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India, often referred to as the land of <keyword id="15246" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="festivals" source="Orion">festivals</keyword>, boasts a diverse tapestry of celebrations that showcase the rich cultural heritage and traditions of its people. Among the multitude of <keyword id="20672365" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="festivals-celebrated-across-the-country" source="Orion">festivals celebrated across the country</keyword>, there are some truly unique ones that stand out for their distinctiveness and regional significance. Let's take a journey through India to explore some of these extraordinary festivals: <keyword id="20672363" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="lathmar-holi" source="keywords">Lathmar Holi</keyword> (Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh) Lathmar Holi is a playful and boisterous festival celebrated in the town of Barsana, Uttar Pradesh. Unlike traditional Holi celebrations where people joyously splash colors on each other, Lathmar Holi has a unique twist. Here, women playfully chase and "beat" men with sticks, reenacting the legendary love story of Lord Krishna and Radha. The festival is marked by laughter, music, and camaraderie, making it a truly memorable experience. <keyword id="86993" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jallikattu" source="Orion">Jallikattu</keyword> (Tamil Nadu) Jallikattu is an ancient bull-taming sport celebrated primarily in the state of Tamil Nadu during the Pongal festival. Brave participants attempt to tame ferocious bulls by grabbing their humps and horns. The event symbolizes courage and valor and is deeply ingrained in Tamil culture, attracting spectators from far and wide. <keyword id="2741872" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hemis-Festival" source="Orion">Hemis Festival</keyword> (Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir) The Hemis Festival is a vibrant Buddhist celebration held annually at the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh. It commemorates the birth anniversary of Guru Padmasambhava, the founder of Tibetan Buddhism. The festival is characterized by colorful masked dances, traditional music performances, and the unveiling of sacred thangkas (religious tapestries), attracting devotees and tourists alike. <keyword id="851515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hornbill-Festival" source="Orion">Hornbill Festival</keyword> (Nagaland) The Hornbill Festival is a cultural extravaganza held in Nagaland, showcasing the diverse traditions and customs of the Naga tribes. Named after the Indian hornbill bird, the festival features indigenous music, dance performances, art exhibitions, and culinary delights, providing a glimpse into Naga heritage and way of life. <keyword id="78069" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rann-Utsav" source="Orion">Rann Utsav</keyword> (Gujarat) Rann Utsav is a vibrant festival celebrated in the vast expanse of the Rann of Kutch in Gujarat. The festival highlights the unique landscape, culture, and craftsmanship of the region, with activities such as camel safaris, cultural performances, handicraft exhibitions, and traditional folk dances, making it a mesmerizing experience for visitors. Rural Olympics (Punjab) The Rural Olympics, also known as the Kila Raipur Sports Festival, is a unique event held in the village of Kila Raipur in Punjab. It showcases traditional rural sports and competitions, including bullock cart races, tractor races, kabaddi matches, and wrestling bouts, attracting participants and spectators from all over the country. <keyword id="44513" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rath-Yatra" source="Orion">Rath Yatra</keyword> (Odisha) Rath Yatra, celebrated primarily in Puri, Odisha, is a grand procession where massive chariots carry idols of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balabhadra, and sister Subhadra to their temple. It attracts millions of devotees, symbolizing the journey of the deities to visit their aunt's temple. These festivals, each unique in its own right, offer a glimpse into the diverse cultural tapestry of India, bringing together people from different backgrounds to celebrate and rejoice in the spirit of unity and harmony. From the colorful streets of Barsana to the tranquil valleys of Ladakh, these festivals showcase the vibrant mosaic of traditions and customs that make India truly special. Note: The article is based on content generated by AI models like Bard and Chatgpt.

