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August 5, 2014

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It was a dark time for all of us to give our 12th board exams. The long looming nights filled with dread about the future. Many students passed with flying colors, but few of us were aiming for the entire rainbow.
We caught up with the man of the hour Sarthak Agrawal one week through his new student life in Delhi University.
For those who don’t know who we are talking about, Sarthak was a student of DPS, Vasant Kunj who became an All India CBSE topper for 2014 with a whooping score of 99.6%.
Here is how our conversation with him went.

Isheeta: How has your first couple of days in DU been so far?
Sarthak:
Well, it’s been a week and so far it has been good. Everything looks very interesting and SRCC, of course, is one of the best and also my dream college so it is good fun.

Isheeta: Your scores in the Board exams got a lot of media attention and also sparked a few trolls on Facebook! What was your take on it?
Sarthak:
Well, I really found the trolls interesting and funny. I am always up for a good laugh so it didn’t really bother me. Also, I don’t see the harm in other people laughing at my expense.

Isheeta: What are your major expectations and dreams related to college life?
Sarthak:
Other than scoring well there are quite a few areas in life that I haven’t ventured into for which college provides me opportunities. I am researching about college societies to see where I would fit best, though I am really hoping I can be a part of the debating society or Enactus.

Isheeta: You’re a pretty well known person in your batch, thanks to the media! What are some of the general reactions you got while introducing yourself to your peers?
Sarthak:
(laughs) Well, I didn’t actually have to be introduced because everybody sort of knew me and while I did enjoy that I also found it a little weird that I have so much attention since almost everyone in SRCC is here because of their sky high marks so it is not just me.

Isheeta: Most of us know that you are, of course, very focused when it comes to academics. What activities do you take up to unwind in your free time?
Sarthak:
I like to sketch, I did a short term course on it and since then I have loved it. I also like my music and sing whenever I feel good, though I am not very good at it. Sports is another thing, of course, I really like cricket and table tennis.

Isheeta: Any advice for SRCC aspirants studying in class 12th right now?
Sarthak:
Well, I am not very sure what to say but students should just remain focused and keep working hard, it will be difficult in the beginning but as you go along you will find it gets easy so just don’t give up.

Currently run by the Amaury Sport Organisation, Le Tour de France is amongst the three Grand Tours along with the Giro d’Italia and Vuelta a Espana; though it’s the oldest and the most prestigious of all. The first edition of this event was staged in 1903 and won by Maurice Garin of France. This year Vincenzo Nibali from Italy was the winner.

A cancer survivor, Lance Edward Armstrong is one of the persons who are associated with this race. He was classified as having won the Tour for a record seven consecutive times, until he was stripped of all these titles and banned from competitive cycling for life, for doping offences. These sanctions were imposed on him by the Union Cycliste International in 2012, based upon the reports of United States Anti-Doping Agency. There are many such Cyclists who have won this race and also faced such actions.

This event usually is organised in the month of July. It roughly spans over 23 days and has around 21 stages, a distance of around 3,500 kilometres is covered during the race. The race is mostly based in mainland France but may enter other countries as well during its course; the race though always ends on the Champs Elysees in Paris (since 1975).  There are usually 20 to 23 teams every year, with nine members each. The winner is decided by compounding the timings of all the rounds. The one with the lowest aggregate wins the coveted Yellow Jersey (“Maillot Jaune”).

This year’s race started form Leeds, United Kingdom; had nine flat, five hilly, 6 mountain and one individual time-trial stage.  Vincenzo Nibali of Astana Pro team claimed the Yellow Jersey after clocking 89h 59’ 06” at the end of the race. The twenty-one day event was led by him for eighteen days.

The Green Jersey was won by Peter Sagan, for leading in the point’s competition. Whereas the Polka – Dot  Jersey went to Rafal Majka for leading in the mountain events of the tour, the jersey signifies the King of the Mountains title.

 

Rishabh Sharma

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Image source:  http://www.southperthrouleurs.com.au

Faridkot, one of India’s most versatile rock bands, have been in the music scene since 2009. Inspite of being affected by frequent line – up changes, the ‘hindi rock’ giants have managed to release their second album ‘Phir Se’ in June this year. We had the opportunity of speaking to Rajarshi Sanyal, the guitarist of Faridkot. This is what he had to say:

Your first appearance as we know it , was on V Launchpad in 2007(it was 2009). And now in 2014 you have managed to release your second Album. How do you think your music has evolved?

It’s really hard to judge your own music as a listener as you’ve been too closely involved with it. Maybe in 10 years we’ll be in a better place to be more articulate about its evolution. For now, we’d like to believe that it has evolved in the same way that we have evolved as human beings. All the changes and experiences we’ve gone through over the last 5 years inevitably ends up affecting and creeping into the music we make.

 

How is the first album different from the second album?

For starters, the first album was written in a different way. Some songs were written by IP and Anindo Bose (from Advaita) since they had been working on music before IP and I met. Since Anindo was busy with other projects, he couldn’t join the band and we ended up adding a ‘Faridkot’ flavour to the songs and spiced them up. The other songs were written by IP and I through guitar riffs and him singing along and both of us exploring various ideas to complete the song by introducing the other elements. To be honest, we barely had any idea about how to do it and were kind of just using hit and trial! Lyrically, IP was talking about the romantic idea of love mostly and a lot of the songs were about heart-break.
On the other hand, the second album was written by structuring the songs on the bass and drums by me and Sahil respectively. This was followed by me laying down the guitars and then finally the vocals/lyrics came in. So it was kind of a reverse approach to the earlier album’s songwriting method. Also, lyrically, IP talks more about cosmic love and other introspections and reflections involving the bigger picture.

