feb 2023
Indian banks like ICICI, Axis who value brand, good service Production of coal rose by 8.5%, Source: Ministry of commerce & industry
120 months earlier. There is no
Bank and Kotak Mahindra and are willing to pay for natural gas (3.2%), refinery products Production of coal rose by 8.5%. MINT change in interest rate on pub-
Bank are aggressively pitching advice,” Guha said. Customers (3.3%), fertilizer (22.2%), cement SATISH KUMAR/MINT lic provident fund deposits,
their services to wealthy cus- have an average of about (7.3%), and electricity by 7.6%. Crude infrastructure industries declined for FY23 to a projected 7.4%.” tax collection in April-February was which remains at 7.1%.
tomers to bring $500,000 parked oil production, however, declined by 1.7% in February after a gap of three India’s fiscal deficit for FY23 in at over ₹17.32 trillion or 83% of the Interest rates applicable on
more assets under Wealth industry with ICICI, he 4.9% in February 2023 from a year months,” he added. April-February widened to nearly revised estimate for FY23. During the Sukanya Samriddhi Account
their manage- is growing 12% said. earlier. Although capital expenditure by 83% of the target for the full year. corresponding period of FY22, the scheme meant for a girl child
ment. HSBC annually as more According to Core sectors, or key infrastructure the states and the union government According to data from the Control- collection stood at 83.9% of the will fetch 8% for the April to
Holdings Plc people get Guha, this cohort industries, which have 40.27% will continue to witness strong ler General of Accounts, fiscal deficit, revised estimates. June period, against 7.6% in
plans to launch its invests in growth weight in the index of industrial pro- growth, the spell of unseasonal rains or the difference between expendi- Total expenditure incurred by the January-March 2023.
onshore private
comfortable with assets rather than
duction (IIP), will have a bearing on could weigh on the cement and steel ture and revenue collection in April- central government was at ₹34.93 Experts said the increase in
banking service in wealth just looking to the industrial production data for trillion (83.4% of the RE for interest rates on small savings
India to grab a management preserve their the month. SPEED BUMPS 2022-23), out of which ₹29 tril- instrument was expected and
share of the pie, wealth. Sunil Sinha, a principal econo- lion was in the revenue account it will help in garnering steady
and Julius Baer While it servi- mist at India Ratings, said the SO far in FY23, CAPITAL THE Centre revised TOTAL and ₹5.90 trillion in the capital deposits in the June quarter. In
Group Ltd and Liechtenstein- ces clients with over $50 mil- decline in crude oil saw the the eight
infrastructure
expenditure by its fiscal deficit
states and Centre will target for FY23 from
expenditure
incurred by the
account. the budget for FY24, finance
royalty owned LGT Wealth lion in assets through dedi- sharpest pace of contraction in 20 sectors witnessed continue to witness ₹16.61 trillion to central government Out of the total revenue minister Nirmala Sitharaman
India are also ramping up their cated managers in its family months. “Overall, it appears that 7.8% growth strong growth ₹17.55 trillion was at ₹34.93 trillion expenditure, about ₹7.98 trillion had said she would take steps
wealth businesses in the office business, the firm uses a the recovery is weak and losing was for interest payments, and to make small saving schemes
nation. mix of actual and what it refers momentum due to global eco- ₹4.59 trillion was on account of more attractive. She proposed
ICICI has more than tripled to as ‘virtual’ relationship man- nomic uncertainty. The output of companies in March, he said. “The February, was at ₹14.53 trillion. Com- major subsidies. to raise deposit limits for Sen-
its assets to $39.47 billion in agers, who are available on seven sectors stood higher than the output of the coal sector is also pared to a year-ago period, the deficit For the current financial year, the ior Citizen Savings Schemes
2022 from $12 billion in 2019. video or phone or WhatsApp, pre-covid level (February 2020) in expected to be affected by the unu- was 17% higher. In the union budget deficit target was kept at 6.4% of from ₹15 lakh to ₹30 lakh, and
In the same three-year period to cater to its main group. February 2023, down from eight in sual rains in the period. Therefore, for FY24, the Centre revised its fiscal India’s gross domestic product. For from ₹4.5 lakh to ₹9 lakh for
its private wealth customers Guha considers competition the previous month. Even on a Ind-Ra expects the core sector to slow deficit target for FY23 from ₹16.61 the next financial year (FY24), the monthly income scheme sin-
increased to 80,000 from in the industry to be “all-perva- month-on-month (seasonally further to around 4% y-o-y in March, trillion to ₹17.55 trillion. government has set a target of 5.9% of gle accounts and from ₹9 lakh
30,000, and its revenues sive”. adjusted) basis, output of the eight which would take the annual growth Official data showed that the net GDP. to ₹15 lakh for joint accounts.

