Natura

09/04/2024

Elevating a Sangeet, or really any social event, with tech. And doing it safely.

Here’s Avishkar Tendle’s take on what the industry could do right.

Shoutout to WV Connect for the platform for such crucial discussions.

04/04/2024

Catch Avishkar Tendle, Managing Director, Natura at WV Connect 2024 Tech Edition. Avishkar will speak on how advanced technologies like stage automation and rigging is enhancing the wow elements in weddings and sangeets; making them more impactful, precise and safe. .

📍April 5-6 at Ananta Spa & Resort, Jaipur

10/03/2024

Team Natura at Maruti Suzuki Arena Devils Circuit!

Communique India Maruti Suzuki Arena Devils Circuit

29/02/2024

28/02/2024

Team Natura at Bade Miyan Chote Miyan promotional event in Lucknow.

Natura rigged Akshay Kumar and Tiger Shroff to fly simultaneously on controlled ziplines, capable of flying performers upwards against gravity.

19/02/2024

Few behind the scene glimpses from the Mercedes AMG EQS unveiling at Jio World Convention Centre.

Natura pulled a ‘never-seen-anything-quite-like-it’ rig to launch a car described as “You’ve never seen anything quite like it”!

The unbelievable Mercedes AMG EQS was unveiled at the Jio World Convention Centre on August 24th, 2022 with the actual car suspended in thin air in front of a shocked audience. A perfect real-world staging of the iconic ad visual!

With no real insight on how the visual was achieved, Natura had to devise the rig from scratch. And given the high standards of a brand like Mercedes, this involved days of creating a mock-up with a real full-size car.

Pulling this off was yet another ‘fRiggin’ Awesome’ moment for us, all thanks to PMG Asia for trusting us with the opportunity and our trussing partner SNL Pro for the rock-solid support.

29/01/2024

to this event from January 2016 - the media launch and shoot of Lakmé 9to5 Weightless Mousse Foundation. The brand wanted a spectacle that would bring to life the product tagline “ ”. And what does that better than a gravity-defying vertical dance performance on the face of a building?

CAB Experiences, the event agency, brought down the international act “BANDALOOP”, pioneers in the area of vertical dance performances, who have truly stunning body of work, from the US to do just that on the Four Seasons Hotel in Mumbai. Natura was brought on board to handle the rigging for Shraddha Kapoor, Lakme’s brand ambassador, who would also be part of the performance.

The end result was a breathtaking feat of ethereal choreography and aerial brilliance, topped off beautifully with Shraddha as the crowning touch. Now that’s how you do weightless!

21/01/2024

THE NEED FOR — Thoughts on the Ramoji event accident.

- Avishkar Tendle

I’m deeply saddened by the news of a recent accident at Ramoji Film City that caused a death and grievous injury to two participants.

From what I gather from videos, the metal cage/basket - prop carrying the two men overturned, dropping the men down towards the stage, due to one of the ropes snapping. There was a clear equipment failure, but also negligence in the form of a lack of any failsafe backups, or even any personal protection harnesses on the men. The fact that the injury resulted in such serious outcomes also hints towards limited or possibly no immediate medical response.
This assessment does not surprise me. The fact that it's not a stray instance, saddens and angers me to no end.
I can’t imagine what the family, friends and colleagues must be going through. Who imagines a corporate celebration, of all places, to be a place for trauma. Such a mindless loss of life is uncondonable.

At the same time, I also feel a twinge of sympathy for the people at the helm of things – none of them set out for this horrible outcome. People at most event companies are not trained to decipher the good from the bad. Stunt Directors / Special FX Experts from Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi or Mumbai generally are good at what they do as long as they don't venture into unfamiliar territories – stunt work for films is very different from executing live stage events involving participants with zero training and negligible rehearsals. Even the last man to tell the two unfortunate men that they’d be fine, wasn’t selling a lie.
The people at that event will forever be hounded by their guilt, but we – the events industry, vendor-partners and to some extent, clients – share the blame for not having done enough to prevent this, for ignoring the problem of regulations for all these years and for constantly cutting corners in the name of budgets.
Our standards are just too low – almost to the point of not caring for human life. Forget aerial acts, just standing and walking through our own event setups and backstage is like navigating minefields of electrocution, impalements and objects falling from above. And yet no event mandates helmets and safety boots on-site for all, even for our own safety!

