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Event

‘Being Human’ at school’s dramatics event

The Worli based DY Patil International School’s annual Dramatics competition drew members of actor Salman Khan’s family and other celebs.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Two days ago, DY Patil International School, Worli, held their Annual Inter-house Dramatics Competition at the YB Chavan Auditorium near Mantralaya. Film actor Salman Khan’s ‘Being Human’ charitable trust associated with the event, the theme of which was ‘Being human’.

From L-R) Sohail Khan and Vatsal Sheth with student at DY Patil International School Annual show Being HumanThe show was held as a part of the middle, secondary and high school annual show.

Over 100 students from four houses, Red, Yellow, Green and Blue, of the school participated in the competition. Salman’s brother Sohail Khan and actor Vatsal Sheth judged the performances. The exciting dramas were performed by the children with the support of digital sound, display and special effects.

Other celebrities to attend were Atul and Alvira Agnihotri, as did the school’s Principal Dr Meena Mahadevan, DY Patil International Schools Head Farzana Dohadwala, parents and other invitees.

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Watch

Get a ‘Vitamin’ shot at the NCPA

The internationally-acclaimed comedy play featuring solo performer Carlo Jacucci is on at the NCPA tomorrow. Do not miss this one.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

This is good theatre – and it’s on in Mumbai, at the NCPA, at 7 pm.

Tomorrow, the internationally-acclaimed ‘physical comedy’ Vitamin will play at the NCPA. It combines mime, puppetry, live accordion and surreal storytelling. The show has won great critical praise, five-star reviews and wide audience acclaim.

The British Comedy Guide describes the play thus: ‘Preaching from a book he never read, he (Jacucci) transforms himself into many characters, creatures and things, from a captain to a dancer, a marathon runner, an accordionist, a caterpillar…

Created in cabarets and variety shows across Europe, Vitamin is an internationally acclaimed physical comedy that combines different styles of contemporary comic theatre into a hilarious and moving performance. It plays with our imagination in fun and surprising ways, through mime, storytelling, dance, puppetry, and the unconventional use of live accordion.

In this physical and musical performance, our host Carlo Jaucci takes us to a fantastic world where inanimate objects are injected with vitality and the normal world becomes a lot less normal. Here he shows us completely unrelated but consistently brilliant sketches that range from the bizarre – ‘The Saddest Song in the World’ – to the sublime: the existential caterpillar.

A visually inspiring solo show, Vitamin is created and performed by Philippe Gaulier trained clown Carlo Jacucci, with a free and spectacular imagination and an incisive physical language.

Carlo Jacucci trained at École Philippe Gaulier, where he has taught three months a year since 2011. Founder of Artimmediate (2003), with whom he devised and toured internationally seven solo and collective shows, including Baitman, Beesquit,L’Accordeon-eon-eon, Boxette and Losing Venice, Carlo has been employed as actor and clown by many companies, circuses and theatres, including the Théâtre de l’Opprimé of Paris (2002-05) directed by Rui Frati, with whom he performed all over Europe and in Burundi.

(Picture courtesy ncpamumbai.com)

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Read

Review: Talking Of Muskaan

The young adult book is a wonderfully-told story of dealing with homosexuality and trying to break free of its shackles.
by Vrushali Lad | editor@themetrognome.in

I recently read Talking Of Muskaan, and I really liked it. It is a story about the terrible teens and dealing with homosexuality at an age where people are just becoming aware of several important things about themselves and the world.

The book is written in three narratives – a close friend, a relatively new friend and an acquaintance – that give three perspectives on the central character, Muskaan, a seemingly strange person who has recently started acting very ‘weird’ around even her close friends. The girl has become very withdrawn as each day passes, finally attempting to end her own life. At the heart of the matter is her supposed homosexuality, which only one person knows anything about. As her class, and more importantly, her circle of friends, begin to come to terms with her suicide bid, several truths tumble out from the not-so-perfect lives of those around Muskaan, friends who could have possibly prevented the tragedy by acting on time.

The Metrognome spoke to the book’s author, Himanjali Sankar, on her book’s bold theme, its central character and the creative process that went into the telling of the story.

Excerpts:

What inspired Talking of Muskaan? 

