The new cafe on the block

There is a new cafe and bakery that's just opened about two months ago and it's in an unlikely area - Worli - where it's not going to be inundated by the tourists anytime soon, (unlike Cafe Mondy's, Leopold, the Baristas or Cafe Coffee Days). This is mainly because it's not on any Lonely Planet guide yet and Worli doesn't see as many tourists loitering around.

Well, good for locals like me, but not good for business I suppose!

But, this new addition to Mumbai's leisure hangouts, is so refreshingly different - the Banyan Tree Bakery & Cafe has a huge banyan tree overlooking its outdoor seating area, hence the name. It's got wooden tables, with orchids placed in vases, on every table. A soothing waterfall - that tumbles over a fountain that's shaped in the form of leaves. All this on the outside.

On the inside, the wooden flooring, the cane chairs with cane and glass-topped tables, the old fashioned gas lamps, the divan in the corner with throw cushions is just the ideal place to curl up with a good book. A ceiling fan, imported from Italy that absolutely gels with the decor and the name of the cafe because the blades are intricately shaped like...well.. a leaf! This is a made-to-order piece and the attention to detail shows. It was almost the first thing that caught my eye, the first time I stepped in.

So, if you want to discover a new place and get some downtime all by yourself - or curl up with a good book or actually hear what your loved one has to say - without all the usual cacophony around you - then this is the place to go to. It's where you actually feel you can unwind in pleasant silence.

The first time I was there, there was just the soft cadences of Italian songs giving me company, the second time, just the soothing fountain and the beat of bass of some English song, which barely registered. That's what I like, the buzz is just low-key enough without taxing anyone's nerves.

While this is a cafe, so by definition, it doesn't do a 'proper' lunch or dinner but I would recommend their Black Forest Cold Coffee. They do have a line-up of pastries like strawberry cheesecake, cherry muffins, brownies, chocolate mud pies, doughnuts etc, what shouldn't be missed is their sandwiches.

The breads (a variey of them are available: like, rye, whole wheat, multigrain, pita, masala, French baguette) are baked right there at the cafe, which has its own bakery. So, the bread is fresh and soft, and you can take away loaves, for your next day's breakfast. Believe me, the whole wheat bread I tried was a melt-in-your-mouth experience, especially, when you have hot butter to help it slide it down your throat.

But don't count on efficient service because I think the staff is still finding their feet and there should be more supervision over the quality of service provided. After all, the food is anything but cheap. You get the feeling at times, that they are just moving around aimlessly, when they should be getting your order instead.

You may find yourself standing in front of the pastry counter, having placed your order but the staff is taking their own time about getting it for you. The proprietor is a young woman with no real experience of running a cafe and so I feel she should hire professionals to run the place for her.

But all in all, don't skip Mumbai without visiting this new haven, and you can find it here: Krishna Worli Sagar, Ground Floor, Shop No. 10, JN Palkar Marg, Opp Podar Hospital, Worli, Mumbai. Tel no: 022 64527222

Written for www.msn.co.in

Apocalypto: A warning sign?

'Apocalypto' is such a visually beautiful film that it grips you from the start. If anyone has already seen the trailer, they will know what I'm talking about. Mel Gibson's previous films - Braveheart and Passion of the Christ - were both spectacles on a grand scale. Apparently, on both occasions, studio bosses scratched their heads and said it wouldn't work and well...the movies did work their magic at the box office... and spectacularly at that.

So, one has to go with Mel Gibson's choice of subjects and his style of movie-making because he does a good job with both. Then there is the bonus of some good acting by lesser known actors. I noticed Jim Caviezel in High Crimes, only because I thought he did a superlative job as Jesus Christ in Passion of the Christ.

Apocalypto has a lot of relatively unknown actors from Mexico City, who have done a great job of speaking their dialogues in Yucatec Maya - one of the many native languages of the Mayans - on whom the movie is based. Just like Gibson brought the Aramaic language to life on big screen in Passion of the Christ, which gave the movie so much authenticity - the same is felt when one watches the young and promising leads in the Apocalypto talk with one another in that haunting sing-song cadence.

The cast is well chosen with everyone having very Indian-Mayan features and they all slip into character with effortless ease. Their bare-minimum costumes, the intricate head gear and nose ornaments, the setting in the forests...all add up to the feel of the film.