No industry starts out being a safe or well regulated one. It takes serious effort and, more importantly, true intent to change.
Taking a flight –– hundreds of people flying kilometers high in the sky, in tonnes of metal – is considered safe. Only because, through the evolution of civil aviation, thousands of processes came into being, stringent standards were set and governing bodies were implemented. Every pilot goes through a pre-flight checklist every single time they fly. No matter the seniority, or how many flights flown, every pilot has to keep doing 'recency' training to prove he is capable of flying . There is a wonderful book called The Checklist Manifesto written by Dr Atul Gawande that mentions how even doctors in America have looked towards the aviation industry to make surgery safer.

Our industry needs to wake up to the value of safety, of enforcing certain codes and standards and of training and know-how.
Natura has a reputation of being tedious with protocols and processes, being ‘too uptight’ and being unnecessarily expensive to work with.

What people can't see is that we spend a lot of time creating method statements or file a risk-assessment plan whenever need be or that our Site Safety manager fills a written checklist every time a Participant/ performer is put on to our system.
We are expensive because we have heavily invested in top-notch equipment, we use a minimum safety ratio of 3:1 (to lift 300kgs, we use equipment that is rated to lift 900kgs) we use high-tech gear just to monitor data like wind speed and loads and we spend quite a large chunk of money on different kinds of specialised insurances.

Having said all this, it's not to say that with all these processes that we boast of, Natura can’t experience an accident – we are just as susceptible – the question is how prepared are we when it happens (not if it happens) Our team is trained in first aid, we use manual backups on all motorised systems (as we know technology can fail) and we even have evacuation drills in place at times.
And in spite of it all, when we feel safety may be compromised, we refuse to do the show even at a cost to us. one such example was during a wedding in Bengaluru, where the trussing was deemed inadequate by us, our winches had failed due to rain and our backup motors had come untested from our warehouse to the site, due to operational errors and so we refused to go ahead with the show as we were just not suitably ready. I'd much rather face the wrath of the client and refund the money than endanger a life (both my teams and the clients’).

This might come across as being pompous, or me using a calamity to talk about my company. But the fact is that sadly there aren’t any other examples I can think of that does what we do, when it should actually be the bare minimum.
In our contemporaries, I can only recommend one other team in the whole of the country (isn't that shameful?). It's not that I see eye-to-eye with them on everything, we still have our differences and I still call them out on small things, but generally speaking, there is mutual respect because they use good quality gear and have experienced personnel.

The problem I foresee today is that once people's memories of this event are sufficiently erased, we will go right back to haggling over “is it all really necessary?” It can’t only be a few of the country who care enough. Our industry needs to acknowledge the problem that exists. We need to finally understand that there is a workable solution for this.
I have shouted myself hoarse at almost every industry gathering about the need for a body that sets protocols and standards for the whole industry to follow on pain of penalty. It is way past time to get started on this.
In the meanwhile if you an event manager who wants to make sure this doesn’t happen on their watch, here are a few things to watch out for:
1) Ask for method statements or project plans or even just clean 2) diagrams of what the vendor intends to do, so as to force them to commit to paper what they think is safe.
3) Insist on your vendors using rated and certified equipment - whether it is winches and cables or just helmets and ropes.
4) Always enquire about backups or fail safes in every set-up
5) Have some form of data monitoring; even if it is eyeballing a setup closely every 30 minutes.
6) Secondary support — on-site certified paramedics or first aiders —is crucial.
7) Insure and indemnify all stakeholders with specialised insurance coverage.
😎 Here’s hoping we finally turn a corner towards making our industry one day, as safe as flying in giant metal tubes.



