PEOPLE | FOOD | CULTURE | ENTERTAINMENT January 1, 2015

PLUS InstaPune | Scor’d | Pune Express | #ActPune

UNLTD.

KNOCK KNOCK, WHO’S THERE?A chat with The Little Door’s Tanu Narang

GET YOUR COOL ON!15 THINGS THAT WILL UP THE COOL QUOTIENT OF PUNE

2015 SPECIAL

FOOD 5 Beef Kheemas you’ve

got to try this year!

COVER STORY

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“We may have the potential to become one of the most powerful cities in the country, but unless we accept the things we as a city lack in, it’s next to impossible for us to make a mark.”

@Veethi Telang

Contact: hello@puneunltd.com

Editor-in-ChiefAditya Kuber

Editors Veethi Telang Apeksha Bhagchandani Contributors Sharan Garcha Sanil Mahajan Hanisha Lalwani Parmeet Kohli Radhika Sharma Protima Tiwary Amruta Ghate DesignPrasanta Kundu Maddy Kulkarni Sanjali Manekar Anishka Gurjar MarketingAnish Sohoni Rekha Achtani PublisherMedia Sphere Communications Pvt. Ltd.www.mediasphere.co.in

Another chance to get things straight! They say, there is no better time to make a change than at the begin-ning of the New Year. After all, well-begun is half done. I wish we could say the same for our resolutions. They just won’t last! Every new year brings with it a hope for change and a fresh outlook. Well, in our case, it’s a fresh set of demands.

More often than not, I’ve caught myself wishing for a little more than what this city has to offer. We may have the potential to become one of the most powerful cities in the country, but unless we accept the things we as a city lack in, it’s next to impossible for us to make a mark. So, we kick-start our first issue of the year by enlisting ‘15’ cool things that, if established, have the power to transform Pune. They’re wicked, engaging and downright exciting! Think about it - Wi-Fi connectivity across the city, more direct flights for a better travel experience, and smart cars, because, well, the traffic in this city is - for the lack of a better word - a nightmare.

While our list isn’t entirely a public opinion, most of the points men-tioned therein will surely hit a chord with every Punekar. Here’s hop-ing that if not all, a few of them are actioned this year. After all, we’re really not asking for a lot! So, let’s begin this year with hope in our hearts and a smile on our faces. Let’s rock 2015!

Happy New Year!

Veethi Telang

EDITOR’S NOTE

Cover Photo Douglas Palmer Used under Creative Commons License

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SEE20 PHOTO FEATURE

Showcasing awesome work of Puneri shutterbugs

27 INSTAPUNE Capturing the soul of Pune on Instagram

LIVE

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Resolutions Redefined... We went around asking some Punekars about the one thing they’d like to do to make a signifi-cant difference in someone else’s life. Here’s what they had to say!

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Paws for a Cause A Touch Heart Music Initiative.

22 SPECIAL FEATURE

Peth Puja - Part III A walk through Sadashiv Peth.

IN THIS ISSUE January 1, 2015

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Get Your Cool On! 15 Cool Things We Want in Pune in 2015

28 NIGHTLIFE

Knock Knock, Who’s There? We decided to catch up with Tanu Narang, owner of the quirky resto-bar The Little Door, that is slowly turning into a favourite among young party-goers in the city. Let’s find out what inspired her to start this business, the story behind the funky menu, and a lot more.

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PLAY

19 SCOR’D Reviewing all you can watch, read and eat in Pune.

32 EVENTS These are set to rock Pune for the next 2 weeks.

EAT08 FOOD

Where’s the Beef? 5 Beef Kheemas to relish in Pune.

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Rakesh Prajapati IT Professional

I live in Kothrud and I see a num-ber of stray dogs in my locality every day. It makes my heart weep to see them in the condi-tion they’re in. Most of them are so malnourished. I really want to help them by, at least, providing some food on a regular basis. We all know that life fairs better when you think beyond yourself and decide to do something for others.

Shantanu Naik Artist

I’m a guitarist by profession and take classes at my home 4 days a week. And I have often won-dered, there must be so many kids, even a few in my society, who may want to learn to play guitar, but don’t have enough money. So, this year, I have decided to teach at least one kid for free!

Radha SolankiHomemaker

I’ve decided to volunteer in an old age home! The people liv-ing there deserve some love and respect and if I can sim-ply put a smile on their faces, it’ll give me so much peace. I also plan on providing them with warm clothing and basic daily necessities. It’s the least we can do for them, don’t you think?

