WhereCity.com - Articles - Sarnath Banerjee

He spruced up Indian English Literature with his debut graphic novel, Corridor and charmed us with his whacky pathos and sunshine satire. The helmsman of the Indian Graphic novel, Sarnath Banerjee, talks about art, fiction, fact and form as his much anticipated text, The Harappa Files finally arrives in stores.

‘Corridor’ your first graphic novel took the country by storm. By then the genre was fairly well-known. What led to writing one?

I felt a certain existential restlessness that was characteristic of my generation who were trying to find form. What was being churned out was insufficient. My stories required a different language, that of image and text, without either of which the story would be tonally incomplete. Text and image could well bring out the restlessness symptomatic of my generation. That was my contribution to storytelling.

You have a distinctive comical-critical commentary at the crux of your texts. What do you attribute that to? Read more...

WhereCity.com - Articles - Pralay

It was in the late 80s when the rock culture of the west slowly spread its tentacles in India. Then while most of bands played covers, there was one which stuck to writing and producing originals- Greek; the brainchild of Adam and Eddie Avil. After a couple of years, Greek was renamed Pralay. Fortunately, the passion and originality remained intact. From being banned at I Rock to being considered for a Grammy and being the inspiration for Anurag Kashyap'smovie Paanch, Pralay has come a long way.

Now, the band is back in action. Adam Avil, the lead guitarist/vocalist of Pralaytalks to us about his passion and future plans with the band.

You played at I-Rock last year after a gap of almost 10 years. What was it like?

It was great being a part of the 25th anniversary of I Rock. There were some 6000 people at the venue, the best attendant for Indian acts. I guess as it was a free concert. Nevertheless, the community knows we are back in the business. As the younger crowd yet needs to identify with our music we are going to play anywhere and everywhere.

The band has a complete new line-up except for you. Does the music change too?

The band has always been Eddie and me in terms of content. Our earlier line-up had Luke, Joy, Ulysses, Brian, Victor and Vishesh.Suraj Jagan sang mainly in the studio. The content and vision has always been from Avil brothers. Since Eddie is not part of the band now, the responsibility is doubled. The new sound is a little heavier with a lot of Indian classical riffs/vocals and arrangements.

Pralay was famous for its notoriety. Is the anger still the same or has it sobered down? Read more

WhereCity.com - Articles - Yashpal Sharma

Yashpal Sharma did not ‘accidently’ get into acting. His tryst with the stage began during childhood itself. “As kids my friends and I, used to be fascinated with Ramleela, so we made our own Ramleela mandali. I used to play Hanuman and even entertained the crowd dressed up as joker,” he says. Adolescent fancy with the craft still withstanding, Sharma soon realised that when it comes to performing all is not fun and games. “As I grew up watching serials like Katha Sagar, Bharat Ek Khoj, Tamas, Mirza Ghalib, I learnt that acting is not all about entertaining, it's something that touches you deep inside and gives out a message also.” Read more...

WhereCity.com - Articles - Kumud Mishra

“I didn’t come to Mumbai to become a film star. My sole interest lies in doing very good work,” declares Kumud Mishra. He is recognised as one of the finest actors on the Mumbai stage in our day.

Kumud’s connection with the stage goes back to his school days. It started when he was in the sixth standard in Military School, Belgaum. His father, a military man in addition to being a consistent performer in Ramleela, was a great influence during Kumud’s adolescent life. “Inter-house drama competitions were periodically organised,” read more...

WhereCity.com - Articles - Ali Rangoonwala

The Plunge into Professional Photography Ali Rangoonwala got his first camera when he was thirteen. His father, who was an advanced amateur photographer, had sparked his initial interest in photography. His first semi-professional camera was bought at the age of sixteen. Ali landed his first assignment with a huge international name – National Geographic. He had acquired, at eighteen, what counterparts spend many prime years lusting after. He was ecstatic, because for the first time he thought play could be turned into work. Shooting the timeless palaces of Rajasthan, Ali knew in his heart that this was what he wanted to spend his life doing. Read more...

Gary Lawyer

More on the man with a soulful voice
The only professional western singer of India sits comfortably on his sofa, right knee crossed over left leg, in his ancient and beautiful Art Deco style home on Carmichael Road, South Bombay. He apologises for not being entirely himself - “My work is primarily nocturnal, I feel better in the evenings,” says Gary Lawyer.

Lawyer knew he couldn’t not be a musician; his involvement with his passion was so complete. When he began his career, singing at showcase theatres and nightclubs in New York in 1977, familial circumstances forced him to reconsider. Home bound, Gary gave up his green card to return to Bombay in 1983. An impromptu gig later, Lawyer was flooded with offers from advertising and music agencies. Read more...

Barry John

Theatre Musings and more by the teacher, theatre artiste and actor.

Four decades ago, a twenty two year old man, newly graduated from Leeds University, responded to a ‘volunteer service ad’ in the paper. For not so much money, the job offered the position of an English teacher in Coimbatore, India, and a bicycle. He moved from a first world country to the third world. This was 1968.

India has been home for Barry John ever since. 

“It was the Sixties, the hippie era of The Beatles, Ravi Shankar and Flower Power. I had been teaching drama in a school for the past year, and since ‘Drama’ wasn’t really thought of as a subject at the time, I was pissed off with the institution. I was aching to be associated with acting, and to get out, really. And I had read the Upanishads and Vedas. Shakuntala had been my final project in college. Read more...

Louiz Banks

An introduction to the dexterous man and facile musician…
Who is Louiz Banks, you ask, ignoramus?
Think of jazz music in India and chances are the first name that comes to mind is Louiz Banks. He is India’s jazz icon. Primarily known for his jazz playing- a jazz pianist par excellence, Banks is a versatile artist. He has provided music for Bollywood movies, composed and performed numerous jingles, corporate shows and more than dabbled in fusion music.

Boy Banks and his inspiration: 

Banks grew up playing jazz trumpet. That was till he heard the great jazz pianist,Oscar Peterson. “I wanted to play just like Oscar” Read more...