Category: Hum log

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Hum log

Studying the humans of Bombay

The ‘Humans of Bombay’ Facebook page started a year ago, to roaring success – turns out, everyone loves to hear Mumbai’s stories.
by Ritika Bhandari Parekh

This is one of the more interesting pages on social media currently, presenting micro-stories of people in Mumbai. Styled on the lines of the famous ‘Humans of New York’ page, the ‘Humans of Bombay’ page currently has 1,80,868 likes and is gaining popularity with each passing day.

Karishma MehtaThe page was conceived by Karishma Mehta (22), a Mumbai resident. Today, she says that what started off as an experiment in capturing visual stories “slowly became a part of her routine” where she continues to soar higher with each passing stranger’s tale.

With her team of photographers and a few social media interns, Karishma traverses Mumbai – she calls it Bombay – be it the town area or the suburbs. She recommends Maldives to her fellow travelers and believes all kinds of people stay everywhere.

In a chat with The Metrognome, the creative young person talks about her inspirations, how writing will always be her long-term activity, and what drives her to work on the ‘Humans of Bombay’ (HOB) page. Here are a few excerpts from the interview:

Tell us a little bit about yourself.

I grew up in Bombay and went to school till the 10th grade at Bombay Scottish School, Mahim. For my 11th and 12th  grades, I studied at The International School Bangalore (TISB). Three years later, I graduated as an Economics Major from the University of Nottingham, England. Once I came back, we started positive thinking classes. I take positivity and affirmation classes under the venture called Knoq. I wished to evolve my interests into digital magazines with written stories, photo stories and video stories.

As a part of a photo stories, I started the ‘Humans of Bombay’ page.

Since you take positive thinking classes, how do you stay positive and upbeat in a stressful city like Mumbai? Do you have a stress buster?

It’s about being positive about anything that surrounds you, whether it is a difficult situation and making the most out of that circumstance. It’s about being open to new experiences, new things and new people because life just keeps surprising you. So you should just step out and allow that to happen. I don’t really have a stress buster, I don’t get stressed that easily. At the end of the day, I unwind by listening to good music, chilling and doing my own thing. I make sure I don’t get over stressed about anything at any point. If it is getting too much, I take a step back. I also work out at the gym, hang out with friends, read a book.

‘HOB’ must keep you on your toes. Any beauty regime you follow after the day’s work?

Absolutely none. I am very casual when I go out to shoot, I just wear my jeans or leggings. The idea is not to stick out because at the end of the day, I am a human of Bombay too. I need to be a bit dressed down to make the people feel connected to me.

How do you zero in on your subject for ‘HOB’?

I think over time you just pick the vibe of people and also at times, you have to take your chance. You know somebody that looks interesting, if they have a tattoo or a cool haircut – you just approach them because that is a striking feature. And more often, people are very willing to have their picture taken. A few obviously, say ‘no’, but in general people are very adaptive to share their story.

When you approach the subject, how do you break the ice?

We ask them general questions like what they do, or how old they are or where they have studied, or where they were born and brought up. This makes them a little comfortable and then you go into deeper conversations. Generally, we approach people who are sitting alone or are idle – because then they have the time to talk for 10 to 15 minutes. So you pick your subjects accordingly.

But how do you coax the strangers to reveal their most intimate experiences?

We keep building the conversation and we tell them the focus, which is the concept of ‘HOB’. The page strives to make people feel more connected. So today if you share your story, there will be people around you who are going through the same thing. So you build a community where you don’t feel alone at any point in time. You feel that there are others with you. And that’s the basic idea of ‘HOB’ – to make one person feel connected to the next person.

How do you deal with the flak you receive for some images or experiences on HOB page?

If there are extreme comments, we delete them. But if it’s a healthy argument, where even if one doesn’t exactly agree with what the person is saying but the argument is fine, then we let it pass.

When did you know that HOB was going to be the thing for you?

It became a routine, a part of life. So now when I don’t shoot, I feel a void. The concept really clicked and I love doing it, which is what pushes me and I like to shoot people I don’t know.

If not working for HOB or positive thinking classes, what would you have been doing?

I see myself writing. I will write all my life – whether it is for ‘HOB’ or something else. I will do something people-oriented and something to do with writing and bringing stories to people.

If HOB were to meet you (as a subject), what would you say?

I have no idea. I would be terrified. It would be like, ‘I don’t want to do this’. I don’t like being in front of the camera, I like being behind it.

