Courtyard by Marriott being the fastest growing facility by the group, and now at 800 hotels worldwide, entered Pune a year ago. Since then, it’s quite a change for people staying around Hinjewadi, both residents as well as corporate professionals who many a times are found grabbing a quick bite over lunch or getting a shot of an Illy espresso to keep them up. The property is more than just its restaurant where many business travellers put up as well. Our photographers, Antriksh Jain and Bhanu Pratap Panwar capture the property on their lenses.

The 5 Oak Tree logo represents the first five Courtyard hotel that had opened. Here, Courtyard, Pune has made the use of pebbles atop their entrance to give a bird's view.

As you enter the lobby, your eyes set upon the clay tile installation inspired by the Jaipur culture.

Including 6 Courtyard Suites, the hotel has 153 rooms in 3 categories, with rates varying from 6,500 INR to 10,500 INR.

MoMo Cafe serves a balanced mix of Western, Oriental and Indian cuisines with a seating capacity of 88 pax.

Take a refreshing 5 feet dip in this swimming pool, which has a stretch of 80 feet. The pool is right outside the gym and the surrounding areas are visible from here as it's on the 1st floor.

From the treadmill to the vertical cycle, from the dumbbells to the medicine ball, give yourself a workout while accessing the TV on your personal LCDs.

Courtyard being primarily a business hotel, provides its guests with access to office facilities in their Executive Lounge where they can use the internet, be served tea and coffee during meetings and at evenings — cocktails and hors d'oeuvres as well.

For the quick and hungry, Courtyard also runs a 24x7 ready to go cafe called MoMo2Go. With instantly awakening Illy coffee and sandwiches and rolls fresh from the kitchen, it makes a good option for people on the move.

We’re less than a week away from, undoubtedly, one of the most-awaited films of the year. Dabangg – a film Salman Khan has made his own with the pencil moustache, a bit of fat and badass dialogues with a pinch of humor. Chulbul Pandey has gotten both, the autowallah and intellectual, talking about it. And, what’s more – it releases a year after Wanted, another Eid release of Sallu Bhai – which automatically assures packed single-screens and multiplexes alike.

Wanted, with its unrealistic visual effects and uncanny dialogues had given the audiences an over-the-top visual treat – and not in the Aisha way. And it even had Salman Khan dancing with Prabhudeva – moving every muscle in his body. But with Dabangg, there’s something absolutely different. It’s kicked up a storm of speculation and intrigue, alike. It’s a filmy phenomenon of sorts, a not-so-silent revolution that is all over the Indian media.

Since the theatrical trailer was first released, on July 23^rd, Dabangg has been making headlines for all the right reasons. Marking several debuts, that of Sonakshi Sinha opposite Salman Khan, Abhinav Kashyap – the director and brother of much acclaimed director, Anurag Kashyap and Arbaaz Khan as producer – the film hits theatres on 10^th September. Fearless, as the film’s title suggests, the cast and crew have been behaving that way – having the critics and analysts swing their way with great hope, and how.

Chulbul Pandey aka Robin Hood will be one character to reckon with, especially with the dialogues and action sequences. But, action and its extensiveness is not all that defines this film. It maybe the cliché journey of the hero – badass falls in love and hits realization – but the emotional quotient of the film is said to be defined by Sallu’s love interest. And the animated hearts on Chulbul Pandey’s sunglasses sure do agree with that.

The music, without mention, has caught the attention of all. Composed by the duo of Sajid-Wajid alongside Lalit Pandit of the Jatin-Lalit duo – the soundtrack had all the makings of a mass hit – the kind Himesh Reshammiya churned out when he sported a cap. Having received fairly good ratings from those necessary, it has been on everyone’s lips thanks to the radio, Facebook status updates quoting lyrics and Twitter updates too.

But what’s surprising amidst all of this is how the film has every Levi’s wearing youngster say, “I wanna watch this film. First day, first show!” Insights talk of how some feel the dialogues are cool and crass at the same time, while some talk of how it’s going to be an entertaining movie on the uppermost layer, at the least. That assured, it’s a phenomenon to be watching this category of films. A kind where you can laugh, whistle and have some fun.