The beginning of each year brings with it many resolutions; some that we religiously follow and others that are forgotten before lunchtime on the first day of the year. Resolutions for the betterment of our own lives are all good but, this year, how about resolving to make a difference in the lives of oth-ers? Be it one person/animal or more... Truth be told, spreading joy among others brings the kind of happiness like very few things can. We went around asking some Punekars about the one thing they’d like to do to make a signif-

icant difference in someone else’s life. Here’s what they had to say!

Resolutions Redefined...

We would love to know your views on the topic.

Write to us at hello@puneunltd.com

Sanil DeshpandeTeacher

I’ve carried out some research and picked a few NGO names that I’d like to teach in thrice a week. I teach English and Mathematics and I feel it can make a huge difference in a child’s life if they can speak the language and pick basic Maths’ skills. I’ll consider myself very lucky if even a couple of chil-dren take an interest, learn and better their lives through it.

Shivani DesaiPublic Relations Executive

I have a servant at home who struggles day and night just to feed his family. I really want to help him and not just financially. So, this year, I have decided to educate his 11-year old daughter. I don’t know how I will do it given my erratic work schedule. But, this is something I have been want-ing to do for a long time. And hey, what better a resolution than this!

Shumita DasguptaChef

This year, I’m going to make it a point to feed children on the streets as much as I can. And not with just leftovers; I want to put in some effort and time into giving them healthy meals. I may not be able to do it every other day but I’m hoping for at least twice a week. Minimum. I’m really looking forward to it!

PUNE EXPRESS

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Resolutions Redefined...

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FOOD

� Sanil Mahajan

Photo: pelican Used under Creative Commons License

Where’s the Beef?

Diamond Queen, Camp Price: ` 110

Diamond Queen is one of the most famous Irani joints in Pune, which is frequented by regulars for decades now. Located near MG Road/East Street, Diamond Queen, or DQ as its popularly known, dishes out a unique variation of the Beef Kheema Fry. It is slightly dry for some people’s liking, but all is well when you eat it with a butter naan (which is also very good here). Served with an egg and some tomatoes, this Beef Kheema can be had for break-fast, lunch or dinner!

Shifa Restaurant, Nana Peth Price: ` 55

This is a hidden gem only known to those who’ve ventured in the by lanes of Nana Peth. It’s located right opposite Chand Tara Masjid near Apollo The-atre and has been known to serve hungry (and drunk!) folks into the wee hours. The Beef Kheema Fry here is full of spices that gives it the extra oomph and has just the right amount of oil to keep every-one happy. It goes well with the Malabar Parathas or the extra-large Tandoori Rotis they serve. While you’re there, also try out their Beef Chilly and Bheja Fry.

Kheema is a quintessential part of an Indian meat lover’s palate. Although Kheema, or mincemeat, is typically a lamb/mutton based dish, hard core meat lovers will agree that Beef Kheema is the best variant! Pune has a lot of restaurants that offer street style Beef Kheema so here’s the lowdown for the Kheema-loving Punekars…

Photo: Valters Krontals Used under Creative Commons License

5 Beef Kheemas to relish in Pune.

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COVER STORY

Café Zam Zam, Kondhwa Price: ` 60

Not many Punekars drive down to Kondhwa for food (unless you stay there of course), but this is one place you have to visit. Probably the best Beef Kheema in town; it is way spicier than others. One spoonful of this Kheema can elevate yours senses to the hilt – yes, it is that good! Have it with Malabar Parathas and order some Seekh Kebabs while you’re at it.

Nayab, Shivaji Market Price: ` 55

What originally used to be a cycle repair shop a few decades ago, is now a quick-fix tea joint for people visiting Shivaji market. While their tea is more popular, their Beef Kheema is also delicious. Onions, tomatoes and loads of spices are generously mixed with the Kheema, which is always served piping hot. Their Malabar Parathas are slightly disappointing unless they’re being made fresh so look at other options.

Madinah, Poona College Road Price: ` 60

Madinah has to have one of the largest food menus I’ve seen. Their kitchen isn’t that big but they probably serve over a thousand items. Even Beef Kheema has several recipes but I found

the simple Beef Kheema Fry to be the best. The Kheema here is pretty mild and the quantity is better than most places. The Tawa Ghosht is slightly spicy and so, is a perfect side dish for the Kheema.

While I’ve listed down the top five Beef Kheema joints, there are several others like Majestic (Camp), Radio (Shi-vaji Market), Aaina (Camp), Metro (Pune Station), which serve Beef Kheema. Although these places used to serve excellent Kheema until a few years ago, my recent visits didn’t do it for me! How about you?

Photo: Bob Peters Used under Creative Commons License

Photo: Alpha Used under Creative Commons License

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#ACTPUNE

Paws for a Cause A Touch Heart Music Initiative

� Sharan Garcha

Comprised entirely of college students, Touch Heart Music networks among people and provides an ‘information-exchange’ platform on Facebook for adopting stray

puppies, dogs, kittens and cats to people who are inter-ested in nurturing them as their companions.

