Reverse traffic

Reverse traffic

Bangalore is emerging as a hot destination for the global health tourist....

When Amitabh Bachchan’s on-screen character took a cancer-struck Jaya Bhaduri to America for treatment in the seventies hit Mili, it was in a last ditch effort to save her life. The trend seems to have reversed. If the film is remade, there is a high possibility that the couple will be Indian-born residents of UK and the heroine will be flown home, maybe even to namma Bengaluru, for that super-speciality treatment. Lured by low costs and top-notch health services, patients from across the globe are now making a beeline for hospitals in India. And Bangalore, home to a growing number of super-speciality hospitals, is fast emerging as a hot destination for health tourists from UK, USA, South-east Asia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Call it medical tourism, medical outsourcing or medical value travel, the phenomenon brings glad tidings for both the health and tourism sectors. Vishal Bali, CEO of Wockhardt Hospital and Heart Institute attributes the trend to an impending health crisis in the West. In the UK, for instance, people contribute a share of their earnings to the National Health Scheme, but are left high and dry by woefully inadequate medical services. Chronically ill patients are often made to wait for up to one year. Private hospitals are prohibitively expensive. All this spells advantage India.

George Marshal, a retired policeman, underwent an angiography at an NHS hospital in the UK. He was put on eight-month waiting list for surgery. On studying available options, Marshal decided to have his operation at Wockhardt Hospital, Bangalore. The operation was conducted last year and he is doing well. Jack Rose, a 58-year-old American pilot, had hip pain that led to a limp. He underwent surface replacement surgery at Hosmat Hospital. “I consulted doctors in England and California. Then, I met Dr Chandy of Hosmat, saw the facilities at his hospital and decided to have my surgery here,” he says. Feather Stone, a 78-year-old native of Vienna, now settled in Chemford, south London, was suffering from severe back pain. She came all the way to Hosmat and was successfully operated on by a team of spinal surgeons. Mallya Hospital reserves five to ten per cent of its beds for foreign patients. “We have patients coming for prostrate operations, knee and hip replacements. Cost is only one aspect that makes India an attractive medical destination. The medical care is still world class,” says Commodore Indru Wadhwani of Mallya Hospital. Wadhwani sees a huge potential for medical tourism in India, but to leverage it hospitals here must go for Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation: world benchmark for health care. Bali feels Bangalore desperately needs an international airport. “A joint study by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) and McKinsey showed that the Indian health care industry is growing at a rate of 13 per cent. Going by the report, medical tourism will rake in $2 billion by 2012. The figures could rise with health insurance cover and a better synergy between the health and tourism sectors,” Bali says. The government, too, seems to have woken up to the potential of medical tourism. It has launched the Incredible India Campaign to showcase the country as a world health tourist destination. Not just that. It has also started issuing medical visas in place of tourist visas to foreign patients coming here for treatment. For the firangis, it is an opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Most combine their treatment with trips to nearby tourist destinations and salubrious retreats where they recuperate later. There are also those who come for alternative care like ayurveda, naturopathy etc. Netradhama, a city-based eye clinic, offers advanced care for cataract, lasik, glaucoma, retinal and corneal problems. Dr Sri Ganesh of Netradhama also does contact lens implants for patients with chronic vision problems. The procedure costs $6,000 in US, while it costs only Rs 50,000 here. Narayana Hrudalaya had grabbed the headlines three years ago with an open-heart surgery conducted on the cherubic Noor Fatima, who came to Bangalore by the Lahore bus. Manipal Hospital and Sagar Apollo Hospital are some of the other city hospitals that have spotted a niche market in health tourism. Figure this out It is not difficult to figure out why India is such an attractive destination for medical treatments. UK France US India Heart Bypass 15,000 13,000 13,250 4,300 Hip Replacement 9,000 7,600 15,900 3,180
Cataract Operation 2,900 1,000 2,120 650
All figures are in US dollars and have been provided by healthconnectindia.com, a medical advisory service provider, based in Bangalore.

A different Thattukada

A different thattukada

Naveen Namboodiri

The thattukadas of God’s Own Country have gone hip. Or, the concept of thattukada – those roadside eateries that dot the backwaters of South Kerala – seems to have taken a new dimension in the metropolis. Originally known for its mouth-watering dosas and omelettes, the urban version of thattukada has gone one step forward, providing exotic stuff, cooked up from age-old recipes handed over down the generations, (learnt the hard way by daughters-in-law under the watchful eyes of hardnosed mothers-in-law), and now being tried out successfully by modern-day chefs (mothers-in-law please excuse). The Kuttanadan Thattukada at , 346, Hennur Main Road, Kalyanagar, is one such joint where one can enjoy a unique blend of Malayali cuisine — and get transported to the backwaters — and Italian food.