Back in the day, such a film would be considered down-market, un-cool and ridiculous. But, Dabangg seems to have redefined these norms and changed perspectives. Maybe the promotional value adds to the excitement – but that can’t be it. Salman Khan, in an interview, admitted how this kind of attention was expected, but not at such a scale. Rest assured, the film is pitted to do good business over the weekend. And, the audience will comprise of everyone from the roadside Romeo to the thinking viewer to the film scholar.

So, if you have any second thoughts on why you shouldn’t watch this film, maybe watching the promos over and over will help you head to the theatres. Or try humming Munni Badnaam Hui in a public place. Either raised eyebrows or additions to your vocal powers – one of the two reactions are assured. As for me, I’m going for it. Maybe not a first day, first show – but as soon as I can get my hands on a ticket at a single-screen.

With his haunting good looks and quality acting, Ranbir Kapoor is revolutionising fashion world of Bollywood – for men at least. At six feet two inches and a lean frame you can put him in yellow pants topped with a green jacket and he will still make you go weak in the knees… That’s what makes him a showstopper, isn’t it?

Having always been bold with trying out different roles – his stylists dare to put him in anything and everything (or nothing). Whether it’s the towel act in Saawariya or the lover boy outfits in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahaani (APKGK) and Bachnaa Aae Haseeno,  he has been charming and elegant altogether. Reza Shariffi the stylist for Saawariya gave him an authentic new age ‘aawara’ look.

His versatility, not just limited to acting, overflows into his sense of style. Coming from a background of ‘healthy’ actors, Ranbir is more about being fit and able – unlike others. Having walked the ramp for designers like Rohit Bal, Arjun Khanna and Karan Johar, RK sure has made his mark with the fashonista, like childhood friend, Sonam Kapoor. His style maybe simple but perfect coordination also had John Players replace Hrithik Roshan with Ranbir Kapoor as their brand ambassador – cashing in on the Gen-X factor.

Not only is Ranbir a designer’s canvas, go watch him in Wake up Sid for more than just the acting. The t-shirts, which became quite a rage at retail stores and flea markets alike, made Ranbir look the part to the T. He is probably the only star in Bollywood, besides Aamir Khan, who has carried of a 19 year old’s look to that of a 30 year old politician.

Off screen Ranbir can be caught in Diesel jeans, Interno 8 shirts and comfy Puma sneakers. When playing ‘dress-up’ he likes his feet to be treated royally in a pair of Zegna, Gucci or maybe Prada. But, for Raajneeti, designer Priyanka Mundada gave him an absolutely subtle look with whites and khadis with the inclusion of the rimless glasses. That somehow, rounded it all off – for the look of the character.

With every new character Ranbir brings in a new personality. Here’s looking forward to Mr. Anjaana again in a new avatar –  with another trend to follow, maybe. Anjaana Anjaani releases later this month and sure looks a piece. Ranbir Kapoor is here to stay, set trends and fill the void of the male fashion icon that Bollywood has been longing for.

Para Vayu not only has a change in its band members but also caters to a wider genre of music now. The band performed at Opus, High Spirits and more recently, Hard Rock Café, where they played covers of Pink Floyd and Rush along with many riveting originals. The tracks were a varied mix of alternative, progressive, funk and jazz rock along with blues.

TTS had a little chat with Ravi Iyer…

We all know that there is no such thing as a Para Vayu gig without a Pink Floyd cover. Ravi recognizes the major influence Pink Floyd has had on the band and said: “Our music might subconsciously be influenced by them, but it is not intentional.” The band is known for their near perfect covers of the 60’s rock legends.

While some bands play music to celebrate their love for things, others play either for a cause or to send a message. There is no such fixed philosophy that pertains to Para Vayu. Their focus is purely on the quality of music that they make and play. “We have matured in all aspects. Earlier the performance on the stage mattered a lot. Everything has now changed.  There is nothing as important as music now,” he said, reflecting on his journey as a musician from the metal band, Witchhammer to Vayu, and eventually to Para Vayu.

