Jeff Lieberman on Art
An arts group that has kept my interest over the past few years is Sosolimited (www.sosolimited.com), a three-person arts team working out of Boston, originally from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They are a combination of interactive artists and installation designers, using a variety of techniques to express themselves. One thing that sets them apart is their ability for real-time compositional performance used in events such as ReConstitution, a real-time remix of the presidential debates.

Lieberman is a Boston-based kinetic sculptor. He also hosts Time Warp on Discovery Channel

Aatish Taseer On Books
I like Richard Holmes’ Footsteps. Memoir of a romantic biographer, it alternates between events in Holmes’ life and crucial moments in the lives of his subjects. We are taken from the revolutionary Paris of Mary Wollstonecraft to Shelley’s Italy to the Paris of Baudelaire. Footsteps is as much a meditation on our relationship with the past as it is a heartfelt admission of its allure.

Taseer is the author of The Temple-Goers

Jared Sandhy On Music
Irrefutably, the biggest influence on my work as a drummer has been Mike Portnoy, a drumming legend (formerly of Dream Theater). His ability to produce beats that are off-the-hook, out-ofthe- box and with a groovy rhythm overwhelms you. The well-composed music with the simplicity of his drumming style can bowl anyone over.

Sandhy is the Bengaluru-based drummer of the band Slain

Swara Bhaskar on Film
Satish Manwar’s Gabhricha Paus (The Damned Rain) is an evocative and insightful Marathi film that depicts the plight of Vidarbha farmers. The film tells the story of Kisna who struggles against poverty, lack of resources and the unreliable rains to produce a decent crop. The film portrays the struggles of such families with warmth, empathy and grassroots knowledge. The use of black humour highlights the ultimate helplessness of brave and hard-working individuals in the face of the vortex of socio-economic systems that they are powerless against.

Bhaskar is an actress based in Mumbai

Pitamber Dutt on Food
I would recommend Punjabi by Nature among restaurants specialising in Indian cuisines. The food they serve is excellent and both the management and the owners take great pains to ensure a high standard of hygiene and service. The outfit also has a team of well-qualified chefs headed by the executive Ramesh Sharma. The presentation of the food is creative and the ambience attempts to bring together a high dining experience and the rough-edged authenticity of ethnic culture. Slightly heavy on the pocket, but that’s a relative issue.

Dutt is the Executive Chef at Sartoria, Vasant Vihar