I chatted with Shantanu Naidu, one of the founding members of the group, to know more about the initia-tive.

What got you to start an initiative like Paws for A Cause? I have always been the sort who would rescue puppies from the street and take them home. Being around dogs and taking care of them is almost like a family value. My parents always told me that dogs are lov-able creatures and they aren’t something that you must be afraid of. A few of us came together to find loving homes for stray dogs. As we are all dog lovers, our involvement in the cause is stronger. That’s how we started Paws for a Cause last December.

What is the ideology of this initiative?Paws for a Cause is a nationwide campaign which aims to promote the adoption of strays, stop breed-ism, sensitisation of society toward strays and provide immediate official action against any form of cruelty that is reported in association with PFA, PIFA and other animal

welfare initiatives.

Tell me about your work in detail…Adoption of stray dogs is a complex issue that needs intervention by municipal authorities. But on our level we have formed a network of passionate dog lovers who are dedicated to find good homes for stray pup-pies. The number of stray dogs in our city is growing and people complain about their presence in their areas but nobody makes an effort to adopt a helpless canine.

Our Facebook page is updated with photos of various canines and felines that are up for adoption - all non-breed specific, none-theless endearing. Respec-

tive phone numbers are put up and they are adopted by interested people browsing the page. We do background checks of adoptive families; visit their homes to check if

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#ACTPUNE

they are genuinely pre-pared to welcome a puppy in their lives. Also, if some families realise that they cannot keep the dog in their homes, the dog should be given back to us. Till the dog is not adopted again, our group members foster the dog on a rotation basis.

How do you raise awareness about adopting stray dogs?Music touches the human heart and is the best way to spread social messages. It is also the fastest growing media as of now. We at Touch Heart Music, use the medium to spread awareness about the causes we feel strongly about. This time, we have created a music video with a real stray puppy ‘Johnny,’ who is in search of a shelter for himself and wants to appeal to people to provide it.

Tell me more about this video.The video follows the life of Johnny as he encounters the usual kicking, shooting and dangers of city life in his quest to find a home for himself. This is a group effort in a hope to sensitise people to the condition of stray dogs. For this video we teamed up with many animal wel-fare NGOs to propagate the idea of stray dogs’ adoption.

What’s next?We pick up a social cause every year and prepare a soulful music video for the same. The content for the video is writ-ten, composed, played and shot by us so that we can create a spark of change. Currently, we are working for tigers’ con-servation and in the process of figuring out governmental permissions required to undertake a music video on it.

COVER STORY

15 Cool Things We Want in Pune in 2015 � Hanisha Lalwani

Photo: Seemz Used under Creative Commons License

Get Your Cool On!

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pose area dedicated for free use by the public. In such a space, meet-ups, intimate music gigs, food festivals and open-air movie screenings can be curated at this public space. Take a hint from Melbourne’s Federation Square and London’s Trafalgar Square.

More Fashion BrandsWe all have that one friend or cousin from the likes of Dubai, US or UK visiting Pune and sporting an amazing bag or tee of a brand we are not familiar with (and would never hazard admitting). Hey, we want access to these cool brands too. It’s not fun when you run the risk of

Pop-up RestaurantsIf you’re a follower of the global food scene, you’ve prob-ably heard of pop-up restaurants. Pop-ups are like wan-dering, nomadic restaurants and our neighbor, Mum-bai, has seen quite a few of them over the past year. Case in point, Gaggan Anand of Gaggan fame (his epon-ymous Bangkok restaurant ranked 3rd on the World’s 50 Best Asian Restaurants list) set up a public tasting of his progressive Indian menu at Bandra-Kurla Complex. Needless to say, the city’s foodies were raving about it. Pune has a proud and flourishing food history too and we are sure there will be lots of takers of such pop-ups.

Dedicated Public Open SpacesThe city’s urban dwellers are spending way too much time indoors; be it within offices or malls. Walking on the roads isn’t much fun with the bludgeoning traffic scene and incessant honking. Parks are too few and largely unkempt. Wouldn’t it be cool to have a multi-pur-

Photo: Mack Male Used under Creative Commons License

Photo: Vinoth Chandar Used under Creative Commons License

COVER STORY

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running into someone at a restaurant wearing the ditto dress you bought from Vero Moda. Move over Mango and Zara – someone bring us Top Shop and Michael Kors! Shopping online just isn’t the same thing.

