Made In Chennai - Rehane Yavar Dhala

One of the first and most dynamic fashion designers to catapult the name of Chennai into the world fashion horizon.

Professionally, you could be based anywhere in the world. Why Chennai? 
This is where my husband is, my family is. And I want it all – a career and a family. It doesn't matter where you are based - if you do your job well, the whole world will know how good you are.

What was your first big break? 
After being part of the vibrant fashion scene in Rome, I moved to Chennai, married with a baby. I wanted to express myself through my art, but frustratingly, there were no takers for western wear. I didn't have a label back then, but I got the opportunity to design for Jacqueline Verghese who contested in Femina Miss India (I think in 1996). When I won the Best Designer of the Year award at the pageant, it was a validation of my work.

What was the turning point for you as a designer? 
Lakme Fashion Week Mumbai 2002. It was not just about me - it was about being pitched against so much design talent, so many designers with their own thumb prints from across India, all under one roof. The experience reaffirmed that my designs were unique and distinct.

What are some of the challenges you've faced on the way to establishing yourself? 
When I first began in Chennai, I did simple silhouettes with excellent cuts and no embellishments. There were no takers. Sadly, even today, there are no takers for a simple well-cut trouser. It's almost always unsold in my boutique. Nobody even tries it on. But when I wear it, people want to know where I bought it!

How do you define a Rehane creation? 
More is less. I decided to change my design definition and go the opposite direction - from simple, unembellished to flamboyant, over-embellished design. I have now toned it down a little to strike a balance.

Any interesting anecdotes? 
When one of my tailors got married, in his wedding card, under his name, it read, 'Head Tailor for Rehane'. I thought that was very cute!

In 2000, I had just launched my Roses Collection that did brilliantly well. A few ladies walked in to my boutique on Khader Nawaz Khan Road and sprayed yellow paint on my collection! We tried dry-cleaning, but that didn't work. We then replaced parts of the garments and had to throw away the stained sections. Why would anybody simply walk in to a boutique and do that?

There was also the time someone forged my signature on a cheque and tried to encash it!

What makes you tick? 
Belief in myself and dogged determination. Nothing on earth can stop me! I believe everything starts in the mind. So, when someone gave me a copy of Rhonda Byrne's The Secret, none of it was new to me - I already knew and practised what was in the book.

How's 2011 looking for you? 
Busy. In April, there's Fashion Week Delhi. In May, I'm working on a collection in tandem with the Handloom Council. In July, I'm launching my range of spiritual wear in fabrics like organic cotton, ahimsa silk etc. It's very simple, new-age lounge wear that is comfortable and pleasing to the eye. In August, I'm preparing for Pret A Porter Paris. I'll be taking the same Paris collection to Fashion Week Delhi in end-September / October.

Any words of advice to someone just starting out in fashion design? 
If you think it's easy, think again. If you think just because you're from Chennai, your collection will be accepted here, forget it. If you think making a style statement will work, you will hardly get any response beyond media labelling it as off-beat. If you're in it for the money, you will never succeed. Few people have the gift of making money and they make the best finance professionals, not designers. And finally, you will have to twist and bend yourself - be willing to make ghaghras for brides. It can also be very interesting.

An edited version appeared in Taxi Magazine's March 2011 Issue.

Made in Chennai - G.V. Prakash

Undoubtedly the most hip and happening music director in Tamizh cinema who has composed for movies like Veyil, Aayirathil Oruvan, Madrasapattinam,Va Quarter Cutting and most recently, Aadukalam.

When did you begin to seriously consider music as a career?

In high school (+1). I was the Cultural Secretary and used to also play the keyboard at culturals. That was when I realised that I must explore music as a career. Incidentally, I now work with the same people I played music with back then – my sound engineer Sri Hari, flautist Navin Iyer and singer Saindhavi.

How did your first break come about?

My first break in cinema came through a jingle I had created for Radio Mirchi's first anniversary. They asked for my showreel and when Vasanthabalan heard it, he liked it. He recommended me to Shankar Sir and that's how I ended up creating the music of Veyil.

Has it been smooth sailing?

There are always challenges. People had doubts about my capabilities, probably because I was so new and so young. I listen to people when they express themselves, but I stick to what I believe is right.

Tell us about your fans.

I have fan clubs that people start out of interest in my work. In fact, Jagadish, who manages my Facebook and Twitter accounts is doing it just because he wants to!