A traditional Kerala house, complete with majestic pillars, has been recreated at the restaurant. Standing tall right in the middle is a deepasthambam (a giant oil lamppost that is lit up in front of Kerala temples) and adorning the walls are murams (a common household item woven out of bamboo strips). Don’t waste your time and tummy space on starters. The main course has enough filling/fulfilling options. Kerala Parotta and Kozhi Varutharacha Curry (chicken masala in grated-and-fried coconut, a dash of cashewnut and kismis, sauté onions and tomato, garnished with violet cabbage) will make a good beginning. Have chicken if you must, but don’t miss out on seafood, for that’s what makes this thattukada special, advises chef Benny Mathew. You can either go for Kappa and Meen Curry (tapioca and fish curry). Kappa, also known as kollikizhangu, is a vegetable grown in the backyards of Malayali homes. Along with sardine curry, it makes a delicious and inexpensive combo, the staple diet of the poor and the delight of the nouveau riche. Most of the fish items are best had with rice (boiled). Check out the famous Meen Pollichatu. Pearl spot fish (marinated in sour lime and spices) baked in banana leaf, this is something to die for. The menu describes the Meen Mulagu Patticha Curry as fish cooked in red chilli sauce. Prod Mathew a little, and he is generous to elaborate: “This is seer fish in a sauce of kodambuli (a variety of tamarind), garlic and ginger sauted in coconut oil, added with turmeric powder, chilli powder and methi seeds.” The other fish items include Meen Molly (fish fried in coconut milk and spices, garnished with coriander curry leaves), Meen Mapas (fish sauted in spices and onions and cooked in coconut milk), and Meen Fry (fish marinated with herbs and spices and fried in oil). Talking about seafood, the restaurant also offers prawn varieties such as Chemmeen Curry (prawns marinated in spices and cooked in coconut milk), Chemmeen Curry Kuttanad (prawns marinated in spices and herbs and cooked in red chilli sauce) and Chemmeen Fry (marinated in soul lime and herbs and golden fried). The last one can also be had as a starter. “To maintain the look, we have not removed the shell of the shrimp. You may think it is a live prawn that’s been served,” the chef. You may also opt for crabs. There is Njandu Fry (crab steamed and filled with onions and red chillies), Njandu Roast (crab roasted in oven) and Njandu Curry (cooked in raw coconut sauce and spices). Not to mention of the Beef Kerala Fry and Beef Varutha Arachathu (curry). Veggies need not despair as there are some homely dishes like Aviyal (an assortment of vegetables), Toran, Pachadi Pulisseri and Teeyal. The Teeyal is a typical south Kerala dish, which has now become popular in North Kerala too. It can be made of ulli (onion), vendakka (ladies-finger) and pavakka (bitter-gourd) among other things. The Italian fare includes starters such as Cocktail Di Gamberi (prawn cocktail), Pastas like Tagliatelle or Spaghetti Bolognese (a choice of Tagliatelle with Bolognese sauce), seasonal specials like Cotoletta Di Polle (fillet of chicken breaded, fried, and served with French Fries) and Pollo All Arrabbiatta (pieces of chicken in tomato sauce with a hint of chilli; served with Tagliatelle or Spaghetti). For reservations, call 25432035/736/757.

Fashion goes remix: retro & trendy

Fashion goes remix: retro & trendy

Naveen Namboodiri
Past simple present progressive — that’s the story of men’s fashion this year. Vanity is alright so long as you are okay with it. Be fashion-conscious — it’s in. And don’t worry too much about becoming a fashion victim. There’s a potpourri of styles to keep up with and anything practical — or practically anything — goes. All said and done, follow these dos and dont’s prescribed by Bangalore’s well-known fashion gurus.