From Lathmar Holi to Jallikattu: India's most unusual festivals

<ul><li>Cargill is the maker of brands like <keyword id="944872" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="naturefresh" source="Orion">NatureFresh</keyword>, <keyword id="6358520" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gemini" source="Orion">Gemini</keyword>, <keyword id="175574" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sweekar" source="Orion">Sweekar</keyword> and Leonardo.</li><li>We speak to <keyword id="5222174" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="piyush-patnaik" source="Orion">Piyush Patnaik</keyword>, Managing Director, Cargill oil business in India about the pandemic's impact on their business and how they are working towards creating a portfolio of products that caters to the rapidly changing consumer needs.</li></ul>It was in 1987 that US-based Cargill entered India. In the last 34 years, the maker of brands like NatureFresh, Gemini, Sweekar and Leonardo is now further diversifying after listening to its consumers and working on coming up with a range of bakery products. There has also been a visible move towards healthier offerings. Even before the pandemic hit us, Cargill had started its journey of healthifying its products, which has worked in its favor in the last 1.5 years. In a recent chat with Piyush Patnaik, Managing Director, Cargill oil business in India, we tried to understand how things have been for the brand since the pandemic and the lockdown, what their outlook is for the upcoming festive season and how they are working on bringing in the next phase of growth in India. Excerpts: Q) The last 18 months have been difficult for businesses the world over. What kind of an impact did the pandemic and the ensuing lockdown have on your business? There are three parts to our business, one goes into households through traditional channels. We also have a large presence in food services, essentially for out-of-home consumption. And the third part of our business is supplying to our large B2B players. The last 18 months have been tough. However, it was a mixed bag for the overall business. For the consumer retail business, it was a tailwind but for the food service business, it was a clear and massive headwind. For the B2B segment, it was a mixed bag. The challenge was more on the operations side. However, due to the kind of portfolio we have, there was still consumption and we had less reasons to complain about than a lot of other players in the segment. Q) What do you think are a few factors that helped you sail through, relatively unscathed? As a company, we are very resilient. Our risk management processes, that have been built over 150 years, are a part of our core strength. During those difficult times, our supply chain never got disrupted. Secondly, we have clear market leadership in certain markets and it was easier to get back on track there. That helped the overall business. Thirdly, we took a few steps from our team’s side that really helped. For example, we were all operating in difficult environments, through a certain set of policies, we tried to facilitate movement of our people, additional safety measures for our teams and that helped us get back to the market faster than many of our competitors and we could get into deeper markets sooner. So it was a combination of our structural risk management practices built over years, our strong financial strength and the fact that we didn't have any break in our supply chain during this tough period. Q) What sort of a growth trajectory were you on before the pandemic hit? Are you back to pre-pandemic numbers? No, we are still not back to pre-Covid numbers but we are on a positive trajectory. We were in the typical FMCG growth bracket before Covid, and there has been a slowdown. We expect growth to kick in as we get into the festive season. Q) So you expect a good festive season this year? We definitely expect good demand in the festive season this year. We can already see green shoots of that in some markets. Also, the trade is very clearly positioning itself for higher throughput over the next four to six weeks. Q) The pandemic led to very rapid changes in consumer behavior. How did that reflect on your offerings? Did you come up with new products to cater to this changing consumer behavior? We were very lucky on that front. Over the last few years, there has been a massive conversion from loose, unpackaged products to packaged products across all categories and edible oil was ahead of the curve. Other than that, there has been a clear demand for healthier everyday food products. Covid amplified both trends across the staples category. Just around the time Covid hit, we had launched a few products like Gemini Rice Brand Oil and NatureFresh Acti Heart, which were healthier offerings. Both these products benefited from the trends. The fact that our <keyword id="12272720" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="naturefresh-atta" source="Orion">NatureFresh Atta</keyword> is positioned around high fiber again got traction. Since we have been talking about the importance of health in everyday life for Gemini, NatureFresh and <keyword id="12272721" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="leonardo-brands" source="Orion">Leonardo brands</keyword>, we could clearly see traction. Another change we witnessed was that indulgence moved home. We saw a lot of nice consumer interactions and uptake increase for heritage brands like <keyword id="6358640" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rath" source="Orion">Rath</keyword> and <keyword id="1481404" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sunflower-vanaspati" source="Orion">Sunflower Vanaspati</keyword>, products that are traditionally used either during festivals or for out-of-home consumption, for making sweets and Indian delicacies. And the fact that the government is slowly moving towards create awareness around trans fat reduction is also helping. We’re seeing a newfound attraction towards traditional fats which has been really helpful in the last 18 months. Q) Has this movement towards packaged products been faster in smaller cities? A lot of growth in the area is being driven by smaller cities. We are seeing faster conversion in Tier III and IV cities. Q) You have had a bakery ingredients business for a while now. Since the lockdown encouraged people to turn bakers at home, did you see any increase in demand? Our bakery goods were designed for large bakery goods customers like biscuit players. It used to be more B2B but over the last five years, we have built a nice business around NatureFresh professional portfolio of bakery ingredients which plays into the street corner artisan bakers. Today, we reach about 5,500 bakers daily. Since a lot of these shops stopped operating in the last 18-24 months, people wanted to have fresh freshly baked products at home. We had a product called <keyword id="10285577" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="naturefresh-professional-lite" source="Orion">NatureFresh Professional Lite</keyword>, a multi-purpose specialized pack for making cookies and cakes. We put it on e-commerce and saw a lot of traction. Wizened by that experience, we are now creating a larger basket of portfolio for the homemaker segment. The segment is witnessing phenomenal growth but it is still a very small percentage of our overall business. However, it seems like the growth is here to stay. Q) Usually a crisis leads to a cut in marketing and advertising budgets. How was it for Cargill? We are a bit of an outlier there. We have significantly expanded our communication projects, we are not looking at reduction, rather we are looking at increasing our investments, both across the Gemini and NatureFresh portfolio. As brands that are a part of people’s everyday lives, this is the time for increased conversations. We are doing multi-pronged conversations. Of course electronic media continues to stay the most relevant for larger reach, but we're amplifying it both through Digital and now through Print too. Q) How are you expanding your reach and going deeper into the country? We are expanding in two ways. We have expanded our manufacturing capacity significantly over the last 18-24 months And even during this period, we have expanded into many new towns within the geographies we operate in. Of course, we will keep expanding our product portfolio too.