Another fan, Nadia from Coimbatore has so many of my pictures. She keeps sending me collages and mugs with my pictures. When the Madrasapattinam team travelled there to promote the film, she was interested in meeting only me, not the rest of the crew.

One fan came all the way from Delhi to meet me because he loved the song, 'Veyilodu vilayadi...' from 'Veyil'. He doesn't understand the language, but hears the song a hundred times a day because it makes him happy!

Why did you choose Chennai as base?

I am very attached to Chennai. It is home. I keep moving depending on where my work takes me, but if I'm away for too long, I miss the city and my grandmother's cooking. Moreover, this is where my friends are.

What's a typical work day like?

This is a creative field, so the timings of a corporate professional don't apply. I'm almost always at the studio and my friends drop in there to visit me. In the mornings, I hit the gym, then meet my clients and once work begins, I go on till midnight. At times, I have gone for an entire week at work without sleep!

We hear you're composing music for a Bollywood movie. Tell us more.

I've just completed three songs for the 3D movie, Joker, starring Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha, directed by Shirish Kunder and produced by Farah Khan. The audio release will be around September this year.

Any advice for those looking to make a career in music?

Be confident. But look at yourself from the outside, like a mirror is being held up to you. And be truthful.

What is the secret of your success as a music director?

Focus. And the fact that I know the pulse of the audience. I have a clear judgement that if I enjoy hearing something, then others will love it too.

An edited version of this interview was published in Taxi Magazine in 2011.

Made in Chennai - Mahadevan M.

Passionate food entrepreneur and Chairman of Oriental Cuisines Pvt Ltd owning some of Chennai's best loved food service brands like Cascade, Hot Breads, Zara, The French Loaf, Ente Keralam and Benjarong.

How do you relate to the city?

I'm a Chennai boy! I came to this city with nothing, but the people adopted me here. The city and I have grown together and complemented each other.

What was the turning point of your career as a restaurateur? 
The launch of Cascade. We created a sophisticated Pan-Asian restaurant with interiors designed by Parmeshwar Godrej that was different from the Chinese restaurants in the city. We discovered that the city was willing to pay more, provided there was good value. After the success of Cascade, my investors had the confidence that I could deliver.

What were some of the glitches along the way? 
When we eventually launched in Delhi, people couldn't believe that someone from an 'idli-dosa-sambar' culture could create croissants! But we chose to launch first in Chennai and the South before launching in Delhi. If we had first launched Hot Breads in Delhi, our exposure would have been bigger and our growth, quicker.

What's your typical schedule like?

That depends on which city I am in! A typical day begins at 9.30 a.m. As an NRI, I spend 6 months of the year in India and the rest, abroad. When I am abroad, I know Chennai is in good hands. When I am here, I have to talk to my people in the US, so a working day could end well after 2 a.m.

To what/whom do you owe the success of your company?

The team. While the location and the food are important, our biggest investment is in people. They have a sense of belonging with us. Our US chef went on to open 6-7 units himself!

What are your plans for expansion in the coming year?

In Chennai, we will have two brand new theme restaurants this year. We hope to increase the number of outlets of The French Loaf to 100. Internationally. we're swimming cross-current in Dubai - the focus is on survival rather than growth. Our boys were recently refused Canadian visas for our Toronto operations, so by March I hope to take a decision on what to do about it. We now have 20 people in the US and that market looks very promising. We're also taking our operations to Zambia and Tanzania.

What should wannabe restaurateurs bear in mind?

There is money to be made in this field provided you have the commitment and self-belief. Know what you do and do what you know. And you have to be willing to put in those long hours.

An edited version of this interview was published in Taxi Magazine in 2011.

Made in Chennai - Tishani Doshi

Poet, Dancer, Writer, Wanderer...

What's the best writing-related advice you got?

The best advice anyone ever gave me was from the American poet CK Williams. He told me to treat writing as a job. That means, don’t do anything else when you’re supposed to be at work. That means have working hours, don’t answer calls while you’re working, don’t go shopping while you’re supposed to be working, and don’t switch jobs without due consideration. Of course, I often break the rules, but it’s good to have them.

What were some turning points you've had along the way?