Fed-favoured Foreign travel turns summer favourite despite high fares India eyes consensus
inflation gauge
rises by less
Anu Sharma
anu.sharma@livemint.com
on Russia war at G20 of January, according to Aus- ing officer for corporate travel,
tralia Bureau of Statistics and head industry relations,
NEW DELHI (ABS). India is maintaining its Yatra.com, said.
than forecast rank as the 4th inbound source However, while Indians are Bloomberg around the war. Prime Minister

M
any Indians are look- market for Australia and planning international trips feedback@livemint.com Narendra Modi has sought to
Bloomberg ing to travel to over- maybe the first to recover to despite visa issues and time- use G20 presidency to “depo-

I
feedback@livemint.com seas for the summer pre-covid levels this year,” said consuming approval process, ndia is turning more opti- liticize” the supply chains of
holidays despite a 60-70% rise Nishant Kashikar, country they are also opting for domes- mistic about achieving a con- food and fertilizer made scarce

A
key gauge of US infla-
tion rose last month by
less than expected and
consumer spending stabilized,
suggesting the Federal
Reserve may be close to end-
ing its most aggressive cycle of
interest-rate hikes in decades.
Excluding food and energy,
the Fed’s preferred inflation
gauge—the personal con-
sumption expenditures price
index—rose 0.3% in February
after the prior month was
revised down slightly. The
overall PCE climbed by the
same amount, Commerce
Department data showed Fri-
day.
Consumer spending,
adjusted for prices, fell 0.1%
after surging an upwardly
revised 1.5% at the start of the
year. The decrease reflected a
drop in outlays for both goods
and services.
The PCE price index was up
5% from a year earlier, a decel-
eration from January and far
higher than the central bank’s
2% goal. Excluding food and
energy, the core PCE price
index climbed 4.6%, matching
in air fare on several routes and
delays in processing visas,
industry experts said.
“Airfares are higher than the
pre-covid levels with interna-
tional fares on some routes as
high as 60-70%, but it has not
deterred overall travel senti-
ments. People are willing to
spend on flights and hotels,”
said Aloke Bajpai, co-founder
and group chief executive offi-
cer of ixigo.
While Dubai, London, Sing-
apore and Maldives are favour-
ite destinations, travel portals
have also seen an increase in
queries for Bangkok, the US,
Australia, and Europe, includ-
ing France, Italy and Spain.
“International hotel book-
ings from April to May spiked
Pathaan aside, Bollywood clocks a dull quarter
Lata Jha
lata.j@htlive.com
NEW DELHI
Indians are also opting for domestic destinations, and five-star
properties and resorts in India are seeing full occupancies.
3.7X, while the bookings made
in March rose 3X in compari-
son to the year-ago period. For
international summer travel
between 16 April and 15 July,
bookings increased by 229.51%
in comparison to the summer
of 2022, for bookings made on
or before 22 March,” Prahlad
Krishnamurti, chief business
officer, Cleartrip, said.
The Centre allowed sched-
uled international commercial
Akshay Kumar’s Selfiee and
Kartik Aaryan’s Shehzada.
While most trade experts point
out these films were all greenlit
flights from 27 March last year,
after the covid-led two-year
disruptions. Industry experts
said while international traffic
is at 70-75% of pre-covid lev-
els, signs of a strong resur-
gence in international travel
are emerging since late 2022.
“We have been seeing sus-
tained demand from Indians
for travelling to Australia, with
a recovery rate of 87% com-
pared to pre-covid arrivals as
tions from Ranbir Kapoor-star- Ajith’s Thunivu.
rer Tu Jhoothi Main
Makkaar which was coming ery has been far more pro-
close on the heels of the actor’s nounced in the South, where
manager for India and the Gulf tic destinations, and five-star sensus from G20 nations on by the war.
at Tourism Australia, said. properties and resorts in India the language used to describe Top G20 negotiator, Ami-
According to are seeing fully Russia’s war in Ukraine, tabh Kant, said on Thursday
travel portal Travel portals occupancies. according to a person familiar that the group still isn’t close to
yatra.com, while have seen an Varanasi, with the matter. reaching a settlement over the
airfares have increase in Rishikesh, Coorg, Representatives from vari- language in a joint statement at
rationalized 5-6% queries for Goa, Kochi and ous countries have stayed in the leaders meeting in Septem-
from January lev-
Bangkok, the US, Jaipur among the same room in recent meet- ber. The body needs to also dis-
els, they are still others feature in ings, marking a contrast with cuss pressing issues such as
high due to lower Australia, and the most pre- the regular walkouts during global debt and climate change
frequencies of Europe ferred travel des- similar talks last as part of that, he
flights and higher tinations, accord- year in Indonesia, Amitabh Kant said.
demand. ing to travel sites. said the person, said the group still “The Russia-
“This year prices will ration- “Domestic destinations who asked not to isn’t close to Ukraine issue
alize but demand will still be require less planning and are be identified as reaching a cannot hold many
there, and there will be more preferred as quick getaways, the meetings are other issues
settlement over
inventory. Indian airlines like besides being more affordable. private. That has back,” Kant told
Air India, IndiGo, Akasa and We have seen an increase of raised hopes for the language in a reporters in the
Vistara, will put more capacity 70% in the number of searches some sort of a joint statement picturesque
and this will help fares falling a on our site,” Nishant Pitti, CEO compromise simi- beach town of
bit,” Sabina Chopra, and co-founder, EaseMyTrip, lar to that Kumarakom in
co-founder and chief operat- said. achieved last November on the southern India, where the
resort island of Bali, the person negotiators were meeting this
said, adding that any escalation week. Billboards leading to the
of the war could upset this frag- venue read “Welcome sherpas,
ile balance. may the backwaters lead you
India, which is set to host the forward.”
annual G20 summit in Septem- Kant said he held a “very pos-
ber, is under pressure to show it itive and optimistic” meeting
with the family,” said a film pro- can forge an agreement after with his Russian counterpart
To be sure, post-covid recov- ducer, declining to be named. two major meetings ended this Svetlana Lukash on Thursday,
The two films, starring Rani year ended with Russia and saying they “discussed every-
Mukerji and Kapil Sharma, China objecting to language thing under the sun.”

