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Contents
idle Observer - Nishant boorla 5
Interview Director Mani Shankar - Vijay narayan 7
Stay Foolish stay Hungry - Ashish Piplani 10
The Actress - Anonymous 12
Calvin and Hobbes - Sayonee Ghosh Roy 13
Khaana Khazana - Surya Tej Borra 16
Part Deux - Vidya Ramamoorthy 21
The Empty Seat - Shrishti Rani 22
Interview Elevation Dynamics - Revanth C 23
Flights of Fantasy - Edocsil 26
Standing Still - Revanth Choudhary 27
Let Em Die - Sahil Mehta 27
Best Of facebook 29
the there, there page 30

DISCLAIMER: ALL OPINIONS EXPRESSED IN THIS MAGAZINE ARE OF THE RESPECTIVE

AUTHORS. LTGTR BEARS NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY HURT SENTIMENTS. THE
IMAGES USED ARE PROPERTIES OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS.
 Idle
Observer
Nishant Boorla

in an unknown location - because Prince William

has to return to work as a search and rescue
pilot next week.”
His mission – Search and Rescue his
manhood after that incredibly gay wedding!

“Defiant Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi

vowed on Saturday not to quit, but said he was
ready for a “ceasefire and negotiations” as NATO
bombed a key government complex in Tripoli.”
Somebody tell him that’s not how it works! You

A
fter a royal wedding that captured the don’t get to call ceasefire when you’re being
attention the world over and broke attacked you moron! Did Jerry ever run up to
internet viewing records, a honeymoon Tom and say enough with the death-traps, I’m
is next for Prince William and his new wife, calling a ceasefire?!
Catherine Middleton, right? WRONG! Well not
immediately anyway. The Duke and Duchess “A blonde was invited to the beatification
of Cambridge have opted to hold off on a ceremony of the late Pope John Paul II.” She
honeymoon, instead choosing to have a private promptly packed her make-up kit!
weekend to themselves in the United Kingdom
“AIEEE question paper was leaked before the
exam.” Students however, still struggling to
solve the problems!

“Facebook has been declared the most

popular social network in India ahead of Orkut
and Twitter, with over 25 million users.”
Still no match for the Swiss Bank which
has over a hundred million Indian users!

Now moving over to commerce. Brands leave

no stone unturned to accommodate a superstar
for their ad campaigns. They even go so far as
changing their marketing slogans, even their
entire marketing campaign. Here’s a list of
changed ad slogans that would be required to
accommodate legitimate superstars.

Accenture

Previously: Accenture. Performance.Delivered

But then they felt they need Tiger Woods back New Slogan: Please Don’t!
to boost business. So they signed him with a
slight modification to their slogan.
New slogan: Accenture. High Performance. M&M’s
Delivered. With a happy ending.
Previously: Melts in your mouth, not in your
hands.
Then they decided to follow Accenture and sign
Tiger Woods. For unknown reasons, they stuck
to the old slogan.

Energizer Batteries

Previously: Nothing outlasts the Energizer. It

keeps going and going and going.
Then they also signed Tiger Woods. You get the
joke don’t you?

GEICO
Nokia
Previously: So easy a caveman can do it.
Previously: Connecting People. Now they didn’t change their slogan, but
But then they felt a joint deal with BSNL Cell One instead decided to search for a suitable brand
would attract more customers. ambassador. They received a call from Lasith
New Slogan: Connecting People. Sometimes. Malinga!

Nike Apple

Previously: Just Do It! Previously: Think outside of the box.

Then Nike signed 85 year old Hugh Hefner and They signed Paris Hilton.
his 25 year old fiancé. New Slogan: Think. Fine, at least try.
 Film Director

Mani Shankar Vijay Narayan

“Indian film producers are like bulls without balls.”
Engineer from BITS to award winning director, it’s been a hell of a journey for director Mani
Shankar. He’s made some visually thrilling movies and touched on a variety of social issues. And
he’s worked with some of the biggest stars in the industry. He talks to Vijay Narayan about life,
work and films in general

Q- After pursuing an engineering degree, what inspired you to shift to directing movies
A- I was bored sick of engineering. Doing the same old dumb thing day after day. In fact
most of our batch changed their career profiles and ended up doing something else.
Besides the idea of getting stuck in a smelly factory for the rest of my life was unendurable.
When I got a chance to shift, I moved into advertising as a copy writer. Never looked back.

Q- What kind of requirements does one need to fulfill to pursue a career in film direction?
A- Being born in the Raj Kapoor family really helps. Otherwise its a grind all the way. You need a
clutch of skills- imagination, narration, eloquence, charm- and loads of luck. Or else you need to
know how to kiss a producers ass in a unique way - better than anyone else. Thank God I entered
the field as a producer- investing my own money and taking the risk. I could never have made it
as a director otherwise.
Q- Any particular genre of movies that you have always wanted to direct?
A- I started with crime thrillers, moved on to anti war films, did a mythological sci-fi, then did a
realistic gritty genre, then a slick thriller, and now i will do a romantic comedy and also a gritty
hard hitter. Any genre that i fancy at the moment i will do. No fixed preferences. Everything is
good fun.

Q- What kind of difficulties did you face while trying to become a director?
A- I knew nothing about direction, so had to learn on the fly while pretending to know it at the
same time. It wasnt’ tough, because one thing we learn well in BITS is to bullshit your way through
a situation. So i guess that really helped. A director sits on top of the food chain, so to speak.
There are always people ready to pull him down, suck up to him, flatter him, slash him, admire
him, criticize him, want to sleep with him. You got to learn to be thick skinned and do the right
thing always, following your conscience, never stooping, never worrying about consequences. If
you succumb to the shit you will eventually drown in it. So beware.