The first turning point would be discovering a book called Twenty Love Poems and a Song of Despair. The second turning point would be Rilke. The third would be a woman called Cathy Smith Bowers from North Carolina who encouraged and nurtured my poetic ambitions. Everything else was luck, timing and the rest of it.

What are some of the challenges you've had to brave?

Oh you know, the usual. Doubt, rage, bitterness, envy, adoration, betrayal. Humdrum stuff.

Why did you choose Chennai as base? You could have chosen to be based anywhere.

Well, actually, no I couldn’t have chosen to be anywhere. Madras is the city I was born in and where my parents still live. When I decided to become a full-time writer the first thing I did was to quit my job, which meant that I quit my steady source of income, which meant that either I lived in poverty or moved back to the family house. After 8 years of student-like poverty I decided to move back home. That was a decade ago, and I’m still here.

What's your typical day like?

It’s highly typical actually. I like rituals and routines, so I basically have a pattern that I follow regardless of where I am. This involves Yoga, breakfast, writing, lunch, reading, nap, tea, walking, more writing, reading. Food is important, fresh air is important and of course, friends.

What would you consider your secret to success?

Success isn’t actually a word I associate with my life. It reeks of corporate smugness (to me). But, I suppose I’ve been successful in engineering the kind of life I want to live and this has happened mainly because of what I think is my greatest talent: stubbornness (read, perseverance). It really does go a long way. As does a strong support system.

What lies ahead?

I have no idea what lies ahead but I hope more books and other projects. I’m working on a collection of poems right now, so that’s what I have on my table for the moment.

Any words of advice for someone who'd like to be a writer?

Read, read, read. And write, write, write. That’s about it. 

An edited version of this interview was published in Taxi Magazine in 2011.

 

Made in Chennai - Suchitra Krishna Kumar

Playback Singer, RJ, Television Host

What was your first song as a playback singer?

The first song I ever sang as a playback singer was for Yuvan Shankar Raja. It was called 'Pelican Paravaigal' and was for a movie called 'Lovers'. Neither the album nor the film have released till date!

What were the turning points in your career?

There has never been one single break or turning point, because my career changed every 5 years! For my current career as a singer, the work I have done with Harris Jeyaraj, Bharadwaj, Mani Sharma and Yuvan were definite turning points. Recently, Devisri Prasad and Thaman have given an additional dimension to my singing - so they have become turning points too!

Have there been any unique challenges that you've faced?

Indian singing definitely requires some amount of classical training and the playback singing industry generally prefers sweet, feminine voices for women. Being an untrained singer with a slightly unconventional voice was the biggest challenge. But somehow, the kind of songs I got to sing were stronger on tone, expression and power, which did come easily to me.

What are some of the poignant moments you've had as a singer?

Poignant incidents happen all the time. Srikanth Deva actually stands up and claps if I ace a song, Mani Sharma treats me like a daughter, Devisri Prasad and I bond like long-lost twins, Thaman and Dharan are wonderfully caring brothers. When Rahman Sir looked me in the eye after he heard my takes for his Telugu film 'Komaram Puli' and said "Sounding good, man!”, I thought I was going to faint! My years as a playback singer so far are full of gooey-warm, happy incidents!

Why did you choose Chennai as base?

I didn't choose Chennai. Chennai chose me!

What's a typical work day like?

Walk the dog, feed her, feed self and husband (we have a power drink in the morning which our friend Andrea Jeremiah calls 'morning miracle'), yoga, lunch, work/learn at the bakery (I am an intern with 'Sandy's'), do my recordings, evening with friends/family/dog.

What would you consider your secret to success?

Is there one???

What's 2011 looking like for you?

2011 is a year of learning and travel for me. Apart from what I learn at Sandy's, I go for music lessons and plan to do a teacher's training course in yoga too. Also, I'm focusing on taking my stage concerts to the next level of showmanship.

What would be your advice to aspiring playback singers?

Like Whoopi Goldberg says in Sister Act, if you wake up in the morning and can think of nothing but singing, want to do nothing but sing, then that's what you are meant to do and it would be a crime to not pursue it. Devisri Prasad says pretty much the same thing.

An edited version of this interview was published in Taxi Magazine in 2011.

Made in Heaven

“I felt lost in a sea of 11,000 guests! The entire town came to a standstill. The wedding took place in an open ground where something like a movie set was erected. Hostesses wearing mini-skirts, looking like they belonged on a plane rather than at a traditional South Indian wedding, ushered us to our seats. The women guests wore diamond jewellery that paled in comparison to their zari-laden sarees. Everything was big, bright and blingy!” This, from a friend who recently returned from a high-profile wedding in small-town South India.