T
the smallest increase since he last quarter of the and designed pre-pandemic, last hit Brahmas- caps on ticket respectively, had made ₹15.13
October 2021. US stock futures financial year remained others say exorbitant ticket tra. Box office pricing and loyal crore and ₹1.50 crore at last CORRECTIONS AND CLARIFICATIONS
rose and Treasury yields fluc- muted for the Hindi film pricing in cinemas has played However, the collections fans see films count.
tuated as traders wagered the industry, with box office collec- spoilsport. film had only estimated at ₹850 through. With top stars no longer Mint welcomes comments, suggestions or complaints about errors.
Fed would be done hiking tions estimated at around ₹850 “Pathaan has been the only clocked in ₹130 cr & footfalls “In the Hindi- bringing assured returns, there
interest rates soon. The core crore, and footfalls down by film that has delivered across crore at last count, speaking belt, is much concern among the Readers can alert the newsroom to any errors in the paper by
down by 30-40% emailing us, with your full name and address to
PCE measure came in slightly 30-40% compared to pre-covid metros and tier-two and three attracting prima- small and mid- production fraternity.
below the median estimate of days. markets. Things are set to get rily urban, multi- compared to pre- sized films like “Everyone is dreading the
feedback@livemint.com.

0.4% in a Bloomberg survey of
economists. While the step
down in inflation is welcome,
price growth remains far too
high for the Fed, and they
must balance that with main-
taining financial stability.
Shah Rukh Khan’s Pathaan,
which clocked over ₹540 crore
at the domestic box office,
remained the sole hit of the sea-
son, an outlier at a time when
most films underperformed.
Box office failures include
even tougher as we step into
the pre-Ramzan period where
several sections anyway stay
away from cinemas,” inde-
pendent trade analyst Sreedhar
Pillai said.
There were high expecta-
plex audiences. covid days Mrs Chatterjee vs box office test, which is why we It is our policy to promptly respond to all complaints. Readers
Even in the Norway and Zwi- haven’t seen too many new dissatisfied with the response or concerned about Mint’s journalistic
South, Pillai gato were priced project announcements of late. integrity may write directly to the editor by sending an email to
pointed out, there had been on par with tentpole films in Confidence levels are at an all- asktheeditor@livemint.com
only two decently profitable multiplexes. It’s almost like a time low,” film producer, trade
Mint’s journalistic Code of Conduct that governs our newsroom is
films, both released for Pongal guaranteed strategy to keep and exhibition expert Girish available at www.livemint.com
in January, Vijay’s Varisu and people from going to cinemas Johar said.

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LIVEMINT.COM NEWS SAturdAy, 1 April 2023
AhmedAbAd 15

AMNS Luxembourg to Govt may defer EV incentive-linked tests

Alisha Sachdev that tests prescribed under the the matter should be issued in a

raise $5 bn Japan loan alisha.sachdev@livemint.com

NEw DELhI
‘tests to enhance human safety
of electric vehicles’ and made
mandatory by the MHI from
few weeks.
“We have requested the gov-
ernment to make the tests seg-

E
lectric vehicle makers are
expecting a six-month
relief to obtain mandatory
certifications under the minis-
try of heavy industry’s (MHI)
JBIC will lend $3 bn, the rest will be provided by MUFG Bank and others battery safety tests, industry
people familiar with the matter
said. The tests are linked to EV
Shayan Ghosh makers receiving subsidies for
shayan.g@livemint.com producing vehicles under the
MuMBAI Fame-II scheme, the people
said requesting anonymity.
MHI’s notification lists tests at
cell, BMS and battery pack
level to make EVs safer. MINT
this month are segment-spe-
cific and harmonized with the
tests that original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) and bat-
tery makers currently undergo
to comply with CMVR norms,
the people said.
OEMs need to comply with
MHI rules to be eligible for any
central government EV-related
incentives, while complying
with the MoRTH’s CMVR rules
ment-specific, give the indus-
try a reasonable period of time
to implement the new require-
ments and hold consultations
with the industry before notify-
ing rules of such nature,” a
leading executive at an electric
three-wheeler maker said,
requesting anonymity.
“We are expecting the time-
line will be extended to Octo-
ber 2023, and fresh consulta-

