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“Mumbai needs proper city guide apps”

Mikhail Madnani tells us how he created the wildly popular Mumbai On The Go app and how you can, too.
by the Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

You’re heading to a specific address but you don’t know which bus will take you there.

You suspect the auto driver ripped you off with a fake tariff card.

You want to know just how taxis and autorickshaws calculate the per kilometre fare.

Mikhail Madnani (24) wondered about these things, too. But he went a step further – he built an app that would give all of this information easily, thus saving Mumbaikars a lot of heartburn via peak- hour fights with errant cabs and autos, and unnecessary waiting for buses to turn up. Read on for his story.

My background and prior experience…

I am an Electronics and Telecom engineer. I have been doodling around with typical programming languages for a while in engineering since the courses taught here are pretty bad or theory-based. I started learning objective C (the language used for iOS apps) in July last year with a friend. You need a Mac to test code, so I used my mom’s MacBook Air for learning on weekends when it was available. I bought a Mac soon after and then finished work on v1.0 of Mumbai On The Go in early September last year. I worked on the app with a friend on weekends mainly. The remainder was spent testing and eventually it was released. 

I work…

… Mainly from home. I work on apps remotely with my friends Adib Parkar and Amar Kohli. Each of us handles different things and then we get everything together and start testing. Barring my work on apps, I write for Beautiful Pixels, review a few technical books and music for a few other sites.

I created Mumbai On The Go because…

Quite a few factors led to my decision to do this app. Many taxi and auto drivers blatantly rip off passengers with excuses like ‘old card/fare, new fare is higher,’ and all that. I travelled to college for four years by train and found it extremely annoying to use those books they sell at stations for approximate train timings. The buses in Mumbai are really good, but there was no proper source of bus routes available to people on mobile devices at the time. Also, switching buses was really hard to do with no proper directory of routes available easily. There was also a dearth of properly updated and usable travel apps for Mumbai on iOS.

Apps as simple as an auto meter would never be updated for over a year. The fares here change often and I wanted to make something that would be really useful. The app is also completely offline so it can be used on the iPod Touch as well while travelling. I did the same for the second app I created, Bengaluru On The Go, which is also available on the App Store.

Creating the app…

…Was a learning experience, since it was our first app. It also involved some ground work for getting up-to-date fares and routes. Testing was very important, since everything was new. Luckily I had access to different iOS devices from friends to test apps on. I also needed the app to work offline for iPod touch users while they travelled. That meant having a very fast search through a huge database of routes.

Appstatic!

The app is often in the top-25 overall paid apps in India, and was at number five overall in Mumbai when I put it on sale a few months ago. The app is also the highest-rated travel app in India on iOS. I made this app for people from abroad travelling here, and I’m always surprised by the number of downloads from outside India.

The best compliments…

I love it when people tell me they saved a lot of time or money thanks to the app. Someone saved over Rs 150 when the fares had just been increased, thanks to the app. It was also reviewed in T3 India, Chip magazine and Tech2, along with many online blogs.

I may rework some aspects of it…

I am working on some new graphics for the app and features requested by users, in addition to something that I think will make this app much better, which will be revealed later.

Promoting the app…

I used Twitter for the promotion and a few of my friends and people I know on Twitter helped me promote the app. Magazine and blog reviews helped. Being featured by Apple often in their What’s Hot sections is also really nice.

The most popular apps currently…

WhatsApp is always at the top of the charts here. Given the amount people used it to spam yesterday, I think it is safe to assume that it is very popular here. Games like Angry Birds Star Wars (that recently released) and the overrated Temple Run are always popular. Flipboard is probably the best news reader app available and I still have no idea why everyone doesn’t use Whatsapp.

What Mumbai needs…

Mumbai needs proper city guide apps. I think Zomato is also an essential app for someone here. When I travel abroad, I always look for apps for the places I’m visiting. I’m sure people do the same when they come here, and I’m glad they have some apps for the same now.

I wish I had designed…

…Any apps by Tapbots or Ender Labs. They make amazing apps.

If you’re going to design an app…

I do iOS apps now. To develop iOS apps, you need to know Objective C, work with Xcode and use a Mac. You cannot develop for iOS on any other platform. Each platform has their own design rules and they need to be followed. There are some great books available that help a lot. My recommendation for all programming-related books is mostly anything from O’Reilly publishers. They have some great beginner books in their ‘Head First” series and advanced tools like Cookbooks as well. They also do non code-related books that deal with designing.

