All posts filed under: BANGALORE

Julie Kagti, Owner of Curtain Call Adventures, Is Helping People Explore Northeast

Julie Kagti of ‘Curtain Call Adventures’, has come a long way since starting her business in 2016. Her venture focuses on creating localised travel experiences for people in the Northeast region. She promotes a more wholesome way of travelling by including local art, culture, and guides in your travel experience. She spent two decades in various roles of a designer, teacher, entrepreneur, and social worker, gracing her way in Lakme Fashion Week and Fabindia stores. Her childhood spent in Assam inspired her to start the venture and also bring the honest yet unseen side of Northeast to the world. Today we chat with her to know the exciting story behind Curtain Call Adventures and more.  Hey Julie! Tell us a bit about yourself.  Hi, I’m Julie, the owner of Curtain Call Adventures. I grew up in Assam, which exposed me to both the anglicised tea life and local culture of weaving. My exposure to the world of design in Bombay inspired me to pursue an education in textile design, after which I spent two decades …

Shweta Verma from Goa is a Family Photographer Whose Pictures Will Leave You Smiling

Shweta Verma was originally from Bihar but now lives in Goa and is a family photographer. Her work stands out as she has an eye for capturing the true essence of each child and family. What started as street photography and taking pictures of her lovely daughter, her love for photography grew with each picture she took. She believes in creating history with her pictures. Something that each client can preserve and protect. She has a chat with us about what keeps her motivated and her process working with babies, children and lovely families.  Hello Shweta! Please introduce us to your life and photography. My name is Shweta Verma, I am originally from Bihar but now I stay in Panjim, Goa. I am an engineer by education but I left my consultant job to pursue photography as a profession when my daughter was born. What initially sparked your interest in photography? My initial days of photography were all about streets. It all started in the country my daughter was born in – Basel in Switzerland. …

Punya Arora, from Bangalore, is Kicking Up a Storm in the Stand-Up World

Punya Arora is a comedian born and raised in Bangalore and is a self-proclaimed Biryani connoisseur! Her style of comedy is observational, light-hearted and may involve more than one accent. She is also a part-time photographer who is a visiting faculty member at Light & Life Academy, Ooty. What’s amazing about this strong woman is that she has touched every aspect of the media – radio, TV, web series, trailer launch, the stand-up stage, panels and more. The amount of perseverance and courage it takes to keep reaching for a new opportunity is definitely inspirational! Let’s have a deeper look into her life, on our blog. Link in bio and below. Hello! It’s great meeting you, please tell us a little bit about yourself? Hello, my name is Punya Arora. I’m a Punjabi but I was born and raised in Bangalore. I spend half my time in Bangalore and the other half in Mumbai for comedy shows. I’ve done my Bachelors of Business Management from Bangalore and then my post-graduation diploma in Professional Photography (specialising …

Pritika Krishnakumar, a Bharatanrityam Dancer Based in Bangalore, Tells Us About Pursuing This Traditional Craft

Pritika Krishnakumar is a Bharatanrityam dancer based in Bangalore. Currently training under the acclaimed Radha Kalpa dance company, this graceful dancer knew Bharatanatyam was her passion at the age of 4.  On usual days, she is training and honing her craft. She says, “there’s a lot that goes into making a dance performance look effortlessly beautiful. Hours of training and learning. I enjoy the process and hope that people can see through all the hard work.” Know more this flawlessly talented girl journey as we chat with her.  Hello Pritika! At Roots and Leisure we value strong cultural connections. So, when we heard about your mastery in a traditional artform, we were very excited to chat with you! Thank you for being here. Please introduce yourself to our readers. Hi! My name is Pritika Krishnakumar. I’m a 27-year-old, Bharatanatyam dancer based in Bangalore. I was born and raised in Mumbai and I started training in this classical art when I was just 7. I began under the tutelage of Guru Dr Jayashree Rajagopalan (Vijji Akka), …

Kavya Madappa from Bangalore, an Eco-warrior Creating Tree-free Paper at Bluecat paper

Kavya Madappa is from a hill station in Karnataka, Coorg. Growing up, she was always surrounded with nature – hills, rivers and fresh air. Her love for nature has inspired many of her ideas and revelations, one of them being Bluecat Paper – a venture that makes and sells tree-less paper. It uses various by-products and textile wastes like linen, flax, hemp, coffee husk, mulberry bark, and banana fiber to make creative products like notebooks, coasters and more.  With over 650 products, a few installations and an exhibition in Dubai, she has become an eco-warrior! We were amazed to know about her venture and how she is giving her best to make the world a better place! Scroll down to read our chat with her.  Hey Kavya, thank you for taking some time out to chat with us. Please introduce yourself to our readers!  Hi! My name is Kavya Madappa, I’m 41-year-old. I live in Bangalore even though I am originally from Coorg, Karnataka. My hometown is known as the Scotland of India, with green …

