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Category: Entertainment

Lets Meet AADAR MALIK- The Country’s First and Only Stand Up Musician

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

The stage, the camera and the mic have been familiar territory for Aadar Malik from an early age of seven. And today, as he is one shy from thirty, he has accomplished more than most performing artistes could ever imagine in their entire career.

Actor, musician, singer and stand-up comedian, Aadar is a one man army who thinks of the stage as his second home. One of the country’s most sought after stand-up comedians; he has performed in multiple cities in front of packed audiences of all age groups curating his content that has them in splits. His satirical song about his pet goat won the bronze medal at the Worldwide Comedy Short Film Festival in London.

Besides his solo performances, he is also a part of the comedy ensemble SnG Comedy that have together performed enumerable improvisational comedy and stand-up comedy shows. They are a regular at The Comedy Story, Laugh Factory in Mumbai.

One of the country’s most popular YouTuber, Aadar’s original comedy ranges from music/ parodies, satirical sketch comedy to live stand-up comedy videos. With over a million views on most of his digital content, his fan base ranges from teenagers to grannies – something that Aadar didn’t expect. Little did he know, everyone loves to laugh and he has his way of hitting the right chord with every age bracket!

A trained singer from Trinity College, London, Aadar also plays the guitar and the piano with equal finesse. And this year, Aadar brings all forms on talent on a single platform is a one man musical comedy show, The Sound of Comedy will showcase him singing live (lyrics that are comic in nature), playing the grand piano (yes you read that right) amongst other musical instruments and will entertain the audience like never before. This is the first of its kind show in India. Stand up – The Musical is also a part of Amazon Prime’s Comedy Special from India!

Here are some questions he answered exclusively for Ikreate, read along

Ikreate: First of all please tell us about Stand Up Musical as a concept

Aadar: It’s the first time someone has tried to blend music and comedy to this degree. It’s my songs, they are stupid songs with foolish lyrics, tedha hai par mera hai. Musical standup comedy is an extremely new concept here and I’m trying my best to make the audience ease into the fact that this can exist. Full fledged songs that are not parodies can be funny, and be musically impressive.

 

Ikreate: You are a trained singer, then how come you started performing stand up comedy

Aadar: I trained at music for a very long time. But I had severe stage fright, I took and acting class to get over it and realized I’m better at this. I was playing a standup comedian in a play and that character has since been in development. He is tweaked and changed after every show and every video. I may never be satisfied with him. I have finally become and Indian parent.

 

Ikreate: Tell us something about your struggle days

Aadar: Yes last week was particularly tough. It’s still a struggle. No magic has happened. We do not live in mansions and bathe in gold. I’m very thankful that when my parents are asked what their son does for a living, they don’t have to explain the origin of standup comedy to neighbors.

 

Ikreate: Whats your inspiration, how do you prepare yourself before a show

Aadar: This might just be the worst show I will perform, but its ok. No! thats a lie, I can’t afford the worst show ever, it’ll destroy years of work. So you better make it good. That’s enough to psyche the hell out of anyone.

 

Ikreate: How much of your show is a preparation, and how much is spontaneous.

Aadar: I like to write every word perfectly and then improvise on stage. But then there are the days when you just go, why not and walk on stage with just an idea. It changes from show to show. Now I do complete shows that are improvised.

 

Ikreate: Have you faced criticism, how have you dealt with it.

Aadar: Yes. I wake up to YouTube comments of “kill yourself!” I take solace in the fact that a critic is just a sorry human being who never really put himself on the line. There are people whose opinion I respect and I will listen carefully to them. Other than that any person who’s seen 7 standup comedy videos online thinks he/she is a connoisseur of comedy. Those are the worst. These are people who will try to look down upon a fart joke. To quote Louis c.k., “You don’t have to be smart to laugh at farts, but you have to be stupid not to.”

