We get behind the wheels of a Jeep Rubicon and get candid with India’s number one action director Rohit Shetty! Have a look at some trivia and behind-the-scenes story of this stuntman turned legend!
Author: Exhibit Staff
Rohit Shetty | Behind The Scenes | March 2021 Issue
It’s the birthday of the man who knows how to fly cars, Rohit Shetty. Can’t say have a blast, what if he takes it seriously and blasts off a few more cars.???? Here are the BTS of the March cover shoot along with the first assembled in India, the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.
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Driven by Passion with Ananya Birla | Lamborghini Urus
Facing new challenges every day requires a special kind of power. Lamborghini celebrates this Women’s day with Ananya Birla and all the other women trying to change the world for the better. As a strong, bold and powerful woman herself, Ananya possesses the capabilities to unlock any road in her life, just like the Urus.
Driven By Passion
Today, we have a Lamborghini Urus and one self-made star to accompany us, the star who swam against the flow to prove herself, and of course, she conquered it gracefully.
If you’re a fan of pop music, then you might have known her by name. We are talking about the first Indian artist with a platinum single in English. She is also a songwriter and the founder of Svatantra Microfin, a company that provides microfinance to women in rural and semi-urban India. She is Ananya Birla.
Ex: It was an epic year, so tell us, what have you been doing?
Ananya: I was in LA for the entire year when Covid hit. I never imagined that something like this would ever happen, and I think it has been a year full of learnings. I made a lot of music and grew a lot as an individual.
Ex: What has been your learning? Tell us something that you learned during the pandemic.
Ananya: To be more in the present moment. We work so hard, and we want to succeed so much, but we forget to be happy in the middle of all of that, and that’s what I think I learned. That’s what I have been doing and just enjoying the journey more than worrying about anything else.
Ex: During the lockdown, did you learn how to make the Dalgona coffee, cooking or any other #lockdowntrend?
Ananya: I feel terrible as everyone used to say they learnt cooking or found some hobby during the lockdown. But I still did not learn cooking as my best friend was with me, who cooks. I used to wash the dishes after eating excellent meals made by her, so I think its a fair fight?
Ex: You are the first Indian to be trending on the top 40 radio stations in the US, national icon and international icon, so how does it feel?
Ananya: It’s been a good run, and I think I made the most of 2020, and I am proud of it. I also launched the Ananya Birla foundation, giving back to society in this challenging time.
How do I feel? No matter what, I think it’s still the start, and I have to do more. It has been a good run till now. We’ve hit significant milestones this year, and that’s about it.
Ex: Your song Everybody’s Lost is profound. Has it gotten the same response throughout the world?
Ananya: Everybody’s Lost is a very different song, and it has done well in the states. It has also done well in Mexico and Japan. A couple of my songs like Meant to be, Hold on have done better in India, but Everybody’s Lost has excellent numbers. I like electronic music, but this is a sound that I enjoy right now. It blends in time and sounds better.
Ex: Apart from music, what are your other passions?
Ananya: I love travelling, adventure, reading, and I love cars. Even this is an adventure for me having a long drive in the Urus.
Ex: Now that the lockdown is over, what are the destinations you would like to visit with your girl gang?
Ananya: I think we would go to the Maldives; I love the Maldives. It’s so peaceful there, and I love oceans basically; I’m a water baby.
Ex: What gives you a thrill? What are some of the thrilling adventures you have been to or done?
Ananya: I went skydiving in Dubai recently and loved it. I have had a lot of highs and lows, and when you have those high high highs, you want to keep getting them, and adrenaline does that to you, so when you are driving fast in a car or when you are travelling, you feel this rush.
Ex: Urus does 0-100 in 3.6 seconds. The roads are clean ahead, so are you up for it?
Ananya: WOW! That’s insane, and honestly, it was so smooth you did not feel that jerk.
Ex: What is the hardest decision you made or took in your life?
Ananya: I think it has to be dropping out of Oxford was quite a tough decision. Rs – I think swapping seats with you was the hardest decision I had to make.
Ex: You have your music passion, and you are also the founder of Swatantra. Are you able to manage your life and music in a cool way?