 

Musicians in India, are known to play in different bands at the same time. Your bass guitarist, Nikhil Rufus Raj has been associated with many bands. Recently he left Skyharbor. Is it hard to dedicate oneself to one project and if not how do you manage to actively contribute to so many projects at the same time?

Quoting Nikhil on this, “Bands I play with are also my friends and since I’m playing with friends, there’s an understanding I share with them. After that, with careful planning and systematic scheduling I’m able to give my time to all projects without hindering any of them.”

 

How has Delhi University influenced your music?

We’ve played at a lot of colleges there and the University represents a big chunk of the younger generation. Playing there is a whole lot of fun since the audience is always so receptive and feeds us with so much energy that it’s a delight to be on stage.

 

Your latest single ‘Bijli’ consists of minute pieces of ‘Rap’. Is it something that was introduced to grab the attention of the crowd, given the latest fuss and demand of Punjabi Rap music?

Well, not really. Not that we have anything against the latest fuss and demand for Punjabi rap music.  We actually love Hip-hop music and there’s something really powerful about spoken word. It’s a different style of expressing and since we’re always looking for new ways to expand our musical horizons, it was inevitable that we explore this direction too. In fact, some of the new tracks we’re working on right now are highly inspired by hip-hop music.

 

What in your view is lacking in new bands? Is it important to make long term plans for a band that is just starting out?

I think when you start out, it’s important to just explore various kinds of music that you find interesting. When a group of musicians come together, they’re always bringing something unique to the table. The important thing is to find what is unique about their combined efforts and ideas. It might be something that none of them can predict so instead of assuming direction, it’s important to find it.

We’re all so busy thinking about the future all the time that few of us realize how beautiful the present is and how much you can enjoy it by just living in it 100%. If we try to envision a future while living in the present, then we’re just distracting ourselves. The same goes for bands making music. It’s important to work hard and put your all in the “now”. The future is always going to be unpredictable so why bother.

 

Your music tends to be groovy. What are your major influences as a band?

We love all good music. Especially rhythmic music. We feel its the foundation of life. Think about heart beats or the flapping of a bird’s wings.  Rhythms and beats. Melody comes right after that and we love that too. Our inspiration is the world around us. Just try to grasp the emotions you go through when you look into the depths of a mountain or feel the splash of waves on a beach. Existence can be just so fascinating, isn’t it so?

 

Any band in particular which you feel is doing pretty well in the latest music circuit and deserves a record deal?

There are a lot of artists working really hard here. The independent music scene is constantly growing at a really fast rate. Naming a few would mean that the others don’t deserve it, which is not true. So we’d rather not be specific.

 

Do you think social media has a huge role to play in the modern music scene and How?

Yes, it does. It’s the only platform where people across the world come together as a community. It’s the best way to reach out to audiences who would’ve otherwise never heard of you. As any musician, all you really need is someone to listen to you and maybe tell you how they feel when they do. Even if the latter doesn’t work out, the chances of the former happening has increased exponentially thanks to social media.

 

How did the deal with Universal Music Group come about?

We were looking for someone to help us distribute the album and they were looking for artistes. We got together and they wanted to take it further and do a 360 degree deal with us. Also, they were pretty open to ideas and thoughts that we had, which is a great thing. Not many mainstream labels are like that and we’re very happy to be working with them.

Debuting as a full time lead on a television series, the Scary Movie star Anna Faris, as the newly sober Christy Plunkett, is the ideal crazy-lady-charmer of this new sitcom. But Allison Janey as Bonnie Plunkett, Christy Plunkett’s mother, isn’t to be underestimated- she is the Charlie Sheen of MOM!

Mom, the CBS sitcom, follows a sixth month sober Christy Plunkett who ironically settles for a solemn beginning in Napa, a valley in California which is practically the biggest wine hub of the state.

Nonetheless, as soon as Christy ‘mothers-up’ to raise her teenage pregnant daughter and a nine year old son (given that her ex husband was a stoner and basically just another result of a hangover ), her own mother (Allison Janey), who herself is recovering from alcoholism and drug addiction, shows up.

In a time when Hollywood studios are recycling movie ideas to make mediocre TV shows, it merely took some adult puns, witty one-liners and somewhat dark hangover gags to create a refreshing comedy out of a dysfunctional broken family, not to mention how relatable it is for the addicts. The classic ‘wide-eyed/tensed’ Christy regularly rants about her wasted childhood and not only manages to laugh at herself but also manages to tickle some funny bones.

Last, while this show is doing immensely well on the ‘LOL’ charts, it hasn’t succeeded in steering clear of pitfalls. For instance, Christy is able to afford a 3 bedroom apartment though she is the only working member of her family. Perhaps, in her own words- ‘perks of sleeping with her own boss’.

Secondly, since it delves into some serious familial instabilities, there is always a chance the joke falls flat because the situation feels too serious to joke about, as it happens when Baxter, Christy’s ex husband jokes about some ‘fatherly-issues’ with dumb guy-stereotype, Luke, the teenage boyfriend and the father of his unborn grand kid.

From the creators of The Big Bang theory and Two and a half men (Chuck Lorre), Mom is definitely something to look out for. And hence, even if this show makes you cringe, it is sure to make you laugh your way out of it.

 The official trailer of ‘Mom’ created by Chuck Lorre and starring Anna Faris and Allison Janney.


 Priyanka Kapoor for DU Beat.

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