Himanjali 1I had been mulling over some ideas for many months when in December last year the earlier judgement by the High Court declaring Section 377 unconstitutional was overturned by the Supreme Court – that bothered me and also made me realise what I needed to do with the ideas I had. The book I was going to write was going to use homosexuality to give a twist to the plot but I suddenly felt after 377 that I didn’t want to use it just as a plot enabler but instead wanted to make it central to the plot.

Does Muskaan exist in real life?

I am very sure she does! Maybe not exactly as I have imagined her but there will be teen lives that reflect hers.

What kind of research went into the writing of this book?

No formal research as such. I spoke to the principal of a school to understand the RTE quota and its implementation in schools – and also to understand the softer aspects of how families and children were reacting to it. Other than that, my research entailed listening in on my daughter and her friends’ conversations and trying to figure how the teen mind worked!

Why did you leave out Muskaan from the actual storytelling process? She appears only in the others’ anecdotes.

Muskaan was there in the earlier drafts as one of the narrators but it wasn’t working – it was getting too crowded with four voices and slowing the story down. Then one of my editors suggested we do away with Muskaan altogether, which at first seemed sacrilegious, but as I tried out the idea it seemed the perfect solution. And then it made sense to call the book Talking of Muskaan.

Have any parents of teenagers read the book? What has their feedback been?

A handful of parents of teenagers have read the book and approved of it. Thankfully! I think sensitising teenagers to different ways of being can’t be a bad idea, and that is how they felt too.

___________________________

An excerpt from Talking Of Muskaan:

‘For the next ten minutes we took turns to throw and catch the ball. We did not speak but, oddly enough, it felt nice. I do not have anything against her, personally. I am only concerned about my own academic performance. I think the reason I disliked her was not just because she is the only student who is serious competition for me, academically, but also because she seems to do it without really caring. It’s so important for me and for her, it is nothing.

As we sat there, I felt like saying something to her. ‘Any particular problem?’ I asked.

As soon as I said that, I felt what a stupid question it was, and I did not expect her to reply.

‘It’s just…my friends. They get after me for stupidest reasons,’ Muskaan said. ‘You know Prateek – he wants to go out with me, it seems. And my friends are getting after me to say yes…and something happened a month back…I didn’t give it any importance, I thought it would sort itself out but it hasn’t and Aaliya is still not speaking to me.’

‘Prateek?’ I smiled. He was one of the stupidest boys in the class. ‘Why would your friends want you to go out with him?’

‘They think he’s cool and good-looking and all that.’

‘Really?’ As far as I know, Prateek is very wealthy and I suppose that is what made him cool in their eyes. It made me angry. Not at Muskaan, but at her friends.

‘And what are you running away from?’ Muskaan asked me. She asked as if she really wanted to know, which was nice.

‘Well, I don’t know. It’s just that…I feel like a misfit sometimes…My family is very different. Not, you know, well-to-do, like most of the kids in school.’ I shrugged. ‘It’s just, that it makes me feel…like an…outsider.’

I had never told anyone this before. I had never let anyone know how I felt. I did not know why I was telling Muskaan. Maybe because she seemed really interested. Also just sitting there with her, in my favourite place, it was somehow easy to talk.”

(Featured image courtesy gaysifamily.com)

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Watch

Watch: Vikalp@Prithvi presents a ‘Green Tiger’

This film captures a valiant effort to stop a Chinese dam project; screening precedes Q&A with Jaitapur activist Girish Raut.
by Medha Kulkarni | @VeryMedha on Twitter

Waking the Green Tiger – The Rise of a Green Movement in China is a powerful film directed by Gary Marcuse, which will be presented by Vikalp@Prithvi this evening, Friday, December 26.

Following the screening, viewers can engage in a Q&A session with Girish Raut, environmental activist and advocate who has played a major role in protests against the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant and the Bandra-Worli Sea Link, among other projects.

The film is told through the point of view of activists, farmers, and journalists and follows the incredible campaign to stop a huge dam project on the upper Yangtze river in southwestern China. The film features rare and astonishing footage that has previously never been viewed outside of the country, along with interviews with a Government insider and witnesses. The documentary also analysis Chairman Mao’s campaigns to conquer nature in the name of progress.

The film has received rave reviews and is a must-see for film lovers and environmentalists alike.

