HERITAGE WINERY TOUR REVIEW- JUST A WASTE OF MONEY

BY NOLAN PINTO

Picture courtesy- mudnigga.blogspot.com

Absolutely, one hundred percent, take my word, we went there with a lot of excitement, that we would get to see how wine is prepared, maybe pluck some grapes, see the storage facilities and more.. but all we got when we got there was the sight of huge steel drums in a huge open storage area with the guide explaining to us the processes at the speed of sound.. And within 15 minutes, you are done.

At the end of it, while traveling back home, I kept thinking, we all could have got all that information from google and seen the videos on youtube. All this in the comfort of our homes, avoiding spending on the bus travel, taking the auto which took us on a bumpy dusty road to reach the winery and what not.

Well, since it was a weekly off, and my friends decided to head over there, I was invited to join them. As a matter of fact, I was always curious as to what this place was, considering that while traveling to Mysore and then back to Bangalore, I would always see this place, but never went there. Now I wish I never had gone there.

Heritage winery is located on the Mysore Bangalore Highway a few kilometers from the Channapatna Bus Stand. If you travel by bus like us, you get into an auto from the bus stand and it takes you some 10 minutes to reach the winery. It is at a distance of about 8 kms but the last 2 kms are just horrible. There is a loose-stone road and if you have a back problem, you are going to have a terrible night.

So, we all decided to meet at the Mysore Road Bus Stand in the morning and leave early in order to beat the heat. But as usual, we all woke up late. We left when it was blazing outside. Anyway, the trip to Channapatna was fun. Sitting in the front row of the bus, behind the driver allowed us no chance at all to catch a nap. And this was because the bus driver had a penchant of utilizing his horn every few minutes that would make the hair on our skin stand up!

Well, we reach the bus stand and decide to take an auto. The driver first demands Rs. 130 and after a lot of bargaining, we settle for well, Rs. 110, savings of Rs. 20. Yes, a big saving it was!!!

In about 10-15 minutes, we reach the winery and are all excited. We were three of us and were really looking forward to this wine tour. But since one batch was already being shown around, we decided to have our lunch.

After about 45 minutes, finally, the tour begins. We three were first made to watch a video espousing the benefits of wine, its history, and then a good number of minutes publicizing Heritage wine. Free publicity after we paid Rs. 150 per head for this so called gala tour.

When the video was almost done, the grand tour begins. The wine guide kept talking right from the beginning and only ended when we said goodbye. The tour was this- we enter this huge building that is a factory in common terms. They show us the machine which gulps grapes into it and spits out the stem part. That’s done.

Next, he showed us some 20 odd huge steel storage tanks and goes on his own trip about how the wine is made. What happens in one tank and then in another and another and another. All the while, we keep looking at the clean steel storage tanks. Oh, he did allow us to take a good deep smell
of this liquid concoction that could give anybody a royal kick in the head.

Then, he showed us how the bottles are filled, checked for impurities and then packaged. All this happens on a single line with ladies sitting and doing the work. So, one part done. Then, we are taken to another part of this huge building to see another set of huge steel storage tanks and explained that table wine is prepared here. Oh, this time there is some practical stuff to do. (Touch the steel tank and feel how cold it is) since the steel tanks on the other side where sweet wine is prepared is stored in normal temperature.

That’s the whole tour. But wait, we are told that we could taste some wine. That we thought would be exciting. But wait, he gets out 4 bottles that contained maybe half a glass of wine in each. He poured like a sip of wine into our glasses and explained how to taste wine and so on. I wonder who taught him the art of tasting wine. Does he not know that after each wine is tasted, we need to eat something to get a proper taste? The cheapness was unbelievable.

We left the place highly disappointed. We expected something nice but got something real crap. The only saving grace was that we three managed to get out of the city, talk and talk and talk and enjoy the journey, tiring as it was.

Take it from me; a journey to the Heritage Winery is just a waste of time and money. For the amount of money we spent on the trip, we could have bought ten bottles of Heritage wine and come away much happier & higher!

We do not recommend the use of alcohol or tobacco

LET THEM TAKE A BREAK!

BY NOLAN PINTO

Picture courtesy- www.ksrtc.in

Ever since accidents have been reported at frequent intervals, the very thought of traveling in a bus is extremely scary. And that Volvo buses have been involved in most of them was especially shocking. 