He expressed his contentment and welcomed the change Para Vayu educed with it, including the change in his own temperament and the increase in his respect for other musicians. He admitted that their audiences still search for traces of Vayu in their music but it doesn’t bother him, “It’s only been a year, and it takes time for any musician to identify himself with a specific genre of music. We have been playing a lot of covers and old Vayu songs but our album is coming out next month and then, you can see for yourself what Para Vayu is really about.” He seemed extremely glad with the way things have turned out for him and his band members, “The music is very soulful and has a lot of feel to it. They all have expertise and control in what they specialize in.”

Para Vayu suggests a force powerful enough to change the way things are. Ravi though feels that he and his band members have done nothing to change the confused rock scene in India. “Yes there are many originals being made, but the bands lack originality. Playing commercial is always easy, but it is always difficult for bands to decide what to play.”

Para Vayu has performed extensively in Pune. Their opinion on the audience reception and the overall gig culture in Pune as compared to metro cities like Bombay or Bangalore is however, quite disheartening.  “The crowd has become colder,” feels Ravi.  He said that there was a very well informed crowd earlier-college goers who were musically conscious who were more appreciative of rock music.  He speculated that this could be either because of the dimming of Pune’s night scene, or because of a shift in interest from rock to trance music.

Ravi’s attachment to the city of Pune was evident as he laughingly passed this message to his Pune fans, “Be with us, the way we are with you.”

Want to show Para Vayu your love for them? Don’t miss their October gig in HRC, Pune.

Go hear them on www.myspace.com/paravayu

[image courtesy: Sahil Khan]

Steve Jobs, at his presentable best, started off with the announcement of iOS 4.1. For people unfamiliar with the term, it’s the OS that runs all their touch devices, namely the iPhone, the iPod Touch and the iPad.

The new update to the OS fixes bugs and then adds some more functionality to your touch device – High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography, HD video upload via WiFi, TV Show rentals and finally, Game Centre.

With HDR photography, you’ll have more details on your photographs especially in the brightest and darkest spots. Over WiFi you can upload your videos to YouTube and other video hosting sites. Game Centre, the newest addition allows you to go multiplayer with the iPod Touch or iPhone – challenging your friends, looking at leader boards all over the world and hooking you up with random players from the world if you don’t have a friend to challenge.

Steve Jobs, always bent on improving his products gave a sneak peak at iOS 4.2 too, which will make iPads multitasking devices as well.

Onto the stuff people were really waiting for, the iPods, the whole range starting with Shuffle to the Touch were updated.

For the Shuffle, for those who missed the buttons but liked the voiceover function in the previous release, the new Shuffle is back with buttons, but retains the function of the voiceover, so the iPod can speak to you to tell you track, artist or playlist and you can use the buttons on the Shuffle to navigate through with the battery running for 16 hours.

While the Shuffle gets its buttons back, the Nano loses its. The iPod Nano is now square with a touch screen! Featuring all the multi touch gestures that all Apple touch devices support, it also has a clip with which you can attach it to your shirt, bag or jeans like the Shuffle has and will be music to your ears for 24 hours on a single charge.

The iPod Touch, unbelievably, has become even slimmer. Apart from that, it now has the same retina display and the chip that the iPhone 4 features. It has two cameras, the back camera for HD recording and the front facing camera for FaceTime – Apple’s video chat application. As it will be running the iOS 4.1, it will also click HDR images and you can upload your videos over WiFi. With the battery running a whooping 40 hours it is truly an “iPhone without the Phone”.

With the iPod range getting updated, the iTunes software also gets some new features. The iTunes 10 now features a hybrid mode to make your music library even tidier and adds Ping – social networking for music. Working like Twitter and Facebook, it combines message boards, likes and dislikes, forums, top 10 music downloads among your friends group from iTunes and shows you events around your area. Oh, and with the declining use of CD’s, the iTunes logo has now changed with the CD gone! Though, Ping doesn’t function in India, yet.

The world was also waiting for Apple TV to update for the first time – since its launch in 2006. Here also, Steve Jobs did not disappoint. The new Apple TV is a quarter of its previous size and a third of its previous price. With the consumers in mind it has a rental only policy and WiFi. This means the end user does not need to worry about storage issues and can stream content from computers and iPods without syncing. Rental policy at 4.99$ per HD movie and 0.99$ per HD TV show is affordable to say the least. 