Q- Which movie, in your opinion, is your best work till date?

A- Knockout.
Q- Which actors/actresses have you enjoyed
working with the most?
A- Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgan, and of course,
Irrfan and Kangana- they are real sweethearts-
great talent, great attitude.

Q- What, in your opinion, does Indian cinema

really need to make ground breaking movies
eg. Inception, Black Swan et al?
A- Indian film producers are like bulls without
balls. They snort a lot, stamp about and raise
dust but are unable to perform- the critical
task of actually funding a daring innovative
film. They need to take some testosterone
injections and graft back their balls if we have
to make great films like Inception. Basically its
all about courage and conviction- both of which
producers lack.

Q-How difficult is it to balance a personal life with so much work?

A- When you really enjoy what you do, its no longer work- its a part of your personal life. So
actually i have been on an extended vacation from the last two and a half decades.

Q- What was your first movie making experience like?

A- I threw the rule book out. I woke up on the first day of shoot and kicked butt all day long- doing
exactly as I liked. And guess what- it was terrfic! I changed the script a few times as we went along-
and that was great too

Q- There’s been such a lot of talk about Anna Hazare and corruption and how he
inspired people....do you think movies could do that too?
A - Public issues have a limited value in commercial cinema. The problem with india is not
that the leaders are corrupt. It’s that we are corrupt as a race. And we really dont care. So
any film purely on a social issue will end in disaster. Ask yourself- would you rather see Katrina
rubbing herself on a pole showing off her cleavage or see a ponderous film on corruption?

Q. Any last words?

A. Follow your heart. You got just one life. Dont fuck it up with greed and overplanning.
Kids these days tend to plan too much. The essential quality of life is that it is unpredictable. Flow
with the unpredictablity, enjoy the scenery. There isnt any goal as such to life. There is only the
journey. Learn to enjoy the journey.
Stay Hungry! Stay Foolish!
Ashish Piplani

W
hen they printed it on the back of Whole Earth Catalogue, no one ever imagined that
there would be a class of guys, a few decades down in the future who would take this
too literally. When it was said, the Web was not yet born and apple was still a fruit.
Nothing remains relevant with time (except Da Vinci); same is the case with this phrase.
The Hungry
It comes as a delight. It soothes you more than an 1875 vintage wine. It makes you feel blessed by
one of those Gods of pleasure: Dionysus, Eros or Indra if you go desi. Random people become your
best buddies when they say “Let’s go”. This is the magnitude of desire you have for any possible
medium of escape from your books which leads to the inevitable relapse. You order, you yap, you
gobble, you guzzle. You hold a book that keeps giving you a look, begging “Open me, open me!”
(Pseudo) hunger. High five!
The Foolish
You developed a good taste for music, from Reshammiya to the Rolling stones, from Bollywood
to Bob Dylan and the Beatles. You also get to know Brad Paisley isn’t just the name of a random
Aussie cricketer and Shooglenifty isn’t a Japanese hero. You start to appreciate the notes of Chopin
and his Minute Waltz, the drunk Irish lyrics of Dropkick Murphy’s and THAT whistle from Per
Qualche Dollaro, the elegance of the Corrs, the marks the drastic change in the keywords that
rhythm of Jackson, the rhyming of Eminem to Google search witnesses. The transition is just
the wit of Weird Al and the baritone of Shaggy. uncanny - from Porn to Procrastination, Sex to
And sometimes you think, “Rip that power Shiv Khera, Adult to Attitude and…… don’t even
cord off (thanks to D Dell batteries),open that open that gate. The whole affair subsides when
goddamn book and concentrate!” Speaking the few leftover patches of the wall are covered
of which, your distracted mind conspires with with the hand written quotes.
the wondrous web and you end up listening to (Irrelevant Note: Even Google’s “Mr. Instant”
Tibetan Chants, composed in Himalayas, played starts working because everyone around is fast
on Altec Lansing with some serious recreation asleep by that time, giving you their share of
of Himalayan serenity (yeah the Ambience- bandwidth).
mix versions with birds chirping and flutesqué But you are back to form soon :-P. Movie time!
music of breeze) You feel like a Buddhist monk Who can miss them? The ideal time for finishing
sitting there in your poorly ventilated room, up Trilogies, Quadralogies or even Pentologies
hoping for some focus, trust me! Sir Tim (yeah, Home Alone) for that matter. You acquire
Berners Lee, you are great.! How can we forget all the ‘gyaan’ about eccentricity of Kubrick,
your beloved creation, the Internet and his style of Ritchie, completeness of Nolan, rawness
ruined son, Invention of the Millennium, Mr. of Tarantino and grandeur of Cameron. Is the
YouTube? Oh and if I forgot to mention, your movie over? Yes? Simple, now you end up Wiki-
exam ‘preparation’ is officially on. ing about their lives and wives.
So, coming to that bastard again: it was So where were we colonel?
originally opened with lots of hope and
enthusiasm for the online IIT Lectures, to cope 3 hours to the exam, sir.
up for the classes that never existed in your You smile hopelessly, pick up your book again
universe. These YouTube sessions start in great only to find that all you have read is: “FOR SALE
style, with Lectures getting downloaded in ONLY IN INDIA, BANGLADESH, PAKISTAN AND
the background (on IDM) till in a small corner NEPAL” in large red letters near the LPE logo.
you see something. “What’s that video with
♫♪♫Riiinnnngggg. ♫♪♫
n million HITS?” …and you know the rest. The
process continues to infinity and beyond! Birds are chirping, my head’s hurting, but I am
Unless that over exhausted Shockwave Plugin too afraid to look out of the window to see the
cries, “Oh Snap! L”. first rays of the Sun, to face the truth.
Then comes the motivated avatar. This stint No! No! No! This is not what I wanted. It’s the
7am alarm. 1 hour to go. 4 chapters left (err…
the syllabus) Where’s my Calci? What’s that
irritation in my stomach? Why are my eyes