Ananya: I started Swatantra when I was 17. It is a billion dollars worth now with over a million clients, 17 villages, and we give loans to people who need it the most, and yes, I find balancing very tough. That is one thing I still struggle with.
In conversation with Mr. Arijeet Talapatra – CEO, Transsion India
In this video, we had an amazing conversation with Mr Arijeet Talapatra, CEO of Transsion India as we discussed Tecno’s upcoming strategy and Transsion’s amazing performance so far. Mr Talapatra also revealed his secret to staying productive so don’t miss this exciting interview.
Shruti Haasan | Behind The Scenes | February 2021
Everyone’s favourite Badass & Secret Gamer, the sensational Shruti Haasan for our February 2021 issue!
Shruti Haasan – The Sensational
Ex: Your upcoming flick Pitta Kathalu is about a dystopian tech society plunged into chaos! Do you think such a dark future awaits us as well?
Shruti: We are already a tech society. How distorted that gets depends on our ability to use technology wisely as a tool of communication and connection with others. Technology is a driving force in our everyday lives and it needs to remain a positive one rather than replace real human connection and warmth.
The narrative the director has put across in Pitta Kathalu is not an unbelievable scenario – it is possible but it’s also avoidable.
Ex: What was the most fun part about playing a damsel in distress in a technocratic world?
Shruti: There’s no fun in playing a damsel in distress EVER so let’s get that out of the way first lol. I enjoy playing the role of various women and telling their stories through cinema- it’s not about me connecting to them as personalities or traits I relate to it’s about me connecting to the feeling of wanting to tell that story. The funny thing is even in a technocratic world basic human emotions never change but it made it more exciting to go through an emotional landscape in an almost cold world taken over by technology.
Ex: You recently bought a PS5, how did you manage to secure one with such an insane demand worldwide?
Shruti: Hahahaha thanks to my mates at games the shop for hooking me up with an early pre-order for the console!
Ex: What games are you currently playing on your PS5 and which ones are you looking forward to the most?
Shruti: I’m playing Astro’s PlayRoom which is a free game with the Playstation 5 and it teaches you the new features of the PS5 controller which I’m getting used to. I’m also playing Mortal Combat and apart from that, I’ve pre-ordered the new Resident Evil Village which I’m super stoked about.
Ex: Are you a fan of Elon Musk and his Mission to Mars program? Would you like to live on Mars if given a chance and why?
Shruti: I admire anyone making forays into unknown territory and exploring the new and being brave through technology and life. I also think we have to be aware of the fine balance of exploration and caution. Humans have an easy ability to be greedy and self-entitled – whichever planet we may explore in the future, let us first be aware that we haven’t been the kindest to our own!
So while it’s exciting to think about exploring another planet it’s so important, to me personally, that we care for and cherish what we have on this earth and conserve and reverse the dire damage we have caused.
Ex: What car do you drive? If we are to arrange any car of your choice on any track /road which ones would you wish you?
Shruti: I’m the worst driver EVER in the history of the world so no I don’t drive unless I absolutely have to – so the right answer is I get driven around in my red Range Rover Velar.
Ex: Does the concept of Cryptocurrency excite you? What do you think about Bitcoin?
Shruti: I think it’s an Inevitable future- seventy years ago if you said everyone would have a plastic card that’d hold the connection to their money or that you could transfer funds through an app they’d have think of you as insane! The biggest worries are the security breaches and the possibility of having all your “digital money“ stolen. The truth is that you run that risk even now with the instability of systems that we currently use. It all boils down to do you keep your money under your mattress or somewhere else I suppose! It’s all very fascinating. This is a prime example of how currency and financial resources can be decentralized. Yes, the debate is about the change, and as I said it is inevitable.
Ex: Electric car vs Conventional cars? Which one would you choose?
Shruti: Definitely electric for the good of the environment !! There’s no question about it – I don’t have one now but look forward to getting my first electric car.
Ex: Whose social media accounts do you stalk regularly and what do you usually look for over there?
Shruti: I follow a lot of interesting accounts! I don’t really stalk any of them, they pop up on my timelines and that’s that I suppose! I love looking at what my friends are up to and I love watching how people are using social media to put out their unique personalities.