A
MNS Luxembourg Holding, The tests will also be applicable is necessary for vehicle manu- tions will be held with the
the parent of Arcelor Mittal for claiming incentives for bat- issued under the central motor facturing. industry, post which the final
Nippon Steel India (AM/NS), teries under the PLI for vehicle rules notified by the In the absence of a formal tests, harmonized with the
has signed a $5 billion loan advanced chemistry cells ministry of road transport and notification extending the CMVR rules will be notified,”
agreement with a consortium (ACC). highways (MoRTH) last Sep- timeline for the mandatory the executive added. MHI’s
of Japanese lenders led by the Japan Bank So far, not a single auto- tember, and implemented tests, there is lack of clarity notification lists numerous
for International Cooperation (JBIC) to maker from any segment has from 31 March. MHI had noti- whether OEMs will be able to tests at cell, battery manage-
fund the steelmaker’s capacity expansion been able to obtain certifica- fied the new testing parameters claim PLI and Fame-II incen- ment system (BMS) and battery
plans in India. tions under MHI’s November as mandatory for obtaining tives from 1 April. However, pack level to make EVs safer,
While JBIC will lend $3 billion, the rest 2022 notification, as the indus- government incentives follow- industry bodies who had made and to specifically prevent and
will be provided by MUFG Bank Ltd, Sumi- try focused on first complying ing multiple instances of EVs representations to the govern- curtail incidents of thermal
tomo Mitsui Banking Corp, Sumitomo Mit- with the new AIS 038 and AIS catching fires last year. ment to extend the timeline runways, which can lead to
sui Trust Bank Ltd, Mizuho Bank Ltd, and 156 EV battery safety standards The industry has also sought believe a notification clarifying explosions in battery packs.
Mizuho Bank Europe NV.
AM/NS India is owned by AMNS Lux-
embourg, in which ArcelorMittal holds a ArcelorMittal acquired Essar Steel India Ltd (ESIL) in December 2019, forming a joint
60% stake with the rest held by Nippon.
“The proceeds obtained through the
venture with Nippon Steel to own and operate ESIL.

JBIC co-financing loan will be used to rolling and finishing facilities to enhance a ₹60,000 crore investment plan to raise
MINT

Christian Dior eyes India’s luxury market

finance the expansion of AM/NS India’s AM/NS India’s ability to produce value- production capacity at Hazira to 15 MTPA.
annual steelmaking capacity at its Hazira added steels for sectors such as defence, JBIC, a Japanese government-owned Bloomberg Parent group LVMH’s shares mated to produce 70 new mil- ken, senior analyst for luxury
plant from 9 million tonnes per annum automotive and infrastructure. The capac- financial institution, is restricted from tak- feedback@livemint.com rose as much as 1% to €838.7 lionaires every day between goods at Bloomberg Intelli-
(MTPA) to 15 MTPA,” ArcelorMittal said in ity expansion will create more than 60,000 ing over 60% of a loan consortium and ($913), touching a record high 2018 and 2022. gence. “It’s vibrant, it’s new

C
a statement. jobs, it added. thereby its share is at $3 billion, said an offi- hristian Dior SE show- during market hours on Fri- It also points to Dior’s ability design, new colour, new tech-
The steelmaker’s ability to cial on condition of anonym- cased its Fall 2023 col- day. to bring entry-level buyers nologies into the luxury space,
successfully raise large debt is STEEL DEAL ity. lection in Mumbai on Dior, the sec- into the LVMH which is hugely needed.”
underscored by expectations The official said the deal is 30 March, becoming the first ond-biggest Christian Dior realm—a rising Dior’s not new at showcas-
of a continued boost to India’s AM/NS India is THE loan agreement THE loan is to fund part of JBIC’s long-standing fashion house to unveil the lat- brand of billion- becomes the first group of spend- ing its collections at untapped
domestic steel demand, owned by AMNS
Luxembourg, in
was signed with a
consortium of
Arcelor Mittal
Nippon Steel JV’s
relationship and commitment est lines in India as luxury aire Bernard fashion house to ers, especially in locations with iconic architec-
buoyed by the government’s which ArcelorMittal Japanese lenders led capacity expansion to India. brands tap new markets in a Arnault’s French unveil the latest the country of 1.4 ture serving as backdrop to its
mega infrastructure push. As holds a 60% stake by JBIC plans in India “We are glad to see that hunt for their next billions. luxury behemoth billion people, runways. Artistic director Kim
lines in India as
per CareEdge Research, ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel Everything from sari-in- LVMH, and the through its cos- Jones had unveiled its men’s
domestic steel consumption is India will use this funding to spired skirts to boleros to decision to add luxury brands tap metics to per- fall collection last year with the
expected to grow at 8-10% in FY24, spurred After over two years of ligation under expand their business and we are commit- vibrantly coloured outfits in India to its sea- new markets fumes to bags Pyramids of Giza rising in the
by increased infrastructure spending, India’s insolvency law, ArcelorMittal ted to support their investment,” the offi- silks, including those in an sonal schedule offerings. background, bringing to front
robust real estate and construction activi- acquired Essar Steel India Ltd (ESIL) in cial said. In March 2020, AMNS Luxem- Indian pink, were on display, shows a rising “It’s a hugely its parent group’s ambition to
ties, and strong automobile sales. Arcelor- December 2019, forming a joint venture bourg Holding had signed a $3.09 billion with the Gateway of India as interest to tap the nation’s ris- untapped market with middle ensure future profits as the
Mittal said apart from adding to the pri- with Nippon Steel to own and operate loan agreement with JBIC to partially the backdrop in the show led ing wealth. India currently has class on the rise and lots more next generation of the Arnault
mary steelmaking capacity, the project ESIL. The company received environmen- finance ArcelorMittal and Nippon Steel’s by Dior’s first female creative 119 billionaires, according to and lots more, by the year, mil- family takes on more pivotal
includes the development of downstream tal clearance last October, and announced acquisition of Essar Steel. director, Maria Grazia Chiuri. Oxfam, with the country esti- lionaires,” says Deborah Ait- roles in the empire.