 

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‘No egos on the set’

Prutha Rajeshirke is a shoot-at-site pro – she handles entire photo shoots and ensures that everything goes as per plan.
By The Diarist | thediarist@themetrognome.in

Prutha Rajeshirke (26) worked at Femina magazine as a photo shoot coordinator till last year, and this year she started her own production company, Madmoth Production, with a partner, Ryan Padbidri. The firm sets up every aspect of a shoot – right from sourcing the right people and space, to ensuring that the shoot goes off without a hitch.

Prutha tells us what it takes to be a production coordinator and what you should do if you want to branch out in the same profession.

Please describe your previous work experience.

I worked for 141 Sercon-BTL event company as an events executive, and with photographer Avinash Gowariker as production manager. Later, I worked at Femina magazine as a photoshoot coordinator.

What prompted you to start Madmoth Production?

I always wanted to start a production company of my own, so thought I should start at an early stage, use my years of experience and fulfil my dream. The name for the company actually occurred to my brother, and I felt it was quite apt for the way we production people flutter around from place to place to meet clients’ needs. Plus, the name is unique.

What is the size of your company?

Ever since the company was established, we two partners, Ryan and myself, handle the work. And we have a crew of 15 members, including our art director and his co-workers and makeup artist, stylists and photographers.

Did your experience at Femina help you in any way?

Yes, it definitely did. Femina is a brand in itself and it makes a lot of difference in the industry to have a name like Femina on your résumé.

Since the time you started your company in August last year, what has the response been like? How do you make your company’s presence known?

The response in the beginning was not very good, but we didn’t even expect it to be good. Any business or company takes at least a year and a half to take off. But this year has been good. Our contacts over the years have helped us get work. Ever since we’ve started, we’ve got in touch with all our contacts, sent emails notifying them about this venture, and once we’d done enough shoots under Madmoth Production’s banner, we started a Facebook page  and a Twitter account. This helps us with the needful publicity.

Which shoots do you handle?

At Madmoth, we handle editorial, commercial (brand related), beauty, jewellery and interior shoots, primarily, apart from others.

Which are the brands or projects you you’ve worked on, till date?

I’ve worked with magazines like Femina, Filmfare, OK, Cosmopolitan, Hello!, FHM, &persand, HT Brunch, Wedding Vows and Cineblitz. Some of the brands I’ve worked with include Force India, Lakmé, Jealous 21,Titan, Samsung, Asian Paints, Sparx, Sach, Jayalaxmi Silks, Cotstyle and Exten.

What is the most challenging aspect of your work?

To get everyone together on the particular day (of the shoot) is my biggest task. This is difficult to do, since not everyone may be free and available on the day we want to shoot, especially if it’s a celebrity. We have to work months in advance, sometimes, to get their dates, and it’s not just about getting the celebrity or the photographer, either. There are so many other people and factors involved in shoots: models, makeup artistes, hair stylists, photographers, locations, the magazine or brand…and then there are the deadlines we have to meet.

So how do you plan and execute a shoot?

You have to follow a process. First, you get the brief and the concept of the shoot from the client. Second, you organise the necessary people and the set, as per the given brief. Third, it’s all about on- shoot coordination and production, making sure everything is organised as per demand.

What do you do when a shoot does not go as planned?

If a shoot doesn’t go as planned, then we look for alternative options on the basis of the concept, if it’s a matter that concerns the production team. The job of a production person is to set everything right and get organised, so if there is any difference of opinion or a celebrity concern, for instance, then we talk it out and come to a mutual understanding.

How do you deal with egos on the set?

If at all there are any ego clashes on the set, then we make sure we don’t let our own egos come in the way of work. And we sort out the issue with professionalism, as it is nothing personal. But at the end of the day, we want the best results from our shoot. As a production team, we cannot afford to have any ego, because the responsibility on our shoulders is immense.

Why is a company such as yours needed in today’s market?

A production company is always needed in this industry, it isn’t a new concept. There are many companies which are big establishments in this field. There is always an ever-growing need for production companies, especially with increasing demand. It’s a head source for any shoots. Also, there is an increasing competition.