Ex: Any recent gadget tricks that you discovered for your smartphone or laptop?
Shruti: I keep discovering stuff thanks to social media! Changing the exposure time for low light photography – I also realized that if you screenshot a text-based page and use the full page option to save the photo you can see all the text hahaha that made me super excited
Ex: Do you play Call of Duty on your PS5? If yes, then at what time do you usually log in?
Shruti: I never played call of duty, to be honest! I’m more into Arcade and story-based games
Ex: Recent books that you read and absolutely loved it
Shruti: I’ve been reading a book called “democracy hacked “ by Martin Moore and it’s super interesting as it’s about the relationship between politics and technology and what huge impact technology and social media and the internet have had on changing the face and results of elections and changing the tides both positively and negatively if the political landscape
Ex: Pandemic has been very introspective for most, what have you discovered in yourself or about life in general.
Shruti: I’m stronger than I thought and I’m more sensitive than I realized – as always life is all about beautiful paradoxes. The Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra represents the best of the Korean tech-giant. But is it the best one overall? In this detailed review, we finally tell you our verdict of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and the burning question on everyone’s mind, is it worth its high price tag?
Ex: Lastly, what are you hoping for the year 2021 to bring?
Shruti: More clarity about who we are and what we are capable of overcoming – more unity and more love.
Ranveer Allahbadia | Influencer of The Month
Ex: Ranveer, we’ve seen you grow & your journey is so inspiring for the youth. Whichever field you step into, you face it. Tell us about how it all started and how your journey has been till now?
Ranveer: I always wanted to do something entrepreneurial because if I take a task in hand, I always give my 100 % into it. Post my engineering, I decided to start my own fitness-based start-up. But I understood the role of social media in making it successful. This was when I made the decision to start my social media page ‘BeerBiceps’. But the underlining has and will always be to create a successful and creative business venture.
Ex: What started as a fitness channel is now about everything a man needs to know, you create content that is relatable, motivational & there’s so much to learn from. What’s the inspiration behind these concepts that you come up with?
Ranveer: The inspiration behind this has always been related to my personal life. For example, two years post-college when I started the “BeerBiceps” page, I only focused on the fitness-based content. In those two years, I learned a lot about grooming, fashion styling, and communication skills. After that, I focused more on mental health and career-related content.
Currently, I am focused on entrepreneurship-based concepts aimed at improving the audience’s decision-making and career skills. After that, I might move towards emotional health and spirituality-based content.
Ex: We have also seen you addressing Mental Health issues, how important are these issues in today’s time?
Ranveer: Mental health is paramount. Especially with this Covid-19 situation and everyone being locked up in their houses. Thus, positive content from creators worldwide plays a very important role in turning the situation positive. It’s the need of the hour and I think it will be at least for the next 10 to 20 years.
Ex: What was that moment when you felt that this is it; people have started liking you and are getting inspired by your work?
Ranveer: Honestly, I think we were right from the start since we grew pretty fast and the feedback we received was overall positive. It also made me realize that audience-focused content will result in a lot of love and encouragement. It feels pretty special when people walk up to you for a photo or just appreciate your work. With the Jio Boom of 2016 & 2017, things changed pretty fast for me.
Ex: Having a large fan following and being a public figure, what kind of responsibilities do you have & how do you make use of this fame?
Ranveer: The amount of responsibility is pretty huge given the number of followers I have. If I am putting out any content related to fitness or anything else, I do a lot of research beforehand. I believe that through video content, you can create something that’s mentally uplifting. Also, with this Covid-19 situation, I am glad my team and I got a chance to create such positive and uplifting content. I truly use my fame to make something positive for the audience and also to expand and fill the employment gaps in the country in whatever small way I can.
Ex: The world has changed with the pandemic and everyone has accepted the new normal. What is the new approach/idea to keep moving in the new age of digital media?
Ranveer: The approach to keep moving into the new age of Digital Media would be to create content in large quantities. Since working from home is now a reality, content creation is a side-hustle for many people. When you’re beginning your content creation journey, you cannot take it as a full-time job since your work life/studies would collide with it and make it hectic.