DELHI JAL BOARD DELHI SARKAR

OFFICE OF THE ADDITIONAL CHIEF ENGINEER (M)-4
LUCKNOW ROAD,TIMARPUR, DELHI-110054
NIT. No. 81 (Item no. 1) (2022-23) DY.S.E./A.C.E.(M)-4
S. Name of Work Amount E/Money Tender Fee Date of release of Last date/time
No. Put to (EMD) Non- Tender/Tender ID of receipt of
Tender Refundable tender
1. Providing/Fixing/Installation of new 40,07,174/- 80,200/- 500/- 30.03.2023 15.04.2023,
water connection and water meter I.D Upto
(Phase-3) in ward Kadipur, Burari 2023_DJB_239117_1 3.00 PM
Constituency under ACE(M)-04.

Where every
Further details in this regard can be seen at https://govtprocurement.delhi.gov.in
ISSUED BY P.R.O. (WATER) “STOP CORONA: *Wear Mask, Follow Physical (S.K SINGH)
Advt. No. J.S.V. 587 (2022-23) Distancing, Maintain Hand Hygiene” DY. S.E.-(M)-4

DELHI JAL BOARD, GOVT. OF NCT OF DELHI

OFFICE OF THE ADDITIONAL CHIEF ENGINEER (PROJ.) WATER-II number
tells a story...
THROUGH DY. SE./EXECUTIVE ENGINEER (PROJ) W-VII
ANNEXE JAL SADAN, LAJPAT NAGAR, NEW DELHI-110024
OFFICE TELEPHONE NO. 011-29818410, E-MAIL ID : executivewater7@gmail.com
PRESS NIT NO. 09 (2022-23)
S. Name of Work Estimated Cost Earnest Date of release of Last date/time of receipt
No. (in Rs.) Money tender in E-procurement of tender through
(in Rs.) solution e-procurement solution

Introducing
1. Construction and commissioning of Civil Works: 75,19,000/- 31.03.2023 02.05.2023 up to 3.00 PM
2.2 MG & 3.7 MG UGR & BPS for Rs. 35,04,59,775/- 2023_DJB_239160_1
Batla House & Abul Fazal at Okhla in E & M Works &

News in
AC-54 under EE(Proj)W-VII O & M: Item Rate
The details of the tender can be seen on web-site https://govtprocurement.delhi.gov.in
ISSUED BY P.R.O. (WATER) STOP CORONA: (K. K. HARIT)
Advt. No. J.S.V. 589 (2022-23) “WEAR MASK, FOLLOW PHYSICAL DISTANCING, MAINTAIN HAND HYGIENE” DY. SE/EE (Project) W-VII

Numbers
DELHI JAL BOARD
OFFICE OF THE ADDL. CHIEF ENGINEER (M)-XI
ROOM NO. 110, OLD SHIV MANDIR MARG,
JAL SADAN, LAJPAT NAGAR, NEW DELHI-110024
E-mail: eetdjbm11@gmail.com, Ph. 011-29810956
NIT NO. 89/EE(T) M-XI/2022-23
S. Name of Work Amount put Date of release of Last date/time of receipt
No. to tender tender in e-procurement of tender through
(in Rs.) solution e-procurement solution
1. Replacement of existing old/stop water meters in 45,31,281/- 2023_DJB_239151_1 12.04.2023 upto

Exclusively on the Mint App

Deoli Constituency under EE(M)-47 (Re-invited). 31.03.2023 2.30 PM
2. Strengthening of damaged drive way flooring 34,35,729/- 2023_DJB_239151_2 12.04.2023 upto
and other additional works at Water Emergency 31.03.2023 2.30 PM
cum Division Office, Okhla Ph-II in Tughlakabad
Constituency AC-52 under AEE(M)-52.
NIT along with all the terms & conditions is available on Web Site https://govtprocurement.delhi.gov.in
ISSUED BY P.R.O. (WATER) STOP CORONA: (Naresh Kumar Kardam)
Advt. No. J.S.V. 590 (2022-23) “Wear Mask, Follow Physical Distancing, Maintain Hand Hygiene” Executive Engineer (T) M-XI

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Introducing News in Numbers

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 AhMedAbAd, NEw DELHI, MUMbAI, bENGALURU, kOLkATA, cHENNAI, HYDERAbAD, cHANDIGARH*, PUNE* VOL. 17 NO. 77 Rs. 15.00 16 PAGES