 

Ikreate: Tell us something about your family, did they approve of your choices

Aadar: They didn’t know what I was doing until they saw me on stage. My father still doesn’t. His opinion is, if the audience is liking, it you’ll be alright. My mom is like a real Indian mom, my son is doing good whatever it is.

 

Ikreate: Who is your biggest critic and your biggest support system

Aadar: My family is both. Anyone else can take a hike.

 

Ikreate: Where do you see yourself 5 years from now

Aadar: If I do my job right? Jail.

 

Ikreate: Whats been your most memorable show

Aadar: The first time I managed to get an applause break. I’d had plenty of those while performing plays, but this one was all mine. Written by me, performed by me. It was an open mic at a tiny restaurant. And another comedian won. But I went back home with a career. I really don’t know what happened to the other comic. He had a lot of friends in the crowd that night maybe he still entertains them at the office water cooler.

 

Ikreate: Share an embarrassing moment from any of your shows

Aadar: I have honestly never been embarrassed at a show. Ever. I honestly leave shame backstage when I go up. Once a guy called me ISIS at a show because I made some inter-caste jokes. That’s when a comic of one religion makes jokes about all religions. He was the embarrassed party that night. His fiancée broke up with him that night. More power to her.

 

Ikreate: Whats a message you would want to share with the aspiring artists

Aadar: Stop reading inspiring messages and go practice.

 

Ikreate: Success doesn’t come without failure, so can you share one of your failure stories with us

Aadar: Performing for a bunch of drunk corporates where they broke up my 30 min set into 3 parts and had Russian dancers in between my bits. It was so bad that the Russian dancers who didn’t know English were consoling me by the end of the gig. I got two of their phone numbers. But it was in Russian.

 

Some Rapid Fire

Ikreate: Your favourite singer

Aadar: Adele.

Ikreate: Your favourite stand up artist

Aadar: Let’s not.

Ikreate: Who do you consider your idol

Aadar: My dog.

Ikreate: Your relationship status

She called me Bhaiyya.

Ikreate: Your favoutrite food

Aadar: Ice cream.

Ikreate: When you are not performing, you are…?

Aadar: Netflix and chill.

Ikreate: Your favourite holiday spot

Aadar: Bed.

Ikreate: Whats the worst thing you have ever put in your mouth

Aadar: Cricket.

Ikreate: You like to eat…

Aadar: Alot.

Ikreate: Beaches or hills, whats your favourite

Aadar: Beach.

And here are some of his acts for you to enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSY5y44EQFc

Thanks Aadar for taking time out and having a great conversation with us, wishing you all the luck for your future endeavours!

 

Red Hot chili Peppers to play in India – Let’s make it happen!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

How many times has it happened that we’ve madly hoped, prayed, for our favorite international artist or band to perform in India? How many times has it materialized ? How many times do concerts cancel right before the event date?

Remember the cancellation of Bryan Adams event in Delhi back in year 2011, Korn in Mumbai was cancelled in 2012, David Guetta in Bengaluru in 2017? None were cancelled because tickets were not sold. Various realities have scared Indian Music promoters from taking risks and bringing India’s favorite International artists to perform live.

Wanting to make a dream come true, to watch a favourite international artist in India, made two veteran entrepreneurs and music lovers, Kabir Bhasin (co-founder of Furlenco) and Kanishka Sharma (Ex-Flipkart), come up with an idea. This idea is called Fanagig.

The idea is simple. If they themselves are willing to pay to watch their favourite band perform in India, then there must be a few thousand more that would put money down for the same band? If yes, then the concept Fan-A-Gig will be a break through platform to revolutionize the whole live music scene in India!

How does Fan-A-Gig work?

Prerequisite: You are a fan of live music.

All you have to do is go to www.fanagig.com, browse existing campaigns and vote for the one (or more) bands you love. Your support, your vote, will go a long way in making the dream come true.

Votes must reach the goal before Fanagig will take the next step.

If your favorite artist is not in the on-going campaign list, then Fan-A-Gig gives you an option to create your own campaign.

Share campaigns through your social media, get other fans to vote and watch the magic happen.