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Hum log

Mr Grover’s going places

He gave up a corporate career for the unpredictable, exciting, big, bad world of Bollywood. And Varun Grover struck gold.
by Mamta D | @silverlightgal on Twitter

Varun Grover. If you are on social media or browse through YouTube India channels regularly, you would know who this is. And of course, if you are a fan of offbeat cinema, and have watched Gangs of Wasseypur and Ankhon Dekhi, you would have seen his name in the credits.

For those who are still in the dark, let’s throw some light on the subject.

Varun Grover Varun Grover wrote the lyrics for Gangs of Wasseypur, Ankhon Dekhi, and the critically acclaimed documentary KatiyaBaaz. Varun Grover is also a standup comic, a key part of JayHindTV, and has performed many live shows both in the country and abroad. He has written for several TV shows including Ranvir Vinay aur Kaun, Aisi ki Taisi, Oye It’s Friday. Varun Grover is also one of the few whose script was selected for the NDFC Screenwriter’s Lab held at Toronto in 2013. And these are just some of his accomplishments.

Varun was born in 1980 in Himachal Pradesh and grew up in a typical middle-class family environment. At a young age, he moved to Dehradun with his family. He studied in the IMA – Kendriya Vidyalaya and as a child, he wanted to be in the military. In 1991, the family moved to Lucknow, where he would spend the next few years until his college. After completing B. Tech. from IIT-Varanasi in 2003, he tried his hand at a software job in Pune. However, coming from a family of writers, it was creative writing that was predominant in his genes and not software development. Before long (less than a year, in fact), he moved out to Mumbai to try his luck in the film industry as a writer. And, he has never looked back since.

In a chat with The Metrognome, Varun opens up about his creative journey, how he juggles many interests on a daily basis, and what it has been like to work with some majorly creative people in the film industry. Excerpts from the interview:

You began your first job in the corporate world but soon realised your true calling was elsewhere, in the creative arts. It’s now been 10 years since you left the corporate world for good. How do you feel about that and how has your journey in these 10 years beenr?

[The] Journey has been great. What I didn’t want to end up in was a routine life full of predictability. In corporate life, you can very easily see where you’ll be in five to 10 years. You just have to look at the person who joined five to 10 years before you. You’ll most probably have the same car, similar house, same number of kids, wear similar kind of clothes, and you’ll be regularly bumping into the same guys at the same kind of restaurants. While in the film industry, you can be anything in the next five or 10 years, including being dead, due to too much success or too much failure. That thrill is what keeps me going. And of course, the fun of creating new stuff which will be around even after I am gone.

Performing stand up comedy, writing film scripts, directing films, co-writing graphic novels, and composing lyrics…how do you strike a balance between it all? What do you enjoy the most?

I wish I could strike a balance. I wish there was a clear definition and a machine to measure balance. I just do whatever catches my fancy at that time of the day. Of course, some things are driven by Gangs of Wasseypurdeadlines and they balance themselves. I think I enjoy all of them equally and that’s why I do them. Stand up comedy is thrilling because of the instant feedback, lyrics writing is thrilling because I love the music-making process, and film scripts are thrilling because they involve sitting for long hours in front of my laptop browsing all the Internet and pretending to research for your script. Sabka apna apna alag rass hai and I am a bit of an experience-junkie.

A few in Bollywood started out with being behind the camera, but eventually made it in front of the camera. Farhan Akhtar, for one, comes to mind. Have you ever considered stepping in front of the camera instead of being behind it?

I don’t mind acting, but putting on make-up is one of the most excruciating exercises of human existence. I have done a small role in a film that should be out this year and have faced the camera for the online show Jay Hind. But no, I don’t have that ambition to be an actor. If I do act, it’ll only be for fun or if the role is something really crazy. It would never be for money.

Ankhon dekhiFrom Anurag Kashyap (Gangs of Wasseypur) to Rajat Kapoor (Ankhon Dekhi) to newer names like Ashish R Shukla (Prague) and Deepti Kakkar, Fahad Mustafa (KatiyaBaaz), how has it been working with these people?

Everybody comes with their own world view and all these films have a take on our times in their own way, so it was a great experience every time. Anurag Kashyap gives a lot of creative freedom and that translated into one of my (and Sneha K’s) best output yet. Rajat Kapoor is very precise with what he wants and that resulted in a very disciplined, old-school writing for Ankhon Dekhi. Ashish Shukla, again, had an aural space in mind and that helped me do something I never thought I was capable of (writing for rock music), and Fahad and Deepti had such a rooted film that it inspired me to go back to my Lucknow days and find the local idiom.