Video Courtesy: The Times of India

20/01/2024

Team Natura and Team XP&D at Boeing India Engineering and Technology Centre (BIETC) which was inaugurated by our Honourable PM Mr. Narendra Modi yesterday.

A big thanks to XP&D (.in) for having us on board for this landmark event.

19/01/2024

Our Honourable PM Mr. Narendra Modi inaugurated Boeing’s new global engineering and technology centre campus near Bengaluru city. Built at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore, the 43-acre Boeing India Engineering and Technology Centre (BIETC) campus is the plane-maker’s largest such investment outside the US.

We are proud to have played a part in making this landmark event a bit more special by rigging a giant ribbon that was ‘unwrapped’ remotely by the PM and other dignitaries as they unveiled the campus.

Event conceptualised and executed by - XP&D

16/01/2024

How’s that for a ‘corner office’?

10/01/2024

Few glimpses from our show with .official at Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet 2024 Inauguration Ceremony.

Event Agency: .events

.official

・・・
A stellar start to 2024 indeed at the opening ceremony of Global Investors Meet 2024 in Chennai!

Creating a must-have experience, we set the stage with 5 hologram screens spanning a total of 19 meters. This immersive setting was further elevated by 36 performers, providing the audience with an interactive hologram experience

A heartfelt thank you to Renaissance Event Management, Raghini Muralidharan for entrusting us with the freedom to unleash our creative prowess! Special shoutout to our partners Natura, JAY MATHURIA and ShowTex Middle East for providing us with the rigging, projection & hologram services and Vijay Sabhlok for the technical planning and designing - key players in making this a success.

Let us all keep soaring because the sky’s not the limit – it’s just the view! 🌌

08/01/2024

We started the year off with a FlyingFX rig at the high-profile Tamil Nadu Global Investors Meet (TNGIM) 2024. (Guidance Tamil Nadu)

5 full-height projection screens were precision-lowered using our automated motion control hoists, as part of the choreographed performance.

The prestigious event was managed by Renaissance Event Management Company. Thank you to Creative Factory, the content design team, for bringing us on board for this event.

04/01/2024

2024’s first rig! Starting the year off in Chennai doing what we love best :)

Watch this space for more!

29/12/2023

Hitachi Energy’s Global Technology and Innovation Centre in Chennai, was launched by Thiru M. K. Stalin, hon’ble CM of Tamil Nadu (CMOTamilNadu), with a visually emphatic unveiling rigged by Natura.

The unveiling — part of the launch event organised and executed by Think Events — was a multi-layered reveal, triggered remotely. The double reveal extended the moment of launch and heightened its impact.

A heartfelt ‘thank you’ to Think Events; for bringing us onboard for this prestigious event.

Trussing, Scaffolding and Powerdrops by MEN AT WORK

25/12/2023

Before flying with us, Santa would always get delayed at Mumbai airport and never find parking in Bandra 🤦🏽‍♂️

But thanks to Natura and our e̶l̶v̶e̶s̶ riggers, it’s a very merry Christmas once again!

20/12/2023

‘Tis the season to be at Jio World Garden again — the Hamleys Wonderland organised by RISE Worldwide starts today!

Drop in to check out the 250mtr long and 70mtr high zip line we have rigged for the event, and of course, to get your family and kids to meet the Flying Santa!

19/12/2023

Natura’s Aerial Drummers livened up at the Jio World Convention Centre on 11th April 2023.

The act, a visual delight, involves skilled drummers rigged individually to fly on stage, set to choreography using the Programable Motion Control System.

Big thanks to Shobiz Experience for bringing us on board for the event. Thank you SNL Pro for trussing support and Sham Rock drummer group for doing a fantastic job while hanging in thin air!

