Master Takes

Compiled by Aradhna Wal

Broken wings Overheads by Prajakta Potnis
Broken wings Overheads by Prajakta Potnis

Sumakshi Singh On Art
I thoroughly enjoyed Prajakta Potnis’ sculpture Overheads. A simple white ceiling fan leans unassumingly against the corner of a booth. Its blades (made of heated copper plates, painted white) lie crumpled upon the carpet in a poignant gesture of fatigue and gentle irony: the object has become its own caricature, the blades meant for movement have been arrested permanently and the expectation generated by both form and title of looking ‘overhead’ are subverted by its humble placement. A small, sweetly humorous tragedy has occurred: perhaps the heavy overheads were too much to bear.

Singh Is A Delhi-Based Artist

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‘This funny book moves between fact and fiction as it talks about Delhi’s fashion scene’

Anurag Mathur On Books
A book that deserves more recognition is the humorous Among the Chatterati by Kanika Gahlaut. It straddles the line between fiction and non-fiction as it talks about the fashion business in Delhi. People familiar with the scene will recognise the personalities that appear in these pages. Some of the incidents are from the author’s own experience, and I identified with the life she writes about.
Mathur Is The Author Of The Inscrutable Americans
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Jai Row Kavi On Music
Ben Kenney is the bassist of the band Incubus. I discovered his solo project, Burn the Tapes, in which he has played all the instruments. His song-writing is really good, unlike the largely generalised music of most western bands. A talented musician with a wide range, he started out as a guitarist for the hip-hop band The Roots.

Kavi Is The Drummer Of The Mumbai-Based Band Indus Creed

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One-man show Ben Kenney
One-man show Ben Kenney

Raj Kumar Gupta On Film
Ben C Lucas’ Wasted on the Young is one of the best Australian films of 2010. Set in an elite university, it is about the innocence of youth, and how far one can go at that age. The storytelling is its strongest point. Another one that I was struck by is the breathtakingly beautiful Russian film How I Ended This Summer by Aleksey Popogrebskiy. It is set on a desolate island in the Arctic Circle. It’s about two men who work at a meteorological station when they meet an old man spending the summer there.

Gupta Is The Director Of No One Killed Jessica

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The age of innocence A still from Wasted on the Young
The age of innocence: A still from Wasted on the Young

Ajay Jha On Food
I enjoy going to Chalchitra Cafe, in Delhi’s Greater Kailash II. It is an unusual restaurant in terms of décor. It is modelled after the old cinema halls that flourished before the cineplexes. The walls are decked with posters of old Bollywood movies. Even the menu goes along with the theme. The name of each section is inspired by Bollywood movies; for example Kabhi Soup Kabhi Chaon or Pappu Can’t Dance Salad. The restaurant is multi-cuisine but I go for the Indian food. The place is generally populated by youngsters. The service is very friendly and the whole place has a warm and cosy atmosphere.

Jha Is The General Manager Of Forgetful Elephant, New Delhi