Desi Thelma & Louise

If Bengaluru was the whole world, then these two would go down in history in the same page as Bonnie and Clyde, Lennon and McCartney, Watson and Holmes and Sonny and Cher.

Not only have Kripalini Singh and Jasmine George been friends for the past fifteen years, between the two of them they have a fashion model, a wedding planner, a painter, a humanitarian, a workshop conductor and the founders and owners of an avant-garde art café – Coffee on Canvas. Riding on the success of their recent  Award, these two Bengaluru women open up on their remarkable journey of friendship, trials and a mutual love for coffee.

Formerly a well-known face in the modeling circuit of the city, Kripalini is a master of following her dreams head first. “Jasmine and I were friends since we were 17 years old. Both of us are coffee people (and somehow, tea people too!) and were always on the lookout for a place where we could find good coffee. The idea of bringing art into it was entirely Jasmine’s. She is the painter among us two and when we saw the space in Koramangala, she knew this could be perfect to make, show and cultivate art in — with a great cup of coffee,” says the occasional wedding planner who is a thorough ‘people person.’

While her friend is at the helm of the managerial side of things, Jasmine is makes sure that their café protects the aesthetics upon which it was founded. The Bengaluru artist who was brought up in Goa, says, “I have inspirations that range from Michelangelo to MF Hussain. My concern is always to make sure that artists who are handicapped or underprivileged have a free platform to display their work. Whatever money that their artwork brings, we give it to them without hassle. Bengaluru really lets you follow your dreams without creating much of a block — I cannot say that Kripalini and I have ever faced trouble of any sort by virtue of being women.”

With their twin personalities providing the perfect amount of every aspect required to built a great café experience in the city, Kripalini and Jasmine’s days are understandably busy. “I usually complete my workouts early, head to my painting workshops, then go over to the café, after which I look into finish sketches for my fashion designing side gig,” says Jasmine.

Kripalini on the other hand, says, “If I am not travelling for a wedding planning project, I usually spend mornings doing household chores and managing the café. I do indulge myself a bit in modeling, but not too often.”