Your first full-fledged script Maa Bhagwatiya IIT Coaching was selected for the prestigious NFDC Screenwriters’ Lab in 2013 and you flew to Toronto for the lab sessions. What was your experience at the Screenwriters’ Lab?

The lab was a wonderful experience, not just for the experienced mentors but also for the opportunity to discuss and work out on your script uninterrupted in an environment facilitated fully to help you.

Nikhil Mahajan, of Pune 52 fame, has come on board as producer for Maa Bhagwatiya IIT Coaching. What’s next for this film?

The film will begin shooting late this year, not before October. I am busy with other projects right now, so I haven’t even started planning.

You can follow Varun on his Twitter account, @varungrover and on FB at https://www.facebook.com/vidushak.

(Varun Grover pictures courtesy Raj Kumari. Other images courtesy aspoonfullofworld.blogspot.com, bdnews24.com)

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Hum log

Want happiness? Look for it on your bedding

Two Mumbai-based siblings brought the famous ‘Happiness is…’ brand to home furnishings, and their venture has found many loyal takers.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It was a simple idea, but it took social media by storm. US-based Ralph Lazar and Lisa Swerling started the ‘Happiness is…‘ page on Facebook in late 2013, and within days, people were logging on just to see the newest illustration defining everyday moments of happiness. Very soon, the creators started crowdsourcing ideas and illustrating them.

Jairaj RupareliaIn Mumbai, Jairaj Ruparelia (26, in pic on left) was steering the ship in his family business – H&P Textiles – and pondering over a problem. A problem related to bed sheets, more specifically. “A survey of the market made me realise one fact: there is a glaring gap between what 8 or 9-year-olds sleep on, and what a 20-year-old sleeps on. The latter age group is not interested in the cliched Disney-themed designs, or even the usual Batman and Superman,” Jairaj told The Metrognome. “Teenagers don’t even care what they’re sleeping on. But they are big spenders on things that catch their fancy. So we wondered which design would appeal to them the most.”

The team brainstormed over several designs internally. “Meanwhile, I was seeing that the ‘Happiness is…’ page was trending on social media. I loved the concept behind it and had been following it for a while,” Jairaj says. “Then it struck me – why not have these wonderful little designs on home furnishings?” He wrote an email to the page’s creators, asking if they were open to collaborating on a domestic level, where his company would select the couple’s designs for bed sets. “Ralph wrote back the next day, expressing interest,” Jairaj grins.

And so the connection was forged.

Happiness!

The idea was a very unusual one – anyone else in the business would probably have thought of using the designs on apparel first. “We started negotiations with Ralf Happiness Tote Bagand Lisa in February 2014, and told ourselves that the line would be out by October,” Jairaj remembers. “We were also putting together the distribution and retail channels for the new line. We had to move fast with it, because this was a social media trend, ultimately – you sit on it for too long, the trend dies down, and you lose out,” he explains.

Shruti RupareliaVery soon, though, both Jairaj and his sister Shruti (30, in pic on left), who helms the company with him, realised that the project was unviable if they did all the work on their own. “We decided to take our idea to Portico; they already had a retail and distribution channel, and we said we would pay them a certain percentage,” Jairaj says. In the next meeting, however, H&P Textiles decided to sub-license to Portico and work on it together. “It was fantastic! We couldn’t have got a better partner for the venture,” he grins.

Getting the illustrations done

Meanwhile, Ralph and Lisa were briefed about the designs that would most suit the Indian market. “Ralph was stunned to discover just how important family ties are for Indians,” Jairaj says. “Even on their Facebook page, they receive about 30 per cent of their ideas from India, and most of the ideas are about family. The rest are about friendship. There is also a fair bit of ideation happening on ‘me time’.”

The line of bed sets, totes and other merchandise rolled out as planned, and sold out before anyone realised what was happening. “Portico even received complaints about the line’s non-availability,” Jairaj laughs. They quickly consolidated after not being able to meet the high demand at first, and have now expanded the concept with a line of ceramics after tying up with Oasis Ceramics. The duo will now take the idea into apparel.

What if the bubble bursts?

“We realise that all trends die down, that this bubble will also burst some day,” Jairaj explains. “But if you think about it, this concept deals with spreading happiness. It cuts across geographic Mug boundaries. That is why it is more than just a social trend and is so powerful. People turn to the Internet to escape negativity in their lives. What better way to look at something in your home and feel happy?” he asks.

