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Shooting Stars The ‘Promised Land’ is not always full of milk and honey and when contests promising the stars leave behind a trail of dust, the disappointment is immense finds out Parbina Rashid They remind you of the ‘before and after’ commercials you have seen in so many newspapers and magazines. One dejected soul with the look of one who has just lost everything and the other buoyed with enthusiasm and ready to conquer, if not the world, at least a small portion of it. The only difference in this contrasting picture is, unlike all the ads you have seen with happy endings (where one sheds loads of weight in the second frame or a bald head ends up with a mop of crowning glory), the prettier half turns ugly at the end. This is the story of the winners of so many talent hunt competitions or reality shows, which have become an integral part of our lifestyle. Take, for example, the case of Shrikant Juneja, 20-year-old- collegiate from Ludhiana who has just won the Pepsi Khol, Milega Role contest and waiting to join the Farah Khan league and act along with Shah Rukh Khan. Winner of another similar contest ‘Clinic All Clear Kalakar’ is all excited about his big break in the silver screen. “Of course I am going to act in this film called Om Shanti Om as was promised by Farah Khan herself. They will take my screen test and find me a suitable role in the film.” He sounds too sure of himself and of course he has a reason to be. After all he had defeated about 17 lakh contestants to emerge as one of the three winners in the contest and that too after going through three gruelling rounds. Such effervescence, however, often falls flat in no time! Meet Surman Deep, the winner of the Pepsi Ban Ja Sitara Yaara-2004 in the male category. After 15-minutes in the Hall of Fame, he spent the one complete year in the abyssal chamber of anonymity before he gathered enough courage to walk into various newspapers to narrate his stories of woes. “They promised to make me a star but look at me now, I am now giving tuitions to survive,” comes the angry outburst of this young man, who says the one-year contract that he had signed with the host Pepsi as well as Music Today that forbade him to participate in any stage shows, ruined his musical career. “Like they promised, they made an audio album called Ishq Bedardi along with Amanpreet Kaur, who was the winner in the female category, but have you ever seen any promos of the album on any of the channels? Why we were never invited to take part in any shows by our hosts” he asks. After being a Pepsi Star to a fallen star now, this Mansa-born singer is using his diploma in classical vocal to give tuitions to young budding singers. A sad story but this is the way things work in the industry, comes a balanced opinion from our own Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-98 winner Rinku Kalia. “Such shows do give us artistes a platform and exposure to get started in this field. But after that you are on your own for there is always the next one to take your place and unless you have real talent and luck, it is difficult to survive. But after winning two such contests, one TVS Sa-Re-Ga-Ma and another Punjabi Sa-Re-Ga-Ma in 2000, does she feel cheated for not getting a break as a playback singer in Bollywood? “Our time was different. There were no such promises and even the judges, though they were legends, were in no position to help us in getting a break. But it did open a whole new world to me and I still cherish those moments,” she says. Well, with reality shows mushrooming like weeds and the number of SMSes becoming the yardstick of judging such budding talent, one cannot really say who is actually being cheated—the participants or the audience. But then that’s another story!
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Fluid forms
At her first solo showing in the city, she impresses because her earnestness in her images shine through. Her ten works on display took her a whole year to produce and that is just the beginning of it all. A graduate from the College of Art, Sector 10, Jasleen specialised in painting before going on to do her Masters degree from Panjab University in the History of Art. And it is from here, that her exposure to the many faces of Buddha finds eloquence in the craft. Her Buddha, in fact, lures the observer right from the door of the gallery. ‘Meditation’ has two faces of the Buddha in a sea of leaves with flowers as adornment for the ears. Nature here is used as a symbol for the presence of the Divine Force. Similarly the ‘Bodhisatva Padmapani’ (depicted with a lotus flower) is again a lovely composition for the peacefulness it exudes not just in expression but also in the soft water-colours employed to give the work a distinctive tranquillity. ‘Maya’s Dream’ depicting the white elephant that came in a dream to Buddha’s mother just before his birth again exudes that feather-white reverie of a dream world but the presence of the Buddha is again evident in the glorious bounty of the leaves is mellow and beautiful shades of green, white and tinged pink. Meditative in form and reflective in spirit is ‘Peace’ where the Bodhi tree is juxtaposed against the face of the Buddha, the backdrop, earthy and rooted in serenity. “The Buddha has always appealed to me for the peace that emanates. In fact like his influence, I wanted the works to speak for themselves and that is what I have attempted,” explains Jasleen. While the Buddha is close to her heart for the message of peace that she wishes to convey, Jasleen shows another facet of her creativity through the vitality of the ballerina, in motion. The fire she sees in their movement, the grace in their posture, the elegance of a pose, is all vividly portrayed in rich textures and backdrops to convey the vitality of forms. Her ballerinas (acrylics on canvas and paper, textured with fevicol and even oil) with their crushed paper skirts are interesting for the complete turnaround in her style of work from the serene Buddha. Opulent backgrounds in crimson red and ochre represent the effervescence of celebrating dance and this is particularly evident in ‘Ballerina Group 1’ with its fluid movements of form and shape in smudges of lively colour. However Jasleen’s own dreams do not stop at this amalgamation of styles, she wants to paint for as long as she can for “art is me” she says. Even though she is currently studying accessory design and handicraft development at NIFT, Delhi, she is already planning her next exhibition. “But it will take time because I will not do a rush job, I want each painting to express and convince.” The exhibition is on at the Indusind Bank Art Gallery, SCO 53-54, Sector 8 C, Madhya Marg, Chandigarh till September 30