Which are the kinds of shoots you don’t like?

As a production team, every shoot is a challenge, as the work process is the same. Therefore, I can’t categorise shoots into likes and dislikes.

What skills and knowledge must a person possess to start a venture such as yours?

Firstly, you need to know the industry well. Have a database of contacts ready, brush up on your communication skills, and cultivate loads of patience. And most importantly, hone your organisation skills – production is all about organisation. Get production knowledge by joining an event school, and later join an event company or production house which will help you develop your production skills. Also, try and meet as many people as you can to increase the size of your database. What’s more, never think any shoot is too small.

 

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Writing from the heart and other great ideas

Her first book sold 50,000 copies and her second one’s just out. Madhuri Banerjee talks about putting herself out there.
by Vrushali Lad | vrushali@themetrognome.in

Madhuri Banerjee wrote her first novel, Losing My Virginity And Other Dumb Ideas, on a whim. “I had just had my baby and a 30-something friend was visiting me. While talking, she mentioned that she was still a virgin. That made me think a bit,” Madhuri says. Surprised at this information, and wondering if there were other such virgins around, she spoke to a few of her friends. “There were about three other women who said they were still virgins. “I wondered: what does a woman have to do to lose her virginity?”

And so Madhuri sat down in September 2008 and began to write. “I wrote one punchy chapter, then I showed it to my best friend, asking if she would like to read more. She said she was interested in reading further. I also showed it to my husband, who raised his eyebrows and said, ‘Chick lit?’” she laughs. “But when I said I was serious about writing this, he said, ‘Be the next Elizabeth Gilbert.’”

Since her baby was just three months old and her husband worked full-time, Madhuri could write only at night. “The story was already in my head, and I didn’t edit it as I wrote. I finally finished it in January 2009. Then I wondered how to send the book to publishers.”

Sending the manuscript: Her husband’s friend had been published by Penguin. “I sent my manuscript to that contact that the friend gave, and like an idiot, I sent the entire book at once, instead of just a synopsis and a sample chapter,” she grins. “I also enclosed a cover letter saying that I was a debut writer hoping to be a debut author. But I did not know that the woman I had sent out the book to was the Penguin CEO’s wife! And she got back to me in 48 hours!”

The publishers’ first feedback: “Heather, who I had sent the book to, said she loved it and that she would ask the relevant editor to contact me and that they would send me the contract. She ended by welcoming me to the Penguin family. I had goosebumps all over my body, and I stammered my thanks, hardly believing what I was hearing,” she says. The editor called a week later and things got underway. “I had also sent my book to Harper Collins, but I didn’t hear back from them and honestly, I didn’t care. My first book was about relationships and for me, relationships are far more important than business.”

The production process: “Penguin is extremely thorough with the editing process. My editor had skimmed through the book on her first read, then she read it thoroughly on her second read. The book then went through structural changes, grammatical errors were removed, there were some name changes as well. Yet another editor read sections of it, 30 pages at a time, and she was extremely thorough. She suggested several language changes, and she and I had several arguments about them. I accused her of having Jane Austen sensibilities, not letting me use words like ‘Ain’t,’, and she retorted that she was only trying to make it better!” Madhuri laughs. “But she really made me understand the editing process well.”

The jacket: Normally, Madhuri says, the publishers show you a jacket option “that they try to convince you is the best option.” Her book’s first cover had a picture of a balloon “with three things coming out of it. Given a choice, I would have loved a picture of water droplets and a rainbow and a girl standing at a window.” She adds, “It was very exciting. We sold 20,000 copies with that first cover. The second cover was very successful, everybody loved it. Usually, if the book falls in a particular category, like mine did (it was published by Penguin Metro Reads), the jacket design follows a set format.”

The launch: The book was launched at Penguin’s Spring Fest in March 2011, and had a Mumbai launch later, in which actor Gul Panag was the chief guest. “Gul said she’d be there only for a short while, then she spent three hours at the launch. It was great,” Madhuri says.

Sales: “The book has sold over 50,000 copies so far,” Madhuri says. “It is still selling, and I’m shocked that people are still reading it.” But what about the royalty factor, and is it true that first-time authors are paid a pittance as advance fees? “Yes, you make peanuts as a debut author. But you know, I spoke with Ashok Banker, and he said that he was paid very little by publishers for a long time before he was signed on with an eight-figure advance. It’s best to leave all that to the publishers, and write for yourself with all your heart.”