Here’s how Cargill is listening to its consumers and coming up with products to best cater to evolving consumer needs

<ul><li>Mi Robot Vacuum Mop-P has launched a new informative video with comedian <keyword id="2024207" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Biswa-Kalyan-Rath">Biswa Kalyan Rath</keyword>. </li><li> With his ‘cutie’ (aka Mi Robot Vacuum Mop-P) in the house, he mentions how his house has become ‘too clean’.</li></ul>The lockdowns across many cities have made a lot of families seek out gadgets that can help automate &amp; reduce their workload at home. One of those gadgets that are getting a lot of interest is the Robot vacuum cleaner which can autonomously clean homes with minimal assistance by the members of the household. However, given that Indian homes are accustomed to traditional ways of cleaning, there are major concerns around its functionality and practical usage. This ranges from - can it not just vacuum but also mop? Can it clean the corners? Can it stop itself from falling off the stairs? Can it autonomously clean the household as per a set schedule? Addressing all the concerns and busting all the myths around the usage of such devices, <keyword id="2962484" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mi-India">Mi India</keyword>, along with much favourite Biswa Kalyan Rath, presents you the most interesting campaign of the year - 'Mast Admi' with a mast gadget! The fun and quirky content features mast aadmi Biswa, a renowned stand-up comedian and a not-so-cleanliness freak, whose will to clean the house every day during the lockdown has gone fishing like most of us. Reminiscing about his bachelor days, and recalling the small amount of time he spent cleaning during the lockdown, he was looking for a device that seamlessly fits into his daily life. With his ‘cutie’ (aka Mi Robot Vacuum Mop-P) in the house, he mentions how his house has become ‘too clean’. He puts the smart Mi Robot Vacuum Mop-P through tough situations but it manages to pass through all tests and reaches the farthest corners with ease like a Columbus. It mops the whole house in one go; detects obstacles extremely efficiently, and automatically goes back to the charging spot on its own. With its expanded functionality and practical usage, Biswa realises that if you can't beat the Mi Robot Vacuum Mop-P better to befriend him. <div type="Youtube" id="qoTqieLdGPg" title="Biswa x Mi Robot Vacuum Cleaner - It’s finally here" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qoTqieLdGPg/mqdefault.jpg"></div>