(Pictures courtesy Jairaj Ruparelia)

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Hum log

‘I love Mumbai because it welcomes new ambitions’

From film actor to debutant author, Olivier Lafont has donned several creative hats – and he’s coming back to the movies.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

He was the hilarious ‘Price tag’ in the film 3 Idiots, which was his debut performance in a Hindi film. However, few knew at the time that the petulant, money-conscious Suhas Tandon of the film is in reality Frenchman Olivier Lafont (35) – his fluency in Hindi helped masked that fact.

Olivier has worn many hats thus far – apart from acting and modelling in umpteen ads, he is also a screenwriter, director and now author of the book Warrior. The Metrognome interviewed the handsome artist on his life in India, his work, his inspiration for writing and his love for Mumbai, where he lives.

Excerpts from the interview:

Can you tell our readers a little about your childhood and growing up years?

Olivier LafontMy upbringing was primarily French from an early age, linguistically and otherwise. My family moved from France to India when my father took a posting here by the French Government for his historical research on the Indian subcontinent. So here I was at the age of seven, in Delhi, not speaking a word of English or Hindi. It was tough initially. Also, although I lived in India I went to the American Embassy School, so I grew up in an American-style cultural bubble at school, and a French bubble at home.

How did you get so proficient in speaking and writing Hindi?

It was only after I went to university in the USA and returned to India that I decided to teach myself Hindi. I started with the alphabet, which is beautifully phonetic, and built on it from there.

How did you land a role in ‘3 Idiots’? 

The casting director, the lovely Amita Sehgal, was familiar with my work in ad films and called me in. I improvised the party chutney scene from the film, and I guess Raju Hirani liked it well enough to cast me. Raju Hirani was a wonderful director – precise and clear about what he wanted but also extremely liberal. My approach was actually inspired by my French background. I used the French tradition of physical comedy from the comédie de mœurs, the comedy of manners in English, to prepare the character’s comic style.

You’ve covered a gamut of creative professions – actor, model, writer, director, producer. Which of these draws you the most?

Acting and writing, primarily. I find the most satisfaction and interest in these two fields.

What is your inspiration when you write?

I’m usually already on a run of inspiration when I write. The story itself has to inspire me, otherwise what’s the point? When I write I’m also enacting the scene, living it very vividly, and that’s reallyOlivier and Warrior inspiring and serious fun – crafting the characters, their dialogues, their decisions, the plot…

Can we expect to see you in any more Hindi films soon?

As of now I’m especially focussed on Warrior. I’ve just written a feature film script, however, with myself as the main character. After having written scripts for other directors and producers, I’m finally doing it for myself. It’s a really fun comedy, a hilarious story that I’m looking for a producer for.

Aside from that, I’d like to do some more dramatic work, something dark and compelling, or even an action film.

How did your book Warrior happen?

Warrior was originally a feature film script I wrote more than a dozen years ago. Back then I wanted to write a film that was a large-scale special effects extravaganza, something that would be genuinely Indian and completely original. I wrote the script, and then moved to Mumbai to write my actual first film (Hari Om), so I put Warrior away for a while. Some years later I began to get some time free, and I wanted to write a book, so I picked up Warrior again. When I finished the novel I became busy, and put it away. Eventually I started sending it out to publishers, and was pleased to receive two offers in the same week. I decided to go with Penguin, and here we are.

What has been the first reaction to your book?

It’s early days yet, but so far I’ve heard that people are responding with enthusiasm to the book, to the trailer, to the cover contest with Talenthouse.

You have lived in Delhi and Mumbai, among other places in India. What fascinates and disturbs you the most about Mumbai?

What fascinates me about Mumbai is its life. It’s like a hive, everyone is always doing something somewhere. And there’s space for everyone who comes, it’s a city that welcomes new dreams, new ambitions.What disturbs me, however, is the growing congestion as a result of that.

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Hum log

Longinus goes the Hollywood way…again

Choreographer Longinus Fernandes is working on his next Hollywood project after two big hits – this time, with the Wachowski siblings.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

It would seem like Hollywood can’t get enough of apna Longinus Fernandes, choreographer and overall great dancer.

After working with the likes of filmmakers Danny Boyle (on Slumdog Millionaire) and John Madden (on The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel 2), Longinus choreographed a Chinese film. He is now back with another Hollywood venture with the well-known Wachowski siblings – Lana and Andy.