‘I Live To Sing and Perform’ — L’nee Golay, a 19-years-old Singer-Songwriter From Bangalore

L’nee Golay is a 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Bangalore. She picked up the guitar at the age of 9 and fell in love instantly. With her soulful voice, she’s on her way to make a mark in the music industry. Her music has soul-pop personality, and she defines it as ‘calm and cool but intense and emotional’.  We were excited to sit down and have a conversation with her about her life and the launch of her EP in the coming months. L’nee, we are pleased to have you here! Tell us a little bit about yourself. I’m L’nee Golay, a 19-years-old singer-songwriter/artist. I was born in Nepal but have spent most of my life here in India in a couple of different places. My family currently live in Bangalore, where I lived for the past 8 years. I’ve studied music at Leeds College of Music. In Leeds, I’ve been busy making music, meeting so many amazing musicians from all walks of life and collaborating with them. I’ve released two songs in the past year, and …

“Every Vintage Car Has a Story Which I Share Through My Art” – Meet Rupali Prakash, an Illustrator and Vintage Car Collector From Bangalore

Rupali Prakash, from Bangalore, is a woman of many talents, to say the least! She is an illustrator and the founder of Classic Chase, a company that restores and rents out vintage cars. She combined her two passions—art and vintage cars—to illustrate vintage cars and keep them alive in the form of art, which is a crucial part of Classic Chase. She creates handcrafted merchandise and even works with groups like the Federation of Historic Vehicles of India (FHVI) and with vintage car clubs around the world, both as an automotive illustrator and as a youth adviser. This dynamic woman from Bangalore has got the world on her mind. Get to know her better as we chat about how she manages to find balance and inspiration for her many projects.  Hey Rupali, it’s great to have you here! Please introduce yourself to our readers. I’m a Punjadiga (half Punjabi & half Kannadiga) and have spent my whole life on a farm with my parents and younger sister on the outskirts of Bangalore. After doing UG …

A Conversation With Iram, a Progressive Rock Band Based in Bangalore

Iram is a band formed by 5 talented musicians, and is based out of Bangalore. This progressive rock band released their first album Azal, which was loved by critics and music lovers alike. ‘We hope our music brings attention to the growing hostility and angst in the world. We want to create music that inspires people to build a world without hate’, says Neil, the founder and lead of the band.  A truly humble group, these 5 boys are as charming to chat as they are on stage! We spoke to them about how they came together, their journey so far and plans for the future. Introduce us to your members! Meet Neil Simon Abel “I’m Neil. I was born and raised in the Middle East. My family moved to Bangalore and I completed my graduation from here. We are originally from Gulbarga, which is in the northern part of Karnataka, but have been in Bangalore for close to 16 years now. So it’s safe to say that Bangalore is home. I am a qualified …

A Chat With The Pastry Chef and Owner Behind A Dessert Cafe in Bangalore Called ‘The Humble Pie’

Mrudula Putcha, a 32-years-old pastry chef from Hyderabad, found her true calling much later in life. She started off as an electronics engineer and even went to the US for her masters in the field. But after returning to India, fate guided her towards her true passion! Her recently opened second branch of The Humble Pie is a testament of her hard work and immense passion. We had a conversation with her about her journey over a tasty chocolate tart!   Share with us, your journey towards becoming a pastry chef. Surprisingly, I always dreamt of being a chef. I remember discussing it openly for the first time when I was 17 but it took me another 10 years to truly materialise this dream. I went in a different direction — decided to pursue engineering and the thought of opening a cafe was buried in the back of mind.  After I finished my masters in Network engineering in The US and came back to India, I started my hunt for jobs. I was working for a …

Passionate Travel Enthusiast, Riddhi Debh, Talks About Her Love and Purpose Of Exploring The World

“Every traveler has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wandering.” – Charles Dickens Travelling is not just about exploring new places or meeting new people but it is also about finding yourself. After globetrotting across a number of countries across the world, travelling has become a big part of Riddhi’s life. Being a wanderlust and also a solivagant at times, Riddhi takes her time and challenges herself by pushing out of her comfort zone. She considers it a great opportunity to meet new people and learn different cultures from different walks of life in new and unknown cities. We chat with Riddhi Debh, a globetrotter born in Kolkatta who is currently residing in Bangalore. She believes to belong not just in one place but finds herself at home wherever she goes. Read on to know more about her travel stories. Hello Riddhi! Tell our readers a little about yourself. My name is Riddhi Debh and I was born in Kolkata. I have stayed in many cities in India …