When Biswa Kalyan Rath found his true friend with benefits in Mi Robot Vacuum Mop-P

For so long, Jagannath Rath Yatra or the most famous Jagannath car festival of Puri in Orissa has been one of the biggest festivals in India. This is a spectacular and highly significant event carrying a lot of cultural, religious and social significance. Multitudes of people throng at the city of Puri to view the grandest chariot procession in the country. The several legends associated with the Rath Yatra of Puri capture the imaginations of the humans around the globe. Here are some highly interesting facts about the Jagannath Rath Yatra. Jagannath Rath Yatra interesting facts <ul><li>As practiced in a few other orthodox Hindu temples, none other than Hindus will be allowed to enter the gates of the Jagannath temple in Puri to view the deities and offer worship. However, the entry is open to anyone irrespective of caste and religion during the Jagannath Rath Yatra. During this festival time, all people can worship the Lord and receive his blessings. </li><li>The Rath yatra sees the procession of three independent chariots for the three deities of Jagannath, Balarama and Shubadra. Hence this event is also called the festival of chariots. The names of these three chariots are Nandighosha, Taladhwaja and Devadalana. </li><li>Nandigosha is the chariot of Jagannath that is set on 18 wheels. Taladwaja, the chariot of Balarama runs on 16 wheels and 14 wheels roll the chariot Padmadhwaja in which Shubadra parades. </li><li>The most astonishing facts about the Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra is that all the three chariots are constructed anew year after year prior to the festival. The construction makes use of newer materials as the years go by. However, the structure, model, design and measurements of the chariot remain the same. In front of each chariot, four wooden horses are fixed. </li><li>The chariot tops replicate the structure of the temple towers built in the North Indian style. Hundreds of pilgrims and devotees pull the massive sized chariots with sturdy ropes. This creates an awe inspiring sight for the onlookers. For making the canopies of the chariots, about 1200 meters of cloth is used. A team of 15 skilled tailors make the canopies. </li><li>As per the traditional belief, the king of Puri sweeps the floor with a broom stick before the chariots move forward thus providing a royal procession to the Lord with his accomplices. </li><li>When the festival begins, Lord Jagannath seems to refuse moving out. Despite the efforts of the crowds, the chariot cannot be moved even an inch forward. After a few hours of mammoth efforts, finally the chariot moves forward to trigger the procession’s onward march. </li><li>There is an interesting story behind the chariot festival. It is said Lord Jagannath catches high fever year on year prior to the Rath yatra. Hence he is given rest for a period of one week before the chariot festival. The temple doors remain shut for the public and none is allowed to disturb the resting Lord during this period. The chariot procession comes as a change for the Lord to visit his maternal aunt’s house after he recovers from his fever. </li></ul>