http://www. burning?
I take a deep breath, regain my calm. No, not
again! I landed up in the same situation yet
pipophany. again. How can one be so consistently idiotic?
Found myself exactly in the same scene again
with no idea of how I reached there. Out of the
blogspot.com/ blue, I start drawing parallels with the opening
scene of Inception and I don’t know how I
ended up here again. I look at my lappy, to see a
face of a rather frail old man, in his fifties, filling
my screen. I realized it’s a paused video I must
have been watching .It is Steve Jobs from that
famous Stanford Commencement. I hit Play
only to hear him say “Stay hungry, stay foolish”.
And suddenly you experience an epiphany that
you had acted both hungry and foolish and now
there is no coming back, so you rinse your face,
go to the LTC, find the exam hall and sleep there
to rest the thoughts racing through your mind.
EPILOGUE
The Optimist
But, for the entire time you ‘wasted’ on the
eve of EVERY exam, that may have cost you 2
extra points in your GPA, there’s a flip side: The
gain can be invaluable. Of all the arguments you
make, these are times when you discovered
your inner self, you imbibed new ideas and you
reasoned and as they say, always leave on a
positive note. It brought the Gentleman out of
the man you are.
Did I mention the angry birds? :-P. Pipophany
again! Ha ha!

The Actress Anonymous

S
he was no one. She was everyone. She was the perfect creation of God . She had long ago
who you wanted her to be. decided that her feelings, such as they were, were
Some people have real lives, and other immaterial. Did the actor who played Othello tell
pretend to have one. It hadn’t taken her long the audience what he thought of Shakespeare?
to figure out that she definitely belonged to the No, he only told them what Othello felt. He must
second category. Her entire life consisted of her become Othello, or he is just another man, not an
slipping into various roles, acting out the feelings actor. The only difference was that, if she didn’t
and emotions felt by each part. And she did it become whatever part she was playing, she was
well, oh yes. She was so good at it that she no not just another woman, she was nobody.
longer remembered how not to act, and every But what terrified her the most was that one
time something happened in her life that needed day, she would be taken off her stage, that she
a reaction from her, she had to decide which of would be forced to remove the myriad masks and
her many roles she was going to don. Everyone layers of makeup that had kept her safely hidden,
she met in life was subjected to a sample of the and then you would find a colourless, bleached
finest acting that was the culmination of twenty canvas; a still doll. She was nothing if you took
years of ceaseless practice. her off the stage. And because she could not let
Every artist needed a stage. And she had that happen, she poured in her life-force into her
made the world hers, like an old poet had once acting. There were days when she revelled in it,
suggested. And her audiences were the people and there were days when every word, every
she loved, the people she could not live without. action was a superhuman effort.
The same people, incidentally, who would walk Yet, she thought, it was all worth it in the end.
out of the hall at the slightest hint of a boring The applause was addictive, intoxicating. And so
script. Her greatest fear was playing to an empty she continued playing, in spite of her terror, in
hall. She was constantly terrified that the play she spite of all that it cost her. For she was, first and
was acting was not engrossing enough, that her foremost, the consummate actress.
audience had better things to do, better places
to be. And so she was always looking for flaws in
herself, for things that she could correct to become
In A Character’s Persona
Calvin And
Hobbes Sayonee Ghosh Roy
W
hat can be so appealing about a six
year old kid playing make-believe
with his stuffed tiger? That he can put
the best minds to shame! Calvin & Hobbes may
be packaged as a comic strip but it is as good as
lessons in heavy-duty philosophy. Bill Watterson,
the cartoonist, attempts to portray the realities
of life through his wisecracking, motor-mouth
yet innocent creation. The backdrop and setup
of the characters is incidentally inspired by
former American president, Calvin Coolidge,
who reportedly kept a tiger as a pet.
So Calvin is your quintessential troublesome six
year old problem child – troubling his parents,
disobeying his teachers, playing pranks on his
classmates, but scratch the surface and you’ll
find someone whose wisdom is well beyond
his years. For Calvin is not the least bit like his
peers, concerned only about Saturday morning
cartoons (not that he isn’t as well!) or what’s
for lunch. The fact that he simulates approval
ratings for his Dad’s performance as a parent
along the lines of that of the American president,
shows a thorough understanding of the political
system. His non-conformist attitude at school
is a clear indication that he’s not content with
being just another brick in the wall. He’s not an
atheist but rather conveniently manipulates the
institution of faith in God (and Santa Claus) to
suit his needs.
The most memorable of characters always
come in pairs. There’s no Laurel without
Hardy, no Tom without Jerry , no Thomson
without Thompson and it goes without saying
for Hobbes. He’s Calvin’s confidante, right-
hand and best buddy but the relationship is
symbiotic. Only with Calvin’s vivid imagination
does Hobbes come alive. Many a time do you
notice Hobbes to be a complete contrast to
Calvin – opposing his radical views or reckless