I have been traveling on the Volvo buses of KSRTC regularly since 2007. That year, I would travel in one almost every fortnight to and fro Bangalore. Never once did we meet with an accident but then, the buses were new and the drivers were still a bit more careful. It was a new toy in the hands of KSRTC. There was this one incident when the driver tried to overtake a truck but erred in his judgment. The rear mirror rammed into the back of the truck and shattered into pieces. No harm done to anybody there.

I was traveling to Mysore on the same day a Vovlo bus toppled on its way to Bangalore from Nellore. The thought of that accident was still very fresh in my memory considering that as an anchor, this story was very big for the channel I work for. 5 people died and many were injured.

While the reason given by the travels owner was that the accident was because a pack of dogs ran across the road, eye witnesses said that the driver was fast and reckless. According to some reports, the drivers in these travels are overworked and hence reaching their destination on time means some extra rest before they head out again on a long journey.

Many a times I have noticed drivers speeding just in order to be on time. They struggle to head out of the jam packed city and then while on highway speed up. It is nothing but scary. Many passengers do not mind that speed since they too want to reach their destination on time.

The bus I was in while on the way to Mysore was supposed to be this Volvo non-stop. Commonly known as the Airavat, passengers are ready to pay a bit more for the comfort and speed. Sometimes the drivers do stop on the way to allow passengers to drink some tea/coffee or even relieve themselves and nobody complains. The drivers too get a small break and it’s necessary. But this was the first time I heard some passengers yelling at the bus driver. They were angry that he stopped to get something to eat and drink.

The passengers started barking that this is a non-stop service and that they were getting late. Some even yelled that the driver should have taken a break before starting and more. But when the driver regardless of the yelling and shouting parked and got off, the passengers who yelled and screamed also got off for a tea break!

I remember saying to myself, what was the use of all that? The driver required a break and hence he stopped. It’s best he did so rather than falling asleep at the wheels and putting all our lives in danger!

My point is that non-stop or no non-stop service let the drivers stop when they feel like doing so. It is not easy to drive a big bus especially with such terrible traffic and horrible roads. Add to their misery, the constant worry that cars, bikes and autos cut in. We want to be safe and maybe half an hour late is better than never reaching your destination at all ever!

WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO…

BY PRIYA JAIN

When we started this blog, we were met with a lot of cynicism… Why a united blog when all of us have individual ones? What difference is it going to make? You can’t stay ahead of the news! What are you going to say that is different from so many others? Etc etc etc…

Well, for one we want to clarify that this blog is not a competition to anyone else. We are not writing here because we are jobless or have too much free time. We are writing here, because many a time, our laments go unheard. One of us is a big fan of the movies. His job doesn’t allow him the joy to express it.

Another was judged based on her outer demeanor, when in fact she is a budding and possibly an excellent photographer with an eye for details many others would miss.

One is a TV anchor, with possibly zero chance of expressing his joy or disgust about the many things he is forced to talk about everyday. One more is a person who takes a certain joy in the kind of language most others will cringe at.

One is currently at home due to a nonstop spate of different health issues. One is just someone who loves people and truly believes in the power of opinions. One is a lady whose goodness is a blast from the past. God doesn’t make women like her anymore. There is another person who just loves the good life, partying and generally having fun.

No, we are not a team. We do not have a fancy office that we can boast of where we all work together and decide what we will write about. There is no editor or editorial meeting quashing ideas that move us. We write for the simple joy of writing. We write because deep within, we all want to be heard. It may or may not matter to others, but to us, that is irrelevant.

Every big change started with something small. We haven’t gone all newsy yet. But it is not to say we never will. This is also not to say we ever will.

We all write for this blog despite having one of our own each because we love what we do. And where there is enough love- success will follow. And going by the number of enquiries from the very people who scoffed at the idea in the beginning, we might well be on our way there. 

I sincerely hope that more people do join in and write more. For the love of the written word if nothing else. 

INDIA HAS GOT TALENT! EH?

BY ADITHIMANASA

Many a man from towns, villages and even hamlets come to city with the dream of making it big someday. When really ‘talented’ people get a chance to prove it, they leave no stone unturned. But the fruits of their labour is not sweet… thanks to the clowns in the guise of ‘judges’. A panel of judges is made to watch the ‘talented’ people perform and give out a verdict; whether the contestant has qualified for the next round or not. Now how simple is that? The show runs on TRP or so they think! And truly deserving contestants are deprived of what is rightfully theirs. What a pity… What a shame! 