8 Interesting facts about Jagannath Rath Yatra

New Delhi, Apr 17 () As the harvesting of rabi crops like wheat pick up, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar on Friday launched the 'Krishi Rath' mobile app to facilitate farmers hire trucks for hassle-free transportation of agri-produce to mandis during the ongoing COVID-19 lockdown. After downloading the Krishi Rath mobile app, farmers are required to post the quantity of agri-produce they wish to transport. They will get the availability of truck and price quote against the load request from the transport aggregators. After confirmation, farmers will get transporters details on the app and can negotiate with transporters and finalise the deal for transportation of the produce to mandi. Stating that the new mobile app aims to resolve farm to mandi transportation problems, the agriculture ministry in a statement said the load posted by farmers will be visible to both traders and transporters. The traders will get to know the farm produce for sale in their areas and they can consolidate the load posted from various farmers and arrange a truck to pick-up all such produce from the farms, it said. Over 5.7 lakh trucks from five aggregators are listed on the app and more are expected to join, the agriculture ministry said. Currently, Custom Hiring Centres (CHCs) offer tractors for transportation of Agri produce to the farmers in the vicinity at an optimised cost. There are over 14,000 CHC having more than 20,000 tractors. The new system is expected to be a win-win situation for farmers, transporters and aggregators and the government. This will benefit farmers as they will get timely service, competitive prices, rating of transporters, reduction in food wastage and better price for perishable commodities. Transporters will benefit from higher fleet utilisation, while transport aggregators will have an enhanced market, thus helping the government create linkage to organised transport channels.The government has exempted many of the agricultural activities including inter-state movement of farm produce from the lockdown rule, imposed to prevent the spread of deadline COVID-19 disease. LUX SHWSHW

Centre unveils Krishi Rath app to facilitate hassle free agri-produce transportation in lockdown

Holidays in the monsoon season are filled with lashing showers, puddles of water, umbrellas and fresh winds. The season has its own way of charming the offbeat travelers since most people avoid traveling during monsoons. 

 <div type="embedgroup"> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="58995268" title="Mumbai &amp;amp; Delhi Citizens Vacation the most, according to Ola’s Outstation Insights" rank="1.0" kind="RELATED" publishDate="Jun 05, 2017, 2:00 PM" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div></div>


 However, 2017 can be different for travelers with an adequate number of long weekends, you can say goodbye to the monotonous routine and head out to cross off your travel bucket list with these destinations. This <keyword id="2808667" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO">Oyo</keyword> infographic shows the most popular holiday destination that you can explore this monsoon season. 

 <div type="embedgroup"> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="59215062" title="This website can help you get back your money on cancelled flights" rank="1.0" kind="RELATED" publishDate="Jun 19, 2017, 12:34 PM" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div></div> Experience the <keyword id="44513" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rath-Yatra">Rath Yatra</keyword> in <keyword id="4903" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Puri">Puri</keyword>, or cherish the gorgeous foliage of <keyword id="6378734" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lonavala">Lonavala</keyword> in the West. If you love the rejuvenating feel of the mountains, then head to Leh after a stopover at <keyword id="6359825" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="amritsar">Amritsar</keyword>. For people who are intrigued by heritage and spirituality, <keyword id="48458" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tirupati">Tirupati</keyword> makes a fantastic choice for a divine experience.<div type="image" title="BON VOYAGE (monsoon) 20th June" msid="59251702" hostid="261"></div>

These are the most popular monsoon holiday destinations according to Oyo

Up until three years ago, Sidhartha ‘Sid’ Mallya, son of troubled businessman and liquor baron <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=vijay+mallya&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Vijay Mallya</a> was famous for two things- having the ‘Mallya’ surname and for briefly dating <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=bollywood&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Bollywood’</a>s heartthrob <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=deepika+padukone&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Deepika Padukone</a>. 
 
Additionally, his party boy image and outspokenness on the internet only furthered the media scrutiny. 
 But that was the <keyword id="590881" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sid-Mallya">Sid Mallya</keyword> we knew three years back. 
 
Surprising one and all, he left India and the business empire he would have inherited from his father and moved to Los Angeles- away from the glaring spotlight to give acting a chance. 
 
Like any other struggling actor there, Mallya went for numerous auditions, participated in workshops and did some work for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=andrew+garfield&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Youtube</a> before enrolling himself in a one-year master’s programme at London’s prestigious Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. 
 