acts. This is not split personality, rather Hobbes
is a projection of Calvin’s other side, his
conscience. It also brings up a rather interesting
point of self-existentialism. He knows that he
doesn’t toe the line always and he has Hobbes
chide him but if he plans to go ahead with it…
well you can’t say he didn’t warn himself. But Stupendous Man etc) He’s a representation of
that doesn’t mean Hobbes is never a partner- all what we endure at different stages of our
in-crime, he’s a quite willing one at that. How life, it’s just that he never ages. Everything he
hard can it be to change your own mind after does is straight from the gut. This kid’s really
all? a genius one-man act. Giving a stuffed toy a
mature personality of its own is beyond the
Coming now to the people who influence his
capability and realms of an average Joe, let me
world – his parents, his teacher, his babysitter
tell you that! But he would be bereaved without
(Rosalyn) and his love-to-hate friend (Susie) No
his furry, feline friend.
matter how much of a ruckus he creates, his
Mom will still go running to him in the middle of A common refrain of his is that reality continues
the night when he calls for her and his Dad will to ruin his life and believe me, Calvin and
always forgive him for his misdoings, instead of Hobbes will be destroyed the day Calvin wakes
dragging him to see a shrink. No matter how up to the reality that Hobbes is nothing more
much he spaces out in class or protests that that cloth and bits of fluff.
answering 2+2 is against his religious beliefs, his
teacher doesn’t see the need to give any other
punishment except a reprimand and sometimes
exasperation.
No matter how difficult he makes it for her
and even mistreats her, Rosalyn will never say
no to baby-sitting him. No matter how much
of a misogynist and chauvinist he parades
himself to be, no matter how many snowballs
he throws at her or tries to freak her out with
gross descriptions of his lunch, Susie will never
completely sever ties with him. Why? Because
they all love him in their own way and recognize
that he’s special, consciously or unconsciously.
Inspite of his extraordinary intellect, Calvin is
still, on some level, just an ordinary kid. Even he
has to deal with bullies like Moe or daydreams
about being a cool superhero (Spaceman Spiff,
Khaana
Khazana
R
emember the last time you had some
really sumptuous food? Your mind
rewinds to your Uncle’s daughter’s
wedding or the outing to Chutneys or the last
reunion at City Gate. Vacations are around the
corner and most of us will be going to different
parts of our country to complete Practice
School-I. LTGTR brings to you the different
cuisines from across the country to make your
stay there more memorable and enjoyable!
- Surya tej borra
Now what is so special about the Indian
food which makes it very different from other
cuisines around the world? Spices!! The spice
and life in the Indian food is something to die
for! Spices are inseparable from our cuisine and
an indispensable part too! Haldi, Garam Masala,
Mirchi, Methi, Adrak….Wow, my mouth is
watering already! India is a diverse country with
many regional cultures with each region having
its own food habits. The differences may arise
due to local customs, geographical location and
economics. Indian cuisine is also seasonal with
priority placed on the use of fresh produce.
ANDHRA PRADESH
It is an amalgamation of Deccan and Telugu
recipes and the coastlines treat you with the
best sea food such as Chepala Pulusu (sambar
with fish pieces) and Royyala Vepudu (fried fish
curry) Andhra Pradesh is known for its usage of
chilies and lemon juice in cooking. Pickles such
as Avakaya (green mango) and Gongura Pachadi
are simply awesome. The breakfast special
includes Pesarattu Upma which is a combination
of roasted dosa and upma which is served with
ginger chutney and loads of ghee. A large variety
of non-vegetarian dishes are also at your service
like Natikodi Vepudu (fried chicken, Andhra
Style) and Gongura Mutton. You can’t miss the
Kebabs and Biryani in Hyderabad. You should
taste the Ragi Sankati and Natikodi Pulusu (a
main course served along with porridge) if you’re
around Rayalaseema. And do not forget to taste
the sweets Kakinda Kaaja (a layered sweet of
wheat and sugar) and Putharekulu.
cuisines. It is considerably influenced by Goan
and Mahrashtran food as well. The famous Udipi
cuisine here constitutes of Masala Dosa, Mysore
Bonda, Maddur Vada ( Papad like vadas) and
Rava Idli. The so called ‘bath’ culture is very
famous here. Bath refers to a rice dish prepared
along with a primary ingredient such as brinjal
or tomato, examples being Vangi bath (brinjal),
Bisibele bath (rice and sambar together) and
Khara bath (rice and mirchi) Sweets include
Mysore Pak, Kesari bath, Chiroti and Dharwad
Pedha.

PONDICHERRY PUNJAB
Known for its typical Indo-French style of Food defines them. Usage of liberal amounts
cooking, Tandoori potato, baked beans, stuffed of cottage cheese, ghee, cream and butter is
cabbage and Soya Dosa are some popular recipes common here as it is tailor-made to suit their
here. lifestyle. They toil all day in the fields after all!

TAMIL NADU
Idli, dosa, pongal, idhiyappam (noodles
clustered like an idli) primarily form the
breakfast menu of people here. The well-known
Sambar (:P) adds the much needed ‘da’-flavour
to it. And the Madras filter coffee is a perfect
complement to it. We may have savoured coffee
in Barista and CCD but the Madras Filter Coffee
of the “Mamis” is amazing. Don’t forget the
Chettinad style of dishes! The Dindigul-Parota
and Thalapakattu Biryani comes with a special
Kaaraikudi taste which constitutes the non-
vegetarian palette here.

