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TOI : PUNE: “I am truly overwhelmed to see so many people present in the audience, because I am not used to seeing so many people watching my plays,” said veteran theatre director Pandit Satyadev Dubey, after receiving the Tanveer Sanman on Tuesday evening at the Yashwantrao Chavan auditorium.

Actors Shriram and Deepa Lagoo’s Rupaved Pratishthan conferred the award, instituted in the name of their late son, on Dubey.

Chaired by scholar GP Deshpande, the award ceremony was attended by Dubey’s students like, actor Neena Kulkarni, playwright Makarand Sathe and theatre actor Gajanan Paranjpe, who was honoured with the Tanveer Natyadharmi Purasakar.

The evening saw some of the ace Marathi theatre artistes get felicitated for their achievement and contribution to the world of entertainment.

Exuding his trademark brutal frankness, Dubey spoke less about his kind of theatre, and more on saving the future generations from falling prey to negativities. “All along I have tried to understand how the world works and I have come to the conclusion that youngsters and the youth are a big problem. They don’t look at their future seriously. They need to be convinced of the fact that they have a future and must believe in it,” said Dubey.

Dubey feels that the youth harbour several illusions about short-term goals like a job, sex and having fun. “But there’s much more to life than these things,” said Dubey.

Highlighting the thespian’s honest take on life, Neena Kulkarni, Dubey’s former student, recollected her days of tutelage under him. “Dubey always used the word abandon’, a sweet surrender to your greater self by keeping aside the ego and freeing yourself from preconceived notions. He told us to be selfish as actors, to realise our full potential. Dubey grew up as an artiste with his students,” said Kulkarni.

Paranjpe also happens to be one of Dubey’s students. He is known to have set…More

TOI : Pune: The global financial crisis is making its presence felt in marriage circuit too with organisers reporting a marked decrease in the budgets of couples planning their nuptials this year.

Rajesh Mehta of Event Tailors, an event management firm, says, “There is a noticeable decrease in spendings this year. People are avoiding lavish settings and outstation weddings. For instance, a couple who wanted to get married in Goa is opting for cheaper places such as Lonavla or Mahabaleshwar.”

However, this development seems to be restricted to the middle class families, with the upper middle class and the elite splurging on the knotty affair’ like before. Enigma Events’ Sameer Tamboli says, “The wedding budgets have been cut down by almost 2 to 3 lakh this year. If the budget would have been around Rs 7 lakh last year, this year it is around Rs 5 lakh or so. But this is restricted to the middle class.”

He goes on to speak about a wedding he was to organise. “We had planned everything. However, the family backed out at the last minute and approached a hotel which was willing to provide everything from the decoration to the food at a cheaper rate.”

A recently married couple’s relative says, “We surely had to decrease the budget. However, we had no qualms in doing so as we realised that an intimate and small wedding would be more memorable than an opulent one.”

Neelima Pathak of Wedding Planners also speaks of a substantial change in the wedding market this year. “Earlier, people went all out to make that one day memorable. Now, we see families cutting down on guests, decorations, themes, performances and bands.” People are also avoiding lavish halls or gardens and are instead opting for smaller places like their own society’s lawns or terraces which are reasonably priced.

Pathak adds, there has been no decrease in…More

TOI : PUNE: A spotted deer was found by two people in the Bavdhan area and was released in the wild on Wednesday.

Namdev Gaikwad and Devendra Patil, both residents of Bavdhan, saw the male deer on Wednesday morning. Gaikwad managed to catch the animal and decided to hand it over to the forest department.

Patil told TOI that he contacted the forest department as well as the animal rescue centre at the Rajiv Gandhi zoological park at Katraj, informing them that the animal was being brought to the centre.

The deer had some minor injuries on its mouth and was given immediate treatment. Founder of the animal rescue centre Neelimkumar Khaire told TOI that the minor injuries were caused due to fencing wires. “We decided not to keep the animal in captivity. Since it was healthy, we thought that it should live in its natural habitat.”

After administering treatment, the deer was taken in a vehicle and released in the forest area in Khadakwasla.

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TOI : PUNE: Dentist Siddharth Pradeep Jadhav (32) of Somwar Peth was allegedly manhandled and his clinic at Sukhsagarnagar was ransacked by a couple over refunding of fees on Tuesday night. The Sahakarnagar police have booked Aniruddha Pardeshi and his wife Renuka Pardeshi, of Bibwewadi, for attacking the dentist.

A fortnight ago, Pardeshi had deposited Rs 6,100 with Jadhav for his wife’s dental treatment. The police said the couple on Monday requested Jadhav to repay the amount, as they were not satisfied with the treatment.

