Flavour on canvas
The old familiar dhabas near PGI, which are replaced by the kiosks of Food Street, now exist only in artist Bheem Malhotra’s memory and his paintings
The year 2008 gave us our very own Food Street and it made us happy. At least now we can compare ourselves to Chandni Chowk, Lahore and even food streets of Paris. But our euphoria was clouded when we met artist Bheem Malhotra and got to see a few prints of his original Dhaba series, which he painted in the early 90s.

The girl next door 
I'm as simple as the girl I play in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi: Anushka
She has been catapulted to star status with her debut in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. But Anushka Sharma says she is a simple girl just like her character in the movie and has no plans to move into a plush home as she is enjoying her stay in the army quarters here.

Anushka Sharma

Bollywood's big hopes 
Buoyed by the success of Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Ghajini at the fag end of 2008, Bollywood entered the New Year on an optimistic note expecting that big-budgeted pot boilers would set the cash registers ringing at the box office in 2009. Bollywood would be pinning its hopes this year on many high-budget movies featuring bankable stars on account of liquidity crunch that hit the industry in the later half of 2008.

First love
I won't be able to remake Taare Zameen Par: Aamir Khan
Bollywood superstar Aamir Khan, who featured in the Hindi remake of hit Tamil film Ghajini, says he won't be able to remake his directorial debut Taare Zameen Par. "It happens seldom that we remake a hit film. Perhaps, I would not be able to remake my film Taare Zameen Par. Even if I make it, I won't be able to make it with the same passion," said Aamir.

‘I owe my success to Rahman’ 
It's pouring offers for Sukhwinder Singh in both Bollywood and Hollywood. But instead of giving himself a pat on the back and taking all the credit, the playback singer says he owes his success to ace composer A.R. Rahman.

Sukhwinder Singh

Lucky charm
After starring in Bollywood star Aamir Khan's hit directorial debut Taare Zameen Par, actor Tisca Chopra has become a lucky charm for debutant directors. She will now feature in critically acclaimed Firaaq, which is Nandita Das' first film as a director.

Tisca Chopra

Shah Rukh chala neta banane
Popular Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan is likely to be the Congress candidate from the Mumbai north constituency for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections, according to Mumbai Regional Congress Committee president Kripa Shankar Singh. Shah Rukh Khan will be replacing another Bollywood actor Govinda, presently the sitting MP from the constituency, Singh said, while speaking to mediapersons.

Shah Rukh Khan

Sahib, biwi aur kalam 
Suchita Malik’s debut novel Indian Memsahib is an insider’s take on bureaucratic life
Behind every successful sahib, there is a memsahib. No, we haven’t forgotten that oft-repeated phrase, only adjusted a little to suit our purpose. The sahib and the memsahib being the man and wife in the bureaucratic world and telling the story of this elite class is Suchita Malik. In her debut book Indian Memsahib, she weaves facts and fiction to bring out the labour, filled with uncertainty that comes with being a bureaucrat’s wife. “Writing the book was a cathartic experience. It is not only about my own perspectives but also about the emotional struggle and fight for the identity, an account of a VIP life and its challenges,” says this VIP wife for past 25 years. — Photo: Himanshu Mahajan

A word of wisdom
The ongoing book exhibition at the Servants of the People Society, Chandigarh branch, Lajpat Rai Bhavan has a treasure of books to take home
Richard Bach does two things with his books, he gives you flight and he makes you feel young. And well, that’s true not only for Jonathan Livingston Seagull, which we picked from the book exhibition at Lajpat Rai Bhawan-15, but for all books that we came across. Organised by Rupa & Co the exhibition throws open a variety of readings that would enlighten you in one way or the other.

A visitor browses at the book exhibition

Spice up
Shahnaz Husain
Habits maketh a man
Stylish clothes, a good hairstyle and make-up are not all that is to beauty. Beauty is also a matter of cultivating some good habits to last you a lifetime. Here are some tips to give you that extra edge:

Changes on the card
Let’s imagine. You walk in to town’s most famous multi-cuisine restaurant, dressed to the nines. Anticipation of good food already appetising you against the backdrop of great music played by the live band among a perfect ambience in turn, created by the sophisticated and swish crowd. Hoooh! So much for word picture. Take a little further. A polished and skilled waiter approaches you, smiles, wishes and hands over a soiled cardboard-like thing to you that resembles a menu card! Eaooow!

Bon Appetit
Kabab-e-bahar
Shami kababs with steaming chai! Sizzling seekhs with an evening drink! Hot kababs, any kind, are a great treat, Anytime! They may be shallow fried in a pan, barbecued or baked in the traditional tandoor. The kabab world is so vast I could not possibly do justice to the phenomenal array, even in ten columns, leave alone one! When the meat-eaters bite into tangris and champs, the shakaharis need not shed a tear…there are several options from the vegetable world that can be disguised into delicious kababs. Today, I bring you my two all-time favourites from the veg-world, with a follow-up next week from the gosht range.