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Gardens: recipes and values for compost
You only have to walk under a stand of trees at Kasauli or Shimla to understand soil composition. The ground is spongy and cool because of the layers of moist leaf material underfoot. Take a stick and dig an inch into the soil and you will see colonies of insects, a complete self-generating compost unit. Each season depletes nutrients in the soil. The local khaad gadda or the compost pit is the food trolley your plants look forward to. Compost has been described as a life insurance plan for plants. I would vote for it. Unlike cowdung, which has to be applied at specific times and in pre—determined quantities because of its high nitrogen content, compost can be applied generously at any time. It is not too difficult to understand the soil in your garden, but it has to be understood to rear healthy plants. The following are essential soil components: Carbon—the energy food from dry leaves, straw, rotten grass, sawdust, paper, wheat, rice, bajra stalks and corncobs. This takes care of all your dry, pruned stuff. Oxygen—As micro organisms breathe in oxygen while working, you have to keep turning the compost to introduce more air. Nitrogen—It provides proteins for microbes to grow and multiply, Grass mowing, rotten fruits and vegetables, left over food, pounded bones, fish scales, egg shells, blood, vegetable peelings, coffee grounds, tea leaves, feathers, cow-dung, weeds and kitchen scraps are rich in nitrogen. Water—It is the essential ingredient, which keeps microorganisms alive. Put in too much and they will drown. Too little and they will dry out. So sprinkle water at least twice a week and keep the process of decomposition moving. Here are two compost recipes for you to follow. Remember to keep each layer around 4” deep. 1 part grass mowing 1 part dry leaves 1 part garden soil, sifted of pebbles and stones 2 parts dry leaves 1 part grass clippings or wet leaves and weeds 1 part food scraps To contribute minerals, add wood ash, rock dust from stone crushers and fine soil. — Joyshri Lobo
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Home décor discounts from Godrej
Navratra Thali from Nirula’s
On the auspicious occasion of navratras Nirula’s has introduced special Navratra thali offering paneer makhani, aloo dahi curry, rice kheer and mouth watering Kashiphal and paneer kofta, arbi curry and phool makhana curry, at affordable price of Rs 95. The special thali collection is available for all nine days of the navratras. Fragrance from Ambipur
From making your car interior fragrant Ambipur has expanded its range with new products Ambipur Home Electric Perfum and Ambipur Aerosol in the home fragrance category. The Ambipur Home Electric product enables consumers to experience high quality long lasting fragrance and is available at Rs 149. Ambipur Aerosol offers top spray system in floral fragrance called ‘Pink flowers’ and a fresh marine fragrance ‘Blue Ocean’ priced at Rs 99. L’Oreal for winters
Inspired by animal and plant kingdom L’Oreal introduced special collection to dress your hair for the winters in three themes, Rare Bird, Mysterious Madonna, and Magnetic fairy. While the Rare bird look represents Peacock woman-elegant, alluring and sensuous like the peacock, the mysterious Madonna look represents the Python woman with a look with the enigma that is a woman in hues of colours like gold, browns, the magnetic fairy look through L’Oreal colours of light platinum and deep violets create the magical look of a scarab woman. Smart music player from Apple
Apple has launched iPod shuffle for the world’s smallest digital music player, making it wearable with a built in clip to enable the music lovers to hear their favourite tunes wherever they go. The new iPod shuffle has a memory of one gigabyte, and holds collection of 240 songs on 12-hour battery life. The listeners can enjoy songs in a random order with the new shuffle feature or can simply flip a switch to listen to their songs in order. The iPod is available at Rs 5,600. Stop pregnancy the morning after
Win Healthcare the OTC arm of Win-Medicare has launched Norlevo the revolutionary morning after pill, the first Norlevo is the first emergency contraceptive pill. The product is now available at all leading chemists and pharmacy outlets without prescription Norlevo is aimed at helping women prevent unintended pregnancies after unprotected sex or in case of a contraceptive failure. Launched in India under license from HRA Pharma, France is already the most successful morning pill in Europe and is trusted in 55 countries. Completely safe the pill is available in a convenient two- tablet pack to be used within 72 hours. Rubberized ink pens from GM Pens
Liquiflo a revolutionary range of pens from G M Pens International Private Limited has an innovative writing instrument for consumers. The uniqueness of the pen lies in its revolutionary rubberized ink and its viscosity makes writing extremely smooth and effortless. Making the ink amazing is that it is waterproof. The low prices make the high technology pens very affordable and are available in blue and black inks at price of Rs 10 and the refill is priced at Rs 5. The company plans to widen the range with more coloured inks in future.