One contestant pierced his nose with a hook and lifted many heavy articles with that very puny hook. Is it the hook that has to be lauded… or the nose? If it was not for the talent of the contestant to bear the pain… balance the articles… know the knack of lifting it with ease… what else is it? The judges cannot bear to “watch” the performance and all the three press the buzzer and declare him out! He is not even allowed to display his next item… One labels the act as “show of strength” and insists that it is not talent.

SO DIFFICULT TO WATCH!

The other covers her face with her pallu so that only her “expressive” eyes can be seen expressing the disgust and the third declares that she did not watch the performance because… because… because… she has no valid reason! How can three “judges” who cannot judge a performance, decide if India has got talent or not? 

If a girl shakes her belly, she’s in. If a man sings a melody, he’s in. But if one breaks tiles, bricks or glass… it’s gory! Why are only singing and dancing considered talent? Why is martial art, not considered talent? Why is performing difficult stunts not considered talent? No one is blessed with extra strength. God has gifted every single person with the same qualities and same strengths. It is up to the person to find out what can he excel in. It is up to him to pursue his dreams, his aspiration and his passion. That is where his talent lies… in searching his hidden abilities! And bringing it out... successfully! 

Who are these judges to brand such talented people talent-less when they themselves are incompetent? They are impotent and not fit to judge anyone! A movie director, an item dancer and an actor judge the talent of only dancers, actors and singers; bodybuilders, karate sensei, stuntmen and the rest can go home. Pole dancing is given a ‘thumbs up’ and a female wrestler/ body builder is told that she lacks talent! If only directing, acting and dancing are considered talent then someone needs to wake them up from their bad dream and make them face the reality. How do they define talent?

India has indeed got talent but the judges of the show are hell bent on proving it otherwise! The show is a treat to watch when the talented come alive. But it is more than a pain to watch the egoistic judges give out poor verdicts. 

Added to misery are two jokers for anchors who are keen on displaying their histrionics and loyalty to 'THE JUDGES’; from season one till date. Whether India’s got talent as not, it’s pretty clear these judges don’t!

OH PLEASE, NOT ON THE ROADS!!!!

BY CHAITANYESH RUDRACHARYA

We Indians have created a niche for ourselves and even impressed others with our multi-faceted talents. No doubt, but how is it when it comes to our civic sense? Oh, pathetic! And that must be a candid mea culpa! 

It was Koramangala. To be precise, in front of the landmark Forum! I was on my way to meet a close friend.  The thoroughfare was chock-a-block with traffic! Vehicles-from behemoth buses to cantankerous cars to those indisciplined autos- were spitting smoke, good enough for any rider to suffocate to death! 

Weaving thru this horrible traffic, honking my horn sporadically, I went on riding my Dazzler. I was happy that I could find some way to progress thru the road, for the thoughts of meeting my friend had occupied my mind. It was after a long time that I was meeting her and I had a myriad of issues to discuss with her. As I was accelerating and braking concomitantly, the smoke only increased, creating a hazy atmosphere on the road! 

I soldiered on, and so did other riders and drivers! In front of me was a BMTC bus. This bus was waiting for another bus in front of it to give way to it. And to its left side, there was some space, enough for me to occupy.

I switched off the engine, for I knew it would take some more time for the traffic to clear. And here is where the entire drama unfolded! 

A passenger who was sitting by the window-side on the bus, with his earphones completely rooted in his ears, just put his head out of the window! I was watching him and I was puzzled as to why he was doing it!

And as I kept watching him, he hawked (cleared his throat) and spat directly on the road! That round mass of bolus or saliva crashed itself onto the road, splattering itself all across!

PHOTO COURTESY: http://exhibits.hsl.virginia.edu/alav/campaigns/

I was just inches behind the impact of the saliva on the road. And our man, completely lost in conversation or listening to music on his cellphone, withdrew his head and closed the window! 

That very moment, I knocked on the window pane, drawing that fellow’s attention to what he had done! And trust me, he did not have even an iota of remorse for what he had done! Had I been even a centimetre closer, I would have been bathed with his saliva, and also the embarrassment and agony of going through the predicament! 