Authors can also make more money through translations of their work in other languages, like Madhuri is doing – her first book has now been translated in three Indian languages, and has been selected for an e-book version for Kindle.

Multiple book deals: Since the novel was a big success – in the Indian publishing scene, anything selling about 5,000 copies is considered a good break – Penguin handed Madhuri a two-book deal. This prompted a big rethink, because she hadn’t considered writing a sequel. “The publishers give you a deadline in which to finish each book, and mine was March 2012. The sequel was more difficult, because your characters had to have evolved, there had to be a whole new dimension to them and the plot. Plus, the scenes, the dialogues had to be more mature. I put more of myself in this book than the first,” she reveals.

Cruel feedback: How does she deal with criticism? “Very badly,” she giggles. “When I received the first emails really trashing my book, I cried for days. It still takes me an entire day to recover from nasty feedback. People really were cruel, some of them said the book was terrible, it should never have been printed, my writing was pathetic. I find it tough to deal with it, because I am passionate about every sentence I write. Every word I put down is me. And I don’t criticise another person’s creativity at all. Now I’ve taught myself not to imbibe the negativity. I rest peacefully, meditate and find a balance.”

Madhuri’s tips for aspiring authors:

– Know your work thoroughly. Go through it with a fine tooth comb, and be confident about your story. More importantly, live with it for some time.

– Be patient. Publishers have a huge workload and they may take time to evaluate your work. Be patient whether you receive an acceptance letter or a rejection email. If your work has been rejected, reevaluate it, rework it, give it a different title, send it out again.

– Be shameless about networking. Use your friends, their contacts, whoever you think will get you that foot in the door. Buy them a lavish dinner if you have to, just go out there and network.

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‘Because I lack the discipline serial killing requires’

…is why Ashish Shakya does stand up comedy, and also because his comedy has gone ‘from sh*t to less sh*t’.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Ashish Shakya is 28, and funny as hell.

He ‘mooned the college after he finished engineering studies.’ His first stand-up act ‘was the opposite of funny and smart’. He kept going at stand-up comedy till he ‘went from shit to less shit’. And, he says, ‘as a comic, all you can do is put in every bit of energy and talent that you have, take your money and go home feeling a little bit like a whore.’

In a hilarious interview, the Bandra resident tells The Metrognome about his chosen profession, performing to stony silences, writing funny stuff every week for television and what aspiring stand-up comics and humour writers need to consider before taking the plunge into the business of comedy.

When did you first realise you were funny, that you had the ability to get a laugh? Was there a moment of epiphany?

There is no real single instance that served as an epiphany. At some point, you just develop some sort of a personality, and mine turned out to be the guy that was probably dropped on his head as a kid, making sure he’d never have anything close to a normal thought process. As such, the choice is between comedy and serial killing. I do the former because I lack the discipline that serial-killing requires.

And yes, I imagine that my parents were my first audience, although kids say stupid things that parents laugh at because they have to. If I was in their place, I would ask for a refund.

You studied engineering. What did you do after you finished college?

Mooned the college and thanked the universe that it was over. Drank a lot. Also, started working with a youth magazine called JAM about a week after my final exams, because, well, I needed to make up for lost time.

How has your educational background as an engineer helped your sense of humour? And why are there so many engineers in the media?

I had lots of free time in engineering college, since I didn’t really bother with all that pesky studying nonsense. That free time may have helped warp my mind a fair bit, and that’s always a good thing for comedy. As far as the glut of engineers in the media (or even other non-tech fields) is concerned, it’s probably because engineering is the default option for most kids in India. It’s also easy to get into. But the blinkers come off once you’re in college and by then it’s too late, so you just sit around, biding your time until one day, you’re free AND CAN DO WHATEVER THE F**K YOU WANT BECAUSE YOU’RE YOUNG AND FOOLISH WOOHOO!

 When did you first start writing? What was it about?

I started really late in life. 17 or so, I would think, and it was during the first semester of engineering college. In a blinding flash of originality, I wrote bullshit poetry about life or some such nonsense. Teenagers are stupid, no?

Your writing has a very obvious Dave Barry-ish turn of phrase. Apart from him, which humour writers have influenced your writing?