Once there are sufficient votes, Fan-A-Gig then does the rest of the work for you. After that, all you have to do is pay for your ticket and pack your bag for the concert of your dreams!

Sign up for the cause! Bring the revolution! Let’s make a change! Let’s spread the word and make sure every Indian fan gets the chance of enjoying their artist perform live .

And wait, we are not just talking about big international bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Eyed Peas or The Cranberries but also great Indian bands like Indus Creed, Parikrama, Raftaar or Badshah! Since it’s about music, there are no boundaries of genres. There is something for every fan. All you need to do is sign up or run a campaign and get this going.

Secrets in the Spice Mix- Book Launch by Pankaj Bhadouria at Piali, CP

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Pankaj Bhadouria, has been a household name ever since she won the title of first Master Chef India, and there has been no looking back for her. Her constant growth in terms of her cooking skills and her overall persona has been an inspiration to many women who used to think that cooking is only a duty and not a passion that can turn your life around. But Pankaj has proved her mettle over and over again, and more recently by launching her 5th book, she not only proves her capabilities as a chef but also tries touching a million chords by giving her readers exactly what they need.

Food is synonymous to breath for her and spices are the essence of it. Her journey of teaching kids in a classroom to teaching young chefs and cooks the art of making food is one of its kind. Right after winning the competition she has come to the world imparting her culinary skills to the world through the form of shows or books.

The right blend of spices is crucial to Indian cooking and it’s the combination of different spices that make some dishes so hard to resist. India’s First MasterChef Pankaj Bhadouria has identified around 50 such spice mixes with a tantalizing recipe following each spice mix which can be made at home. With 4 books to be acclaimed for, Pankaj’s 5th book, The Secrets in the Spice Mix, helps you make these wonderful spices at the comfort of your home and infuse some authentic flavours to your everyday cooking.

Chosen Piali, The Curry Bistro, as the venue for launch of her book, Panjak went on to conduct a live cooking session as well.

Piali’s menu is one of its kind and what makes it different is the class of curry and the spices that go into making them what they are! One such dish on the menu is the Thai Curry. Pankaj not only shared her secret spices and signed the books for her followers but also demonstrated the cooking of the Thai curry live for the present audience.

“I am really excited to be launching my secrets at Piali and the following live cooking session. I am happy to be able to share them with my audiences and where better than a place which savors the spices the most!” said an eager Pankaj.

Upon being asked what her favourite cuisine and dish was, she said it without any apprehensions that her favourite cuisine for sure is Indian, and she loves home cooked Khichdi, for the simplicity of the dish. Here is a glimpse of the event coverage right from the Piali’s Facebook Page.

She is such a down to earth person, that meeting her overtime, leaves me inspired totally. She fills me with so much of gratitude and warmth. I wish Pankaj all the success for her book, and stay tuned, will be sharing the book review and a recipe from it soon as I am currently reading my personally signed copy of the book, and in my kitchen trying the recipes.

 

 

Harappa: Curse of Blood River by Vineet Bajpai, a book I am looking forward to read

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Bajpai’s book Harappa: Curse of the blood river, which is said to be one of the most anticipated Historical thriller book of the Year, was launched at Indian Habitat Center on 9th June 2017 amidst book enthusiasts in New Delhi in Tamarind Hall. There were the book lovers and Delhi’s socialites who attended this wonderful book launch. The author is currently on a book tour across India for the same.

 

 

Vineet is a first-generation entrepreneur. At age 22 he started his company Magnon from a small shed. Today Magnon is among the largest digital agencies in the subcontinent, and part of the Fortune 500 Omnicom Group. He has led the global top-ten advertising agency TBWA as its India CEO.  It was his drive to excel and do something different that made him perhaps the youngest ever CEO of a multinational advertising network in the country.

He has written three bestselling management & inspirational books – Build From Scratch, The Street to the Highway and The 30 Something CEO. I have personally read them all and they have been instrumental in giving me direction in my corporate life.