By this time, the bus moved ahead and that spitter had moved away, untraceably far from his conscience! For he did not feel what he had was wrong nor did he feel what he had was a rarity! But I had to swallow and stomach his uncivilized act and that brute continued his journey!  

Frankly, let’s admit it! We Indians are not known for our civic sense, and you can add road sense and even hygiene to that list! Men and even dogs urinating on the roads, or cows spraying cow-dung on the road with a painter’s precision, uncleared garbage, the smell of drains; all these are a common sight! Many a time, we don’t even care about these things. Close to Sulabh Shauchalayas or even parks, we can see men urinating and dogs defecating. And at a stone’s throw distance, you can see delicious bajjis, bondas and even pani puri being sold! People would have made a beeline to devour them, not even waiting to glance at the unhygienic conditions around!

PHOTO COURTESY: THE HINDU

For us, I reiterate, these quotidian happenings are not worth pondering. But when we Indians emigrate to other countries, we gift the denizens of those countries these very habits that we indoctrinate in ourselves! Some years ago, in Australia, I vividly remember, a number of Indian immigrants were foulmouthed and even attacked with blunt weapons. There was massive outrage in India, for it was natural. 

But what actually led Australians to take that extreme step? This question had gone into the bowels of my heart! 

While I was ruminating on this particular question, I happened to watch a TV debate on the same. One of the former High Commissioners to Australia, a participant on the debate spilled the beans. Without any hesitation, he told the anchor that Indians behaved most ill-mannered in that country. Just like in their homeland, some NRIs would play loud music on the trains, spit on the same and even roads, thus infuriating the aborigines.

India has been the land of spirituality for ages. And cleanliness, proverbially and practically, is next to godliness! Hygiene, physical and mental, is a sine qua non for any progress in a country! 

We have managed to send satellites to Mars and even Moon, but alas! We have not gone to that toilet on the roads! So near yet so far!  

And this is irony personified!

BOARD TO DEATH?

BY ADITHIMANASA

If you are not new to Bengaluru then you definitely know where the freedom park is. And if you know where the freedom park is, then you also know where Maharani College is. And if you happen to be one like me who commutes by bus, then you will surely know the Maharani College bus stop just before Kaveri Bhavan stop. The stop at Maharani College does have shelters, not one but two. But have you ever seen people under those shelters? 

Picture courtesy- www.hindu.com

May be once in a blue moon we get to see people under the shelter, or say when it’s pouring heavily!

Most of the time, you can see a huge crowd covering half the road during peak hours of the day; which  happens to be around 10 AM to 01 PM and 4 PM to 7 PM. School children, college goers, senior citizens, office people and a few who are new to namma city; all throng the stop. One would mistake them for protesters who take to the streets!

What could be the reason for such ambiguity among the commuters? Well, it’s because the BMTC buses never stop at the stop! Only a handful of prompt drivers stop the bus right in front of the shelter and wait for passengers to board. The rest just zoom away, to avoid getting trapped by a red signal. The road is not reserved for BMTC buses alone. There are four-wheelers, two-wheelers and three-wheelers honking throughout the stretch when the confused passengers run behind buses in vain, attempting to board them.

When you are in a hurry and you miss your bus thrice, you get into an auto rickshaw assuming that you’ll reach faster. But those same buses that sped away without stopping at Maharani College get stuck in traffic congestion just a little further, on the way to the corporation stop. So, even the auto rickshaw you are in has to wait for the buses to make way!

The competition between the buses and the trail of agitated passengers running behind it often leads to accidents and chaos. People yell at each other. Bus drivers and conductors hurl abuses at passengers.

But the drama never seems to cease. The ‘mega’ soap continues on a daily basis and many a passenger has become immune to the issue. For it has become his daily routine.

A few friends and I decided to do something about it. We surfed the internet and found a forum where we could lodge complaints about poor bus services. Euphoria! We were thrilled that we finally found a solution. We felt like we were some sort of change-makers!

But after reading all the complaints posted on the forum, we were totally blank. So many people had filed complaints on the very same issue. The complaints dated back to 2009! That meant… the forum just got more complaints as the days passed but no action or measure was ever taken. Would our complaint make any difference at all? Or would it increase the number of posts in the forum alone? We understood that searching for a solution was such a waste of time. We went back with a heavy heart.

It was time for us to leave for work and I had to catch a bus which would never stop at the Maharani College bus stop.