Barry’s the writer who taught me all about form, structure and all the other boring nuances that go into great humour writing. Apart from him, I think Charlie Brooker and P J O’Rourke are great fun.

What was your first stand-up comic gig like?

The first time was three years ago, at the open mic organised by Vir Das and company at Blue Frog, called Weirdass Hamateur Night. There were 15 contestants, who got two minutes each. I wrote about being a North Indian or something, and it was the exact opposite of funny and smart. I ran it past a few people before the show, and it still wasn’t funny. I rewrote it the night before and  took copious amounts of drugs before going on stage. People laughed, which was nice of them and ensured that they didn’t get to see a grown man cry on stage. I took part in the next open mic as well, which I won, which bought me more time on stage. It turned out that I liked the spotlight and the instant gratification, so I kept doing it until I went from shit to less shit. At some point, money came in and that wasn’t too bad either. The Comedy Store came here in 2010, and that helped a lot in terms of stage time.

Have you ever had a ‘bad act’, for example where the audience was a bunch of tough customers that didn’t crack a smile all the time you were on stage?

Oh, lots. I’ve walked on to boos, I’ve performed to stony silences, where the only sound you can hear is the sound of your self-esteem being run over by a truck. Corporates usually tend to be tough, because hey, if you’re at a swanky office party, where the booze is free and frankly, above your pay grade, you’re not going to give a sh*t about some ugly dude talking on stage. You have other concerns, such as killing your liver or hitting on that hot chick from HR. As a comic, all you can do is put in every bit of energy and talent that you have, take your money and go home feeling a little bit like a whore. My worst gig was when I was accosted by members of a right-wing fanatic party because they didn’t like a certain joke I had made. I can’t really tell you the joke now, because if they read it, they will set fire to the Internet. It would suffice to say that I was threatened with grievous bodily harm, unless I apologised on stage, so I did, because I like having my limbs attached to my body at all times.

What do you do when you sense your act is not going well?

I wish that I had listened to my mother and worked hard to become one of those corporate types sitting in the audience, not laughing, as opposed to the idiot on stage.

All you can do is to switch your material around in your head, and do stuff that you think might get them laughing. Sometimes heavy or smart stuff is met with a silence, so you try and switch to easier jokes. If all that fails, go home and have a crisis or two.

You write ‘The Week That Wasn’t’. How did you land this assignment? What is it like working with Cyrus and Vijay?

I called Kunal and told him I wanted to write. I set up a meeting, delivered a sample script and a few sexual favours later, I got the job. I have written more than 200 episodes (that’s four-odd years on a weekly) so I know their styles and can write accordingly. That bit is fine – the difficulty lies in being funny and smart every week, about topics that often stay the same. I mean there are only so many Manmohan Singh jokes you can do before you wish that he does acid in Parliament or something, so that you have something new to talk about.

There are very few humour columnists in the city today. How did you break into humour writing for newspapers?

I went to a dance bar. No, seriously. I went to a dance bar because I was fascinated by the whole subculture and wanted to write about it. That experience turned into a 3,000-word piece which sat around gathering dust on my blog, until I felt I wasn’t doing enough in life, so I shot off emails to a bunch of papers. HT was revamping at the time, and they liked the piece. A couple of sample columns later, I was in.

Have you ever received irate letters from readers about any of the columns you’ve written?

Very few irate letters actually. Most people are nice and understanding. That’s probably because a lot of stupid people aren’t reading my column yet. I wonder what will happen when they do. I have gotten some hate on my work about religion and politics, but weirdly enough, the most vitriol I have ever received was after I wrote about how sport fans are stupid and annoying. People take that shit really seriously. It’s hilarious.

When you’re working on material for a stand-up act, what are some of the things you have to keep in mind?

If it’s for a corporate, then you may need to write clean stuff. But that aside, we get to say pretty much what we want. Consistency is difficult, and you always want to write better and funnier than you were writing the day before. A lot of first thoughts need to be thrown out. Apart from that, you just need to have fun writing.

Who, in your opinion, are some of the best stand-up comics in India today? Around the world?

Vir Das. Also, Anuvab Pal is great. As are Rohan Joshi, Tanmay Bhat and Gursimran Khamba. These are guys who set the bar pretty high.