Sustainable Parking SolutionsWith a miles-to-achieve public transportation system, many in the city have opted for the convenience of a personal four- or two-wheeler. But Pune’s roads are choked and parking is every driver’s nightmare. We have all found ourselves in that tacit competition to find that empty spot on the road before the other drivers. Crowded cities like Hong Kong and London house two of the five most expensive parking spaces in the world

costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. Why can’t we have smart, green multi-level parking facilities in several of Pune’s busy spots?

More Direct FlightsEvery time Punekars have to travel abroad, the almost-four-hour-long drive to the Mumbai airport is not tempt-ing; this road journey is an unwanted part of the travel itinerary, and we want some respite now. Think about this; with a direct flight, you can now reach the exotic Seychelles from Mumbai in just three hours! That’s a tad quicker than the time it takes to travel from Pune to Mumbai using the Expressway. It would be a dream if Pune had direct flights at economical fares to more cities in India and short haul flights to South-East Asian and Middle Eastern countries.

Photo: Mike Mozart Used under Creative Commons License

COVER STORY

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Sweet Student DiscountsIf Pune has been called the Oxford of the East, then let us live up to that epithet. As a city, we should continue to be more appealing to students from other cities in India and foreign countries. For instance, in London, your student ID can get you a discount at the local pancake parlour, on movie tickets and a free or discounted bus travel. Chances are your college student ID in Pune gets you nada. With students paying high rent and living on a tight budget, it would be cool if they got some special discounts across the board in the city.

Fun WorkshopsLots of people, expats and Indians, are shifting base to Pune, be it for education or for work. But does Pune have something for everybody? Not really. We have lots of breweries in the city but is there a place where hops-heads can learn more about beer and brewing? Lots of youngsters love a tipple, but do they have anywhere to go to learn about mixology? Does anyone teach the min-imalist art of Japanese home cooking? We want more than multiplexes and malls to busy ourselves over on weekends; we want some fun workshops to nurse a for-gotten hobby!

Co-working SpacesAn emerging tech hub, Pune is also coming into its own as a start-up hub. It is important the city supports new businesses and its up and coming entrepreneurs. Homes, restaurants and cafés doubling up as makeshift office spaces for start-ups are restrictive and temporary solutions. Co-working spaces like The Mesh, the first of its kind in Pune founded by Deepti Kasbekar, is ded-icated to solve the office-space problem for start-ups. How about more of these spaces in the city?

Themed DaysTwo years ago, Hindustan Times organized the ‘HT No TV Day’ campaign in Mumbai and Delhi. On November 30, 2014, Janwani organised the ‘Tring Tring Day’ in asso-ciation with PCMC in Pune to promote cycling. Some cor-porate offices also observe one day in the week as the ‘No Dustbin Day’ in the staff cafeteria to limit food wast-age. We would like to see more of such conscious and at the same time fun initiatives soar in the city in 2015. And, speaking of themed days, we want more themed places as well; Victorian themed restaurants, Bollywood/Hollywood themed cafés. These are fun and will bring in varied cultures into the city.

Photo: Geoffrey Fairchild Used under Creative Commons License

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Gaming SpotsThe next time you visit Bangalore, head to Monkey Bar to soak in the vibe. It’s a really cool place with good music and indulgent food and drinks. And foosball and a pool table that are forever occupied. The popular Rodeo Drive in Dubai has a mechanical bull ride at the centre of the restaurant, which attracts both the timid and adven-turous alike. The now shut Mocha Mojo in Mumbai used to organise Board Game Nights once a month. Apart from food, it is such recreational activities that form the makings of a really fun night out with the buddies. We want more of such cool places with gaming options in Pune.

Wi-Fi CityWhat are we without bandwidth? Bangalore became India’s first city to have several free Wi-Fi hotspots. Hyderabad is in the running for being India’s first fully Wi-Fi enabled metro. If Pune has to attract more tech entrepreneurs, be home to start-ups and appeal to for-eign tourists, having free Wi-Fi spots would be a step in the right direction. How cool would it be to have the whole city ‘Wi-Fied’?!

COVER STORY

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A Swankier Heritage Bus TourThe ‘Pune Darshan Bus Tour’ does not sound half as attractive as it should. The day-long bus tour covers most of the prominent tourist spots in the city. But we think the tour and bus branding on the whole should be far more aesthetic, appealing and identifiable so that more locals and tourists get on board to appreciate the rich heritage Pune has to offer. Many cities abroad even offer free buses from site to site for the benefit of tour-ism. We want.

Cool RentalsThere are secret societies, and then there are secret bag societies. Capisce? No? Let me explain. In these recession-hit times, few have the spare cash to spend on an expensive Tony Burch or Alexander McQueen. So what do you carry for that haughty, Page-3 night out? Rent a bag! With an annual mem-bership fee, websites in the West like Bag, Borrow or Steal have come to the rescue of many label-

crazy ladies. Pune’s young fashionistas too want such rental options. And, not just for bags; we want to rent it all- faux fur, shoes, bags, jewellery, more, more, and more.