With the launch of high-speed Internet services in India, Apple TV might just be another Apple product to look out for. However, for it to succeed here Apple has to provide local content and Bollywood movies or otherwise it doesn’t really make sense.

While the iTunes is available to download, as is the iOS 4.1, the iPods are ready to preorder now and will start shipping next week, but for US customers only. The Apple TV will start shipping in 4 weeks for the US and it is very unlikely for it to sell in India given the lack of knowledge of such a product.

We don’t yet know the release dates for India yet, but I’m pretty sure music lovers are drooling over the new iPods and waiting for them to arrive.

Artists: Dibakar Das, Mayura Khot, Raju Sutar, Snehal Kulkarni & Vaishali Oak

The first question that might arise in the minds of the viewers-why would the beauty of the caves, the lines and elements of rock carvings inspire something abstract and so modern in its approach? But these artists have soaked in their inspiration and conveyed their outlook of history using their bold strokes, fluid motion and individuality.

This was an attempt to delve into the historically rich culture of India and to get inspired to create a modern perception of the Ajanta cave paintings. It was, simply put,  a way to show how inspiration can help in creating something which helps bridge the gap between the past and the present perceptions of the past.

The textures and colours of each painting were distinctive to each artist’s style. From the acrylic bold brush strokes by Vaishali Oak using earth colors to Dibakar Das’s diary sketches, the whole experience was a lovely variety to the viewer’s eye… The colours used in the exhibition radiated the mysteries of the past, while the textures and shapes gave out the stories of the Rock Cut caves.

It is interesting to view the diary sketches as they lead directly to the Ajanta project. Each sketch has a unique outlook and character which makes each sketch exciting in itself. The colours and textures flirt with history in an earthy and dreamlike manner.

The story goes that the artists visited the Ajanta Rock caves and got inspired by the paintings and rock carvings. They instinctively decided to paint and do an exhibition later, which showed elements of history with individual expression and a stylized fashion.

Verdict:

Address: Dario’s, Hotel Sunderban, Opp. Osho Int’l, Lane 1A, Koregaon Park

Being the non-vegetarian I am, I’ve always wondered what mouth watering options vegetarians have apart from the regular mix veg, daal and paneer. And to be frank, I’d be considered stupid if I ordered a vegetarian dish that’d be slightly blasphemous.

But, I think I found the answer to that query - Dario’s. Started by the person who’s also the man behind Little Italy, this quaint place is setup at the bend of Hotel Sundurban, opposite Osho in Lane 1, Koregaon Park.

The Siciliano and Dario Pizza combination.

A converted shed, the restaurant is spacious and quiet, with a kitchen that not only dishes out impeccable vegetarian Italian, but tempting desserts and in-house baked breads as well.

Start with a couple of drinks and check the art that adorns the walls while enjoying the breeze outside. The mocktails start at INR 120, cocktails ranging from INR 280-320 and of course, a lovely selection of wines. Fancy a Montalcino 2003? Got 14.5k?

With a definite liking for mushrooms, Funghi Dario’s which are roasted mushrooms with lemon, garlic and parsley made the obvious choice for warming up to the main course. Followed by the Caprigna Salad (melted goats cheese, croutons, pomegranate and a French dressing) and a glass of Virgin Mary’s, to which do add a couple of drops of Tabasco sauce, we tried the Dario’s Pizza (smoked eggplant, corn, potatoes, oregano and capers) and the Siciliano (sun dried tomato, bell peppers, garlic and mozzarella).

Ravioli Kamarina.

Compared to the Siciliano, the Dario’s Pizza’s taste was rather subdued. Supposedly we asked for the wrong combination of pizzas. While the Siciliano was spicy, Dario’s Pizza with the smoked egg plant gave a new edge to pizza but at the same time wasn’t enjoyable after a few bites.

When at an Italian restaurant, you tend to order a pasts or risotto and rarely make it to their second main course which, though generally consists of fish or meat, at Dario’s is a line-up of variations of pan-fried vegetables, mushroom, cheese, pancakes topped with asparagus, etc.