Paresh Lamba Minimalism is in, but don’t let it stop you from being innovative. The retro look is back but don’t get trapped in a time warp. Mix it up with something trendy. There’s lot of “de-construction” happening in men’s wear. Shoulder pads are out and the slimmer silvet is in. Be practical and wear something you are comfortable with. Try contrasting colours. Darker shades like charcoal grey, black and blue still hold good for formal wear, but it’s okay to have purple and pink stripes on black suits. You can be more adventurous with colours in casuals. Colours like olive green and peach will rule the roost this summer. Start growing your hair. The short, gelled look is slowly fading out. Practicality is the new watchword. Try creating looks that you can carry with elan. Thanks to more exposure to world fashion, men are bothered about their looks. This has given a fillip to the fashion industry. Guunjan Sandhu Men of substance are staging a comeback. So, go out clean and well-groomed. Use moisturiser and after-shave lotions to look metro-sexual. Style your hair in whatever way you feel like — ironing, streaking or dyeing. Thanks to fashion divas like Manish Malhotra, being stylish is now acceptable. Skin care and grooming regimes are going to take up a lion’s share of men’s lives in 2006. At parties, formal suites are out. So, dazzle in kurties, smart shirts with toned applique, striking leather arm bracelets, beaded chains and shoes with colours that go with your outfit. Prasad Bidapa 2006 is going to witness a riot of colour. You will have men sporting pink, lavender, lime, cream and golden yellow colours. Ties will become narrower. As far as shoes are concerned, go for international brands. You get some classic varieties at Clark’s. The messier you hair the better.

From Malgudi to Bangalore

From Malgudi to Bangalore, Swami has come a long way

Naveen Namboodiri
Swami is still on the move. No, he isn’t catching thieves in Malgudi or breaking windowpanes of his school any more. The small screen wonder of ’80s has grown up — from Master Manjunath to Manjunath Nayaker. Some things, though, never change. Swami is still a charmer. Cricket is still a religion for him, as was when he, along with his neighbourhood friends, painstakingly stitched together a cricket team for the Malgudi Cricket Club. As the senior manager (PR & Liaison) of Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise Limited, Manjunath Nayaker is now designing expressways and elevated monorails for traffic-choked Bangalore.

He vividly remembers his Malgudi Days. “Playing Swami was a tough challenge. I had to do justice to an immortal character created by one of India’s finest storytellers (R K Narayan). We had a grinding schedule in Agumbe near the Western Ghats, where the shooting was on. I had to learn Hindi and English, mug up pages of dialogues and shoot day in and day out. But we kids had our share of fun too,” he says. Manujunath had not read Swami and Friends then. He looked up to director Shankar Nag, who in turn put his faith in the 10-year-old boy. The off-screen chemistry they shared reflected in the success of Malgudi Days, the first Hindi TV serial to be made in South India. Malgudi Days catapulted Master Manjunath, till then known only to Kannada cine goers, into national limelight. But little did he know that he had become famous in households across the country. “I didn’t know I was famous. I didn’t know we were recreating a literary masterpiece. What I knew was that I was working for Shankar Nag. And that I had to deliver the goods. It helped in a way,” he says. Acting, however, was nothing new to Manjunath. He had donned the grease paint at age three, for a Kannada movie called Ajith. Manjunath first met Shankar Nag on the sets of Hosatirpu. After three films with Nag, Manjunath acted in the Rekha-starrer Utsav. He has since acted in 68 films, including two English, one Telugu and one Kashmiri. “Life was like a roller-coaster ride. I used to shoot extensively for months together and then return to studies. Coming from a middle-class family, money mattered. I continued acting till age 19. Then I decided that enough was enough.” Armed with an MA in Sociology, Manjunath worked for an ad agency for some time. He also had a brief stint as project leader of onlinebangalore.com. “I am still passionate about acting. But I don’t want to make it my calling,” says the actor-turned corporate executive. Manjunath cherishes a compliment he received from R K Narayan. “After all that hype over Malgudi Days, we had a party at Woodlands Hotel. Narayanan, who was present on the occasion, told me: Manju, you are exactly what I imagined Swami to be. That was the biggest recognition I had ever received.” Manjunath is all for renaming Agumbe as Malgudi. “Malgudi is a place we all can relate to. The Market Road, the snuff stalls, the Regal Hair Cutting Saloon, the Sarayu river, the railway station, Gaffur’s taxi and the reading room, all these are not just figments of Narayan’s imagination, but symbols of our picture-postcard villages.”

Bluejacked, with mobile virus!

Bluejacked, with mobile virus!