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Baking up a storm
Describe delicious. How about Nik’s bakery? Makes no sense? Well, think large moist muffins sprinkled with blueberries, swirls of chocolate ‘eddying’ around in crusty tartlets and cheesecakes with splashes of bright toppings. All this at the new kid in town—Nik Baker’s European Bakery in Sector 9D—run by 26 year old Nikhil alias Nik. Don’t be taken back by his ‘pocket-sized’ age, for if the cakes and bakes, breads and pies on offer are anything to go by, Nik is up to his ears in thick creamy experience! After completing his diploma in bakery from the Food Craft Institute in Chandigarh, he went to Australia for a two year diploma in bakery from Regency Tafe in Adelaide, even qualifying as a food technologist to ensure quality and hygiene in whatever he did. The course covered complete European patisserie which he supplemented with an additional three month course in presentation and that is a huge feather in his cap for his stuff actually ‘looks’ divine. But the cakes are not the only sweet things in this bakery. “It was my father’s dream to have a good bakery in this city. All I am doing is fulfilling his dream,” he says. Indeed the array is what dreams are made of, our dreams! The ‘alcoholic’ Tiramisu (Rs 50), the tangy lemon tarts with slivers of chocolate (Rs 25), creamy mixed berry Cheesecake, Cappuccino Slice (Rs 35), Cinnamon, White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate Doughnuts (Rs 15) coupled with exciting breads—the Focassia and the Italian Ciabatta with olive oil, herbs, red chillies and olives, Honey Oat Bread (Rs 50), dinner rolls, hot dogs and burgers—and of course cookies, yummy ones like oats and raisins, chocolate chip and chocolate fudge, and this is just the beginning of the delight. “I have 300 ideas rotating in my head but I am going taking it slow and steady,” says Nik. However lots of goodies are on the cards and these include live pancakes with blueberry, cream and honey, Italian pizzas, thin crust and stingy cheese, Christmas cakes, fruit cakes, pies and quiches and even coffee, an enchanting South African and Cuban blend and chocolates—liquor, Belgian—the works! And finally, the piece-de-résistance, Nik is increasing the variety of egg-less options for the Navratras this year. Muffins, Brownies, Black Forest, Pineapple, Butterscotch along with all the English breads—multi-grain, rye, honey oat—are all available in a ‘vegetarian’ avatar. But the dreams do not end with just a delightful bakery in a little niche. Nik plans to open an institute next year where he will train younglings into super chefs and a chain of Nik Baker’s is also planned. So watch out for that king-sized muffin, you may just get in all over India soon!
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BINDING FAITH
He visits the mosque religiously. Every year in the holy month of Ramzan, engineer Pradeep Nanda and his son Prateek leave behind their daily chores and mundane issues to cross the borders of caste and creed to reach the mosque in Sector 20 at the time of “ Iftar ” or breaking the fast.