“In this lushly filmed documentary, (the producers) beautifully captured the spirit of this grassroots movement in China with stunning images, superb writing and excellent use of strong, compelling personal stories,” says Susanne Reber, Grantham Prize Juror, about the film. Adds Brett Kessler, WABC 7, “Waking the Green Tiger manages the perfect balance between information and entertainment, condensing several decades of history into a rousing portrait of China’s emerging green movement. It’s a portrait of people, from the humblest of farmers to some of China’s biggest government players, coming together to shape a new socially-and eco-conscious paradigm.”

Head to Prithvi House, opposite Prithvi Theatre, Janki Kutir, Juhu Church road. The screening begins at 7 pm. Entry is free but on a first come-first-serve basis.

(Picture courtesy filmbalaya.com)

Categories
Eat

American fruit comes to Mumbai markets

For a month, Mumbai and six cities can enjoy fresh fruit from the US, along with sampling and cooking demonstrations.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Mumbai, and six Indian cities, are in for an American treat: the California Table Grape Commission, Pear Bureau Northwest, and Washington Apple Commission, in association with the Metro and Foodhall grocery chains, are celebrating a month-long US Fresh Fruit Festival in 16 stores across Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Zirakpur, and Pune. The promotion includes a special in-store display of US fresh fruits, sampling, and cooking demonstrations.

As part of the festival, Adam Branson, Senior Agricultural Attaché within the US Consulate General, visited the Palladium Mall Foodhall outlet in Mumbai. Sumit Saran, Head-International Food Business of Future Retail Ltd., and Keith Sunderlal, Managing Director of The SCS Group, were also present at the store for this event. An interactive cooking demonstration and a health talk session were conducted at the event by Naini Setalvad, a well-known nutritionist and lifestyle diseases management consultant.

About the event, US Consul General in Mumbai Tom Vajda said, “This festival is a wonderful opportunity for Indian consumers to taste and experience a wide range of American fresh fruits. India is an important and growing market and we are glad to have a partnership with Foodhall, which makes delicious American fresh fruit available across India throughout the year.”

Saran remarked, “Fruits like grapes from California, American pears, and Washington apples are now part of the regular basket of fruits that Foodhall offers and are available across their seasons in all our outlets.” Sunderlal added, “India is one of the growing potential markets for imported US fruits like grapes, pears, and apples and we are pleased to showcase these products to Indian consumers. We hope to create a market which becomes a repository of culinary knowledge and understanding, right here in India.”

This promotion is taking place at Metro and Foodhall stores until January 5, 2015.

(Picture courtesy www.huffingtonpost.com)

Categories
Tech

Review: Nokia Lumia 830

The last Windows phone with the Nokia branding, the Lumia 830 is a solid buy at a Rs 24,000 price.
by Manik Kakra | @Manik_K on Twitter

The Lumia series has been gradually establishing itself in the low and mid-range segments, maybe a bit too slowly, but it is getting there. With the Lumia 5, 6 and 7 series, Nokia provided decent handsets, and now it has upgraded its old Lumia 820 to take on the likes of the Nexus 5 in the Rs 30k price range. So, let’s see if the Lumia 830 lives up to its name or not.

The looks. Nokia’s Lumia 830 follows a slightly different fabula design with a solid feel. The first thing you’ll notice is its metal frame around the body. On the front, apart from the 5-inch HD screen with Gorilla Glass 3 on top, are the capacitive touch keys – Back, Windows (and the primary mic below it), and Search, which don’t glow on being used, front-facing camera, sensors and speaker grill.

The right side panel houses the Power/Lock key as well as volume rockers and dedicated camera key, all three of these physical keys are made out of aluminium but aren’t very dependable for tactile feedback, while the left side panel is plain without any buttons or port. The microUSB port and 3.5 mm headset jack are located at the top and the bottom is plain.

At the back is the familiar polycarbonate cover that has a fairly large 10 MP camera sensor (reminds you of the Lumia 1020), the Nokia logo imprinted in the middle, and the loudspeaker grill near the bottom. You can remove this rear cover from the bottom to reveal the nano SIM card slot, battery unit and microSD card slot. The design and look part of the device scores well for me. Despite having a metallic frame and angular four edges, I liked its grip and didn’t have problems carrying it around.