KERALA
Coconut and coconut milk are extensively
used in Keralite dishes. Backwaters and a long
coastline make Kerala very famous for sea food.
Unique delicacies such as Appam, Puttu, Avayal,
Payasam, Padumbari and Pathiri are a must
taste here. One is very sure of falling in love with
coconuts after tasting it here in God’s own land!
KARNATAKA
Dal Makhani is considered staple food here.
There are certain dishes which are special to
Punjab such as Mah ki Dal and Sarson da Saag.
Tandoor is one of the specialties of Punjabi
food. Most of popular Anglo-Indian dishes like
pakoras, naan and vegetable dishes with paneer
have their origin here. If you are in Punjab, you
are assured of a heavenly boarding experience.

It is a mix of Kerala, Tamil and Andhra

 MAHARASHTRA
Maharastran diet basically consists of rice,
wheat, jowar and vegetables. Kokum, a deep
purple berry is widely used as an appetizer. The
Vidarbha region here is famous for items like
puranpoli, batata wada, ukdiche modak and
sabudana khichdi (porridge of rice and dal).
Coming to the hotspot Mumbai, it has more
of a cosmopolitan menu with a huge Western
impact. Urban delicacies such as Pav Bhaji,
Vadapav, Ragada and Golgappa are an integral
part of city lifestyle.
GOA
A happening place for tourists, Goan delicacies
find their vegetarian fare influenced by Konkan
recipes and non-vegetarian by Portuguese.
Kingfish, Pomfret, mackerel, crabs, tiger prawns
and lobsters are just a few names from the
exhaustive menu of sea food you get here. After
this meal, a cashew fenny or a beer can set things
just right.

MADHYA PRADESH
Gwalior and Indore are known for milk-based
dishes while Bhopal is known for meat-based
dishes such as bafla, korma, keema (minced
meat), biryani and kebabs. Another famous dish
originated here in Malwa region - Poha (flattened
rice) Laddus have their origin here.

HARYANA
Food in Haryana is devoid of added artificial
flavors and preservatives. Because Haryana
is rich in cattle population, milk products are
extremely common. Kadhi Pakora, Besan Masala
Roti, Bajra Aloo Roti,Churma, Kheer, Bathua
Raita, Methi Gajar, Singri ki Sabzi and Tamatar
Chutney are favourites here. All throughout
Haryana, you will come across a number of
Dhabas or roadside food stalls serving this
typical fare. Lassi and Sherbat are the popular
beverages.
 UTTAR PRADESH
Uttar Pradesh has been greatly influenced by
Mughlai cooking techniques which are famous in
India and Pakistan. The Nawabi food in Lucknow
is very famous for Dum Biryani, Galouti Kebab
(roasted meat pieces) and other mutton dishes.
The famous Indian breakfast item Puri, kheer,
snacks such as samosa and pakora have their
origin here.
WEST BENGAL
The Bengali babus insist that a tour if India
is incomplete without tasting their food which
is a true combination of tastes and emotions of
Eastern India. With an emphasis on fish and
lentils served with rice as a staple diet, Bengali
cuisine is known for its subtle flavours, its
confectioneries and desserts, and has perhaps
the only multi-course tradition from India that
is analogous with French and Italian cuisine in
structure. All the great sweets such as Rasagollah
(small casein balls in sugar syrup), Rasmalai and
Sandesh (fragile pieces of cheese kneaded with
sugar) have their basIs here. The rest of eastern
Indian cuisine is primarily non-vegetarian and
has an intense tribal instinct.
This is the whole of India calling you to give
it share of calories to make your summer a
flavourful and delicious one. Go on, infuse life
into your taste buds which lie comatose due to
our lousy mess food. And most importantly do
not forget to have a nice “PAAN” after your meal.
RAJASTHAN
Expect a ‘rich’ affair in this princely state as most
of the preparations here are made out of ghee
and milk. Besan and gram flour are typical in
Marwari food. The desert atmosphere here calls
for food which can be preserved for long. The
Rajasthani platter includes Daal-Baati, Tarfini,
Raabdi, Bail-Gatte, Panchkoota, Chaavadi,
Laapsi, Kadhi, Boondi and snacks like Bikaneri
Bhujia, Mirchi Bada and Pyaaj Kachori.
GUJARAT
Gujarati cuisine is primarily vegetarian. It is
distinctively sweet, salty and spicy at the same
time. A special summer dish made of mangoes,
Keri Nora, is an integral part of their meal.
The steamed dhokla (steamed cubes of wheat),
thepla, khakra, jilebi, kachori and undhiyu are
some of its signature dishes.
 Part Duex
Vidya Ramamoorthy
www.vidyatherider.blogspot.com

Second chances.
Everybody’s a criminal.
Everybody’s a perfectionist.
Everybody wants second
chances.
watching the infamous and typically Indian
telly serials-no kidding, the saas bahu serials,
where the heroine is always modestly dressed
in pastel colors, and the evil mistress always
wears shimmery eye shadow and bindis of
gargantuan proportions (even to bed). Like my
friend V says-”If it’s bad, it’s all bad.”
What I’m trying to say is that we have
been conditioned to judge people by their

