Popularising Kuchipudi By Niby Ann Mohan Anupama Mohan is a famous Kuchipudi dancer and the wife of Malayalam filmmaker Mohan. Taking to dance at the early age of four, Anupama has become one of the best-known disciples of Dr Vempati Chinna Satyam. You started dancing at the age of four? Who was the motivator at that age? My father Venkayya Naidu was a passionate lover of art and was also a business man. He discovered the hidden talent in me and approached Guru Shri Kota Subramanya Shastry of Nellore. Till the age of eight, I got training there and then I went to Padmabhushan Dr Vempatti Chinnasathyam. There we had Gurukula Sampradhaya. How many years you trained under Dr Vempatti Chinnasathyam and what was the experience at Gurukulam? I have trained there for about 16 years. In Gurukulam, it was a wonderful experience which is not known to the new generation. I was in the first batch of the Gurukulam. He moulded our character. He taught us how to behave in society. During that period, I got opportunity to perform in the presence of former president Dr S Radhakrishnan and I also got a chance to visit London the age of 13. The relationship between teachers and students were great on those days. I have noticed that these days parents opt for private coaching. It will adversely affect the child as they are losing their capacity for observation. If they are training in a group, they can observe others and learn from others too. I can certainly say that whatever I have earned is because of my Guru and the Gurukula education. You have got an opportunity to perform in many foreign countries and what was the experience? As I told you I got a chance to visit London at the age of 13. I knew nothing at that age. Later, I visited France, Italy, Germany, Holland, Belgium and many other countries. The audience outside the country is really great. If a performance takes place, they never leave their seats. They will wait till the end. If they like the performance, they will clap nonstop and then we have to come again to the stage and if they clap again we have to perform again. In India, we never get such audience. You are nicknamed Narada. How did it come? I have performed the character, Narada, in Sree Krishna Parijatham more than 500 stages. And I am basically from Andhra Pradesh and my maiden name was Anupama Naidu. Many people and critics who don't know my name started calling Narada About your academy, Sathyaanjali? Sathyaanjali is one and only academy which teaches only Kuchipudi. Its aim is to popularise Kuchipudi in its tradition. I started Sathyaanjali as a token of gratitude to my Guru Dr Vempatti Chinnasathyam. I used to conduct a 10-day workshop named 'Kuchipudi Natyabhivrudhi' every year throughout Kerala. Is there any plan to start regular classes in Thrissur? Yes, from Monday I will start Kuchipudi regular classes in Thrissur- one class in a week. No age limit there. Home makers, students and anyone can join the classes. Any experiment on Kuchipudi? I am planning to do some experiments. As a first step, I am planning to do Rabindranath Tagore's Chandalika which was composed by my Guru. You had a break from the field. What happened? Yes. I got fracture in my leg while I was dancing. I had to take rest for one and a half years. Has cinema influenced you as the wife of a film director? Cinema didn't influence me. Actually, Mohan was impressed by my performance and invited me to the film Randu Penkuttikal and I went. During the shoot, he proposed me. At first, I didn't say anything. Then, his another project Vadakaveedu came and I acted in it. Later, I said yes. Since then, I have not acted in films. If you get a character role in a film, would you like to take up? No, never... but I like to choreograph for cinema, not cinematic dances but classical dances. What are the future plans? My aim is to popularise the intrinsic Kuchipudi all over Kerala. I will work hard for it. Most of our Kuchipudi dance teachers are not much educated in the basics and theories of Kuchipudi. And I am planning to educate these teachers through regular classes and will distribute the certificate from Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University.

Agitation demanding 'pure alcohol'

By Niby Ann Mohan We have been seeing several agitations against pollution, waste disposal and other major issues of social concern. On the contrary, the people of Pananchery Grama Panchayat of Thrissur district have already approached Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Excise Minister K Babu demanding a beverage outlet that exclusively sells hundred per cent "pure alcohol". Kerala Congress (J) is leading the campaign after endorsing the issue in a positive angle. "Common people and women have been suffering due to illegal arrack brewing and its distribution. Lot of people died due to this but no one noticed this as a serious issue. I think a beverage outlet is a perfect solution to this problem," said Roy Thomas Kerala Congress (J) Pananchery Mandalam President and the leader of the agitation. We have already approached Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and Excise minister K Babu with a request signed by 4,000 people of the region, he added. "Apart from fighting for a beverage outlet, we are also planning to organise a year long campaign against alcohol consumption. We definitely are not the supporters of drunkards. We can't stop the use of alcohol as a sudden move," Roy explained. Meanwhile, the grama panchayat has passed a resolution demanding beverage outlet due to the suggestion from gramasabhas. The panchayat also decided not to give new bar licenses, said Panchayat President Sakunthala Unnikrishnan.

KBC Take Away a destination for healthy food By Niby Ann Mohan KBC Take Away is a new revelation to the  food lovers of Thrissur district. What we  mean by Take away? Take aways are  different from restaurants where we  can order and take away the food  to home or somewhere else.  It is like a parcel food service  which is not so familiar to Thrissur. Here, three foodie friends joined  together to establish a food-based  business with a difference and  it became a history. Their aim  was not just supplying food but  providing the healthiest food.  After several studies and surveys,  KBC Take away near East Fort was  founded. What is the catch on KBC? This is an  era where people are more concerned  about their health. They are more  discreet nowadays about which kind  of food is healthy and which one is not.  In this situation, providing the healthiest  food is not an easy task. That itself make  KBC different. KBC offers the healthiest food to the  people without using ajinomoto,  artificial food colours and baking soda.  It is a known fact that chefs around the  globe utilise ajinomoto to enhance the  flavour of their cuisine at a time when  there are reports that it causes severe  health problems such as brain lesions,  headaches, vomiting, nausea, damage  to nerve cells, so on and so forth.  For most of the dishes ajinomoto  is a necessary ingredient in every hotel.  But KBC is not using it even for  preparing Chinese food, still the  taste is even delicious as a homemade  item. KBC also uses only purified  water treated according to WHO  standards as in five-star hotels  for cooking purpose. KBC has  a plant for purifying water systematically.  And they indicate that they are using  separate utensils and oils for preparing  vegetarian dishes and using fresh   branded chicken and meat for cooking. KBC targets families who want a change  from day-to-day life. Families which have  most of its members employed are the  usual customers of KBC. Fresh, hot and  healthy food within minutes attracts most  of the customers. Families who  were not comfortable in being in a  restaurant also approach KBC.  Huge rush will be seen in afternoon at KBC. Within the one year, KBC started  four counters at different parts of the city.  Many persons came forward to launch  restaurants emulating the KBC  Take-away model. KBC invites them  and they think that competition will  make a difference. KBC has a home  delivering service also. It will cover about  5km of the city. They are serving about  37 dishes like prawns fry, koonthal  fry, fish peera, fried rice, ghee rice,  different types of biriyanies, kallumakaya  fry, mushroom masala, chana masala,  crab roast, chilly gopi, gopimanjurrian,  kada fry etc. KBC also give free  offers for purchases. KBC also plans to buy vegetables  from organic gardens as a part of  providing healthy food and also  has a plan for delivering breakfast.  If it works, it will be another  milestone to the KBC Take away.