Smart CarsWhether you walk or drive on traffic-engulfed roads, doesn’t the idea of breathing in clean fresh air sound appealing? Enter Electric Vehicles (EVs). However, it’s been a rough ride for India’s first automatic electric car, the Mahindra Reva; their sales figures in Indian cities, including Pune, do not look electrifying. As we move into 2015, let us embrace lifestyle changes that are more environmentally conscious for a cleaner, pollution-free Pune.

InfrastructureWe’ve seen roads getting a tem-porary finishing job done, but come rain and thunderstorm, we brace ourselves again for yet another monsoon filled with jerky drives on uneven streets. Smooth, pothole-free roads. Are hard-working, tax-paying Punekars asking for too much? And what happen to that metro project? In 2015, we hope it gets the priority status it deserves!

Photo: Maegan TintariUsed under Creative Commons License

Photo: Robert W. HowingtoniUsed under Creative Commons License

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SCOR’D

Film Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

Watch it only if you love Robin Williams

One-stop guide for replenishing your health and vitality

Book The Power of Posture

by Renu Mahtani

Book Sita’s Sister by Kavita Kane

Film Ugly

Hard- hitting and dark!

Unravels the tale of a tragic mystery

Food Largo Pizzeria, Viman Nagar

Savour the flavour with every bite you take!

Food Smiley House, Aundh

Authentic Vietnamese cuisine

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PHOTO FEATURE

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ÜFaded memories.

ÜSoulful silence.

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PHOTO FEATURE

All Photos: Nishad Mankar

ÜTranquil moments.

ÜWheat.

� Parmeet Kohli

I do not count myself as a regular to Pune’s extraordi-nary Peths. That works to your advantage if you want to avoid traffic of the worst kind and are not a fan of jostling for space on the narrowest of roads. Not

knowing the Peths well can be a drawback too, if you’ve planned to cover four of them in a go and realise on getting

there that one of them is humongous and has been grossly underestimated! Well, that’s Sadashiv Peth for you. If this were a movie I’d call it ‘The Return of the Huge Peth’ after wandering through relatively smaller Peths – Nana, Rasta & Bhawani for our last issue.

But we aren’t in a Tolkein wonderland even though our

Peth-PujaPart III

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SPECIAL FEATURE

A walk through Sadashiv Peth

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SPECIAL FEATURE

roads quite resemble the wastelands of Mordor. Tilak road, which runs across the heart of Sadashiv Peth, is one of the longest commercial roads in Pune. It starts from one end of Sadashiv Peth just after Saras Baug and ends at the other extreme, which is Alaka Talkies. Dotted with a mélange of commercial establishments, educational institutes, eateries and amrutalayas, it gives you a preview of the contrast Sadashiv Peth has to offer. On the commercial front Tilak road is primarily big on all kinds of mobile, computer and accessory shops. From the biggest brands to little setups spe-cialising in repairing gadgets for a cut price, Tilak road is the go-to place in case you need anything to do with gadgets.

A lot of other Peths are big on food but Sadashiv Peth beats all of them hands down. Yes, all of them. A big yellow board with the words “Jumbo King – Mumbai’s original vada pav” draws my attention as soon as I park on Tilak road. Given my weakness for vada pavs I walk right in and order a Veg Crispy Jumbo King, from their innovative menu, which does not disappoint in the least. Reasonably priced, quite delicious and bearing more semblance to burgers than vada pavs, Jumbo King gives the likes of McDonalds

a run for their money.

A little distance from Jumbo King, opposite SP College, is the well-known SP’s Biryani House. Established in 1994, SP’s had a humble beginning and has now grown into a full-fledged three floor restaurant. Along with their famous and to-die-for Mutton Chop Fry and Sajuk Mut-ton Dum Biryani, SP’s offers quite a few sea-food options on its menu. Be prepared to stand in a queue though as the three floors haven’t helped enough to nego-tiate the huge crowds the place attracts. Worth every second unless you are a vegetarian.

Masemari is another very popular restaurant

on the other side of Tilak road and draws crowds from all over the city for its delectable range of seafood. As does Durvankur, which is further down Tilak road, for its Maharashtrian thali.

Apart from the usual Pethi amrutalayas, Sadashiv Peth has countless ‘chaha and nashta’ centres to cater to the large number of educational institutions in the area. Peppered around all the colleges and schools, students can be seen swarming around them for their early morn-

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ing breakfast to their late evening snacks. I join a bunch of students at one of these joints for a hot cup of chaha feeling happy about Sadashiv Peth having started on a good note.