 

The author during the launch of the book described his agenda of taking Indian History to the global world and letting people know of its rich heritage.

“It was only when I spent nights and days in penning down the manuscript of Harappa, that I understood the emotional connection needed between a fiction writer and his work. We can’t say that writing a business or management book takes no emotional energy, of course it does. But after having written three of them and then writing Harappa, I can assure you that a storyteller has nearly an umbilical cord connected with his work. I know this might sound silly, but every time I read some of the more intense parts of Harappa, especially the last four or five chapters, my eyes well up. I could not believe that I was crying every time I was reading what I had myself created and written! But believe me, that is the intensity of a writer’s relationship with his work. And hopefully, that is the intensity of Harappa as a book. ” says the author, Vineet Bajpai.

 

The trailer of the book looks so intriguing that I am dying to get my hands on the book.

I have already ordered my copy, so what are you waiting for, its available on Amazon for Rs 130/- Keep watching this space, review to follow soon.

World’s Best Classic Movies Festival by Navrasa Duende

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Navrasa Duende, decoded means Navrasa, the nine rasas of art and Duende the quality of passion and inspiration.

Holds true for their Founder Dinesh B.Singh who is a veteran in the business arena and a true patron of art in ant form. His undying love for arts led him to the concept of Navrasa Duende and his never ending urge not only to follow art but also to bring it for the Global audience to partake and experience the various forms of art from across the Globe. It is his endeavor to promote commercial and niche arts from around the world. Navrasa Duende being the first step in this direction.

Recently Navrasa Duende organised a classic movies festival where in classics by two famous directors of that time were shown. The chosen directors were Alfred Hitchcock and Frank Capra.

It was a two day festival and each day, one movie of each directors was shown. I chose the first day of the festival and also the first film, The Man Who Knew Too Much by Alfred Hitchcock. It truly was a trip down the memory lane. Such a pleasant experience witnessing old time classics. The beauty about the movie was its surprising repeat value much appreciated by the audiences present.

A really commendable effort by Navrasa Duende, who have lots more to offer in the near future.  One of the most promising upcoming venture by Navrasa Duende is the Global Carnival, an amalgamation of Dance, Theatre, Visual Arts, Music, Fashion and much more. I am really looking forward to this one. Stat tuned on their Facebook page to get regular updates of events organised by them.

All the best wishes to team Navrasa Duende may they succeed in this most wonderful endeavor and bring the best of Global talent for the art lovers.

Chronux- Book Review

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

A word about the author first.
Sagar Kamath teaches History and International Affairs at Symbiosis International University.
He is a Masters in History and Philosophy and has almost a decade of teaching experience. He has lectured extensively on a wide range of subjects and specializes in issues of religion and politics.
In his free time he loves to explore ‘off the beaten track’ locales which hold a sense of mystique about them.

Chronux is the story of Time or let’s put it this way that Chronux is a story which time tells us about of times past to times in the far future and the times spent inbetween.

The story which starts from a a small village of Aruhu, in the Himalayas takes you on a roller coaster ride through a span of more than 3000 years BC to more than 3000 years in the future,not to forget the time in the present.

It’s a wonderful Juxtaposition of the long past events mingling with the present and the future.

Although a work of fiction a tremendous amount of research has gone into the making of this absolutely rivetting story of Time.

The events described whether in the past, present or future are so realistically portrayed that at times you pause and find that yes all this could be very plausible and true. Really a remarkable piece of storytelling wherein you feel you are a part of this journey. The events described from the past,present and future are beautifully intertwined and does leave one dazed at the aouthor’s imagination and the finesse to put things up so brilliantly.


A must must read for everyone. Go grab your copy now and enjoy a never before experience of fiction/reality. Find out for yourself.

Its available on Amazon for Rs 475 for paperback and 283 for the Kindle version.

My Rating 4.5/5 stars

Smaaash Sky Karting and Pit Stop Brewpub- An enthralling experience!