Longinus confesses to being “excited and thrilled” about his new Hollywood project. “The artists and the crews [in Hollywood] are always well prepared and exceptional [at their jobs]. Working with the Wachowski siblings was a dream come true for me. The couple of weeks that I worked on the venture gave me some of the best moments of my life,” he says.

Tabrez Noorani of India Take One Productions brought Longinus on board for the Wachowskis’ new project, the Netflix series Sense 8. The siblings are currently shooting the series at a number of locations in Mumbai. Bollywood actors Anupam Kher, Purab Kohli and Tena Desae are part of the cast.

Longinus says, “I was ecstatic when I was approached by the Wachowskis. I am lucky to have always been blessed with good work and good people. The song sequence [that I choreographed] is in English and Hindi and I have mixed Bollywood dance moves with some hip-hop and jazz. The makers wanted me to choreograph the song in such a way that it had a blend of both Indian and Western dance forms. They wanted typical Bollywood moves in the song sequence and so I included desi moves from bhangra and combined classical dances, too.”

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Hum log

Looking for a good masseur? Try a visually challenged one

Qualified masseurs from the Victoria Memorial School for the Blind offer massages for very reasonable rates – and they’re sensational.
by Vrushali Lad | editor@themetrognome.in

I am a sucker for back massages. Which was why, when I heard there were massages up for grabs for as little as Rs 100 at Borivali, I made my way there at once. There were 11 professional masseurs attending to people who’d asked for foot and head massages. I was the only one in that bunch to ask for a back massage.

The masseur started by asking my name while kneading my back gently. But a few minutes later, I almost cried out, “AAA, please don’t kill me!” as his thumbs caught the chronically painful points in my lower back. Unperturbed by the way I suddenly stiffened, he said in Marathi, “Roz Suryanamaskar kara. Thoda vajan vadhava. Ani methi kha, tyane farak padel (Do Suryanamaskar every day. Increase your weight. Also eat methi, it will help).”

15 minutes later, it was as if I had never suffered a bad back in my life. I thanked the masseur profusely and asked him his full name. He fixed his sightless eyes in my direction, smiled at me and said, “Rambabu Dhume.”

The event

Rambabu was one of 11 visually challenged masseurs who came to Borivali at the behest of resident Vidhi Mistry, who put together a massage camp in her building premises in association with the Victoria Memorial School for the Blind, Tardeo. Like Rambabu, all the other masseurs are specially trained in giving foot massage, reflexology, neck and head massage, full body massage and facial massage. Students from the school give massages for a living, for extremely modest rates.

Massage eventSpeaking to The Metrognome, Vidhi said, “A few months ago, I had gone to the World Trade Centre to see a friend’s stall. Over there, I came across these visually challenged youngsters giving foot massages for as little as Rs 50 for 15 minutes. I asked for a massage, and it was the best foot massage ever. I promised them that I would organise a camp for them soon.” Coming good on her promise, Vidhi organised the camp and invited about 200 people to attend and avail a massage of their choice for Rs 100. “I’d asked people to donate more, because this money is going to their School and the masseurs.”

Hoping to make at least Rs 50,000 from the camp, Vidhi and her team was stunned to discover that they had made Rs 82,500. “The response was overwhelming. Over 250 people turned up and we extended the event by two hours,” she said.

Massage for a living

During the massage, I got to talking with Rambabu, who told me that he stayed at a hostel in Churchgate and that he travelled anywhere in Mumbai for home visits. “I have a D.Ed from the School,” he said proudly when I asked him how far he had studied massaging. “Along with the practical work, we are also taught to detect why people have certain painful areas and how they can correct them with diet and yoga.” This explained how he had correctly tapped my chronically painful lower back within minutes of massaging me.

Vidhi said that most people did not opt for these “blind masseurs” because they were not confident that they could give a good massage. “They charge very less, too. This is their livelihood, and since most of us get massages anyway, it’s a good idea to hire these people instead,” she said. Rambabu explained that for the home visits, people could specify what kind of massage they wanted and for how long.

Having tried the massage myself, and with my back feeling better than it has in weeks, I’m sure to give the Victoria Memorial School a call for a home visit next.

Want a massage at home? Want to organise a camp employing visually challenged masseurs? Call the Victoria Memorial School to hire a masseur, inquire about charges and other details on 022 23531236. Look up www.vmsb.org for more information.

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