Screen. The Lumia 830 boasts a 5-inch (1280 x 720) LCD screen powered by Nokia’s popular ClearBlack technology. The screen, as you would expect, has good deep black levels and is not a pain to use under sunlight. It has vibrant colours and videos appear quite sharp on it. The screen isn’t full HD, but it does the job fairly well, especially for how the Windows Phone OS has been designed.

Camera. Nokia has touted the Lumia 830 as a flagship camera device that isn’t priced as a high-end one. The phone boasts a 10 MP PureView camera (Carl Zeiss optics) with an LED flash and also features OIS. Here are a few sample images.

The camera can take a lot of good photos. Most of the time, photos come out sharp and detailed. There are a plenty of options to choose from while taking a photo – ISO, exposure, shutter speed, etc. You could say the low-light performance isn’t the best, but overall this camera is a really good performer. Other than the default camera app, there are three camera apps. The default app seems much quicker to capture shots than what I saw on earlier Lumia devices. Other camera apps include Nokia Camera, Lumia Selife and Lumia Refocus, most of which are mainly useful for post-shot use.

Audio. The device has solid audio quality – whether it is in-ear or through loudspeaker. The loudspeaker, though could have been placed better, is more than capable to produce good audio when playing games or a track. In-ear sound is top-notch, plus, there’s nothing to complain about network reception throughout our usage. Call quality seemed fine with no unusual call drops.

Battery. Equipped with a 2,200 mAh battery unit, the phone gave about a day’s use on a single charge. Even when used with 3G and not much of WiFi (with low screen brightness) for Outlook, Twitter, music and general calls and messages, it lasted about 23 hours. You can switch on the in-built battery saver mode if you need some more juice out of the phone. It charges from zero to full in about two and a half hours. Being able to charge wirelessly with a compatible rear plate is also an option.

Software and performance. Under the hood, this Windows Phone OS 8.1 Update 1 (with Denim Update) has Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 400 SoC (1l2 GHz quad-core processor, Adreno 305 GPU) with 1 GB of RAM. There’s also SensorCore in place, but I had Motion Data off during my usage.

The Lumia 830 performs and feels as smooth and fluid that you generally associate with the WP OS. Glance Screen is something I really like. Many previous Symbian users might remember having time, call and message notifications show right on the screen even when it is off, giving you useful information without taking a toll on battery life. You can double-tap to wake the entire screen and it works well.

The phone handles games and regular OS tasks quite well. Having said that, when it comes to the OS experience, Windows phones still have a lot of work to do besides having a clean and neat look. Every now and then, you still get to see the loading or resuming screen on pressing the back button, or going from one app to another even though you aren’t doing very intensive work on the phone.

There are a few noticeable improvements done by Microsoft (and Nokia). Live Tiles on the main Start screen are actually live – giving you a bit of current information without having to open the relevant app and refresh it. You can now make folders on the Start screen, apply wallpapers that follow your screen and tile patterns and also have the option to have different volume levels selected for your media and calls. The pull-down notification bar also gives you toggle buttons for WiFi, Location, and more, but for some reason, there’s still no data toggle button, which means you have to go into Settings and switch it on or off from there. Apparently, it is coming in the next update.

When it comes to apps and services, Windows Phone isn’t a half-baked OS any more. Most of your popular apps and services run on the OS, while a few of them only have third-party options. With Nokia’s HERE Maps, Outlook, OneDrive, good Twitter and Reddit apps, I didn’t have too many problems in this regard, but there’s surely something missing if you’re dependant on Gmail. The user gets about 14 GB of internal storage space, which can be expanded using a microSD card apart from 15 GB of free storage he/she gets from Microsoft’s OneDrive service. In my opinion, the OS has still a lot to cover and add (including a couple of points mentioned above), but seems to be doing so, but probably at a rate that could hinder its position in the smartphone market.

Concluding our review, the last Windows Phone with the Nokia branding, the Lumia 830, seems like a solid device. It has a great camera, good battery life, decent screen, high quality audio and premium design for this price, and an improved OS. With a price tag of about Rs 24,000, if you’re looking to try your first Windows Phone device, the Lumia 830 feels like a really worthy option for now.

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