Posted on by Aditi Malhotra

Adrenaline pump, technological excellence and unexplainable thrill is what you get when you go sky karting at Smaaash. Equipped with the best in line technology, this sky karting is as thrilling as it can be but also at the same time, its extremely safe. Shaped like a canter, it excites you even before you enter this place. Its so wonderfully done.

The best of technology being used in the carts has been imported from Spain. These carts are all electric, top of the line and offer superior acceleration as compared to engine powered carts.Not just that, being electric also means that these carts are  noise, vibration and pollution free. Also the design and technology are so simple that those who have zero driving experience can also glide their way smoothly.

The racing track has been designed and executed by Germany based Protex Karting. The track features dramatic elevations meant to be battled with karts that are equipped with exclusive speed control. The Protex barriers instead of the old tyres which usually form the boundaries of the tracks have been deployed to give better and great safety to the karters. These barriers are spring loaded and shock absorbing which makes things more safe and sound.

I loved the fact that safety has been given utmost attention, making it a great experience especially for kids. Otherwise also, they provide everything thats required to make the karting safe, crocs, hair caps, helmets and neck rest and that too without any extra charge. They also ensure that when kids are karting, no adults are allowed, in order to avoid any rash encounters or bumping etc.

After a thrilling 5 minute lap, I settled down to watch the kids going for rides over and over again and enjoying themselves thoroughly.

We came down to the PitStop Brewpub after this fascinating experience to satiate our hunger pangs and I must say that the quality of food and drinks served at this place is just awesome. We tried Chicken Tikka, Oriental Chicken Basket, Tempura Stuffed Mushrooms, Beer Batter Fish N Chips, Galauti Kebab, Burrah Chop Adraki and Gosht Seekh Kebab and I must say that each of the dish was fantastic, no complaints at all. In fact I strongly recommend Stuffed Mushrooms, Seekh Kebabs and Burrah Chops, as they were outstanding.

Coming to desserts the PitStop Rush Sunday is a must have, and you can also try the Red Velvet Cheesecake and Brownies.

[easy-image-collage id=6030]

Overall it was a great experience, full on thrill and entertainment and tasteful meal, what else can one ask for.

PitStop BrewPub Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Book Review- Looped by Munmun Singh Nagpal

Posted on by Sunil Malhotra

A word about the Author, her love for writing started in standard six while writing essays. She also started writing novels for her friends when in tenth class. She has four unpublished novels before getting published with this book.
An MBA in marketing she helps out her husband in his dairy business .

Now Looped that’s what I got when I started the book.
The book is based on Time Travel to the past and it took me time to get used to the technical mumbo jumbo.
But then came an absolutely fascinating story of the Time Traveller, Toby Sezoe, falling in love with a woman from centuries past.
An intriguing story of what the future or past holds for Toby forms the crux of this endearing tale of love.
She cant see him, he can’t feel her and still the author weaves together a wonderful bond of love between the two spanning across time. A really superb must read.

Grab your copy and find out does Toby find his love,is there a way the two could get united???

My Rating 3.5/5

Its Available on Amazon for Rs 150/-

Book Review- Life and The Grey Notes by Mayank S. Singer

Posted on by Sunil Malhotra

A word about the Author first,Mayank Sengar is from a family of culturalists based in the holy city of Varanasi.
He is naturally blessed with a keen eye for the human factor and a fine sense of appreciation for life’s varied experiences which also reflects in his work.
He has an uncanny talent of connecting with people from all strata of society and that in turn is evident of his very real characters in his stories.
Mayank currently lives in Gurgaon with his wife and two lovely kids.

Life and the Grey Notes is a collection of short stories, 10 to be precise.

1. Inside Bermuda Triangle
A story of a modern day confused youth looking for answers to chart his future.
And answers he does get but in a very surreal manner.
Was it God himself leading him or???

2. The Evening Call.
The story of a just retired ever happy and helpful man and his quest for peace in this modern techno savvy society.
A really moving and telling story of the make believe virtual world which all of us are caught up in.