It becomes quite clear in no time that Sadashiv Peth is the educational hub of the city. Pune Vidyarthi Griha, Sir

Parshurambhau (SP) College, New English School, Jnana Prabhodini Prashala are only some of the educational institutes’ names the Peth houses.

While SP College and New English School lie on the main Tilak road with sprawling campuses, Jnana Prabhodini is a short walk inside the lane opposite New English School. The huge building can be recognised from a distance and once inside, you sense something different. I talk to Prashant Divekar who is the coordinator of the Teacher Training Centre at Prabhodini. He tells me how the institute is run along the lines of Swami Vivekananda’s e d u c a t i o n a l p h i l o s o p h y . Established in 1969, ‘‘Moti-vating Intel-ligence for Social Change” is Jnana Pra-b o d h i n i ’ s motto and it sets about doing so by using various techniques for enhancing intelligence and ensuring exposure to society for its students. The entrance test for this CBSE school, which has classes 5th through

10th, consists of psychological tests based on creativity and thinking skills. Other than being a regular school, Jnana Prabhodini has a Public Examinations Depart-ment, which trains students for examinations like the UPSC, the Prajna Manas Samshodhika, a Ph.D research centre recognised by the Pune University, which focuses

on research in psychology and its application for iden-tification and development of human abilities, and the Sanskrit Sanskriti Samshodhika, which aspires to handle a wide range of subjects that are related to Sanskrit and Indian Culture. The Sanskrit Sanskriti Samshodhika has a research library with 15,000 books on different subjects including Sanskrit literature, philosophy, religion, gram-mar, Mahabharata, etc. It also houses a rare collection

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of 2,500 books on Ramayana from different countries in dif-ferent languages and scripts. Jnana Prabhodini also incubates wonderful initiatives like rural development, a women’s self-help group and Gyan Setu, more about which can be read here: http://www.thepunekar.com/actpune-what-gyan-setu-is-all-about/2014/09

Overwhelmed I walk out of Jnana Prabodhini, which aptly means ‘awakener of knowledge’ in Marathi, and turn towards the peaceful residential lanes of

Sadashiv Peth. Beautiful old wadas and buildings with dense creepers hanging over most windows, the residential area is as laid back as it gets. Round blue plaques (remembrances of the history and culture so embedded in Sadashiv Peth) on some of the structures proudly mark names of the famous people to have lived in those buildings. I try for a while to locate the plaque with Lokmanya Tilak’s name on it

but in vain.

Exploring further, I ask directions to the Bharat Natya Sanshodhan Mandir. In 1814, students of Vishram-baugwada High School initiated the Students’ Social Club, which today has led to this gorgeous theatre, picture gallery and research department. The Bharat Natya Sanshodhan Mandir houses over 11,000 the-atre-related books, has been preserving prose and musical theatre for more than a century and is a matter of great pride for all of Pune.

Just next to it is the Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Man-dal, which is one of the great institutions of Maha-rashtrian history. It was founded more than a hun-dred years ago by the great historian Vishwanath Kashinath Rajwade. The institute maintains a trea-sure trove of historical documents, coins, artifacts,

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maps, paintings, rare books and early Marathi newspapers, special exhibitions for which are organised from time to time. This collection has helped many history scholars and researchers over the past in their research. The painting gallery has a collection of over 1,500 paintings.

The Khare Museum has a collec-tion of various artifacts from across different dynasties and the library houses a collection of over 80,00,00 documents in Sanskrit, Marathi, Kan-nada, Farsi and other languages! I did manage to sneak into the library and was delighted to no end. Row upon row of books neatly placed in beautiful old glass and wooden shelves; it is a book lover’s dream.

Dizzy at the thought of all this history I get to the famous Khunya Murlidhar temple. A structure supported by bamboos, as a result of being weakened, and a roof full of spider webs welcomes me. The inner courtyard of the temple is adorned with beautiful trees and there’s something eerie about this temple, which I cannot put my finger on. I speak to the priest, Ambarish Khare, who is his family’s seventh generation serving the temple and he tells me about the temple’s blood-stained past. It was following a dream in the late 17th century that Dada Gadre, a merchant and moneylender to the Peshwas,

got the temple and marble idols of Murlidhar and Radha made. The grace and elegance of the wonderful statues tempted the then Peshwa ruler Bajirao II to consider installing it in Shaniwarwada. Gadre refused and this caused bloody battle between Gadre’s Arab soldiers, who had been hired to guard the temple and Bajirao’s army deputed under British chief Boyd. This is where the name “Khunya Murlidhar” originates from.

