Got an appreciation letter for this piece(published in ET reality ((dated April 6, 2007)

KNOW YOUR BUILDER

Quality servicing and end-to-end solutions.

MDS Prabu

Gayathri Punjabi Mirza Director of KG Developers and Promoters talks on the fundamentals of real estate industry

She happens to be one of the few woman leaders in the field. And more importantly she heads one of the biggest firms. Gayathri Punjabi Mirza says she was always involved with the industry and proudly informs us that she did her bachelors and masters in Real Estate Finance from USA. KG Developers and Promoters is one of the oldest companies that has completed more than one hundred projects since its inception… and carrying its success story ahead is gayathri leading the path set by her founder father.

“We help the buyer in everything right from tenanting to resale and we cater to both commercial and residential properties,” she tells us stressing on the priority of providing high quality services. She has a high regard for buyers and notes that they are knowledgeable and well exposed. Gayathri points out that one of their USPs has been to offer facilities for future and growing needs. “As a matter of fact we make use of high quality raw materials and we utilise those that are at least 3 or 4 times higher in quality than the standard ones,” she quips.

“Instead of buildings that face roads we construct in such a way that they face the inner side. This is an international model and it has been highly appreciated by property enthusiasts,” says she and adds that in their projects many facilities like clubs, gyms and other amenities are an in-built feature. Today people do not have the time practically to go out for each activity and therefore it is these areas we address to make a difference.”

While discussing about the kind of service they offer she says that a lot of planning goes behind the scene and that they have always ensured transparency with the clients.” We maintain relationships even after the project is completed,” she tells us. On the kind of sectors the builder targets, Gayathri says that they cater both to commercial and residential properties. Explaining about the kind of services that they undertake in IT projects she says, “We offer all modern infrastructure and amenities to the full satisfaction of the clients. For instance our mega project in Perungudi the landscape, exteriors and entrance have been constructed on the basis of eco friendly standards. It even has an independent service building.”

She also explains about their forthcoming-gated community project, KG Green Meadows in Velachery, “It is the first of its kind in the city with 100 semi detached villas. We have provided for a healthy living environment with oxygen parlours, jogging track, sauna, steam, foot reflexology pathways, amphi theatre and swimming pool. We have also put up hydraulic unique plumbing system that avoids the use of overhead tanks above each villa”.




On the scope of real estate market she is extremely optimistic and says that disposable income among people and the willingness to buy homes will always remain. When asked about the moves she would suggest for the benefit of the industry she called for better infrastructure development and private public partnership.

She has an important piece of advice to buyers “Choose your buyer with discretion and pay proper attention when you choose a location”.

My Article on Tamil Cinema Comedy Trends (published in ET Madras Plus (dated April 13 2007))