Among the international comics, Louis CK, Chris Rock, Ricky Gervais and Bill Maher are just a few of the guys I look up to.

What advice would you give aspiring stand up comics and humour writers?

Write, write, write, perform, perform, perform, edit, re-write, rehearse, rehearse, rehearse, write, write and write some more. And when you’re not doing that, watch stand-up, listen to stand-up, read, consume and devour as much and as varied content as you can. Do different things, feed your brain, avoid clichés and monotony and be honest. It shows when you are, and more importantly, it shows when you aren’t.

(Pictures courtesy The Comedy Store and Ashish Shakya) 

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‘Masterchef Australia is great for housewives’

Chef Phongthorn Hinracha
…because it teaches the basics, says chef Phongthorn Hinracha, who’s recently started working at the Red Zen, Courtyard by Marriott.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

He admits to a torrid love affair with food, adding that people are becoming careful about the nutritive value of what they’re putting into their mouths. The executive sous chef at pan Asian restaurant Red Zen has had an illustrious career backing his foray on Indian shores – he has worked with Parisa Resorts in Phuket, Thailand as the executive sous chef, and in some of the finest hotels such as Meritus Pelangi Beach Resort (Malaysia), Koyao Island Resort and Spa Phang-Nga (Thailand) and IOI Palm Garden Hotel (Kuala Lampur). He began his career with the Kohchand Grand Lagoona Resort in Thailand as a sous chef.

In his own words, the famous chef talks about his food journey, retaining the taste of India and what aspiring chefs must do if they have a food dream.

What is your earliest fond memory of food?

My mom’s steamed fish. I remember [the first time] when mom had cooked it, when I was back from fishing. It is eaten with ginger and soya sauce. The dish has a very natural taste of fresh fish. The sauce used is locally made, not factory made. Even now when I go to back to Thailand, I ask my mom to make it for me.

What was the first dish you ever cooked? Whose recipe was it?

Thai omelette is the first dish I ever cooked. It contains fish sauce, meat and pepper. It goes well with rice. Singles in Thailand generally cook such food. [When I cook it now] I like to improvise by adding some curry paste and basil.

Please describe the moment when you decided that food was your calling, and that you wanted to make a career in food.

My family is very involved in every aspect of food. Many of my family members are chefs. There are some perceptions about adult life that are created during childhood, for instance, when a person grows up he has to work, or has to get married, or simply that a person has to become tall! Because of my family’s involvement in food, I had the perception that when I grow up, I have to become a chef. Hence I started working and helping my dad in his restaurant business since the age of 10. My passion started increasing every day, seeing people getting happy eating food. My creativity started developing. At the age of 16 or 17, I asked myself, ‘Is this what I want?’, and do you know what the answer was? The answer was, ‘This is not a want, but an involuntary need just like eating food, or the heart beating or breathing’.

Tell us what your favourite cuisine is.

Chinese is my favourite cuisine. It’s again because of my family. I’ve been eating Chinese food since childhood. I like it may be since I’m habituated [to it]. It has a real taste of fresh ingredients. The taste is very clear, with no complexity.

What was your first job like? For how long did you work there?

If you’re asking [about] my first paid job, then it was at the age of 17 at the Marina Hotel. I was a kitchen apprentice. My father’s friend was an executive chef there. I worked there for six months. But I’ve been working and helping my father in his restaurant business since the age of 10.

What differences do you see in the food industry from the time you started out, and now?

When I started off, people loved to eat food that was great in taste. But now, people care about healthy food. They worry about the intake of calories, carbs, proteins, vitamins etc.

Have you ever worked in India before? What has your experience been like till now?

No, this is my first ever visit to India. It’s been a great experience with [a] new culture. I used to never eat Indian food earlier. Now, I’ve started eating Indian food, especially butter chicken and chicken tikka masala with garlic naan.

Coming to work in India, with its defined palate of spices and flavours, have you had to do things differently since you came here?

I have preserved the authenticity of the food, except when my guests request me to adjust the food to their tastes.

What qualities should a sous chef possess?

The ability to judge the quality of food, extremely high levels of hygiene and proper planning are the three keys to being a good sous chef. (In his current role, amongst other things, chef Hinracha is involved in preparing menus and designing daily specials as required. He is responsible for the quality of the food, hygiene matters and monitoring the kitchen.)