Besides being a cultural hotspot, Sadashiv Peth is a whirlwind of history, commercial establishments, beau-tiful residential pockets, educational institutions and some top-notch eateries. It is your quintessential Puneri Peth and much more. Never will I dare to underestimate this magnificent Peth again. Lesson learnt!  

Independence Day long weekend is round the corner. Are you scrambling to put together your travel plans? We present you four quick alternatives to replace your travel agents and expensive hotels! To make the most of your vacation, explore these different options according to your budget, time frame and other parameters.

COVER STORY

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Independence Day long weekend is round the corner. Are you scrambling to put together your travel plans? We present you four quick alternatives to replace your travel agents and expensive hotels! To make the most of your vacation, explore these different options according to your budget, time frame and other parameters. INSTAPUNE

@neehaab

@immukul@ketkiwagh

@neelshah87

@aks_shelke

@tejaswinimishra

@thepunekarWe love everything about Pune and scout for Instagram images that showcase its spirit. If you have an interesting image of the city, tag @thepunekar on Instagram and it could get featured here!

@prateekgokhale @nik_click_on

@nitinsphotography

28 PUNE UNLTD.

NIGHTLIFE

KNOCK KNOCK, WHO’S THERE?

Is it just us or are new restaurants/bars/lounges cropping up in the city literally every other day in the past couple of months? We decided to catch up with Tanu Narang, owner of the quirky resto-bar The Little Door, that is slowly turning into a favourite among young party-goers in the city. Let’s find out what inspired her to start this business, the story behind

the funky menu, and a lot more. � Protima Tiwary

Bhagchandan i , Apeksha

facebook.com/Puneunltd twitter.com/PuneUnltd PUNE UNLTD. 29

NIGHTLIFE

Tell us about your career path. How did you get your start? What interested you about this particular kind of restaurant?

I was a successful brand manager in a well-known media firm when I decided to resign and invest some time in planning my own business. Though I loved my job, the thought of becoming an entrepreneur was more appeal-ing. A regular job can get really dull, even when you’re doing something you love and with people you care about.

I have always loved to travel and the purpose of travelling has mostly been to try out new places, new cuisines and new flavours. On one of my trips to Krakow in Poland, I realised that a bar needs to be grungy, rustic and loud. It can be cosy, beautiful, simple yet stylish. I loved the designs of the restaurants and bars there and I loved the atmo-sphere. I imagined something like it right here in India and I would speak about it all the time, but no one took me seriously. I had a desire but no experience and no cook-ing skills and I was weary of doing it on my own. So one day, I called my brother (Bhu-van Narang) and said, “Listen I have thought of a business that we can start together. Let’s open a resto-bar, but something more stylish, trendy and fun!” And without hesitation he was like, “Ok, did you not know that my life-long personal dream has been to own my own restau-rant. Let’s do it!” Talk about thinking like brother-sister!

The Little Door is the inspira-tion for our love of great food, drinks, music and activities. It was our desire to bring more depth and understanding of the international bar con-cept to India; and do it with a sense of style and fun.

Where does the restaurant’s name come from?

It is a really unique take on bars that India has never seen before. And so we decided that the name also had to be unique. We wanted to create a mystery about the hidden paradise that is on the other side of the door when people enter our Mediterranean-themed bar. After a few nights of brainstorming sessions with friends and family, we decided to take a poll on the shortlisted

Tanu and Bhuvan Narang, brother and sister duo, owners of The Little Door brand

names. The names were posted on social networking sites and out of 1000 plus votes received by us, 812 liked The Little Door.

What makes your restaurant interesting/unique to other restaurants?

We love to believe that we are unique in every aspect. We are different to other bars or resto-bars in terms of decor, design, programming & music, food & beverage offerings and the casual games that we conduct - it’s so much fun to get random tables to compete with each other and compete fiercely but part as friends.

What are your day-to-day responsibilities

as a restaurant owner and man-ager?

Most of my time goes in ordering produce, mak-ing sure that everyone is happy and working well, overseeing the cleanli-ness of the restaurant, checking inventory and rotation of food and drinks, making sure all equipment is working properly, chatting up with the customers and most importantly “being there”.

What’s your secret to keeping cus-tomers coming in?

The secret is to keep up with the changing times and changing demands of the customers. We keep doing minor changes to the decor, the programming, the menu and the service staff so that our customers always experience some-thing new every time they visit The Little Door.

What are some of the challenges of being a restaurant

owner and manager?

The biggest difficulty you face while keeping your busi-ness afloat is to deal with the people. It could be a local authority, an association, an obnoxious customer or a dishonest employee. It is a part of your learning course; you deal with them and you move on.

How can the reality of restaurant man-agement as a career differ from typical expectations? What advice can you give to those who would like to open a restau-rant of their own someday?