H
appearances, their first lapses, or something as
ow many of us have actually lived a life trivial as their choice of entertainment or their
devoid of regret? We always hanker favorite color. Ok, scratch that last.
after a second chance, a second innings,
if you will, where we will play bigger and better.
Oh, and woe betide someone who’s in the Bad
What’s fishy is that even though we all have book.
this hunger for redemption within us, we’re not
very keen on granting others second chances. Even if he proved be a heartwarmingly
generous fuzz ball later, he’d always be “the
Before you Freudians dissect this theory shark that didn’t pay for all of us when we
and declare it to be a vote against capital drunk ourselves silly on HIS birthday at the bar.
punishment, let me assure you that I am a Imagine.HIS birthday. Tsk. Tsk.)
simple twenty year old whose range of thought
does not extend beyond my family, my friends,
my home and my college; and yet, within this While part of my rant maybe directed at what
tiny world I live in, I see so many closed doors in my friends deem a “craven” taste in music-
place of welcoming thresholds. (because I’d pick Buble over Black Sabbath any
day of the week and twice on Sunday.), this is
about so much more than social isolation and
We’re quick to judge and slow to forgive. clique wars. This is about creating an atmosphere
I think part of this deep rooted desire to divide so vile that it cripples an individual’s ability to
the world into black and white comes from be himself.
 Spare us the trouble of waiting to see if you to you.
can emerge like a phoenix from the ashes, we’d Second chances!
rather just sweep the remains and prepare for
next Sunday’s barbecue. For sequels are almost always good*.
*The almost in the above sentence was inspired
by a particularly melancholic afternoon spent
A second chance is something you should trying to watch Superman IV.
campaign for if any of these things have
happened to you
- Lost a loved one over an argument Ps-I’d almost decided to write an entry on why
-Fallen out with friends because of one people always insist on hanging out at food
misunderstanding joints, for this month’s theme of Straight From
-Been kicked out of a team because of one the Gut.
match you fouled up Why must one always end a fun day out or
-Earned a bad name because of that one thing a group outing, with a completely unnecessary
you said sojourn to a coffee shop or a la dee dah lounge/
-Been put down, and unfairly so, because of bakery/local chaat wala’s ?
that one stand you took
I didn’t think the Editor would run it though.
- Been asked to go home even before the show
began
Chances are,all of these things have happened Cheerio!

The Empty
Seat Shrishti Rani
A
nd now I walk this unlit lawn,
To wonder where the light has gone,
The yellowed grass under my feet, l
Leads me on to your empty seat.
I sit down there,
Your thoughts repeat,
The tears, the laughter, the petty fights,
The jolly cheers in merry lights.
This was the place we all did play
Till the gales of time blew it away
Leaving back the ruins of yesterday,
Your memories ripple beyond the shore,
I watch from far, I can do no more.
Tears roll down, but I fake a smile,
As you wave good bye all the while,
Just set to sail; away a hundred mile,
If you must go, so long,
Know that my soul too goes along,
It won’t let go your hand, my friend.
I’ll keep coming here,
To dream of you,
Of the lights all gone,
Of the flowers few,
To the grass all yellowed ,with lost hue,
To this empty seat left behind by you……
 Elevation Dynamics
Revanth C.
We first saw these guys perform in our college fest, among bands like Escher’s Knot and Eccentric Pendulum.
They were an unknown quantity in the equation, an element we knew little about. Their unique combination of
progressive heavy metal rifs with Carnatic and Arabic vocalizing style was something I had never experienced.
Motherjane’s vocals have a similar texture but the effect just isn’t the same. A fluid unhindered amalgamation
of Indian and western music is what characterizes Elevation Dynamics and sets them apart from the rest of the
crowd. A band you must listen to, if you have a love for progressive heavy metal.

Q. HOW’D YOU GUYS COME UP WITH THE NAME ELEVATION DYNAMICS ?

A: After the band made a first song, we felt that the song spoke more than what we thought about.
Hence Prince suggested the name Dynamics i.e. the science of a particular thing. And then the name
elevation was suggested. So basically it means the science of elevating oneself from within.

Q. AND THE CURRENT LINE-UP OF THE BAND IS ?

A: Aditya Francis - Vocals
Jatin Jitendrakumar - Bass
Shrinivas Iyer & Vignesh- Guitars
Prince John - Percussion

Q. HOW LONG HAVE YOU ALL KNOWN EACH OTHER? HOW DID YOU MEET?
A: Everyone apart from Vignesh studied in the same college. And ours was a college where metalheads
were rare and easy to spot. Aditya, Jatin and Shri started jamming a few songs. Later Prince was asked
to join and Vignesh joined in January (thanks to facebook).

Q. WHAT GENRE OF MUSIC DO YOU CONSIDER YOUR MUSICAL EXPRESSION TO BE? WHO ARE YOUR
MAJOR INFLUENCES?
A: Our genre is Progressive metal with a Carnatic and Arabic music influence. The major influences
can be listed as Dreamtheater, Opeth, Porcupine Tree, Motherjane, Textures and Tool. And some
other bands as well.

Q. WHEN DID YOU FORM YOUR BAND? WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO MAKE MUSIC TOGETHER?
A: The band was formed In November 2009. But the final line up formed in January 2011. The
inspiration to make music together is the different influence we have and our love for experimentation
and create something extraordinary. The song Repentance Day took 7 months to produce.

Q. HOW DOES THE SONG WRITING / COMPOSING PROCESS GO ABOUT IN YOUR BAND?
A: Shri, Aditya and Vignesh bring in the riffs. Sometimes Jatin does too. I compose the beats considering
every riff. Aditya writes the lyrics (with bad handwriting though). A lot of riffs are rejected in the
jam room considering the structure of the songs. So our composition process is usually lengthy but
everyone loves the output which comes with so much thinking.

Q. WHAT ARE THE MAIN THEMES OR TOPICS FOR MOST OF YOUR SONGS?
A: The songs talk about the positive aspects of life and about the wrongs we do against ourselves and
the society. We take some stories from the past and relate it to today’s life.