Naveen Namboodiri

It’s the weekend and you are shopping at one of Bangalore’s bursting-at-the-seams malls. Your bluetooth-equipped mobile flashes this message: “I like your shirt.” Don’t look startled. You’ve been bluejacked, say by somebody who prefers to be known as King of Hell. It’s one of those umpteen ways modern technology can be misused. Bluejacking, for the uninformed, is the business of sending unsolicited messages from mobile to mobile, enabled with bluetooth technology. The target

The ‘bluejacker’ can search for his ‘targets’ — other phones with bluetooth, within a range of ten metres — and send across anything from text messages to pictures to addresses. Most ‘victims’ will have no idea as to how the message popped up on their phone. While bluejacking is not illegal, it could well land you in trouble. The thumb rule, therefore, is to send innocuous and inoffensive messages that will bring a smile, or perhaps a bewildered expression on the reciever’s face, but not raise tempers. The flipside An innocent caper it may be, but bluejacking has it pitfalls. The biggest problem is that the ‘bluejacked’ often end up with virus that slows down his mobile. Says Shwetal, who works for a leading media house, “I usually keep the bluetooth option on my phone off for fear of receiving virus. Many of my friends’ phones have conked out after receiving virus from anonymous people.” One of the virus, Cabir, arrives in the message inbox as a caribe.sis file. If a user installs the .sis file, the worm will be activated. Once activated, the worm writes “Caribe” on the screen and is active every time the phone is t urned on. If the bluetooth option on one phone is active, the virus will jump to the other bluetooth-active instrument even before the user can disable it. The other virus that bluetooth phone users dread is Comwarrior that appears as comwarrior.sis. Says Manjunath, a college student, “Often, the virus transmits on its own. Your are in a crowd and your phone suddenly flashes a number. Within seconds, the virus is in your phone.” Charan, a software professional, however, says one need not be unduly worried about receiving viruses. “I got a picture message and saved it in my phone. Till date, I haven’t faced any problem. Don’t worry. The virus is absolutely harmless. It will create messages like Internet Installer and try to to send it to numbers selected from your phone. But it cannot do that. Viruses like Cabir can only slow down your set.”

When Bengal’s gain became Bangalore’s loss

When Bengal’s gain became Bangalore’s loss

Naveen Namboodiri
Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ronaldo will vie for attention on telly over the next one month as the men in blue take on the Windies and the FIFA World Cup gets underway in Germany...

Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Ronaldo will vie for attention on telly over the next one month as the men in blue take on the Windies and the FIFA World Cup gets underway in Germany. Cricket may be religion to Bangaloreans, but come World Cup they do a volte-face. Football fever – as contagious as can be – grips Bangalore and the City returns to its roots. Yes, the beautiful game was once the IT capital’s claim to fame. Circa 1940. This was years after Bhuvan’s 11 (of Lagaan) gave their colonial masters a dose of their own medicine. A local football team put up a nail-biter against Italian war prisoners in a Cantonment camp. The locals, playing barefoot, dribbled, lobbed and headed the ball furiously giving the Italians, who played in boots, a run for their money.

Karnataka – then Mysore – was India’s Mecca of soccer. And Bangalore a nursery for sought-after footballers, who made it big in Bengal and brought India glory in the Olympics. A D Nagendra, former coach of the India under-19 team and treasurer of the Karnataka State Football Association relives the golden era of football in Karnataka. “In the early Thirties and Forties, football was a rage in the lanes and bylanes of Austin Town, Cox Town and Murphy Town. The game was played with fervour on Sullivan and Garrison grounds in Cantonment area, on the YMCA grounds and in Cubbonpet. The City boasted of clubs such as Bangalore Blues, Bangalore Sporting and Bangalore Muslims, which had formidable teams. The City hosted football tournaments like Stafford Cup and Ashgold Cup. The Muslim community produced some quality players such as Basheer, Ahmed Khan, Sattar, Rahmat and Sarmad Khan, some of whom also played for the top clubs of Bengal. The Bangalore Muslims had, in fact, won the Rovers Cup. Then there were the Tamilians: goalkeeper Anthony, Kadrivelu, Shanmugham, Vajravelu, Raman,” Nagendra says. According to Amjad Khan, deputy general secretary of the association, Cantonment has produced many football legends. “The Cantonment area became a football hub thanks to the Brits. The local players honed their skills playing against the colonial rulers and their prisoners. Companies such as HAL, ITI, CIL, LRD, BEL and had great teams which played quality football. Krishnaji Rao and I were part of the CIL team which won the Staffford Cup. Post-Independence, however, the clubs died a natural death. Most of the players moved north to play for cash-rich Bengal and Goa clubs. Some of our greatest footballers – Venkatesh, Dhanraj, Dam-odaran, Masum, Ramanna, Lakshmi Narayana, Murugesh, Muthu, Arumainayakam, Ethiraj and Raman – made a name for themselves in Kolkata. In the 70s and 80s, Pushparaj, Devraj, Ulaganathan, Sarmad Khan and Kosal Ram brought glory to state,” he says. Armed with a battery of stars, the Mysore team had a dream run, winning the Santosh Trophy in 1946, 1952, 1967 and 1968. “We won the Santosh Trophy in ’67 beating Bengal at Cuttack. That was the first time we won the trophy playing outside Karnataka. We also won the Pentangular Tournament in Ceylon in 67 and in Kollam in 1972.” Bangalore also produced many Olympians: Ahmed Khan (1948 London and 1952 Helsinki Olympics), M A Sattar (1952), goalkeeper K L Varadaraj (1948 and 1952), Vajravelu (1948), T Shanmugham (1952), and M Kempaiah (1956 Melbourne and 1960 Rome Olympics) to name a few. But all that changed with the industries stopping recruitments. “Football had to be played for the love of it. We lost all our great players.” Thus, Bengal’s gain became Karnataka’s loss.