Faithful to secularism and impartiality, they sit down on the mats along with so many Muslim brethrens offering “ Magrib ki namaaz ” before savouring the taste of religion in the form of sliced apples, bananas, rice and even biscuits. Looking at them from close quarters, you realise that the borders of religion, caste and creed may have turned into political and geographical boundaries with the Partition, but faith still binds more than a few people together in the bonds of humanity, faithfully and devotedly. And it’s a tie bomb blasts across the country just cannot explode! Flashing a solemn smile, Pradeep says he has been coming to the mosque during the month of Ramzan in the evenings without any break for several years now. “The tradition dates back to the time of our forefathers, when India and Pakistan were one and there was no partition of hearts,” he asserts. Standing next to him in the mosque, his son Prateek — pursuing a degree in engineering from a local college, says, “For us, it is all very natural to go to a mosque every year at the time of breaking the fast. After all, we all are the creations of the same God.” Well, the father-son duo is not the only one rising above the man-made fences of religious conviction. Go to the Panjab University campus and you will find painter Ziya from Meerut, along with Aftaab and Sikander from Delhi, giving final touches to the effigies of Ravana, Kumbhkaran and Meghnath for Dusshera! In any case, comfortable with the idea of having “guests” in the Sector 20 mosque, Imam Maulana Mohammed Ajmal Khan says, “The holy month of contemplation, compassion and self-control is not limited to the Muslims alone. God willed it so that people are more compassionate and they know what hunger is.” Elaborating upon the month’s significance, the Imam says, “It was during Ramzan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, that the Holy Quran and other heavenly books were sent down from heaven. As such, it is time to abstain from dawn to dusk”. The Imam adds that the Ramzan fast lasts the entire month, but only during the daylight hours. “Eat and drink until so much of the dawn appears that a white thread may be distinguished from a black. Then keep the fast completely until night,” he asserts. Interestingly, the Sahri or the food which people eat is so very different. Punjabi Muslims eat paranthas and lay stress on curd in the mornings to beat the thirst through the day. Brethrens from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar prefer rice. Well fellows, that’s the way it is. No matter what you eat. Just do not tell a lie because fibs can nullify all the acts of virtue — and this from the Imam himself. — Saurabh Malik
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DOSTI SADA
It is a call for peace through a traditional medium of story telling conveying messages both simple and profound. It is also the “call” of Adakar Manch, Mohali, a city-based prolific theatre group. “This festival is about two brothers, divided, but coming forward to embrace each other, within their incongruent identities,” explains the Director of Adakar Manch, Dr Sahib Singh. Indeed, sada-e-aman, Adakar International Theatre Festival 2006 is a commitment towards fostering amity between India and Pakistan and is to be celebrated with a series of fine productions to be staged at the Tagore Theatre from October 3 to 8 and which also includes a joint venture production Dukh Darya between Pakistani and Indian actors and directed by the renowned Madeeha Gouhar. This play, in fact, is the result of a joint workshop held earlier this year in Lahore and combined with some of India’s prominent theatre directors bringing their best productions to the city, the festival promises to be a visual fiesta. So is the stage set to give a spur to camaraderie through art? Yes it is, believes Dr Singh. “Theatre is an extremely powerful medium of awareness because this is one platform that is not afraid of picking up subjects, diverse and varied, and making people sit up and think.” Even marginalized people find their voices on stage, he says, for “this is a live medium, an actor’s medium and it is this living aspect of theatre that will always succeed in reaching out forcefully and assertively,” he insists. The focus is the subject he elaborates and this festival is a prime example of that. “We did not want a single thread of thought or idea running through the festival but a vibrant variety of themes.” From the effects of globalisation, “why has our lassi and sherbet been taken over by coke” to emotional interplay between people, upheavals and satire to even a play on renowned Punjabi writer Ajeet Cour’s autobiography, there is a meaningful brew to soak into. In fact the dictum by which Dr Singh lives is simple yet lucid. Satyam Shivam Sundaram, “along with the essence of life comes beauty”. He goes on to explain, “The stress has to be on what is important (in this case the subject) but adorn it in such a way that it is palatable for the spectator.” However, he is quick to point out that this, in no way, extends to gimmickry. “If you take away the meaningfulness of any situation what is the difference between doing an