COMIC CAPERS
All for laughs!
Movies are often remembered for their comedians. ET M + traces the evolution and relevance of comedy in Kollywood…
mds prabu Be it the vazhaipazham joke in Karakattakaran, Nagesh’s funny lament in Thiruvilaiyadal or Vivek and Vadivel’s timing in the movies of recent times, comedy has played an indomitable role in Tamil cinema. Laughter as they say is the best medicine; no wonder then that some films make it big at the box office and are remembered solely for their comic scenes! Writer, actor and director K Bhagyaraj says that comedy was an independent element in movies until very recently, "Comedians did not have a major connection with the story or even the hero or heroine. This did not just apply to Tamil films, but also to Indian cinema in other languages. However, that is no more the case. People like K Balachender and I like to weave comedy along with the main storyline." He says that most often, comedians would appear at the meeting place of the hero and heroine, and gradually occupy a significant place in the story. He also feels that a lot of times, the comic element is added only because it provides relief to the audience. Stressing that slapstick comedy will not stay long in the minds of viewers, he opines that situational comedy has greater impact. He remarks, "Parthiban and I have been able to bring comedy to the forefront, because we happen to write the script as well as direct the movie." Bhagyaraj adds "Comedy should also touch the heart and make judicious use of presence of mind." Present day comedy, he says, hasn’t changed much except for the improvements in technology. Says R Parthiban, actor and director, "The audience plays a major role in helping directors decide what comedy elements to use. When we discuss the storyline with four or five assistants, it becomes possible to understand the reaction of the audience and decide if a particular concept will be received well or not.” Veteran comedy actor YG Mahendran says, "The audience expects wholesome fun from comedians, but they manage to get away with any comments they pass." He also feels that comedy trends change once every 10 years, depending on the type and class of the film-going audience. In the present day comedy scenario, he comments that there are several top-class artistes but viewers are mostly subject to ordinary fare. However, film historian Randor Guy is of an entirely different view. "A lot of the humour in the 30s and 40s had social content but today, it is not the case," he points out. He believes that the best days of comedy in Tamil films are over. He says that the quality of humour has diminished because they have accepted vulgar and repetitive jokes. In reply to that, one of the most popular comedians of recent times, A Vivek says, "Making a comedy is a no joke and one has to work hard towards it. We are always under pressure to produce something new in every scene." He believes that in those days, humorists were trained in both body and mind. "However, today, comedians have a mix of situational and verbal comedy," he tells us. What is the one thing that sets today’s comic sense apart from that of the yesteryears? "Timing is one of the main differences between the old days and the present. We have to deliver everything at a very quick pace to grab the viewer’s attention." He says that a script is very important to the success of a comedy and so are other factors like the situation and performance of the artiste. "There is no magic formula for the success of a comedy. It has never been possible to predict the success or failure of a particular comedy scene," he laughs. The bottom line is that the audiences have an important role to play in deciding the success of a comedian or a comic scene, because they have benchmarks and have seen great comedians come and go over the years. He believes that comedies that point at the obvious will not succeed and if people try to play with only body language or wit, it will not serve any purpose. "Comedy should also touch the heart and make judicious use of presence of mind," he comments. Present day comedy, he says, hasn’t changed much except for the improvements in technology. Says R Parthiban, actor and director, "The audience plays a major role in helping directors decide what comedy elements to use. When we discuss the storyline with four or five assistants, it becomes possible to understand the reaction of the audience and decide if a particular concept will be received well or not. However, we make sure that the humour is subtle and does not spoil the other components of the movie." Humour has indeed occupied a significant place - be it old or new movies. Agrees veteran comedy actor YG Mahendran, "The audience expects wholesome fun from comedians, but they manage to get away with any comments they pass." He also feels that comedy trends change once every 10 years, depending on the type and class of the film-going audience. In the present day comedy scenario, he comments that there are several top-class artistes but viewers are mostly subject to ordinary fare. However, film historian Randor Guy is of an entirely different view. He tells us that comedy was a supreme concern during the 1930s and 40s. "A lot of the humour had social content but today, it is not the case," he points out. He believes that the best days of comedy in Tamil films are over. Blaming the taste of audiences, he says that the quality of humour has diminished because they have accepted vulgar and repetitive jokes. In reply to that, one of the most popular comedians of recent times, A Vivek says, "Making a comedy is a no joke and one has to work hard towards it. We are always under pressure to produce something new in every scene." He believes that even with modern technology, we cannot replicate the comedy of legends like Charlie Chaplin, because in those days humorists were trained in both body and mind. "However, today comedians perform because of inspiration, and it turns out to be their style once it succeeds. Present cinemas have a mix of situational and verbal comedy," he tells us. What is the one thing that sets today’s comic sense apart from that of the yesteryears? "Timing is one of the main differences between the old days and the present. We have to deliver everything at a very quick pace to grab the viewer’s attention." He says that a script is very important to the success of a comedy and so are other factors like the situation and performance of the artiste. "There is no magic formula for the success of a comedy. Every time I perform, I keep my fingers crossed because it has never been possible to predict the success or failure of a particular comedy scene," he laughs. The bottom line is that the audiences have an important role to play in deciding the success of a comedian or a comic scene, because they have benchmarks and have seen great comedians come and go over the years.