My musical odyssey

About my journey in music
Background and training

I come from a musically inclined family of north Kerala. My late uncle Raman Namboodiri was a disciple of Chembai Vaidyanatha Bhagavathar.

I started learning music at an early age, under Harippad K P N Pillai. I later honed my skills under Palghat K S Narayanaswamy and Tanjore S Kalyanaraman, a direct disciple of G N Balasubramanyam.
During his schooldays, I participated in several competitions and bagged top prizes. Armed with an MA in Music from Kerala University, I started giving concerts.

Concerts

I have, thus far, performed in some 700 concerts across India, France and Italy. I have been accompanied in these concerts by the who's who of Carnatic music, including mridangam maestro Dr T K Murthy, tabla maestros Bikram Ghosh and Tanmoy Bose (for a Carnatic-Hindustani jugalbandhi) J Vaidyanathan, Mavelikkara Velukkutty Nair and Thiruvananthapuram Surendran.

Award

In the year 2000, I won the prestigious Yuva Sangeetha Sudharnava Award, instituted by the Puthukkode Krishnamoorthy Foundation, for the best upcoming Carnatic classical singer in Kerala. The award was presented to me by the Travancore Maharani, Gauribhai Thamburatti.

Playback singing

I have sung playback for a Malayalam film, titled Panchapandavar. The music for this film was composed by Kaithapram Damodaran Namboodiri. Earlier, I had sung track for many leading music directors like Vidyasagar, Beni Ignatious, Ousepachan and Sharat. I had sung track for films such as Ennu Swantham Janaki Kutti, Mayilipeelikkavu, Talolam, Kaikudanna Nilavu, Agni Sakshi.

Prizes won
1) State Youth festival: 1st prize in Light Music and Classical Music (1989, 90)
2) Interzone College Festival: 1st prize in classical music (1994)
3) Keralotsavam: 1st prize in classical music

Albums
1) Naveen (Magnasound)
2) Rock to ragas (Magnasound)
3) Dance Natyam (Along with playback singer Sujatha)
4) Oorja (Magnasound)
5) Bhajathim Devi (Kalavardhini)
6) Echoes of Eco (Vivekananda Mutt)
7) Rythmscape (Sony, fusion music)
8) Enmanam Ponnambalam (East Coast)
9) Panchapandavar (Malayalam film)

Important concerts

1) Karthick Fine Arts (Chennai)
2) India International Centre (New Delhi)
3) Tulasivanam Sabha (Thiruvananthapuram)
4) Lakshmanagana Sabha (Thiruvananthapuram)
5) Rasika Ranjini (Kolkata)
6) Kathakali Sabha (Mumbai)
7) Hava Mahal (Jaipur)
8) Swathi Music Dais (Calicut)
9) Carnatica Gurukulam (Bangalore)
10) Yogakshema Sabha (Bangalore)

Programmes on air

I am a graded artiste of All India Radio, Kozhikode. I have also performed many programmes on Doordarshan, Asia Net, Surya TV and Amrita TV.