Talent Haunts

Raghav Mandavas year-old CV says hes a sports reporter and a flair bartender. Pretty soon,the 22-year-old will add stand-up comedian to his small list of achievements.

Written by Dipanita Nath

September 24, 2009 02:15 AM IST

4 min read

Raghav Mandavas year-old CV says hes a sports reporter and a flair bartender. Pretty soon,the 22-year-old will add stand-up comedian to his small list of achievements. Mandava has always had a flair for comedy but till recently his one liners were reserved for his family during dinner. Then,Mocha Bar in Nehru Place introduced Shaken N Stirred nights in June in association with stand-up comedy pro Papa CJ,where they invited amateur performers to showcase their stuff to Mocha Bars clients. In the three months since they started these nights,a variety of budding singers,poets and dancers as well as musical satirists and stand-up comedians have performed here. Without this platform,I would still have been unknown in comedy, adds Mandava,who performs here regularly and has picked up a small but growing following. Right now Mandava is a flair bartender at the News Cafe at DLF Place Vasant Kunj.

If youre waiting to be discovered and need a venue to showcase your talent,look no further than the nearest cafe,bar or mall. Many double up as performance venues to add some buzz and hopefully,make more money. Urban Cafe in Gurgaon was the destination of choice for music crazy youngsters on Wannabe Wednesdays,when three bands compete for the days best performance. We hosted 29 rock bands in seven weeks and every Wednesday the place would be chock-a-block. The food and beverage sales picked up, says Uttam Dang,Assistant Manager,Urban Cafe. Last week,Mocha Bar put up notices calling campus bands for an event called Band Stand in October. Most bars and cafes are reserved for experienced bands,amateurs have a tough fight. Band Stand is a platform for newbies, says Deepali Gupta,Brand Manager,Mocha Bar.

Performers are not charged a fee,though venues may screen artistes before. Events are generally held on weekends or lean days to pull in a crowd. Each performer gets five to 30 minutes,and audience reactions decide his fate. Its the best way to find out if youre good or useless, says 23-year-old Deepit Kujur,one of the winners of the three-day Battle of the DJs organised by DLF Promenade in Vasant Kunj this month. The IP graduate found the going tough when he tried to break into the professional DJ circuit in Delhi. When I heard of the Battle of the DJs,I realised this was my chance to show my talent, says Kujur. He went on to rock the show,beating seven strong contenders. Several nightclubs have called me up and I used the prize money to buy DJ equipment, he says. Pushpa Bector of DLF Promenade says these talent-based events enable the mall to become a complete weekend outing,more than just a place to shop.

For painters with talent the walls of Choko-La in Khan Market are an invitation to fame. The art mustnt be so abstract that regular clientele cant appreciate it. People who come to see the art end up having a coffee at least, says Devina Bhardwaj of Choko-La that has showcased four little-known painters.

When 65-year-old retired businessman Vikramaditya Burman wanted to exhibit an unconventional skill,his wife zeroed in on Market Cafe in Khan Market. The cafe readily agreed to exhibit Burmans art massive jigsaw puzzles which he has been solving since 1972!

For three weeks,we had curious visitors lining up to look, says Suman Chatterjee of Market Cafe. Burmans puzzles range from 500 pieces to 1,500 pieces. This was his first exhibition and his 18 puzzles were serious eye catchers for guests. Three months ago we began to charge Rs 5,000 from exhibitors to repair the walls after each show. We do not take commission on sales, says Chatterjee. Burman is already enthusiastically planning his next show.

Market Cafe: 41757703
Mocha Bar: 26466733-34
DLF Promenade: 46104466
Choko-La: 41757570
Urban Cafe: 66359076