Saturday, April 1, 2023

Core sector growth slowed in ArcelorMittal signs loan deal

livemint.com Feb, fiscal deficit at 83% uP14 for plant expansion uP15

SENSEX 58,991.52 1031.43 NIFTY 17,359.75 279.05 DOLLAR ₹82.18 ₹0.16 EURO ₹89.47 ₹0.04 OIL $79.42 $0.15 GOLD ₹59,530 ₹416

New FTP eyes $2 tn Oyo’s confidential Closing high

Sensex rose 1,031 points on Friday.
DON’T MISS

IPO filing targets

59,400
58,991.52
Close

in exports by 2030 up to $600 million

59,000

58,600

Trade policy seeks to support merchanting trade, e-commerce Ranjani Raghavan

58,200
58,273.74 Open
ranjani.raghavan@livemint.com
MUMbAI 57,960.09 Govt raises interest rates on
Ravi Dutta Mishra Previous close most small saving schemes
TrAde TAIlwINd 57,800

N
ravi.dutt@livemint.com early two months after 9:07am 3:40pm
The government on Friday raised interest
Source: Bloomberg
NEw DELHI the market regulator rates on most post office saving schemes by
returned its draft SATISH KUMAR/MINT
up to 0.7% for the April-June 2023 quarter in
Indian stocks
I
ndia aims to achieve an ambi- papers for an initial public line with firming of rates in the economy. The
tious goal of $2 trillion in annual offering, Softbank-backed rates on PPF and savings deposits have been
exports by 2030 and position
itself as a global trading hub akin
Oravel Stays Pvt. Ltd, which
runs Oyo Hotels and Homes, soar as global retained at 7.1% and 4%, though. >P14

to Dubai and Singapore, which

facilitate trade between producers
has resubmitted the papers in
a confidential pre-filing, two
and consumers by relying on their people aware of the develop-
infrastructure and business-friendly ment said.
environment. Oyo aims to sell new shares
The government’s new Foreign to raise $400 million-$600
Trade Policy (FTP) 2023 aims to million (₹3,285 crore-₹4,927
develop India as a significant mer- crore) to repay debt and hopes
chanting trade hub by incorporating to list before Diwali, the people
Oyo filed draft papers for an
IPO for the first time in
September 2021. BLOOMBERG
Oyo first filed draft papers
for an IPO in September 2021
contagion International travel summer
favourite despite high fares
fear recedes Many Indians are looking to travel to
overseas for the summer holidays despite a
Ujjval Jauhari 60-70% rise in air fare on several routes and
ujjval.j@livemint.com delays in processing visas. Dubai, London,
NEw DELHI Singapore and Maldives are favourite
destinations. >P14

rules for such trade. Merchanting
trade involves the shipment of goods
from one foreign country to another
foreign country through an Indian
intermediary but without touching
Indian ports.
“Third-party exports are a big
exporting activity in places like
Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Because we didn’t have a clear policy
on how merchanting trading would
happen for restricted and prohibited
items, RBI and bankers were reluc-
tant to deal with this. We, for the first
time ever, are putting an explicit
provision in our FTP for merchant-
ing trade,” director general of for-
eign trade (DGFT) Santosh Kumar
Sarangi told reporters on Friday
after unveiling the policy. “Using
these intermediaries based in India
I
cited above said on the condi- but did not receive regulatory ndian stocks clocked their
tion of anonymity. The com- approvals. In January this year, best gains since 11 November
pany’s existing investors, who the regulator returned its on Friday, buoyed by positive Consumer durable sales outlook
BREAKING CONVENTION had planned to sell some of papers and asked the company global cues and a rush of foreign clouded by unseasonal rains
The new FTP has an IT does not have an The last policy saw their shares as per the earlier to refile them with additional portfolio investments. The BSE Expectations among consumer durable
explicit provision for end date but has kept four extensions amid draft, will not be selling their information. Sensex surged 1.78% or 1,031 makers of a pickup in sales of fans, air
merchanting trade room for revisions pandemic disruptions shares in the IPO. Oyo expects to record points to close near the 59,000 conditioners, refrigerators, and air coolers
In November 2022, the ₹2,800 crore revenue in the mark, while the Nifty jumped on the basis of hot summer forecast have
Securities and Exchange October-March 2023 period 1.63% to close at 17,359.75, been spoiled by recent unseasonal rains,
can export items from a second estimates lower. Board of India (Sebi) allowed (H2FY23), a 15% increase over crossing resistance levels adding to uncertainties . >P13
country to a third country without The new policy comes after much so-called confidential filings, H2FY22, one of the two people around 17,200.
touching ports of India. This is likely delay as the last policy effective from which would keep the finan- cited above said. Its adjusted “Indian markets played a
to help India in making itself a big 2015-20 saw four extensions amid cial data of companies private Ebitda for H2FY23 is expected catch-up rally with global mar- Govt may defer battery safety
trading hub in the future,” Sarangi major global supply chain disrup- in case they choose to call off to increase threefold from H2 kets, which had witnessed two tests deadline for Fame-II sops
added. tions such as covid-19 and the Rus- listing plans. Companies can FY22 to ₹185 crore, the person consecutive days of a strong
Electric vehicle makers are expecting a six-
Breaking from convention, the sia-Ukraine war. also adjust the issue size cited above said. Previously, move, while Indian markets month relief to obtain mandatory
government launched the trade pol- The policy assumes special signif- upwards or downwards by the company had reported an remained closed on Thursday”, certifications under the ministry of heavy
icy without an end date, keeping icance as India’s merchandise 50% and enjoy an 18-month adjusted Ebitda of ₹63 crore in said Naveen Kulkarni, chief industries’ battery safety tests. The tests are
room for revisions to better respond exports have started declining due to listing window after Sebi H1 FY23, which brings it to an investment officer of Axis Secu- linked to EV makers receiving subsidies for
to heightened global economic vola- approval against the normal 12 making vehicles under Fame-II scheme. >P14
tility that has dragged global growth TURN TO PAGE 13 months. TURN TO PAGE 13 TURN TO PAGE 13