Q. HOW DO YOU GUYS REHEARSE AND PRACTICE?

A: We make it a point to practice at least once a week and thrice a week when some gigs are near.
The jam usually happens at Prince’s Place. He owns a place where he conducts music classes as well.
Q. WHICH SONGS DO YOU PERFORM MOST FREQUENTLY? DO
YOU EVER PLAY ANY COVERS? DO YOU HAVE A SET-LIST FOR
EACH OF YOUR GIGS?
A: The songs we perform frequently are- Repentance Day, Fall of
the Pharoah and Final Cry. We started playing a new song called
Echoes Within. We have never played covers and we stick to this
set list for most of the gigs.

Q. WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE AS AN UPCOMING

BAND IN INDIA?
A: To find the right sound and to infuse the Carnatic style into
metal. Also not imitating the west was another challenge as we
are bombarded by the music from the west.

Q. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THE WESTERN MUSIC SCENE IN

INDIA ? AND BY TAKE , WE MEAN LITERALLY , TAKE.
A: As we said earlier, the western music development in the
India is only limited to the genre pop. Rock and metal listeners
aren’t growing at the rate at which pop or hip-hop listeners are
growing. We believe around 4 years down the line there will be
much more rock n metal listeners across the country providing
opportunity to a lot of upcoming bands.

Q. FINDING ONE’S OWN SOUND IS A LONG GONE-BY THING ,

IN TODAY’S GENRE-PLAGUED SCENE . DO YOU GUYS THINK YOU
HAVE YOUR OWN SOUND ?
A: Yes we have found our own sound but it is still evolving. It is
easy to spot Elevation Dynamics music out of the 100 bands you
listen to. Guaranteed.

15- ANY LAST WORDS?

A: Buy our cd’s when we launch it. You will not regret it.

T
raveling is truly bothersome, and it’s worse
if you are heading off to a place which you
don’t particularly like (hot, humid, alien place
on God’s good three dimensional space i.e.)
Anyway, my advice if you are heading off to such
a despicable place : just take a flight, saves you
the excruciating brooding over your darn fate and
trying to find a rational explanation as to why God
hates you. Trust me, time flies when you are staring
at the clouds and the tin can you are travelling in,
is moving at a speed close to the speed of sound
(Einstein was so wrong!)
Hmmm….so what was I actually planning to blabber
about?? Lets see, yes! So the perfect solution to
escape the clutches of boredom, is going to sleep.
Well, now that isn’t always possible. Assume you
have this annoying big mouth with stinky feet
sitting next to you that can’t really sleep, well not
without poking a fine little needle into your ears!
Even after that there is a fairly good chance that
you will end up with your nose near his foot (very
likely in a train), that isn’t going to be a pretty
experience. Though, if you are a weirdo who isn’t
bothered by the prospect of a severely damaged
olfactory system, all is well.
Flights of
Fantasy
Edocsil
So what is the solution to this problem, you ask?
That depends. I would like to chat away to death
with Megan Fox, but it really isn’t the same with
the stinky feet guy. I would rather stick to myself
and sulk away in my corner as far away from the
stench as possible (man, diffusion is a bitch! the
smell’s gonna get to me all the same!)
We seem to have hit upon a major problem, you
say - yes, seems to be so does it not? Well my
friend, why do you think I’m here?? My absolute
jobless existence has enabled me to ponder over
this fundamental problem and here is my solution
to this fundamental dilemma. Imagination is a
powerful thing, it can conjure up an explicit little
scenario for yourself. The way in which you choose
to wield this powerful tool depends on the way
God decided to fix your wiring.
If you are a perverted little chimp, then well your
libido is going to drive your little fantasy world in a
direction that I would rather not get into, though I
guess it’s going to be fun. The philosophicalguy is
gonna go all beserk….”Look at the sun drift along
space for all eternity through the haze of space
and time….” Blah blah blah.....just make sure you
don’t get any divine revelations during your little
philosophical experience, because we already have
enough theorems to bother with, adding another
one will just earn you a lot more profanity that you
otherwise would have earned.
Then there are the kiddos - “Mummy, look! The
place is flying through a pile of cotton candy!”
“Ahhh, he’s so cute!!” goes a girl in the background.
Whatever your fantasy is, it’s guaranteed to be a lot
more fun than mindless chatter, sloth-like sleeping
and staring at crumbling parchments. Experience
the beautiful solitude of journey!!
 Standing Still Revanth C.

S
tanding still , looking above , the sky stares back,
Stars they flicker through light, it amazes thy eyes,
Its a sad thing though , they might allready be dead.

Standing still , looking at the river flow , it continues undisturbed,

My reflection , in the water , not moving , moon and sun’s cour-
tesy,
Its a sad thing , the ripples created ,source unknown, will erase
them.

Standing still , looking at the earth , still gaze offered my eyes,

My footprints, embedded in the soil , beautiful pattern ,
Its a sad thing , the winds of change , will erase them to nothing-
ness.

Standing still , looking at the fire , it flares back naturally,

Burns my skin , something beneath it , pain is a metaphor ,
Its a sad thing , the ashes of time , will burn it out , due course.

Standing Still , just waiting , time it calls in its voice,

Wrinkles they grow , marks of age and wear , same end point ,
Its a sad Thing , everything tangible and intangible , is temporary.

Standing Still , looking inside , true story in the diary,

begins - pain , agony , frustration , denial and slowly..
acceptance and the theme for this story ,
smile , you know the reason for the temporary , a journey.
 Euthanasia
Sahil Mehta
Let ' e m Die
Wikipedia: Euthanasia (from the Greek εὐθανασία meaning “good death”: , eu (well or good) +
θάνατος, thanatos (death)) refers to the practice of ending a life in a manner which relieves pain
and suffering. According to the House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics, the precise
definition of euthanasia is “a deliberate intervention undertaken with the express intention of
ending a life, to relieve intractable suffering.”