Indian Laughter Challenge and theatre,” he asks. The passion is there to see and hosting an international festival of this stature could not have been easy. “Yes, theatre is difficult and has many odds stacked against it but it is only if we stage meaningful works, be the platform of reason, the voice of the people, will the audience come forward and patronise this art form,” smiles Dr Singh. His vision is inspiring for he believes that only if a commitment is strong enough can one have the courage to swim against the tide and emerge triumphant on the other side. Will theatre then be the new beacon of optimism, trust and faith, where so much has failed? Plays to be staged: October 3—Third War by the Alternative Living Theatre group, Calcutta and directed by Probir Guha October 4—End Game by Manch Rangmanch, Amritsar and directed by Suresh Pandit October 5—Andhe Hai Hum by Adakar Manch Mohali and directed by Sahib Singh October 6—Khanabadhosh directed by D R Ankur (NSD) October 7 & 8—Dukh Dariya by Ajoka Theatre, Lahore and directed by Madeeha
Gouhar
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Puran Singh’s Dhaba
For a change, it doesn’t matter at all that you are a complete failure when it comes to writing on food. For a change, an assignment can be interesting, no, make that tasty. As the man stationed outside the famous Puran Singh da Dhaba bang on the GT Road in Ambala Cantonment whistles and exhorts you to treat yourself to some of the best non-vegetarian you’ve had in your 26 years of existence, it’s hard not to listen to the proverbial call of the stomach juices. Since, it’s been ages since you visited this place, it isn’t really a bad idea to try a mouthful of all their well-known non-vegetarian dishes, Mutton Curry, Chicken Curry, Keema Kaleji. It’s already two in the afternoon, and a sea of strangers surrounds you, and the crowd can’t stop pouring in. Well you really don’t mind when the gentleman behind you happens to be a Supreme Court Judge. A ‘socialist’s paradise’ and almost half a century old, Puran Singh’s dhaba strongly believes in serving people from all classes, thanks to the fact that no one would lose appetite after seeing the right side of the menu. Okay, now it is time to stop taking notes and check out the food. The mutton curry promises a juicy treat to the palate. Not steaming hot, neither cold, heated at just the right temperature, rest assured you won’t grab water after the first bite. Well, one thing is bound to surprise and that is the size of the chicken leg. Gosh, it’s abnormally big. But that’s aright, when like most Indians you prefer the leg to the nutritious chest. Now it’s getting boring being all by yourself. You initiate a conversation with the couple from Delhi who are sharing your table. Here for the first time? “Well I think this must be the 50th time that we’re splitting a chicken here,” smiles this lawyer who makes it a point to grab lunch at Puran Singh whenever he’s crossing the town. “There’s something peculiar about the food here, something more than just ‘food’ in the ordinary sense of the word. I may sound strange, but so many people who come here regularly feel that they’re a ‘part’ of scheme of things here, simple ambience, same old taste, that distinctive smell,” pronounces the lawyer’s interior decorator wife, in her own world. The owner, Vijinder Nagar who bought this place along with goodwill from Puran Singh had been enjoying our conversation all this while, smiles, “We get customers from around the country. People who want to savour the true taste of meat seldom miss an opportunity to drop in whenever they’re crossing this stretch of the GT road, and this includes ministers, judges, actors and the common travellers,” he points to the road that reflects the harsh sunrays and bears on its breast almost a neurotic traffic. Insisting that the numerous clones that bear the name ‘Puran Singh’ have little effect on his sales graph, Vijinder smiles, “they can copy the name, but can’t even think of imitating the taste.” Refuting that other eateries in the area pay him to close shop at four in the afternoon, he states emphatically, “We’re just following the tradition set by Puran Singh. No, we don’t accept any money for closing early.” Insisting that the Chandigarh branch (in Sector-17) is inviting a lot of customers, he’s optimistic, “the response has been exceptionally positive, in fact the people there were already aware of our goodwill.” The lunch concludes, so does the conversation. It was time well spent, after it was after ages that you enjoyed a true leg piece! Puran Singh Ka Dhaba, which offers the best non-vegetarian delights on the GT Road came up in 1965. In earlier times it used to have an illustration of a headless chicken along with a couplet on the wall, which read, sar kata sakte hain, lekin puran dhaba ka sar jhuka sakte nahin (heads can get chopped but Puran Dhaba’s head will never bow in submission!). It was sold to the present owner over a decade ago and is now known as Puran Singh Ka Vishal Dhaba. This year a branch of the famous eatery was opened in Chandigarh, Sector 17 and a juicy piece of leg and chest can be had here at very reasonable prices.
