FOR THE MAN IN FULL | www.mansworldindia.com JUNE 2020 | K 150 ANURAG KASHYAP STORYTELLER SHOWRUNNER GAME CHANGER Executive Editor’s Note JUNE 2020 Publisher & Editor N RADHAKRISHNAN Executive Publisher MINAL SURVE Executive Editor ARNESH GHOSE Associate Editor RAJU BIST DISCOVERING AUDIOBOOKS, Assistant Editor SAMREEN TUNGEKAR DISCONNECTING FROM Fashion Editor NEELANGANA VASUDEVA SOCIAL MEDIA, AND Art Director TANVI SHAH SHOPPING FOR MANGOES Associate Art Director HEMALI LIMBACHIYA NANDKISHOR SAWANT Assistant Art Director writings of P.G. Wodehouse, especially all the Jeeves stories and novellas, Graphic Designers GAUTAMI DAVE, SANJANA SUVARNA voiced by Martin Jarvis. I am in a constant state of childlike glee. Senior Digital Manager JAYESH V. SALVI But, that doesn’t mean I skipped the must-watches. From Paatal Lok to Dead To Me, Space Force to Chippa to the absolutely fantastic Axone Production Manager MANGESH SALVI to Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai (directed by Anurag Kashyap, who is our cover star for this issue), I have stayed abreast. What I did disconnect from, was mansworldindia.com social media. Let’s be honest: when was the last time you came across Web Editor ARNESH GHOSE anything useful on Facebook or Instagram? It was important to cut out the avalanche of negativity that social media, especially Facebook, has become, MAYUKH MAJUMDAR, SANIKA ACHREKAR, RAJEEV MATHEW Sta Writers specifically at a time when your only interaction is primarily with yourself. I imposed a routine for myself, a fixed time for SM usage, and that’s that. Consulting Editor PABLO CHATERJI Once the audiobooks started, the need for the infinite scroll heavily reduced Contributing Editors MAITHILI RAO, SOLEIL NATHWANI, by itself. MAGANDEEP SINGH f we used to crib about too much screen time before the Over the last two months, I have realised that most of us are not trained pandemic, I can only imagine what our situation is right now. A enough to shop for vegetables and fruits. We are either dependent on good marker for me, personally, is how many files of Refresh eye our helps, or we head o to specialised stores that have well-informed General Manager, Sales & Marketing MANOJ SHARMA drops I have consumed in the last three months. The answer is attendants to guide us. This has been essential learning during the ([email protected]), NEW DELHI four — and that is a horrible figure. I had this realisation in the last lockdown, when neither of these options were available to most of us. While week of April. I tracked my screen exposure for a week gone by, I am not too bad at picking the right vegetable, mangoes are quite the General Manager, Sales & Marketing TULSI BAVISHI to balk at the fact that I had been spending almost 15-18 hours challenge. It is a detailed investigation of colour, texture, form, and firm. I ([email protected]), MUMBAI in front of a screen, every day. For a whole week. My eyes were have spent quite some time with crates of Alphonso, Totapuri, and Chausa, constantly itching, and furiously red, and hopelessly dry. I needed a solution. trying to make sure I get my money's worth. The Bengali in me obviously Deputy General Manager-Sales & Marketing NOHA QADRI I Also, honestly, I had saturated myself with films and shows. I had dug into craved for Langda and Himshagor, which I did order in from a specialty ([email protected]), MUMBAI the entrails and back alleys of streaming platforms (the legal and the not-so store. But the mango experience doesn’t end with just buying them. You Assistant Manager - Sales & Marketing SAGRIKA SANJAY legal) and was — surprise, surprise — bored of binge-watching. I wanted to need to buy them according to your consumption calendar. Otherwise, they read, but didn’t have a single new title to lay my hands on. I can’t read o a need to be properly prepped to achieve optimal ripeness, and therefore, ([email protected]), NEW DELHI screen, and reducing screen time was the motive after all. I thought I would sweetness. They revel in damp heat. Sometimes, stung them into a rice re-read what I already had, and realised that wasn’t turning out to be that container helps. Mangoes need TLC, attention, and pampering. Much like Sr. Circulation Exc. (MIS & Opr) SANTOSH P. GAJINKAR much fun either. Also, my eyes desperately needed some rest. ourselves, sometimes. So, don’t forget to pamper yourself. The pandemic (+91 99695 71319) Thank you, Spotify. What started out as a random search, led to playlists has been a stressful time for everybody. WFH isn’t a vacay. Here’s to and albums of audiobooks and audio plays. It was wonderful to revisit unwinding, disconnecting, disengaging, and finding your centre during these Accountant PRADEEP ACHAREKAR Shakespeare, to Wilde, by celebrated theatre and radio artists. Complete turbulent times. — and unabridged — Austen and Kafka