Please describe how a person can set up his/her own restaurant. What are the skills, technology, knowledge, funding required? How did you plan the setting up and opening of your own restaurant?

Not anyone can open and run a successful restaurant. Budget planning, location setting, equipment selection, manpower hiring, marketing, know-hows of current trends of that area are all necessary, and if he possesses cooking skills,  it’s an added advantage. Service skills are also very important. I planned my restaurant in the same way. During the operating hours, I don’t be in the kitchen, but instead I be in the guest area. I get regular customers by chatting with them.

What is your opinion of the various cooking shows on television these days? Even non-cooks are interested in shows like Masterchef Australia.

These shows are very helpful for housewives. They show a good amount of the basic skills required for cooking. It’s a stage for inspiration.

How can one build on a new trend in the food industry? Also, how can one start their own trend in the food world?

People should keep a tab on food science. News [about and] from food science helps a lot. Earlier not many people drank green tea, but now a lot of them do drink it. Also, once you become  a celeb chef, then it’s easier to start your own trend as celebs will start talking about your food.

Do you wish you had done a few things differently in the beginning of your career? What would you do differently?

Due to my passion for food, I started working at a very early age. I had a romantic relationship with food. I wished I had completed my degree. May be it could have helped me.

What is your advice to aspiring chefs in India?

Taste a lot. Read a lot and make sure the food trends around you, you jot!

Chef Hinracha owns Maha Sarakham, a restaurant 300 kilometres from Bangkok. He has won many carving competitions in Phuket. His culinary flair earned him the sixth place in the Best Asian Chef category at the Hospitality Asian Platinum Awards 2010-2011 held in Malaysia. He has also participated in the series, ‘Thai Ultimate Chef Challenge 2011-2012’ held in Bangkok. When he’s not cooking, he enjoys fishing, food photography and food carving.

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A rags to bags story

We chat with Bhairavi Malkani, whose ‘waste to wow’ bag business literally started from scratch. And the stuff is pretty!
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

So many people, so much waste. On a daily basis, we generate more waste products than we can sneeze at, and what’s more, we unthinkingly throw away scraps of paper, metal, cloth and other materials after using a major chunk of them. After you cut out a large portion of cloth for a dress, you throw the rest away, right? But what if somebody, somewhere, could use that extra discarded portion you just chucked away? If you could productively use that discarded portion to create something, and what’s more, make money out of what you just created, you could potentially be sitting on a great business idea.

That’s exactly what Bhairavi Malkani thought of, 10 years ago.

Who is she? Bhairavi is 29, an Andheri resident, and the creator of Creative Box, a kickass solution to what she calls ‘upcycling’ those materials that have been discarded. She was studying at Jai Hind college when she started aligning with several social causes, primarily environment-related. “Environment and its conservation were not as big as they are today,” she says. “When you’re in college, you get really involved with such subjects.

Later I started doing small arts and crafts workshops with children, which were mainly about drawing and painting. Later I expanded to glass painting, paper crafts and tribal arts. I once took a batch to a village in Palghar, where we met a very interesting community and learnt about their art. I discovered that their art was very unique, but people were commercialising their work, so I started direct selling for them. But more than selling, I started teaching their art and creating awareness about it.”

What’s the big idea? “Through our workshops, we moved on to conservation of paper and then went on to upcycling. Conservation can happen at a basic level – after using a sheet of paper for craft, don’t throw away the bits and pieces. Upcycling is when you use the discarded bits to create something entirely new. So we started by collecting stuff around the house, like wooden spatulas, tissue rolls, bits of wood, etc. I met a lot of people to get ideas on how to reuse these items,” she explains. Basically, the idea is to create, from materials that would otherwise have been thrown away, entirely new things for resale.

It all started when… “Things went to the next level when I was doing promotion work for the World Fair Trade Organisation two years ago. Fair Trade supplies organic materials for reuse around the world, and we had put up a small exhibition to sell bags made of organic cotton. Surprisingly, I got a very good response, considering that I had produced the bags at home.