They went to his clinic, Jadhav dental care, on Tuesday around 8.30 pm. However, Jadhav deducted Rs 5,780 as fees for the treatment provided so far and repaid Rs 320 to Pardeshi. An argument ensued and the husband and wife allegedly hit him and ransacked the clinic, said the police. They also allegedly damaged the furniture, including tables and chairs. Jadhav received injuries on his head and near the eye.

The police have registered a case against the couple under sections 323, 324, 504, 506, 427 read with 34 of the Indian Penal Code. No arrests have been made yet.

When contacted, Jadhav refused to speak about the incident. When asked about the nature of treatment given to Renuka, he said that he has given all the details to the police. The dentist also refused to give details of the damage to property and the object used for beating him.

The police, however, said that Jadhav has not specified any details about the treatment given to his patient in the complaint.

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TOI : PUNE: Pimpri-Chinchwad’s first ever grade separator has been dogged by problems ever since it was inaugurated on January 1, 2007. When it was first built, there were no barricades keeping out heavy vehicles and consequently many large trucks got stuck on the road. On numerous occasions the concrete blocks would get loose and have to be repaired. The latest trouble facing motorists travelling on this stretch are the presence of large potholes.

There’s one particularly large pothole, for instance, where the concrete blocks have been dislodged, laying bare the iron rods beneath. The broken surface is enough to unseat two-wheeler riders.

Vijay Salvi, a commuter from Chinchwad, said the PCMC should repair the pothole at the earliest.

Speaking to TOI on Tuesday, M M Savale, superintending engineer, PCMC said, “The pothole will be repaired tomorrow as today is a holiday on account of Bakri Id.”

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TOI : PUNE: The 54 agri-tourism destinations spread across the state have come together to form the Maharashtra State Agri and Rural Tourism federation (MART), which will be launched on December 12 in Baramati.

The day of the launch falls on Union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar’s birthday, who had introduced the concept of agri-tourism some years ago, said Pandurang Tavare, a city-based entrepreneur and founder-director of the Agri-Tourism Development Corporation.

Despite the potential to attract tourists, the industry has been lacking in the field of service, said Tavare. “The federation will especially focus on standardising the hospitality services. Therefore, sanitation needs and security will be MART’s priority which will also organise quarterly training for those employed in agri-tourism organisations.” The body will also operate as an accrediting agency, he said.

The federation will have individuals as well as groups as its members. The governing body of MART will have six representatives from agri-tourism co-operatives as well as three individual farmers and two women (from the farming community), who will together run the organisation. Along with these 11 members, there will be three government officers from the agriculture, tourism and finance department of the state government, who will be the non-executive members of the governing body. All the member co-operatives and individuals will be share-holders of MART, said Tavare.

He added that of the total loans availed by a member, MART will receive one per cent of the amount for its administrative expenditure. The federation will also receive five per cent of the annual turnover of members.

MART will also provide necessary guidance and training as well as operate as a marketing agency in cities for its members, said Tavare.

At present, various district central co-operative banks offer loans to farmers’ co-operatives to develop infrastructure for tourism. The members of the MART are also in talks with the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development for…More

TOI : PUNE: There was a time when the city was the breeding-ground of filmmaking. The focus then gradually shifted to Mumbai, leaving Pune to grapple with its cinema business, especially the Marathi cinema.

That’s why Marathi writer Shrikant Ambekar, veteran Marathi actor Shrikant Moghe and their well-wishers have decided to initiate a novel concept Abhinay Akademi an organisation engaged in film production, which will also groom the artistes.

To be inaugurated at Sadashiv Peth in January, the Akademi is meant to give a platform to local talent, to engage in film production with in-house scripts.

“The reason being a lot of talented artistes desirous to get into films have to struggle as the film industry exists on a full-fledged scale in Mumbai. But, we want to create a similar professional platform in Pune,” said Ambekar while attending a press conference. The Akademi’s maiden project is a Ambekar-scripted Marathi film, Gaganala Gavasni,’ which speaks about the trials and tribulations we face in our day-to-day lives.

The Akademi plans to shortlist promising actors, dancers, singers, directors and crew members through an application process. Those with a spark will be given in-house training before the actual shooting begins.

“Actually, filmmaking requires financial backing and an academic background. Unfortunately, Marathi films do not enjoy such privileges. That’s why we are open to making Hindi and Marathi films,” clarified Moghe. Future plans include broadcasting the Akademi’s works on national television as well.

The Aai-Baba Puraskar, which will be initiated soon after the Akademi’s inauguration, will honour prodigy singers like Kartiki Gaikwad, Mugdha Vaishampayan, Arya Ambekar, Prathamesh Laghate, Rohit Rat and Swamini Kulkarni. The award comprises Rs 2,000 and a memento.

“Apparently, Swamini is a lesser-known singer among these child artiste. But the very purpose of the Akademi is to bring forth such talent along with popular names,” said Moghe.