novels. I delightfully revisited Jules Oce Manager RAJEEV POOJARY Verne and H. G. Wells, R. L. Stevenson, and Mark Twain. And there were Oce Assistant VAIBHAV MORE dramatised readings of Sherlock Holmes and Hercules Poirot. I wasn’t necessarily spending time with high brow literature. Listening to easy classics come to life, on a home theatre, in posh English accents, is such wonder. It consumed me. These days, I look forward to quickly wrapping MW.Com (India) Pvt. Ltd up chores and work so that I can draw the curtains, turn on some mood lighting, lie down and listen to a stranger — or a celebrity — read a beloved EDITORIAL & MARKETING OFFICE: 401, 4th Floor, Todi Building, Mathuradas Mills Compound, book for me. Like a grandparent would. I started searching for all possible Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400 013., Tel:67487777 NEW DELHI: 1104, Prakash Deep Building, 7 Tolstoy Marg New Delhi - 110001, Tel:011- 43503672, 23356071, 23356072 hidden gems, and unearthed two — the lascivious memoir of Giaccomo BANGALORE: Santhome-33/01, Ist stage, Ist Cross, Indira Nagar, Bangalore-560 038 Casanova, read by the eargasmic Benedict Cumberbatch, and the complete — Arnesh Ghose Contact for editorial: [email protected] Circulation: [email protected] Printed and Published by N Radhakrishnan on behalf of MW.Com India Private Limited. Printed at Spenta Multimedia, Peninsula Spenta, Mathuradas Mill Compound, N.M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400 013. Published at MW.Com India Private Limited, 401, 4th Floor, Todi Building, JUNE 2020 Mathuradas Mill Compound, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400 013. Editor: N Radhakrishnan. All rights reserved worldwide. Unsolicited manuscripts will not be returned unless accompanied by a postage pre-paid envelope. NEWS-STAND PRICE ` 150 INTERNATIONAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES US $ 115 (1 year); US $ 220 (2 years); US $ 325 (3 years); US $ 525 (5 years) Contents JUNE 2020 Contributors JIGAR SHAH In this issue: In conversation with Neeraj Kabi, interview with Jaideep Ahlawat (Page 75) 61 Describe yourself in one word Ambivert COVER STORY What’s a superpower you wish you had? To read people’s minds ANURAG KASHYAP: What’s the most bizarre thing STORYTELLER, you’ve ever eaten? I don’t know how people eat quinoa SHOWRUNNER, What are your three all-time GAME CHANGER favourite films? We watched Anurag Kashyap FEATURES Don’t have an all-time favourite evolve into a di erent human 75 Up Close With but a few I’ve watched over and over being in the last four years. A shift again are 500 Days of Summer, John Jaideep Ahlawat: Wick Series, Ala Vaikunthapurramloo, from shock-and-awe to exploring Not Your Regular Baahubali, Chak De! India, Mr. India, human tenderness, finally finding Bollywood Guy Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania creative freedom in web streaming, By Jigar Shah and settling into a comfortable I'll-make-whatever-I-want-to- make zone, Kashyap seems like a happier, freer, and a more satisfied man today FOB PRIYANK SUKHIJA 08 Radar In this issue: Contactless BY ARNESH GHOSE 12 Digital support dining and eating out systems for (Page 37) mental health Describe yourself in one word 13 The Interview: Maverick / risk taker Neeraj Kabi What’s a superpower you 71 15 The A-List wish you had? THE DISRUPTOR 17 Sports cars of 2020 Teleporting Digital dating trends Choked: Paisa Bolta Hai 19 What’s the most bizarre thing Reading for free is Anurag Kashyap’s 19th 21 you’ve ever eaten? 22 The podcast binge-list Live octopus feature film as a director. 23 Science documentaries That number alone, or the According to you, which is 24 Virtual travel the most inspiring restaurant fact that he did it in less 25 St+Art India’s art in the country? than twenty years, should Haldiram’s 27 Narpath Raman’s art ensure him a place in the of mentalism pantheon of great Hindi 29 Master of spices: film-makers who were also Atul Kochhar very prolific, an exclusive 31 Role play with list that includes the likes Priyanshu Painyuli of Bimal Roy, Manmohan 33 What’s new in yoga? ANMOL MALIK Desai, Yash Chopra, and 35 Home gym essentials Shyam Benegal. But the In this issue: In defence of ESHAA AMIIN “I’m too busy” (Page 36) numbers do not tell the full story of what Kashyap has In this issue: Expert Speak Describe yourself in one word managed to achieve (Page 60) Cinnamon TALK Describe yourself in one word One superpower you wish BY MAITHILI RAO 36 In defence of ‘I’m too Dreamer you had? busy’ by Anmol Malik What’s a superpower you The ability to be in the right place 37 The myth of wish you had? at the right time contactless dining and Go back in time and fix things What’s the most bizarre thing future of eating out What’s the most bizarre thing you’ve ever eaten? you’ve ever eaten? Coriander, oddly enough.