NINNINDALE MOVIE REVIEW

A PASSABLE AFFAIR-NINNINDALE

BY SAMARTH MADHUSUDAN RAO

2.5/5

When a filmmaker has Puneeth Rajkumar as his lead in Ninnindale, you expect some novelty in your movie. The man, who has evolved to become a brilliant performer, is a power star in all senses. Not only can he pull the masses, he has the ability to blend with the class too. Along with him, when a filmmaker has a star cast consisting of Avinash, Achyuth Kumar, Sadhu Kokila and a host of others who are great performers in their own right you expect some great characters.

And also when you have a great technical team (Vindya, Marthand Venkatesh and Mani Sharma) with ample budget, one would assume that this flick would turn out to be a blockbuster in every way. 

All thanks to the director, this movie with such a cast and crew ends up being a mediocre fare. Jayanth Paranji (Theen Maar and Shankar Dada MBBS fame) uses all the available resources just as props and fails big time in blending them to make a complete cinema. He succeeds in making such an average film that you will be left wondering as to how could one screw it up when you have everything you need to make a good movie.

Having learnt that none of his last few movies have worked at the BO, I was very unsure if Jayanth would be able to pull it off, and my worst nightmares came true this morning. Controlling myself not to expect too much, yet hoping for a great movie, I walked in to the cinema.

Two hours and forty odd minutes later, I walked out wondering if I should look for the director and ask him as to how he feels for having screwed up with my mind by and for having messed up a movie that could have been a simple yet a good entertainer. ‘Ninnindale’ as the title and the promos suggested, was meant to be a straightforward breezy romantic movie. And at the core of the flick, the movie meekly attempts to be what it is meant to be. Only to end up being entertaining in parts.

The wafer-thin storyline and a screenplay that is written with the least amount of care, makes Ninnindale a very average watch. I knew that this movie would have a lot of Tollywood flavour to it and was at least hoping that it would be entertaining to say the least. Jayanth throws in so many characters like the ones you see in usual masala Telugu flicks, that he fails to develop any of them making them look one dimensional.

Except for Puneeth, none of the character has been well thought out. Worst of all, Paranje manages to find the worst American actors for the movie. As if there’s an academy for bad acting and they were outsourcing people for cents! And they get to mouth some of the worst written English lines that one would ever hear, that you will either be left giggling or disgusted by the end of the movie.

Brahmanandam is a mere prop and he speaks Telugu while the voice is dubbed in Kannada. His is a totally unwanted character in the movie. And what is it with all the voice sync for Erica and the supporting chick who acted in Happy Days? It truly left me disgusted as if the makers took us Kannadigas for granted and made them mouth dialogues in some other language and later dubbed it into Kannada.

If only prettiness could emote, all the models would have made it big in Cinema. Erica who is a model herself, fails in many ways. For 90% of the movie, Erica’s lips rarely move while the dubbing artist goes on to emote intense scenes with some cheesy dialogues.  

Visually stunning, Ninnindale brings a never before seen USA for the Kannada audience. And there are certain adventure sports that look magnificent on the silver screen. But Jayanth fails to use all of them to such an extent, that they all look totally unwanted in the movie. If you are pinning your hopes on these scenes, you might end up being disappointed for they are merely good looking shots.

Ninnindale works only because of three things. The technical team, which is top notch, makes the flick a visual spectacle. The other reason is Mani Sharma, the music director. Each and every song is worth a mention and has been picturised well. The songs which are already topping the charts will stay with you for days to come. And the final reason that makes Ninnindale watchable is none other than APPU.

A Rockstar in all essence, Appu displays an innate sense of maturity in his performance and makes the movie worth a watch. He excels in the songs and dances so brilliantly, that he is indeed a treat to watch. His dialogue delivery and expressions tell you that he has gotten into the skin of his character. If not for him, Ninnindale would have been a pain in the kundi.

Visually enticing yet mentally numbing in many ways, Ninnindale is entertaining only in parts and remains average and even below average in some of the scenes. Ninnindale could have been so much more, but all thanks to the director who fails in many levels, it ends up being a onetime watch.

Watch Ninnindale only if you want to watch Puneeth give one of his best performances or if you have nothing to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RhCxn_4ZPA

Write to me on samarthmadhusudan2@gmail.com if you agree or disagree with my views. Thanks for reading :)