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TOI : PUNE: As the number of wine-lovers in the city continues to grow steadily, city restaurants are still struggling to make the favoured drink accessible to all. To begin with, though it’s common to serve popular wines by the glass, most restaurants ask their guests to buy luxury wine by the bottle.

“Given the fact that once opened, the drink cannot be preserved beyond a day or two, we prefer serving luxury wines by the bottle. If we serve them by the glass, the uncorked bottle, if not consumed, will go waste. In fact, most city restaurants do so,” said Zakia Kazi, public relations manager of a city hotel.

As a result, connoisseurs now have to choose between expensive luxury wine bottles, or cheaper local wine served by the glass. This dilemma of choice was what led city-based B Shankarnarayan to develop a yet-untitled system to preserve wines forever’.

“The main problem with wine is oxidation. This system preserves wine in an inert gas like nitrogen, thereby protecting it from exposure to air. It will be like packaging of chips which allows it to remain crisp for a long period,” Shankarnarayan explained.

Claiming that the system could prove to be the answer to the economic woes of the Indian wine industry, he added, “The equipment is portable, with a small nitrogen pump pumping gas into the bottles. The bottles will be kept in refrigerated atmosphere to ensure that the temperature is maintained. Thus, when a wine bottle is opened, it can be put inside this portable device, and can be used exactly like a beer keg, with a tap outside the system.”

Shankarnarayan unveiled the idea for the first time in the form of a prototype launched at the India wine festival 2007, and received enthusiastic response from visitors and wineries alike.

Nitin Mohite, director of marketing at a winery, said the system will…More

TOI : PUNE: Familiarising the city with the seemingly-daunting world of wines, the Pune Gourmet Club has organised a two-day wine festival on December 13 and 14.

The festival, organised at Rohi Villa Palace in Koregaon Park, will have over 50 wines on offer from 12 Indian wineries. In its second year now, the India wine festival attracted some 1,000 visitors last year, and the organisers expect the number to triple this year.

Pune Gourmet Club is a not-for-profit organisation focussed on food and beverage appreciation. With a strength of close to 200 members, the club organises monthly events related to food appreciation. The wine festival is an annual event which was started in the city in 2007.

“The objective of the festival is to familiarise people with different types of wines, and help them develop a taste for it. We will also give them directions on how to taste the wine, and how to decide the perfect wine for each palate. The effort is to remove the elitist tag and make wine accessible to every drinker, in particular young professionals,” said B. Shankarnarayan, chief co-ordinator of the festival and member of Pune gourmet club.

The wines available at the venue include various prize-winning wines, as well as rare ones. In addition, visitors will be gifted a wine glass and a comprehensive wine guide. “Reserve wines that are not available in stores and wine appreciation sessions are among the key attractions at the festival. Besides, there will be different cuisine and wine sorbettos on offer, and a workshop on cooking with Indian wine will be organised on both days,” Shankarnarayan said.

The organisers have also introduced a concept called Winemaker Dinners’. This will include a sit-down dinner at popular city restaurants, where the wine will be paired with Asian, Continental and Oriental cuisine. The menu can be chosen by customers, and will include items that are…More

TOI : PUNE: A beautiful Mutha with clean water flowing through it and rich flora and fauna on its banks. You take a boat ride through the river to reach office and dine at a floating restaurant in the evening. You go sailing or kayaking too on weekends. While all this might look like a distant dream for Punekars who have witnessed the deteriorating condition of the river, the civic body has drawn up ambitious plans to make it a reality in the next three years.

The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), along with consultancy firm Naik Environment Research Institute Limited (Neril), has completed the detailed project report (DPR) of the “river restoration and navigation” project and sent it to the Union ministry for environment and irrigation department for approval.

If all goes according to the plans, the river will be restored and a navigation project on the 16.12-km stretch will be in place after two monsoons. The initiation point is Rajaram bridge (8.88 km from Khadakwasla) and the termination point is Kharadi (25 km from Khadakwasla).

Municipal commissioner Pravinsinh Pardeshi said it is not merely a dream but very much a possibility for Pune. “River navigation is a very energy efficient mode of transport and causes minimum pollution. All the necessary clearances have been sought and I am positive we will be able to go ahead with this,” he added.

Speaking to TOI, CMD of Neril, commander (retd) D.D. Naik, said the plan basically includes restoration of the river with stabilisation and rejuvenation of riparian ecosystem, bio-diversity conservation, bioremediation and beautification of the nullahs draining into the river and flood control and disaster management.

“One of the important issues is availability of water for the proposed channel. We are working on the possibility of minimal or nil water release from the Khadakwasla dam. With the current sewage treatment plants (STPs) and two more proposed ones of…More