For the main-course, we had Gnocchi ai Formaggi (Italian cheese, white wine and thyme), which kind of felt like a mouthful of kneaded flour once cold and Ravioli Kamarina (stuffed with spinach, cheese, tomatoes, chickpeas and smashed peas). The combination of chickpeas and smashed peas did bring quite a flavor along with the cream sauce.

The sheer mountain of chocolat-i-ness.

It would be mistake not to order their chocolate mousse. A mountain of sheer chocolat-i-ness, on a base of cake, one would be pleasantly surprised that it’s quite inexpensive compared to the rest of the menu. Girls, your guy would definitely die for this dessert.

Waiting to take out time and try the breakfast menu there. Waffles and crepes can always make me go weak in the knees even in the morning. And, they’ve got porridge too!

[image courtesy: Nikhil Kumar Verma]

Unexpressed, unspoken and unexplored – that’s how Mumbai-based artist, Simrat Sandhu D’ Mello defines her work. A design graduate from NIFT Delhi, Simrat will be showcasing her paintings for the first time in Pune at Malaka Spice, Koregaon Park, 1^st September onwards.

TTS correspondent, Riya Chakravarty, gets up close and personal with the artist about her art work and upcoming exhibition.

TTS: What are the basic fundamentals of your working?

SSD: I can’t define my work as such because all my paintings are very spontaneous. As a person, I am very straightforward and I try to reflect it in my work. My paintings are mostly colorful, full of life, vibrant, intense and speak about something. I don’t give titles to my paintings as they are open to interpretation and usually consist of faces.

TTS: Is there any particular artist who has largely influenced your work?

SSD: I usually don’t get inspired. But I admire a lot of artists, one of them being an Australian artist, Vali Myers. I recently bought her book and really liked her work. Other than this, I appreciate experimental art.

TTS: Since how long have you been involved with art?

SSD: I have been painting all my life. Ever since school to my fashion designing days, I have been painting. Paintings give me a certain mental satisfaction and I want to devote my entire life to it.

TTS: What is the theme of your upcoming exhibition at Malaka Spice?

SSD: The exhibition consists of the work that I have done in the past one year. Human faces are predominant element in my work. I haven’t followed a particular theme but I want people to connect to my paintings. Every individual has a certain emotional energy in them and I have tried to capture that energy in my work.

TTS: What do you think about the art scenario in Pune?  What kind of audience do you find here?

SSD: Pune has a very acceptable audience. They are open to experiments and the best part about people here is that they don’t categorize artistes as good or bad. They appreciate all kind of work and promote young and fresh talent.

TTS: Talking about your style in general – first, human faces are dominant in your work and second, it has a certain intense, dark element to it. Can you throw some light on these two distinct aspects of your work?

SSD: The faces in my paintings represent people. They depict the thought that there is an energy which connects one individual with the other. For instance, why out of the hundreds of faces we see in a crowd, we go and speak to this one particular person? It represents human emotions which are unexpressed and of words which have not been uttered but say a lot of things.

Secondly, I don’t intentionally use dark elements in my paintings. It may be intense but I express myself through my work which reflects my thoughts.

TTS: What about the colors?

SSD: I go with the flow while using colors but I prefer very bright ones. But I never plan beforehand what to use. I can’t control a stroke. Whatever comes to my mind, I apply it.

TTS: Your works are untitled. Why is it so?

SSD:  I don’t give titles to my paintings because I want people to interpret it in their own way. I want them to connect to my work in any way they want, whether it’s the color they like or they believe it reflects their lives. I want my work to have no boundaries.

TTS: In recent times, there is an emergence of experimental art. What are your views about it?

SSD: Today artistes are exploring new genres and are coming out with new things. Life is very fast-paced these days, the country’s growing and everyone, including artistes, has to make their own mark.  This has led to the rise in new artistic styles and techniques.

TTS: What are your future projects?

SSD: I have a few exhibitions coming up in Mumbai. I am still working on them. Otherwise, as of now, I am focusing only on my work.  I am looking forward to do some nice work; something meaningful. Art is a learning process and I want to learn as much as I can.