Mubadala eyes Current account deficit shrinks IPL ad revenues drop as

investment in gas in Q3 as trade balance improves media rights get divided
networks, infra Shayan Ghosh
shayan.g@livemint.com
MUMbAI
Aditi Nayar, chief economist
and head of research and out-
reach at Icra Ltd.
Gaurav Laghate &
Varuni Khosla
on board, including one co-pre-
senter —Dream11—and three
powered by (PhonePe, JioMart
Rituraj Baruah Nayar said that with consid- NEw DELHI and Tiago EV). There are also 17

I
rituraj.baruah@livemint.com ndia’s current account defi- erable compression in the aver- associate sponsors.

T
NEw DELHI cit (CAD) in the December age trade deficit in January- he battle for eyeballs So far, Disney Star has sold
quarter shrank to 2.2% of February from the previous between broadcasters only about 60-65% of its

M
ubadala Investment
Co., the sovereign
wealth fund of the
United Arab Emirates, is eye-
ing gas assets in India’s
expanding city gas distribu-
tion network, as well as invest-
ments in infrastructure and
highways. In an interview,
Khaled Abdulla Al Qubaisi,
CEO of real estate and infra-
structure investments at
Mubadala, stated that the
fund, which already has
investments in India’s renewa-
ble energy sector through Tata
Power Renewables, is also
keen on further investment
opportunities in the country’s
green energy sector, given its
strong potential. Mubadala
will focus on gas assets, high- ties and a lot of potential to
ways, and renewable energy in
India in the years ahead, he
said, adding that Mubadala’s
investment portfolio is still at a
nascent stage and the UAE
sovereign fund is focused on
increasing its investments in
India. Edited excerpts:
With the
growth of
m INTERVIEW
renewables
Khaled Abdulla Al Qubaisi,
CEO, real estate and
infrastructure investments,
Mubadala.
getting into initially. We are
looking at other areas within
infrastructure as well, like gas
networks and so on.
There are a lot of opportuni-
deploy capital. The most
important thing is we select
the right sector, themes and
the right partner. We are going
along that way, and we are
really confident of deploying
more as Mubadala already has
around $4 billion in India.
Is there a
growth target
for your India
investments?
gross domestic product from
3.7% in the September quarter,
primarily due to a narrowing of
the merchandise trade deficit,
coupled with robust services
and private transfer receipts.
CAD narrowed to $18.2 bil-
lion in the December quarter of
FY23 against a deficit of $30.9
billion in the preceding three
months, showed Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) data released on
Friday. The current account
balance recorded a deficit of
$22.2 billion in the quarter
ended 31 December 2021.
Private transfer receipts in
the September quarter, mainly
representing remittances by
Indians employed overseas,
stood at $30.8 billion, an
increase of 31.7% from the same
period last year. In the financial
account, net foreign direct
Trump to be arraigned next week after his historic indictment
Bloomberg
feedback@livemint.com
Current account deficit shrank
to 2.2% of GDP in Q3FY23. MINT
investment decreased to $2.1
billion from $4.6 billion a year
ago, while net foreign portfolio
investment (FPI) recorded
inflows of $4.6 billion, as
against outflows of $5.8 billion
during the third quarter of the
previous fiscal.
“Following the downward
revision in the Q2FY23 current
account deficit, the CAD for Q3
has printed well below our
expectations, resulting in a
compressed print of $67 billion
for April-December 2022,” said
will meet Friday afternoon,
ahead of Trump’s arraignment,
to discuss security measures to
three months, Icra expects
CAD to recede to around $10-12
billion in the March quarter.
The rating firm projected FY23
CAD of $77-80 billion (2.3% of
GDP), which, it said, is quite
contained compared with lev-
els feared in mid-2022.
According to RBI, net exter-
nal commercial borrowings
recorded an outflow of $2.6 bil-
lion in Q3FY23, compared with
an outflow of $400 million a
year ago. Non-resident depos-
its showed net inflows of $2.6
billion, as against net inflows of
$1.3 billion in Q3FY22. That
apart, there was an accretion of
foreign exchange reserves, on a
balance of payments basis, of
$11.1 billion in the quarter
ended 31 December, compared
with an accretion of $500 mil-
lion in the year earlier.
Disney Star and Via-
com18 has intensified as the
16th edition of the Indian Pre-
mier League (IPL) gets under
way. With the networks com-
peting fiercely against each
other, ad revenues have taken a
hit, dropping to a combined
₹3,000 crore from the previ-
ous season’s ₹4,600 crore haul
across TV and digital platforms.
Despite efforts by TV rights
holder Disney Star and
streaming rights owner Via-
com18 to secure last-minute ad
deals, both networks are sig-
nificantly lagging their respec-
tive targets, people across
companies and media agen-
cies confirmed.
As of 30 March, only ₹3,000
crore worth of deals have been
inked, with ₹2,000 crore by
Star Sports and the remaining
Ad revenues have dropped to
₹3,000 crore from ₹4,600 in
the last season. AFP
₹1,000 crore by Viacom18’s
JioCinema OTT platform,
according to a senior media
agency executive.
Last season, Star Sports
earned ₹3,100 crore in ad rev-
enues, while its arm Dis-
ney+Hotstar booked sponsor-
ships and advertising worth
₹1,500 crore.
This year, Star Sports has
signed 13 sponsors, including
Dream11, charged by Thums Up,
Airtel, Asian Paints and others,
while Viacom18 has 21 sponsors
ident planned to appear before
New York authorities. He said
he hasn’t been told what the
inventory, the head of a media
agency said. “They are asking
for ₹17 lakh-₹18 lakh for a
10-second spot on average for
league matches and ₹33
lakh-₹35 lakh for the playoffs.
During the league, they may
sign another ₹300 crore-₹400
crore if ratings hold up,” the
person said, requesting ano-
nymity.
On digital, JioCinema is ask-
ing for ₹6.5 lakh per 10-second
spot on connected TVs, while
for other video ads—pre-roll
and mid-roll—it is asking for
₹200 CPM or per 1,000
impressions for a minimum
commitment of ₹15 lakh. On
digital platforms, brands are
charged on the basis of how
many people the ad is served.
TURN TO PAGE 13
rent US president. “The Ameri-
can people realize exactly what
the Radical Left Democrats are

