Writer Appupen sees Bengaluru as a place with a purpose

Artist and author Appupen uses Bengaluru as a base because of its weather, its people and the laid-back spots that retain the vibe of a city from another time

I came to Bengaluru in 2005, after having spent eight years in Mumbai. For me, Mumbai was very rushed, and though I learnt a lot in that rush, the slower pace and better weather of Bengaluru helped me process it all. Where Mumbai gave me ideas for stories, Bengaluru allowed me to lay it out, zoom out.

Back then, it felt like a really small town, everything was within reach, and the crowd was a mature bunch of people who were done with their corporate running about and wanted to get away from the rush of the city and set up their own thing. Indiranagar's 100 Feet Road was just a wide road without as many showrooms as we see now, good for cycling or a run, and the weather was colder. I remember I bought a jacket back then that I haven't had to use for the past seven years or so. It's got coat hangar marks on it now. Also, we were all waiting for the Metro to come to Indiranagar, and the Domlur flyover, which was still under construction, was the talk of the town. Now, there is construction happening all over the city and no one talks about it.

 

Originally, I wanted to leave in about two years. But I found a bunch of musicians I Iiked playing with, and we used to jam in Malleshwaram. We had a band named Lounge Piranha, that was active till about 2012, so I experienced what that scene was like, before deciding to concentrate on comics and art.

It's a very laid-back place that lets me do my thing, and doesn't interfere too much. Sometimes it is a little too laid-back, and its hard getting things done on time. But if you go to one of those Darshini places, people stand and eat despite there being space, as if they have things to go do urgently, which I find a little amusing.

From an artistic perspective, apart from the weather helping me work, the city has not had a huge impact on me. If I think of a city, I draw inspiration from Mumbai, while town and village settings remind me of Kerala. So I haven't come across a story that requires a setting like this yet.

 

I've always lived in the Indiranagar area, and mostly work from home, so traffic doesn't bother me too much, and my usual haunts are a Madurai Idly Shop and Koshy's, when we have meetings there. I like the Malayali waiters because they are nice to me, and the coffee is good. Also, Blossoms Books! Blossoms and an old bookstore called Select off Brigade Road are really cool.

These are the kind of places that represent the old vibe of the city that I really like.

As told to Sooraj Rajmohan

This column features the city through the eyes of a prominent Bengalurean