I
concept of taking a life, even your own, will
didn’t know the existence of this word till a
horrify you. But for me it’s really a question of
couple of years back. The first time I came
across word was on the front page on the taking rules out of the equation and looking at
newspaper. It was some legal case whose the humanitarian aspect of it. Consider this case
of Ms. Shanbaug. A nurse by profession, she
details I do not recall. But the word stuck and
since then I have been hearing about it with was sexually assaulted in 1973 and has been in
a vegetative state since then. Her condition is
an alarming frequency. At the end of last year
Sanjay Leela Bhansali addressed this issue insuch that even the law has no clear definition of
his film Guzaarish and now the SC judgment it. She is neither in a coma nor has full awareness.
in the Aruna Shanbaug case does the same She can move her eyelids but not see, not
thing. Despite the SC judgment allowing recognize, not understand anything or anyone.
passive euthanasia, the debate remains wide And 37 long years she has been forced to “live”
like this. All so that various groups who have no
open. FYI euthanasia can be classified into the
two categories apart from being classified asidea of her suffering can debate on the morality
voluntary, involuntary or non-voluntary. of taking a life and use the law as an excuse.
Ridiculous! What even worse is that they call
Passive euthanasia entails the withholding themselves humanitarian groups, people who
of common treatments, such as antibiotics, are defending human rights. Preposterous!
necessary for the continuance of life.
I do not say that there aren’t legal and ethical
Active euthanasia entails the use of lethal issues involved in allowing a life to be ended;
substances or forces to kill and is the most especially when the patient concerned doesn’t
controversial means. have the mental capacity to make that decision.
If you are a normal person, then the very I can understand the Supreme Court’s concern
that allowing the petition by Mrs. Pinki Virani on
behalf of Ms. Shanbaug could encourage other
people to do so and not always with the right
intention. But this is a clear cut case. The Court
rejected the petition on the basis that Mrs.
Virani had not taken care of the patient at any
point of time, so she had no right to appeal for
her death. Apparently the Court believes that
you become the property of the people who
take care of you. What a message to send out!
The question is not about this
case. There is a much larger
issue involved here. Why is
that we do not have the right to
end our lives when we choose
to? We aren’t given a choice
while being born, at least we
should have the right to die
when we want to. Who gives
the constitution, or a bunch
of judges who crammed law
books to decide that we have to
live or die? All this crap about
life being beautiful, being a gift
etc. is really just that, CRAP! It’s
a biological process. Period. If
someone decides for whatever reason that he
doesn’t want to live, it’s his choice. Whether
things will change for the better is not something
we can predict, so why force someone to live
under a false hope?
I also know that a lot of people think that
people who want to or attempt or successfully
complete suicide are quitters. There is so much
social stigma associated with it, it’s un-fricking-
believable. Last time I checked, the constitution
gave me the right to choose how I lived. How
hypocritical of it for the same constitution to
deny me right to end my life. And it’s none of
anyone’s business to judge me or order me. Life
is over-rated at times and people die every day
because of their choices in
some way or the other. Why
is it so hard for people to get
that?
Anyways, back to topic. I
think that if we have even
an ounce of humanity in us,
we should allow people who
are suffering incessantly
with no hope for recovery,
or people whose lives have
just become meaningless
both physically and mentally
to end their lives. Even if we
do not have that ounce of
humanity, it is no business
of ours to interfere in someone else’s life
choices. When we find cure for such diseases
or conditions, that time you can remove it as a
basis for euthanasia. Till then, we need to allow
euthanasia. Our fear of death as a society is no
reason for someone to continue to suffer for it.
 Best o f FB
Shubh Chaudhary the biggest thrill of a girl’s life is to see a fatter girl than her =):) :) hahaha
Vivek Nanda Jealousy is the tribute mediocrity pays to genius!!!
Raman Sood ACP Ji ke janm divas pr ek PJ..
Once..Rajnikanth taught a child ‘Fleming’s Right Hand Rule’....
These days..the child is called “ACP PRADHYUMAN”.... :P
Kartavya Bhola Physics would have been much easier if ‘Tree’ instead of ‘Apple’ had fallen on
Newton’s head :))
Madhu Garg I thinks there needs to be a “No Drama Please” button on Facebook. One click
would be worth a thousand words :)
Yeswanth Devisetty 43.9% of all the statistics are made on the spot !!
Varun Potturu osama has done economics !! my career prospects hve broadened!!
Abhijeet Chandratre Today’s lesson: Spammers need not be intelligent, they should only know
how to exploit the foolishness of a person! x-(
Suprabhath Kalahasti That akward moment when Dalglish walks into a pub and see’s the
*Above-18* sign ! LOL
Sai Praveen Padmanabhuni Husband throwing knives on wifes pic. All were missing the tar-
get!!!!! Suddenly he received call from her: “Hi,,wht r u doing?” His honest reply.. MISSING U.. :(
Tanmay Zé Shah If all ye A. Raja’s and B. Raju’s are done scamming this country, can we move on
with development?
Pankaj Chhabra Life was so simple in college, at least you don’t have to buy petrol for Rs 70/litre
!!!
Kashish Dua Amma(Jayalalitha) has united wid Didi(Mamatha)....... Lets Celebrate !!!! Aaj desh ki
Maa-Behen ek ho gayi.. :p
Piyush Deshmukh Problem with beautiful girls is everyone is in love with them
Leeon Passi Its Shocking : Punjab has more Liquor stores than government schools :/
Everyone has photographic
memory; some just don’t have
the film.

-There, There