The mellow modest-budgeted South Indian wedding is now firmly a thing of the past. Say hello to the big fat South Indian wedding with all the glitz of a Bollywood production!

BUDGET

Parents want nothing but the best for their children, and wedding budgets are indeed going through the roof. But a 'sky's the limit' budget doesn't necessarily make the wedding planner's job any easier.

Saraswathi Krishnakumar, who runs a wedding planning company called Event Art with her sister Lakshmi Ravichander says, “What ends up happening is that the client expects the moon but cannot believe it comes at the price it does. If the client has some idea of a budget - any budget - it is a great start point to create an interesting theme.”

But does a big budget necessarily translate to a more interesting wedding? Though admittedly it does cost more to create a theme wedding, Saraswathi says, “Given a budget, any wedding can be made more interesting. The only thing that changes is the scale at which the idea gets translated and the components used. For instance, the budget will determine the flowers that go into the floral decorations as well as the musician invited to perform at the reception. It will not take away from the core idea, though.”

THEME

Saraswathi spoke fondly of one 'Nischayathartham' (engagement) as part of a wedding she had organised. “The entire function was a statement of the family's eco-consciousness. We created a Ganesha out of leaves at the entrance to the venue and the backdrop for the ceremony was also made entirely of leaves. We had lightbulbs inside 'kuruttu' leaf lanterns. We avoided disposable plastic plates and cups, and served typical Tamil food on plantain leaves and coffee in 'tumbler-davara' sets. The return gifts were terracotta items. This also enables us to do our bit for society by sourcing some products from NGOs.”

Krithika was to marry Venkat, she decided to play planner for her own wedding and added a dash of symbolism to the wedding arrangements. “We used the theme of Meenakshi Kalyanam to denote the merger of our two traditions, Iyer and Iyengar. The two symbols we used were green parrot (Meenakshi's symbol) and red lotus (being her brother, Vishnu's symbol).” The invitation was green with a parrot motif. Krithika's wedding saree blouse had parrots embroidered on the sleeve and the immediate family was dressed in greens and reds. The 'thambulam' bags had a Tanjore painting-esque rendering of Meenakshi Kalyanam on them, with Tulsi saplings as return gifts. As for decorations, the florist created a 'thoranam' making extensive use of fresh lotuses suspended from toy parrots. As luck would have it, the wedding venue also had a ready backdrop of Meenakshi Kalyanam!

VENUE

Geeta Vasudevan was clear that when it came to her son's wedding, a claustrophobic wedding hall or star hotel simply wouldn't do. She picked the very ethnic Dakshina Chitra. She says, “I organised everything for Prashant's wedding. Since the bride was Punjabi, we had a Baraat complete with band and horse. It was an al fresco evening reception and a night wedding. Our 800 guests from across India enjoyed a flute and veena concert at the reception where we hosted a buffet with a mix of North and South Indian cuisine. We were surprised that 250 of our guests decided to stay on and be part of the Arya Samaj wedding at 10 p.m. During the actual wedding ceremony, thanks to the serene ambience, the 'mantras' were clearly audible.”

“The venue lends itself so well to the heritage ambience I wanted to create, that we used only twinkling serial lights and floral 'thoranams' to decorate the 'mandapam'.” says Geeta. “We could have easily gone overboard on the decorations, but that would have robbed the place of its beauty.”

OTHER IDEAS

Saraswathi spoke to us of one wedding she organised where the typical Punjabi concept of a Sangeet function was given a new spin. “The clients wanted a pre-wedding party, but the Sangeet concept doesn't really exist in Tiruppur. Instead, we took the spirit of the Sangeet function and customised it.”

“The couple was escorted from the temple to the mandap by traditional Nadaswaram musicians and then by traditional folk dancers. We created a performance with professional 'therukoothu' actors, taking inspiration from a folk song from the old Tamil movie, Navarathri. We kept the tune intact, but used fresh voices and customised the lyrics to incorporate the names of the groom and bride and details of their families.”says Saraswathi.

Just goes to prove that to have a unique and memorable wedding, one need not be limited by budget or convention!

An edited version appeared in TAXI's March 2011 Issue