A restless audience of the sophisticated jazz-lovers of Pune waited for Diane Witherspoon and her Quartet to take the stage at the Jazz Recital at Ishanya Mall, in collaboration with Pune Jazz Club, on the evening of 29th August, 2010. The evening began with Mr. Shailesh Mehta, Director of Ishanya talking about the mall’s association with culture and how they want to make it more than just a shopping experience for its customers. Following this, Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim, Founder of the Pune Jazz Club spoke on the rising jazz culture in Pune and the  stage was set.

The international jazz and blues singer, Diane Witherspoon, born in Minnesota but now living in Los Angeles started singing when she was a child and often performed in her church choir. She taught music and conducted workshops in California public schools and in Tokyo, Japan. Inspired by her sister, Shirley Washington, former Duke Ellington vocalist and second cousin, Jimmy Witherspoon, legendary blues singer she has performed live across the globe and has recorded with the likes of Cedar Walton, Billy Higgins and Teddy Edwards.

Diane looked stunning in her shiny black dress and opened with Just in Time which had great energy because of the accompaniments. The Quartet comprised of Passakorn Suksuntiphab (Saxophone), Napat Piriykitsarun (Drums), Budhianant Deeswasmogkol (Piano) and Teerawat Tunboot (Bass). Songs like Cedar Walton’s Holy Land, Even Steven which was rechristened Sabbatical for the album and Firm Roots to Enchantment were a great on the ears since they go down a long way in jazz history.

Her powerful voice in songs like L. A. After Dark, Tradition, the Prisoner Song and her theme song, Let the Good Times Roll had the audience gripped and their feet tapping. There were twenty songs in all, most which have been written by great jazz musicians and vocalists like John Clayton, Duke Ellington, Cedar Walton and Harry ‘Sweet’ Edison. An ‘aged hippie’ in the audience as he liked to call himself said “She’s good. The show’s excellent. But the audience is too tame and should let their hair down! Where are the dreadlocks?”

Mr. Ahmed Ibrahim, on being asked about the recital said “I’m glad to see the turnout. People are enjoying themselves and that makes it worthwhile for me. That’s why I’m doing it.” Diane also called upon Simone Daniel, a Puneite, for a duet on Moanin’ by Charles Mingus, which was well appreciated. By the end of the show, people took to the aisle, and did samba in couples and some even went solo. The standing ovation was a well deserved one and a smiling Diane and her Quartet left, leaving the audience content with a memorable night of music.

Rohini Kejriwal

[Photo Courtesy: Devang Bhandari]

Available: At all leading bookstores and online retailers

Price: 225 INR

Publisher: HarperCollins

TTS Verdict: An insight into the world of real estate and family feuds straight from the mouth of a businessman turned author. The book’s tagline holds true.

Rating: 2/5

This book is no literary classic that is going to go down the pages of history but it will surely go down into the pages of management fundas. Suhas Mantri, a Pune-based businessman, debuts with this book, The Comeback -A Story of Bankruptcy and Survival.

Divided into two parts, the first part seems straight out of a Bollywood masala movie. You probably have seen it on the big screen- brothers running family businesses and the greed overcoming one brother, leaving the other high and dry. On the other hand, the second part seems like a lecture pulled out of one of the management institutes that seem to be cropping up everywhere these days.

The Comeback does not belong to the Rs. 99 breed of books, which seem to be crowding the Indian fiction section in bookstores.  Although weak in narrative, the author seems to have made a conscious effort to not sprinkle his book with Hinglish words.

On the contrary, the book can give some really cool gyaan to non-management students, just in case you want to start your own business. Look out for the Pyramid Model in the book. The book gives a good dose of dos and don’ts of the real estate business. The book also takes into account the recession and challenges faced by the businessmen during that difficult time.

If you pick up this book up in a bookstore and flip through some pages, it will not grip you. This is drawback number one. When you turn the book over and see the price, you will quietly put the book back where it belongs. The price is drawback number two.

When sitting to write this book, Mantri seems to have penned down some of his personal thoughts and emotions. The emotions are not earth shattering in any way, but just honest, simple thoughts. The strong desire to share his personal story is much evident in the book.

The book is a really honest but failed attempt for the debutant. The book fails in two aspects; one, making the reader connect and two, leaving a mark. Except, the Pyramid model of course. So folks, if you’ve got nothing else to read and have some extra cash stashed away, a copy of The Comeback will suffice.

Chetasi Kane