03/10/2023

Super stoked about the finale! Hanging out with .india and

02/10/2023

with Think Events and MEN AT WORK.
Watch this space for more info on this project

30/08/2023

Forest of Love - https://rb.gy/zfbzc scores a hat-trick with big wins at all three of India’s top event industry awards in 2023! WOW Awards Asia, GIWA Awards by ICWF and now EEMAX Global! by EEMA ! ‘

We’re ecstatic at having been a part of the event curated by Chitvan Jaipuria from CJ's Events. We truly appreciate them for trusting us and giving us a free hand. They deserve all the kudos for putting the whole thing together.

A big shoutout to our long-time collaborator, Gauri Devi Riggan the Artistic Director and co-producer of the show. It was her innate ability to take a brief and all its constraints and turn it into a vision that made this event magical enough to win awards.

Nothing but gratitude to the Sonthalia's for being the perfect clients, for giving us a free rein to unleash our creativity, even if it meant disrupting their home. Thank you for trusting us with your dream and being the catalysts who ultimately made the Forest of Love a reality that the industry has applauded.

Much appreciation to all the stakeholders and professionals who worked tirelessly:-
Decor by Baisakhi Flowers Private Limited
Food and Catering kookiejarkolkata
Lighting Design by Bala Mistry
Sound and LED by Friends of Shiva
Lighting Equipment by Q Lighting
Trussing by Durga Movies
Aerialists - Arjun Sharma, VicBis Aerial Daria Fogel, Charlly
Singer - Tritha Sinha

15/08/2023

Every day that we get to do what we do for a living, is a testimony to how far we’ve come as a country.

76 years later we celebrate not just our but also the price that was paid to get us the freedoms and opportunities that we take for granted. (Like playing with ropes, pulleys and trusses and calling it a ‘job’ 😀)

A very to us all!

04/08/2023

Presenting a montage of the aerial drummer act that Natura has developed in partnership with artists and incorporated into multiple live performances.

The Aerial Drummers are a group of skilful percussionists drumming and soaring through air, while forming patterns to the beat of the music. Combining traditional drumming with an aerial element and visual effects, these innovative percussionists enthral audiences from all walks of life. With their bright colours, snare drums, customised light effects and automated aerial rigging systems.

28/07/2023

We are in Chennai using our Motion Control Systems to move LED screens up and down while creating an extremely high tech entry mechanism for the Audio Launch of the very popular Sun Pictures
It's always exciting to be part of a high-energy event like this!

Link for the launch - https://www.youtube.com/live/aTZOl452_FE?feature=share

Thanks Bhaskar Kulasekaran and CAB Chennai for bringing us on board!

20/07/2023

It was for the Natura team to transition from Rigging Technicians to Installation Artists for the OLA scooter project that we executed in June & July 2022!

The EV's components were suspended in an Explosive Isometric view to captivate the audience. This was expertly envisioned by Ola's design team that serve as an installation at the OLA Future factory.

To install the same a ground supported truss had to be designed and erected on the factory floor, on which the vehicles components were suspended from to achieve the desired outcome.

17/07/2023

Just wrapped up another memorable year at the WOW Awards Asia, helping put up the grandest showcase of our industry.

We are proud of our aerial rigging partnership with WOW Awards as it has grown from its inception to being the event industry’s most significant awards.

13/07/2023

12/07/2023

Here is a throw back to last years WOW 2022! We are super excited to see you all again tomorrow and to amaze you with our Flying Fx rigging at WOW Awards Asia 2023 at Jio

11/07/2023

A few visuals of Natura at the India launch of the

Natura gave the launch its big reveal with the car being ‘airdropped’ live on stage!

The Flying FX was achieved using our Motion Control System to precisely lower the car on a platform, in-sync with the high-energy reveal AV.

Thank you for bringing us onboard Communique India

Brand- Hyundai India
Advertising Agency Innocean India
Technical Direction - Event Resource
Rigging and Load consultation by MEN AT WORK
Trussing by Modern Stage Service
LED Walls by DynaMix Media
Venue - A Dot by GNH