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The age-old Indian art of yoga, compounded with the virtues of science, is now helping people not just in reducing weight, but also in achieving economic development and spiritual evolution, says Amalgamations and mishmashes have always fascinated you! As base guitar’s rhythmic notes mingle with the dhol’s thumping beats, you jive in sync with the diverse tunes, instinctively and amicably. And to infuse enthusiasm with style, you wear traditional sleeveless cholis over jeans, in harmony with the mood of permutations and combinations. Now go a step further. Get your posture right for some “fusion yoga”. Fellows, if you haven’t heard about the concept and think it’s all about sitting in a “trance” with impressive speakers blaring meditation music, you are exercising your imagination excessively and fruitlessly. Fusion yoga incredibly blends the vision and the wisdom of the West with the experience and the knowledge of the East. As a learner or an exponent of the concept, you undergo two months of extensive training to understand the Indian and the Western philosophy. The intention is not just to achieve religious, spiritual and ethical goals, but also economic and emotional liberation through asana and the study of science by developing an “understanding heart”. The homogeneous mélange promises to give you a taste of good health and overall development. Right, of mind and body! Not just physical health! “The ultimate aim of the Western world’s science, and the search of truth of our yogis, is to attain peace, both internal and external” says Swami Dharmanishtananda of the Divine Life Society. “They look out for eternal tranquility in perceptible materialistic world through logic, while we search for the same by traveling within ourselves through yoga. Combined, the two can lead to revolution of sorts, inside and outside.” In Chandigarh all the way from Rishikesh for “mobile satsang”, the Swami asserts: “It’s like bringing a blind, and a physically challenged, person together. Alone they can hardly do anything on their own, but jointly they face the world bravely and with a new vigor.” The Swami believes that the combination is essential for horizontal economic and emotional expansion, besides vertical ethical and spiritual evolution. “You can expand horizontally with the help of science, but you cannot achieve higher vertical goals without yoga,” he asserts. Going into the background of the concept, he says: The Society’s founder Swami Sivananda, a physician by profession, was the first one to propagate the concept of combining science and yoga to help the society in stepping out of narrow thinking by lifting the veil of ignorance.” Sounds healthy, indeed!
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Different strokes
Playing cricket as a child to talking cricket in the ‘Gully’ with Mandira Bedi, is our very own city-boy Gunjan Utreja. All of 24, he is already a master of ceremonies and is all set to bowl the audience over with his sense of humour on Gully Cricket on SET MAX. With shows like MTV Roadies and events like Zee Punjaban under his belt, anchoring is Gunjan’s lifeline and what is more, this youngster is also, all set to branch out into singing with friends in ‘Band of Doon’ soon. With spontaneity his forte a script is passé for this young fellow who prefers to play it off the cuff. “The inspiration comes from the moment one is in. The theme of the show and the reaction of the audience all help in imbibing the feel of the whole scene. How you convey the message comes from life itself and I do not need a script to tell me,” he insists. Well, his volley of jokes certainly comes in handy. How else do you think he stood his ground with MTV’s star anchors, Cyrus Broacha and Cyrus Sahukar. “When the two told me that I had been taken in because they knew I was good, I was thrilled”. Once on stage the instant audience reaction is the high for him says Gunjan who realised very soon that all he wanted was to be in the limelight, in front of people. Once that decision was made the rest was easy. He gave up IIM Lucknow to do a course in Mass Communication and followed his dream. Working in the midst of great names Gunjan says “being different” is his survival mantra. “With international cricketers talking cricket on the telly I can compete only by doing my own thing. So even while practically living out of the suitcase an anchor has to have great presence of mind.” And despite his fingers in many pies (read voice-overs, mimicry, compeering, hosting shows, promoting brands and now singing too) Gunjan says he finds the time for all this and much more for an entertainer is his definition of what he always wants to do and as long as he is doing his own thing and having fun he will do it if not stop. With his talent he thinks he can choose to be himself on and off stage and this is no joke! But all the touring has not taken his heart away from his hometown Chandigarh for this is home and here is where he is the original “chilled-out guy.”
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Continental delight
If you think the city is starved of continental delicacies, you just have not been eating around. For, more and more restaurants across the city are now tickling the taste buds of the residents with an array of continental dishes.