Currently, Instagram reels are the best way to move forward along with Twitter. Create short-form textual content as well as video content and you’ll see your online brand grow faster.
Ex: You have invited a lot of significant personalities in your show, with whom did you have an instant connection or who inspired you the most?
Ranveer: On the business front, Siddharth Roy Kapoor and Ronnie Screwvala because I feel that they have a strong mental match. And on a deeper emotional level, I think Gaur Gopal Das and Jay Shetty since they both have a similar career. From the world of glamour, obviously Ayushmann Khurrana
and Priyanka Chopra, with whom I felt a strong and ambitious connection with.
Ex: Ranveer Allahbadia: Techie or a PetrolHead?
Ranveer: I’m that weird guy who’s neither but if I had to choose, I’m probably a Techie. My internal engineer enjoys tech that helps us create- professional cameras, mics, software, and mobile phones.
Ex: What does a normal day look like in Ranveer Allahbadia’s life?
Ranveer: A normal day for me is all about creation, business strategies or video content. There isn’t a day when I can just switch off because I really enjoy my job. Even if I’m on a vacation I keep vlogging and finding inspiration for my future content. Creation is a massive part of my life. I like waking up late because I usually sleep late at night.
Ex: What’s next for Ranveer Allahbadia?
Ranveer: Many more businesses, podcasts, vlogging, video games – it won’t stop. We’re on a creation and experimentation spree. One thing I have understood about content is that it is just a game of consistency. You just need to keep putting out stuff. Even if you’re having a low phase, you’ll bounce back. I currently started a lot of poetry-based content which is being received really well and would like to continue down that tangent for a while.
Quickies:
1. Most expensive tech you own: Bought a 3-4 Lakh Lens for our professional camera
2. If you could invent a gadget, it would be: Artificial Intelligence based camera assistant that allows people to record videos, editing and help with the video creation process.
3. On road trips, Would you sit at the back seat & relax to soft music or play loud music and take control of the wheels: I’m the type of guy who plays music loudly and takes control of the wheels (but if with that someone special, you got to switch to soft music).
4. A fitness gadget/app you use religiously: Any generic fitness app like Samsung Fitness or Google Fitness just to track my walks and jogs
5. Who you stalk on Instagram: LeBron James
6. Your go-to book: Autobiography of a Yogi
7. If you had to describe yourself in a hashtag: #babyfacedassassin
Social Media Hacks – A Dystopic reality
Just back from CES 2021, and not hungover for the first time. It was virtual, and it was not the same. Hopefully, it’s the last time that it will remain like this. Regardless of how technologically advanced we become, business and progress happen when minds meet physically and for a trade show of CES size. It’s just impossible to digest and absorb anything virtually. How many of
you followed it virtually? Don’t blame yourself; you are just average in this “new normal”.
Social media is a disruptive and disturbing place. Hackers and bots have started eyeing major Instagram accounts, and funny things are happening. We have to be very careful before clicking on anything which does not end appropriately after the dot. If it’s .ml or .cs or any other permutation just don’t fall for the bait, even if it’s 8 million dollars waiting for you. These new vices are apart from WhatsApp, ready to invade our privacy and Facebook tracking every move. Owing to the scary combination of bots and AIs and hacking dystopic brains, our digital footprints have to be cautiously navigated. This explains why fake news needs to be authenticated, and this explains the power of print which can’t be adulterated.
We got Shruti Haasan to do a badass shoot after a long stint of 7 years. Now she is raging in the southern industry and is our tech version of damsel in distress. She is a gamer, and in her upcoming flick is inspired by a dystopian tech society plunged into chaos. Exactly how we would like our sushi served. Precisely the kind of films techies like to indulge in and unwrap their popcorn for. The PS5 has been making a lot of news, and the world wants to get its hands on it. Till then, we have had a busy month playing it, that, and many more. Enjoy the issue; Enjoy February.
Samsung S21 Ultra 5G – Is it the best out there?
Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra represents the best of the Korean tech giant. But is it the best one overall? In this detailed review, we finally tell you our verdict of the Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra and the answer burning question on everyone’s mind, “is it worth its high price tag?”