Cut to a year later and it seems that the transformation of Sid Mallya is now complete. 
 Having graduated from acting school on June 24 and eagerly awaiting the release of his debut film <keyword id="1947799" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Brahman-Naman">Brahman Naman</keyword>, a coming-of-age sex comedy, directed by Kolkata-based indie filmmaker <keyword id="266184" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Q">Q</keyword>uashiq Mukerjee, popularly known as Q (Gandu, Tasher Desh), Sid Mallya, the actor is here to stay. 
 
 
(A still from Brahman Naman) 
 Apart from Mallya, the Indo-British co-production written by Naman Ramachandran also stars <keyword id="2690392" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shashank-Arora">Shashank Arora</keyword> (of <keyword id="1349343" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="titli">Titli</keyword> fame), Chaitanya Varad, Tanmay Dhanania, Anisa Butt and stand-up comic <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=biswa+kalyan+rath&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Biswa Kalyan Rath</a>. 
 
Having already won accolades globally when it premiered at the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=sundance+film+festival&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Sundance Film Festiva</a>l this January, Brahman Naman is all set to release to a global audience on July 7, exclusively on <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword>. 
 
In an exclusive chat with Business Insider, 29-year-old Sid Mallya opened up about his passion for acting, Brahman Naman and his disinterest in Bollywood movie offers. 
 
 
Would you say gravitating towards acting as a career choice was a natural progression? 
 
You could say so. Growing up in England and going to a boarding school, I was always part of school plays and loved doing anything that was out there in terms of performance, from plays and recitals to debating. Infact, I was barely 4 years old when I did my first play. It probably stems from being an only child and always commanding the centre of attraction. Regardless, I loved being on the stage, so in a way I knew acting was my calling. But, hailing from a business family, I knew I had to give business a go before I pursued anything else. 
 
 
How did your parents feel about you choosing acting over business? 
 
Understandably, there were expectations of me following into my father’s footsteps —but again that’s a very Indian thing; the assumption that the son or daughter has to take over the reins of a family-owned business. 
 
Lucky for me, both my mother and father were very supportive and understanding of my decision because they knew I was determined and would give it my all. 
 
 
How would you describe your experience at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama? 
 
It has been the most incredible year. The training I’ve received here is unbelievable. There were 20 of us in this master’s course and in 10 weeks we’ve been reprogrammed entirely. It’s been a very holistic approach to acting in that we’ve been taught to work through the body and how everything is connected. For instance, we’ve been taught that if your feet are out of place, it means your knees are out of place, which means the hips are out of place, which means the diaphragm is out of place, which means your chest is too tight, which means that your voice won’t come out properly. I was never a big believer in holistic medicine and all that but now I’m a complete convert. 
 
You know, this is why they say that British drama schools can’t be matched, especially the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. This 110-year-old institution boasts of immensely talented British actors as alumni. It trained actors like Dame Judi Dench, Laurence Olivier, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=andrew+garfield&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Andrew Garfield</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=kit+harrington&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Kit Harrington</a>, among others and getting the same level of training as these people has not only changed me as a performer but also gives me some legitimacy so once I’m done people know that I’m of a certain standard. 
 
 
What made you want to debut with Brahman Naman, as most people wouldn’t consider it as an usual debut vehicle? 
 
When it comes to Bollywood most often people, especially star kids are launched into starring roles. They all start as lead characters and not a as supporting cast. On the other hand, none of these models exist in the West- where you are required to build up a body of work and progress from smaller to larger things and keep climbing your way up. 
 
Likewise for me, a debut was never about being launched into a starring role and it was never about Bollywood. Infact, Bollywood never enticed me. 
 What I loved about this film was the diverse set of people I would get to work with from <keyword id="215119" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Steve-Barron">Steve Barron</keyword> to Q. Steve had directed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in 1990 and it was one of my favourite films growing up. I’ve also seen bits and part’s of Q’s Gandu and immensely loved it, so to get a chance to work with people I admire in my first film itself was part of the reason I agreed. 
 