3. Hoping for Hope.
The story of Hope against all odds epitomized in the form of one person:Bhoop Singh,who has a solution to every problem and is the living symbol of inspiration and hope for all around him.
Is he for real or is he too fallible to the vagaries of life??.

4. Who’s the Pet?
A fascinating view point from the author vis a vis the pet that we keep.
Do we provide him with all the security,love and affection or is it actually the vice versa??

5. The Golden Fear.
Another little gem from the Author regarding our love for the yellow metal.
Is it to be bought and put safely in bank for future security or can it be enjoyed by the female members of the family???

6. The Religious Atheist
A story of a young man not very bright in studies and being constantly compared to other bright students.
His gradual dependence,like most ,growing upon praying to God for a miracle.
His subsequent loss of faith.
Does he regain his faith???

7. Blood Group H+
A superb story of an hard working man trying to achieve his small dreams with honesty.
Is it possible in today’s opportunistic world?
Or does he fall prey to the tryst with dishonesty???

8. Lets Judge
As the title clearly suggests we in our day to day life are always more than keen to be judgmental of events and people around us.But a chance encounter of the protagonist with a fellow passenger leaves a mark on him.
Should we Judge???

9. The Unlucky Betrayal
Again the title really says it all.
You may be having the time of your life in everything you do right from childhood to your growing up,lucky you.
But does luck betray you when you least expect it????

10. The God Particle
In this fast paced crazy lifestyle of today one is not able to find answers to so many of life’s riddles.
But somehow one remark from someone gets right into you and becomes the answer to your myriad questions.Right????

Well a simply beautiful collection of short stories touching upon the various facets of life.
A wonderfully simple narrative style that holds your attention.

Highly recommended.

Grab your copy now!!!!!!!

Its available on Amazon for Rs 134/-(paperback)

My Rating 4.5/5

Ghungroo- Delhi’s Only Dinner Theatre, An Experience Beyond Words!

Posted on by Sunil Malhotra

Tucked away at Parsi Anjuman, Bahadurshah Zafar Road, Ghungroo is Delhi’s one and only Dinner Theatre. The concept of dinner theatre in itself is very unusual and thoughtful at the same time and Rudra Experiences are doing a wonderful job of bringing different experiences for us to explore. An absolutely wonderful experience to spend an evening with family n friends. We recently got a chance to witness this and I am so glad we went for it, and trust me I already look forward to going there again, it was so wonderful.


The music and dance show which traces the history of Delhi from the times of its first documented ruler Prithvi Raj Chauhan to its present along with the Audio Visuals is a treat to watch.



As the mesmerizing performances take you through the journey of Delhi becoming the seat of power and it’s cultural impact across India, you are literally on the edge of your seat, and can’t take your eyes off the dancers.



Its  beautifully choreographed and equally well performed and each of the act deserves accolades.
A most interesting musical journey from the Sounds of Yore to the present day. Simply enthralling one hour spent and you cant have a better form of entertainment than this.

For us it was experience beyond words can describe and we created memories for a lifetime.


After the spellbinding performances  a gastronomical delight at Angaare the open air barbecue awaited us
An authentic Indian Barbecue which served delicacies as Seekh Kebabs, Chicken Tikka, Fish Tikka, Paneer Tikka and Mushrooms.
All slow cooked with delicate spices and perfectly done.
Also to accompany the tandoori delicacies were ChickenC, Dal Tadka and Vegetables along with  Tandoori breads.
For dessert there was the Shahi Tukda and Jalebi .Both awesome.
All in all great food and is highly recommended.
A great theatre experience followed by delicious food. Sitting out in the open and enjoying the sumptuous food is a treat.


Don’t miss this for anything, indulge in it and experience Delhi’s culture like never before, its totally worth your time and money, catch a glimpse here

You can check the details here and also book yourself a seat, http://rudraxp.com/daytrip/ghungroo-sounds-of-yore/ so what are you waiting for.. do it right away..

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