But I actually got the idea for my business after a visit to my tailor. All tailors have a mound of material left over after cutting out the required portion of cloth. He told me that the leftovers go to the dump yard, and I found that all tailors in the area also gave away the excess for throwing away. If you consider all the tailor shops in your area, it adds up to a huge volume of discarded material that is just thrown away. I realised that you could make a complete dress out of all the discarded material. I tied up with my tailor at first, explained the entire concept to him, telling him that I wanted the scrap. Now I have a network of tailors, shopkeepers, family and friends who keep reserve material for me. I have about six regular donors a month.”

Look out for: “Shops dealing in clothes have accessories to spare. These accessories, like laces, buttons, some decorative element, are either stuck or stitched on the cloth, and they come from China. Stuff from China comes very regularly, and the excess accessories have to be dumped pretty quickly, which can be used in your own designs when you make bags or clothes,” Bhairavi explains. “The shop will throw away half a metre of a two-metre lace, but that half metre can make a nice handle for a bag, for example.” Look for places that you can source your add-ons from, Bhairavi counsels.

Getting your act together: “After this, I got a karigar, who is a tailor with his own shop but who is so good at his work that I just have to explain my concept to him once and he understands exactly what I want. I haven’t hired him exclusively for my work; that way I can save on daily wages. Plus, I’ve given him the freedom to reinterpret a design, because he knows how to get the best result. And that makes the end result better because he is going to involve himself with the creative process. All I have to do is give him the material, the design and the measurements. I pay him about 20 per cent of the retail price of the final product.”

Low investment, great returns: Bhairavi was sure that she did not want to start a business with a high initial funding. “You can have a great idea and get it started without much initial investment. Besides, retailing on the Internet works out well for people who start small because you don’t need to spend too much money setting up your wares, and people are taking to online shopping in a big way, so sales happen quickly, too.”

What kind of marketing and advertising has she done for her business? “It’s mostly been word-of-mouth,” she says, adding that she channels social networking sites to spread the word as well. “A lot of people come to me not through my site on the Internet, but because they’ve heard of my range of products from my students and their mothers. Besides, there is a lot of awareness these days about ‘being green’ and using eco-friendly stuff.”

The price is right: She is intelligent enough to judge the psyche that makes customers pick one product over another. “If you have a bag priced under Rs 1,000 and another priced Rs 1,500, most people will opt for the lower-priced one,” Bhairavi explains. “I price my products below Rs 1,000. And I put up exhibitions all the time, where I find that a lot of people add bags and other things to their shopping cart without checking the price tags, once they’ve understood the overall cost range. Pricing is important because it drives sales directly.” She also explains how shipping costs charged to the customer can make or break a deal. “Customers are reassured when they see that shipping is free. Some people might think twice before purchasing an item that comes with an additional shipping cost.”

Where she’s at today: “It took a long time, but things are looking up. People are catching up on trends and actually demanding to see quirky, sometimes weird designs. Today, there is no ‘popular’ or ‘fast selling’ design, because there is a market for every creation. Also, I find that I most enjoy the workshops I take with children, because that’s where many brilliant design ideas originate. After a point, you get into this rut where you’re constantly thinking only of selling, and this can mar your creativity.” Bhairavi admits that her business alone makes her about Rs 1.5 lakh per year. She also holds regular workshops and exhibitions.

Bhairavi’s tips to start a green business:

­– Start small. If you can’t devote time every day, work on your business over the weekends. Try and invest a bare minimum of money.

– You will have to be very patient. Your business may not pick up right away, and you might get sidelined into trying to make as much money as you can. Don’t lose focus of why you started the business.

– You will have to make people aware of what you are doing and why. Do a lot of self-promotion, talk to friends and family, leverage social networking sites.

– Save on production costs and time by reducing customisation wherever possible. Though I do customise products on demand, I request customers to first browse through the designs I already have. If they select an existing design, it saves time and effort for me.

– Have a day job or an alternative career if you can, because your business may not yield immediate money. It may not be something you or your family can immediately bank on. Besides, income from other sources can fund your business. A good way to generate income and keep in touch with your business is to hold regular exhibitions and run creative classes at home.

– If you can create simple things at home, do it. The ability to create things without always having to depend on hired help will get you through emergency orders.

– Retail with shops that align with your design philosophy.

– Most importantly, ensure your family’s support. If you’re going to work from home, they will need to be very understanding about your work and that it is important to you.

Bhairavi Malkani runs Creative Box that sells bags, clutches, potlis and travel pouches of all descriptions. 

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