The Chennai Comedy Scene - Lavanya Narayanan
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1 The Sanmar Group 9, Cathedral Road, Chennai 600 086. Tel.: + 91 44 2812 8500 Fax.: + 91 44 2811 1902 Sanmar Holdings Ltd Sanmar Consolidations Ltd Chemplast Sanmar Ltd Sanmar Shipping Ltd TCI Sanmar Chemicals S.A.E. Cabot Sanmar Ltd Sanmar Speciality Chemicals Ltd Sanmar Engineering Technologies Ltd - Products Divn. Flowserve Sanmar Ltd BS&B Safety Systems (India) Ltd Xomox Sanmar Ltd Xomox Valves Divn. Pacific Valves Divn. Pentair Sanmar Ltd - Steel Castings Divn. Sanmar Foundries Ltd Matrix Metals LLC 2 In this issue... 12 19 Egyptian Minister Visits TCI “Insects: Guardians 14 Sanmar at Port Said, Egypt of Nature” 4 Expansion Project Under 19 Kalamkriya’s 14th Implementation publication ‘Champions of Change’ Recognition of Excellence 6 Narendra Modi meets young in Service entrepreneurs Two Sanmar Employees Decorated with Police 22 Medals Comedy in India 8 A Chemplast Daughter Wins Gold Medal in Sanmar Helipad Helps Save National Pentathlon 12 a Life Madhuram Narayanan Two New Additions Centre for Exceptional 14 Strengthen Sanmar Children Shipping’s Expanding Fleet 23 Samyam: A Coming Together of Past and Present Students 26 “Southern effect” Vijay Sankar’s interview to 16 Business India, August Chemplast Cuddalore’s Chemplast Mettur 14-27, 2017 Issue CSR Programmes Organises Career 25 Guidance for Chemplast Cuddalore School Students Japanese honour for 24 Begins Evening Tuition N Kumar Centre for Rural Students Legends from the South 18 Foreign Minister Donation Towards 26 APJ Abdul Kalam Commends Him Children’s Education Fund (1931 - 2015) Matrix can be viewed at www.sanmargroup.com Designed and edited by Kalamkriya Limited, 9, Cathedral Road, Chennai 600 086. Ph: + 91 44 2812 8051/ 52 For Private Circulation Only. 3 4 which currently amount to $1.2 billion– Jayaraman praised the facilities provided PS Jayaraman discussing especially in the field of caustic soda and by the Egyptian government to Indian with Dr Sahar Nasr, Minister PVC, through injecting $300million, investors in Egypt, as well as Egypt’s of Investment and International and increasing the production of PVC, most distinct advantages for investment, Co-operation, Egypt. from 200,000 tonnes to 400,000 mt, its geographical location and competitive resulting in the largest PVC production operations cost. in the MENA region. The talk also He explained that his company was considered establishing a new factory one of the largest investors in the field to produce 135,000 mt of Calcium of chemical industries in Egypt. The chloride granules, taking Sanmar’s total company is committed to expand in investments to $1.5 billion. order to cover local demand as well as The minister welcomed the company’s increase its export capacity while taking plans stressing that her ministry’s main eco-friendly measures. priority is to take required procedures to create a climate attractive for investors. She called on the private sectors in the two countries to establish economic partnerships between each other to develop cooperation. 5 ‘Champions of Change’ Narendra Modi meets young entrepreneurs Highlights of the meet as recalled by Vijay Sankar: With an aim to create a dialogue between event called “Champions of Change” the government, young entrepreneurs by India’s policy think-tank, to bring and startups, in order to get them to together young businessmen at a place resonate with the mission “New India to share ideas. by 2022,” Prime Minister Narendra The programme was modelled on a Modi addressed a gathering of young corporate event, where groups of 35 entrepreneurs, CEOs and startups, people brainstormed on the six chosen organised by NITI Aayog on August themes to drive transformation across 16-17, 2017 at New Delhi. sectors –“New India by 2022, Make NITI Aayog’s initiative hosted 200 In India, Cities Of Tomorrow, World young CEOs to frame a policy Class Infrastructure, Doubling Farmers’ blueprint for ‘New India-2022’ and Income and Fixing Finance.” Vijay transformation across sectors. Vijay Sankar’s group chose the topic “New Sankar was invited to participate in an India by 2022” and came out with 6 impactful suggestions on the topic is young. I want both to work together Vijay Sankar can be seen presented to the PM in the ten minutes for India’s good.” Additionally, Modi standing, first from left, top row. allotted to them. stressed the importance of innovation Calling upon the CEOs to make in India. He said, “Innovation is life. development a mass movement just as When there is no innovation, there is Mahatma Gandhi made freedom a mass stagnation.” movement, Modi said that they were his team for the new India and soldiers of a prosperous and developed India. He encouraged the entrepreneurs to continue their ideation in