D
and infrastructure sectors It’s very hard to predict what onald Trump will be be taken at and around the specific charges are and expects doing here. Everyone can see it.”
in India, how significant is that would look like. We aim to arraigned in the crimi- courthouse, the person said. them to remain under seal until Several key questions
the Indian market for you? represent India’s share of the nal case against him on Expected attendees include the the arraignment. The White remain outstanding, including
[We found] that opportu- world’s GDP. That’s how Tuesday afternoon following New York Police Department, House declined to comment. what precise charges he faces
nity during covid. We investment companies usually his indictment Thursday, the Secret Service, New York Trump, who is running for and whether he may actually
deployed at that time with Jio. look at countries with high according to a person familiar state court officials and court president again and faces mul- spend time in jail. Neither
We followed on and deployed growth potential. with the matter. officers, who see to security tiple other legal probes, called criminal charges nor a convic-
capital in the retail business. We have investments in Jio, The former president will inside the building, as well as the indictment “political perse- tion would disqualify him from
We also identified renewables, which is a telecommunica- hear the charges brought by representatives of Bragg’s cution and election interfer- running or even serving as
infrastructure, and highways tions company. We invested Manhattan District Attorney office. ence at the highest level in his- president.
as interesting areas for us. We $1.2 billion in that company. Alvin Bragg and will enter a The plans are currently to tory.” In a statement that also Trump, 76, already has a
are going that way and identi- We also invested $800 million plea of not guilty at a hearing at close down Centre Street, Former US president Donald Trump is the first former American served as a rallying cry to his clear lead among Republican
fying major themes and areas. in Reliance Retail. So, we have the New York State Supreme where the courthouse is president to be indicted. PTI political base, he described the voters over likely contenders
For example, digital transfor- $2 billion invested in Reliance courthouse in lower Manhat- located, and Baxter Street, case as the latest effort by Dem- for the nomination, and the
mation, renewables, and (Industries) in two of their tan on Tuesday at 2:15, said the which runs behind it, to all mined there was enough evi- Alvin Bragg’s office said it had ocrats to “destroy the Make announcement prompted
energy transition are impor- businesses. We have also com- person, who asked not to be vehicles. dence to proceed with a case been in contact with Trump’s America Great Again move- rivals such as former vice presi-
tant for India. Infrastructure, mitted around $300 million to identified discussing details Trump became the first against him for directing hush attorney to coordinate his sur- ment.” dent Mike Pence and Florida
in general, is important, and invest in infrastructure and that haven’t yet been former US president to be money payments to a porn star render. “I believe this witch-hunt will governor Ron DeSantis to make
highways are the first one (sec- announced. indicted on Thursday when a during his 2016 campaign. Joe Tacopina, Trump’s law- backfire massively on Joe remarks criticizing the indict-
tor) that we are comfortable TURN TO PAGE 13 Law enforcement officials Manhattan grand jury deter- Manhattan district attorney yer, confirmed the former pres- Biden,” Trump said of the cur- ment.