The whiff is unmistakable. As you cross the joints offering continental delights, the aroma of grilled steaks of cottage cheese mingle with the tang of garlic to lure you indoors. It blends with a hint of creamy tomato sauce to give you continental flavour right here in Chandigarh. Just in case you are hot for the stuff, drive down to your favourite haunt and gratify your senses with an abundance of pancakes stuffed with garlic-flavoured spinach and topped with cheese sauce. Or go in for stuff like “Pepper Chicken Steak”. The choice is yours, entirely You see, until a few years ago, one had few options, as the restaurants across the city were not offering rich variety in continental. But now the dishes are more and merrier. Pick up the menu card and you will find stuff like “Crepe Florentine” and “Chicken A-La-Kiev”. If you are going to Manor in Sector 26, remember to order “Cottage Cheese Steak”. Grilled steak of cottage cheese layered with crunchy corns and garlic, it is flavoured with spinach. Or else, simply gets your culinary senses yearn for more with “Chicken Alexandra”. Grilled breast of chicken served with tri-colour rice and exotic vegetables, it is topped with oregano and Parmesan flavoured cheese. You can also go in for “Pan Seared Chicken” or “Pepper Chicken Steak”. Chicken breast stuffed with cheesy mushroom, the dish is served with vegetables and mashed potatoes before being topped with pepper flavoured chicken juice. The setting and the ambience add to the flavour
“Great Continental food in Chandigarh is still a rarity, but we want the residents to make a habit out of eating it. That’s why we have included so many exclusive continental dishes into the list of routine menu”, says Munish Bajaj of the restaurant.
— Saurabh Malik
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Bean There, Done That!
In my “pigtails, pimples and spectacles” days, the following observation never ceased to amuse me—our Zoology teacher, while discussing the human body, referred to a kidney as a bean shaped organ, whereas the Botany teacher termed a bean as a kidney shaped legume! Health fiends sing praises of beans, pronouncing them to be a powerhouse of nutrition, protein and fibre. Research shows that the consumption of beans helps control weight and reduce the risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. Beans are low in fat, calories and sodium and are completely cholesterol-free. A major number of celebrities in the last-page chats of glossies will declare Rajma-chawal their favourite ghar-ka-khana. Admittedly, we need to go beyond that and give the bean family a fair chance with more varied cooking options. Three-Bean Salad
1 cup each, red kidney beans (rajmah ) and black-eyed beans(raungi ), washed, then soaked 1 cup finely chopped spring onion ½ cup thick yoghurt Method Cook the soaked beans till tender, adding a little salt to the pan towards the end of the cooking period. Drain. Using the same liquid, cook the green beans for 7 to 8 minutes and then plunge into cold water. Drain. Beat together all the remaining ingredients and toss into it the 3 types of beans as well as the onion. Adjust seasoning before transferring to a serving dish. Caribbean bean and pe per stew
250 grams kidney beans, soaked, then boiled Method Lightly fry the onion and garlic in the oil. Add the bay-leaf and chopped chilli and toss it around for a few minutes. Now tip the tomatoes into the pan and add some salt and pepper. Cook till the tomatoes are softened somewhat and add the celery, peppers, beans and the stock of your choice. Allow the stew to simmer on a low flame for 20 odd minutes till the sauce has reduced by about one-third. Serve with warm, buttered rolls. — Kandla Nijhowne
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Health tip of the day
When using a heating pad or hot pack for relief of pain at the back one should never lie on the pad. Instead the pad should be placed on the back while lying face downwards.
— Dr Ravinder Chadha |
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Jasleen has much going for her. For one, her passion for art overrides all things, even monetary gains and for another, her works are diverse, vibrant and serene, all at once.
No garden has the perfect soil. It is up to you to achieve perfection to whatever degree. Sometimes there is too much sand, clay or salinity. The ideal soil has to be created. Here too we come up with a single, bankable asset—compost. Whether the soil is hard, compacted, heavy or waterlogged, the one component that improves its texture, fertility and water holding capacity is compost.
Godrej Interio, a division of Godrej and Boyce Manufacturing Company, a 109-year-old company, has come out with attractive discounts for the festival season with assured discount of 10 per cent on home storage, as well as 15 per cent discount on Home furniture. Any purchase bill from Godrej exceeding Rs 50,000 will entitle the customer to 20 per cent discount in home furniture products. The new scheme also entails a customer to win cash back, up to Rs 2001 and diamond jewelry up to Rs 10150. The products of the Godrej Interio division are divided into three segments vis home, office and special projects. Godrej has come up with special range of specially designed modular workstation to take care of acoustics aesthetics and wire management in addition to ergonomics to make offices more lively, functional and user friendly.
Sada-e-aman is the story of hope, of nurturing friendship and of building bridges across uncertainties and fears between peoples and nations.
A sprinter from New Orleans,