Rudy Youngblood and Dalia Hernandez play the young couple in the film - Jaguar Paws and his wife Seven respectively. Youngblood holds the glue to the narrative because he is the first to spot the other tribe that has been dispossessed of their lands, his people are then taken prisoner and force marched and he's almost beheaded, but for divine intervention. So, he is present throughout the journey and you see the story through his eyes.

You see the death of his way of life and the disappearance of a his people - a great civilisation - (as the movie correctly points out) because of the infighting between warring and pillaging tribes and also due to sheer ignorance, where human sacrifices are called for when there has been a drought for a long time. Where slave labour is used to build a city. And where his simple existence in the forest is all that he wants to preserve - for his sons and grandsons.

As if any proof was required, this movie shows the futility of war and bloodshed, more than anything else. All viewers can and should glean their own meaning from the storyline - but to me, it stands as much for how useless killing (or bombing somebody out of existence) is today, as it was for the Mayans. This movie forces us to watch out for what could happen to humanity as a whole, if things are allowed to go beserk.

What's more chilling is that, blaming the Spanish was not an option that the Mayans could exercise because they didn't know 'who' or 'what' they were. Today, we do it for them, with 20/20 hindsight. But, who will do it for us, if we all go the Mayan way....and disappear?

If we don't want to go down that destructive route, then watching this film could be a good start.

Look at a preview here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF3-CYBGJcM

Written for www.moneycontrol.com

Get that extra edge at this charm school

Mega deals have been making front page news almost daily. Indians are making those deals and that goes to show, how confident they have become about stepping up and taking what they feel should be theirs to own and expand. This may prove that Indian businesspeople have the smarts to make such big moves. But are they as confident about the softer skills that go with such success?

Do they know how to handle themselves in jetset company? May be this is second nature for the likes of Lakshmi Mittal or Ratan Tata but there are many dealmakers, who could benefit from some well meant and good advice. And that's where the image experts and etiquette gurus come in - they take you under their wing, guide you, teach you the nuances of refined manners in extremely la-di-da society and then set you free - to conquer even more mountains - with even more charm and finesse.

That's is precisely where The Edge Academy comes in. It's motto is "sharpening your corporate image for the global market' and promises to make you a more complete corporate man or woman. This academy has been started by theatre director, Raell Padamsee, advertising guru Alyque Padamsee's daughter. He is also a member of the faculty. Raell Padamsee’s interactions with several corporate head honchos brought to the fore, that there was a great need for their teams to be well versed in the soft skills, as well as hone their presentation skills in the global arena.

Core faculty team consists:

-Alyque Padamsee – Marketing and advertising guru. Theatre director and Padmashree awardee.
-Sabira Merchant – An icon in corporate finesse and well known theatre personality.
-Raell Padamsee – Has designed and executed a wide range of exclusive events.

Therefore, the point of setting up such an academy is that most of the first impressions are non-verbal and create an image in the client’s mind. So, if employees look and act the part, it strengthens their value and brand, giving management the image of confidence, credibility and success. As adman, Alyque Padamsee told moneycontrol, "There are hundred percenters, and then there are the rest, which do you choose to be?"

The programme will have Raell leading all the meltdown exercises, working on shedding inhibitions, team building, creative visualization in the key business areas. Alyque Padamsee will impart his knowledge on how to generate a powerful presence, command attention and make a killer presentation among other things. The third person of this core triumvirate is etiquette coach Sabira Merchant, who will do what she does best – groom students on social etiquette.

So, the certified course that the Academy provides has a range of corporate modules that aim towards enhancing the professional corporate image of the entire workforce. The courses are designed and customized to match a company's needs and all its requirements. So, if a bunch of young yuppies have just swung a good deal for a coporate, then they could be on their way to global postings, and that's where the etiquette training will help...in abundance. Noted theatre personality and etiquette coach, Sabira Merhant says, “Etiquette is the key that opens us to a broader life, so that we can find social happiness.”

These corporate grooming courses are tailored to meet all different levels of management, including the hospitality industry, BPOs, businesses – anyone and everyone who wants to improve their own image or that of their company. The programmes are available in the following grades:

o Platinum

o Gold

o Silver

o One on One (individually designed to suit requirements)

What's more, is that, The Edge Academy has roped in experts and special consultants like Salvatore Ferragamo, Aigner, Fratelli Rosetti, Christine Valmy International School of Aesthetics, Reid & Taylor, Westside, Pantaloons and The Rudra Spa.

For more details contact:
Manju Utamchandani
Tel : 022 22842845/6/7/8

Written for www.moneycontrol.com