their respective groups. He said that if they did so, they could go a long way in furthering the cause of governance. The Prime Minister also said, “With changing times, we have to change our processes and systems,” and that it is important to integrate the strengths of society with the systems. “The policy makers in the government are relatively senior. But the group I am meeting today 7 General interest story Comedy in India - Rohan Joshi My name is Rohan Joshi and I’m a a bar? Or watch some stand-up?” How comedian. I’ve had the good fortune of did this happen? I’m no sociological being at the forefront of a new wave of expert, but in my humble opinion, this live and digital comedy in India, though is the product of three things central to I must confess, this may be a product of this new wave of comedy; accessibility, accident over design. As a result, I often transgression and relatability. get asked to write about the subject, Before I expand on those, allow me and I usually say no. Is it because I’m to explain why I use the phrase “New lazy? No. I mean, yes, I’m very lazy. But wave of comedy.” When people talk no. I usually refuse because I’m wary of (The author Rohan Joshi about the recent scene in India, they over-intellectualising what we do. Four is one of India’s leading often frame the conversation as “Can stand-up comedians) hours after I email this piece in, I’m you tell us about the sudden discovery going to get on a stage and talk about of comedy in India?” Comedy in India the dramatic intensity of hot air, which is neither sudden nor new. We have a makes it difficult for me to take myself rich history of satire, from the Bhands seriously. all the way to PL Deshpande. Even in Having said that, I understand the the recent context, Johnny Lever and curiosity. The recent comedy scene is an Raju Shrivastav were playing to rapt exciting, thematically rich and refreshing crowds of thousands of people while I new entry into urban India’s social was still in diapers. It is disingenuous calendar. In cities like Mumbai or Delhi, and disrespectful to all these people to the vocabulary of planning an evening suggest that comedy in India is new. out has expanded to include us. “Shall I’d argue that what sets the new wave we watch a movie? Get dinner? Go to apart from the old guard of live comedy is the idiom; most regional modern comedy was built for families and communities, often limiting itself to the mimicry of famous people, blended with gentle observations and stereotypes that could be consumed by an entire family, with no scope of offending its audience. The modern idiom that you see play out in our bars and auditoriums (and indeed on the internet) borrows from the American or British style, where the comedian strives to be a truth-teller, or to ask questions that shatter the status quo. 8 The first time I saw Russell Peters do insecurities are not stupid, someone stand-up, it blew my mind for one simple else has ALSO thought about this, you reason; here was something I’d seen are not alone.” This probably explains people like Chris Rock or Jerry Seinfeld why after shows, one of the things I’ve do for years, but for the first time in my often heard audience members say to life, here was someone who looked like comedians (in comparison to other me, talking about observations relatable artistes) is “Thank you, I NEEDED to me (overbearing Indian parents! The that.” Laughter is, after all, therapeutic. Russell Peters pressure to marry! The complexities of Accessibility has played a huge role in being brown-skinned!) the spread of new comedy as well. A Which brings me to transgression and comedy show is easy to produce. You relatability. The new wave of Indian need a small space to stand, enough light comedy is not interested in being family so people can see you, and a microphone friendly. It is not afraid to provoke, it is in your hand. Unlike music or theatre, not afraid to question, it is not afraid to production cost is low, and venue be “adult” (a word that is used far too requirements are relaxed. This new wave often as an insult in our culture). In a of comedians has worked hard to go to culture where we are often taught not bars, restaurants, coffee shops, any space to question, and to just accept things that looks viable, and said “Please just Jerry Seinfeld the way they are, questioning the status give us one evening and a little support, quo through comedy is an inherently and we’ll do shows here.” Unlike theatre, transgressive act. When a comic is on or music, where often just the act of stage talking about how it sucks to entering a performance space can be be an engineering student in India, intimidating, comedy often plays in this is a transgression, because in the venues you’re already comfortable audience are people who were told that accessing.