NIGHTLIFE

30 PUNE UNLTD.

Ashutosh Joshi Pune partner

COVER STORY

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The reality of being in restaurant business is not as rosy as it looks like, but it’s a superb journey. My advice to those who would like to open their restaurant someday would be “Go for it” and don’t be afraid. Don’t let people stop you from dreaming big. The more you connect with people the more exciting the dream becomes. If you believe in yourself you can do anything.

Who have been some of the instrumental people who have really encouraged and supported you through the starting and maintaining of your own restaurant?

In my case, my dad has been my biggest support. He influences a lot in how I think, how I feel and the deci-sions that I make every single day. Things could be going wrong, the ceiling would be on top of my head, and his words to me are always “you’re a strong girl, you can do it!” My goal is to never disappoint him. It was a great feeling to see him smile proudly at his kids when we opened The Lit-tle Door. My husband also has been amazingly supportive. As a matter of fact, he is the greatest fan of The Lit-tle Door and also the biggest critic.

It has been said that the décor of a place often reflects a person’s person-ality. What particular acces-sory/accent, would you say, most reflects your person-ality? What aspect would that be?

I would describe myself as a deter-mined, fun loving, fashion conscious woman who believes in staying sim-ple yet stylish and I think the decor of The Little Door shouts the simplicity of my personality.

Where do the ideas for your food come from? What is the inspiration behind the masterpieces?

All the inspiration comes from my travel diaries. On every trip I make sure that I do a few tapas tours, cook-ing classes or just meet a few chefs to

know their specials.

What are the most popular dishes among the customers at your restaurants?

Our star dish is Greek Nachos. The other popular dishes are Vodka Penne, Champagne Risotto and Drunkesserts (Drunken Desserts).

What are some of your interests/hobbies outside of the restaurant business?

The time I am not at The Little Door - Mumbai/Pune or I am not occupied with a few consultancy projects for my other business named Jamun, I go on short offbeat vacations to not-so-known places with my husband and a few friends.

PUNE UNLTD. 31

Mayur Gadkari Pune partner

32 PUNE UNLTD.

EVENTS

Celebrating Differences7 lovely stories from 5 story tellers in a special book that everyone must read. An evening of weaving and sharing stories of special needs and inclusion. Each happy little story talks about disabilities with a view to sensitize chil-dren so that they grow up with open and inclusive atti-tudes. There are small nuggets of information at the end of the book, some questions to ponder and pictures to colour.

When Sunday, January 4

Where: Pagdandi - Books Chai Cafe, Shop No.6, Regent Plaza, Baner Pashan Link Road, Behind Symantec, Baner, Pune

Time 4 pm

04January

HI Life Exhibition HI Life Exhibition, India’s biggest and most exclusive show-case of haute couture, personal style, home decor & luxury products, has been the epitome of luxury living concepts. After achieving success in leading cities like Chennai, Ban-galore, Cochin, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad along with an exclusive showcase in Sri Lanka HI LIFE now comes to the city of Pune. Showcasing here are some of the finest work by almost 200 fashion designers from across India.

When Wednesday, January 7

Where The Westin Pune, Koregaon Park, Pune

Time 10 am

07January

Financial Fitness for All Do you need Financial Planning?

If you are in your Awesome 20s, Where‘s the party tonight? Is the more common adage than which investment ave-nue to opt for? If you are in your 30s, as expenses escalate, where is the money to invest is sometimes the dilemma. If you are in your 40s, Are my investments equipped to tackle all my goals is more likely the question. No matter, which age group you are in, the finance puzzle persists

To de-mystify the financial jargons, help you evaluate options viz Tax Saving instruments, PPF, FDs, Bonds, Mutual Funds, Real Estate, Gold etc., and assist you in taking an educated financial decision, SHB Social Founda-tion is organizing a series of Financial Fitness Workshops, where we have invited an experienced financial planner to guide us through the drill.

When Saturday, January 10

Where: Saathi Haath Badhana, Shop 1, Siddarth, Next To Chitale Bandhu, Gaikwad Nagar, Aundh, Pune

Time: 9:30 am

Contact: 9373339162

10January

Entombed Metal FestFrameshift Initiatives In Association with BIG69 and Cyclo-pean Eye Productions presents the Seventh Edition of Entombed Metal Fest. The line up includes bands like Defiled (Brutal Death Metal from Japan), Gaia’s Throne (Pune’s very own sci-fi metallers), Dhwesha (Old School Death Metal from Bangalore), Cruoris (The sole Death Metal outfit from Pune) and Dirge (Pune’s one and only doom metal band)

When: Monday, January 12

Where: Hotel Elite Ambience, Wakad, Pune

Time: 4 pm

Contact: 9967771992

12January