Moreover, while my role in the movie isn’t a leading role, it’s a nice-sized role to start my career off. It gives me credibility and is something I’d be proud of in years to come. At the end of the day, people need to be realistic- I’m not an established actor and I’m working my way up like anyone else in the industry and I’m very fortunate for this to come. 
 
 
(Sid Mallya in a still from Brahman Naman) 
 
 
Tell us a little bit about your role in the film? 
 
Ronnie is the antagonist – he’s not Naman’s (played by Shashank Arora) nemesis but his rival. My character is that of a cricket-playing jock, who is rich, goodlooking, popular and gets all the girls. There’s a very clear difference between Shashank’s character who has all the answers up in his head but has zero clue when it comes to social interactions and mine. Mine’s the opposite. He’s great at social interactions but not the sharpest. 
 
 
What was the hardest part about your role? 
 
The character of Ronnie was wrote in a way that it was implied that he had spent some time in England, but I couldn’t speak in the out and out British accent I have- so I did have to tone it down slightly but at the same time the hardest part was making sure he didn’t come across as comical. 
 
 
How was it working with Q? 
 
It was fantastic. Q will always have a special place in my heart as he’s the first director I ever worked with and if I’m lucky enough to have the same relationship with the rest of directors that I had with him I’d consider myself fortunate. He’s on point, energetic, very precise and doesn’t take himself too seriously and that’s what the film is about. 
 
When you have people like that, it automatically instills a sense of ease and the level of comfort that you could share with him was the best thing about him. Q also isn’t afraid to push the boat he does what he wants to do. Films are art and art is subjective. You show the same Picasso painting to 100 people and you get 100 opinions and Q isn’t afraid of opinions- he just does his thing. The people who create the best art are the ones that are unafraid. 
 
 
 
(Sid Mallya with the cast and crew of Brahman Naman at <keyword id="81686" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sundance-Film-Festival">Sundance Film Festival</keyword> 2016) 
 
 
Brahman Naman has been labelled as an intelligent sex comedy and also been touted as India’s American Pie. How did you feel about the storyline of the movie? 
 
Set in Bangalore in the 80’s, Brahman Naman is an intelligent, fast-paced, beautifully written comedy about a set of quizzers travelling to Calcutta for a competition while wanting to lose their virginity in the process, So, yeah it involves teenage boys and lots of sex. 
 
In one of the interviews that Q and Naman gave at Sundance, they said that nowadays the youth are always on their mobile phones either on Twitter or Instagram but back in the day none of this tech existed. Now we take selfies. Back then, teenage boys would think ‘Why would anyone want to take our picture?’ So, they would find alternative forms of amusement for themselves. That’s what the storyline is about. It’s a storyline where boys are going to be boys. What works for it is the fact that it is so relatable. Everyone, regardless of where they grew up knew a Naman. To summarise, the movie is about friendship and a bunch of awkward boys trying to do what boys do! 
 
 
What are your expectations from the movie when it releases globally on July 7? 
 
Brahman Naman will be like a breath of fresh air – it’s very different. It is also Netflix’s first ever Indian original. The platform has such global prestige and if they’re willing to hedge this obviously it’s going to do very well. It’s also such a relatable story so I’m hoping it will do very well. 
 
 
Do you have any other projects lined up? 
 
I did a film last summer called Homecoming. Small role, but I got to work with a superb director, acting opposite some great people. Getting the opportunity to do even one scene is invaluable. My focus now is finishing school and then getting back on the audition trail. 
 
 
So does that mean we’ll never see you in any Bollywood movie? 
 
Not at all. I mean, I could’ve put some money together and launched myself in a Bollywood movie if I wanted to, but that’s not what I want to do. I don’t relate to commercial Indian films at all. I want to build credibility, not be given a role in a movie because I’m related to someone in the industry. I'm not for Bollywood and Bollywood is sadly not for me. 
 
Brahman Naman premieres on Netlix this July. Watch the movie's teaser here:

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