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For Chrys' sake The chrysanthemum show has a mix of new and old Regular can be interesting too. Enter Terrace Garden and its natural to get a sense of Déjà vu. The same venue and the same attraction - chrysanthemums. Yet, this annual Chrysanthemum Show enjoys enormous attendance every time. Organised by MC, Chandigarh, the show has some 10,000 pots of the flowers on display, enough to make people curious to drop in to see it. Here, we go about asking people what makes it a not- be-missed affair. Virender Singh, a businessman, eagerly waits for this time of the year when his hobby gets appreciated. A chrysanthemum lover, he has been participating and winning the competitions at this event for the past 15 years. As expected, this year too, he won 20 prizes. That's not all. One just can't ignore his contribution to the show, "Every year I try to add two to four new varieties to my existing flower beds. Some I get from the hilly regions of India, others from England," says Virender. Mangal Prasad Maurya, a gardener who won five prizes at the show lets us know how to take care of these flowers, "These aren't easy to maintain. They bloom only under the sun and need special care." As for the people who have adopted gardening as a hobby, this is the place to be at. Simrat Kaur, a homemaker, shares her experience, "I come here every year to see the new varieties. Not only I get to learn how to plant and take care of them, but also how to do different flower arrangements, so that they look more beautiful." The show provides the perfect backdrop to amateur photographers and we had plenty of them at the show. Neha Sharma, a student of the Government College of Art, says, "It is a photographer's paradise where one need not manipulate much with the surroundings for a good picture. As a student of photography, I just couldn't get a better scene than this." On till December 14
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So, what is the best thing about India, Chandigarh to be precise? 'Chai', echoes the group of seven badminton players from the Czech Republic, getting ready to have a sip of the warm Indian brew. "They want it after every meal," says coach Surinder Mahajan, who is instrumental in there training. Is that all, doesn't the city have loads of other beautiful things? "Of course," says Sarka Krizkova, 18, who is visiting India for the second time and is the only one to talk in English. "We like the Rock Garden and the lake. Last time, I saw the Rose Garden, it was lovely." Sarka is already in the groove to talk more and she is quite enjoying it. Well, we have lots to catch up on. How about the essential-to- existence 'food'.
Chap-chap-chappati: Tandoori or butter chicken are the two things that have always been quoted as favourites by most people who come from outside India. And here is a group that can't help raving about the soft chappatis. Says Honza Fedlicka, 15, "We like chappatis and must also try out some combinations." Chappati with chocolate rubbed on it! Quiet a revelation for us. Laughs Sarka, "The other day, our coach made an interesting combination of chappati, chocolate spread and sugar rice." Hey, chef, are you listening. Let's move beyond the deadly combos. Puts in Lucie Cerna, 15, "We don't like anything spicy. No chillies for us. There, we like coffee and special kind of tea. Also, there, we call chai as chai only! You can see the glint in her eyes at the mention of some similarity. Where's the party
Back at Czech girls like to hit cafes and boys like to go to pubs. Offers Sarka, senior badminton player, "At Czech, we have beer like you have water here. At the same time, players don't have much time to party, but the non-players enjoy at parties. Girls and boys can party together, there." Hollywood rules
They haven't heard who is AB for King Khan or shirtless Khan. Startled! "We know that there is some Czech model who is doing well here and married to some Indian, reveals Sarka. "But we like Will Smith, George Clooney and Brad Pitt." Haute couture
We have a Lakme Fashion Week, Wills Lifestyle, Chivas Regal….and what do we have there. "Casual dressing," says Zdenka Svedova, 17. We don't have special dresses like you have sari and salwar kameez. Girls and boys like to wear jeans, tee and a jacket." Chandigarh traffic
For Ondrej Kotyza, Faromir Fanacek, Honza, Sarka, the one thing that the city needs to improve on is traffic sense. They add, "In Czechoslovakia, we have strict traffic rules and nobody honks much and can't dare to jump red lights. Here, people honk a lot and they zip, zap and zoom." "Wosh, it's scary," tells Honza. Love, Surinderji
What do you love about Chanigarh, was the first casual question that we had thrown to these young badminton players. "Surinder ji is dubri ,"they echo. Duri? Matlab good. More Hindi words that they have picked up.. "Garam pani, main achi hun, bus, " they all laugh. jasmine@tribunemail.com |
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Bangalore pitches in for Shah Rukh's new heroine Anushka She used to be soft-spoken, bright and studious, but model Anushka Sharma also has what it takes to reach the top in showbiz, say people in this city as she made her dream debut opposite Shah Rukh Khan in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi this Friday. While her mentor and fashion guru Prasad Bidappa says Bangalore girl Anushka was always a good learner and he had an inkling that she would do well in the glamour and entertainment industry, her friends say she always "stood out in the crowd". "Anushka showed her zeal in learning things fast. She started walking the ramp perfectly just after a few days of guidance. She was agile and had a perfect body language. She was a good learner and worked hard to reach the top. It did not surprise me when she got such a good opportunity in Bollywood," Bidappa, who also groomed Deepika Padukone, said. Well-known designer Wendell Rodricks spotted Anushka at an event in Bangalore and saw her potential. He brought her to Mumbai and made her the showstopper in his Les Vamps show at the Lakme India Fashion Week. After making a mark as a model, Anushka did big assignments for products like Fiat Palio and Silk and Shine products. A trained bharatanatyam dancer, Anushka is playing a dancer who gets married to a nerd in Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi. Former model and Kannada actress Andrita Ray says Anushka's entry into filmdom brings hope for others who are trying to make it big in filmdom. "Certainly this was the most encouraging news for many models in the city who are trying for a foot hold in the film industry," said Andrita, who forayed into the Kannada film industry with director Mahesh Babu's Meravanige. Andrita remembers Anushka as a soft-spoken girl. "More than me, some of my best known friends who describe her as one girl who could be noticed even in a big crowd. "Though I did not have too many interactions with her, I was very happy to see her getting such a big break. And what makes it more exciting is the fact that she was chosen after more than a hundred girls were interviewed," said Andrita. Some of Anushka's friends who studied in Mount Carmel College with her say they were not at all surprised that she chose a film career. "Working in films was her first ambition," said a friend. One of her teachers, on request of anonymity, said she was surprised when she saw Anushka's photograph in a newspaper with Shah Rukh. "She was very studious and I thought she would complete her postgraduation in economics," said the teacher.
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The box-office failure of small-budget films like Sorry Bhai!, Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye, Maharathi and Dil Kabaddi has broken the myth that small is successful
The worst happened during the last two weeks when all the above-mentioned "small-budget" movies, including Meerabai Not Out, were released to take advantage of the gap that appeared before the release of the biggies - Shah Rukh Khan starrer Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Ghajini that has Aamir Khan in the main lead - in the coming weeks and fell flat at the box-office without exception. After the failure of the movies, the producers, who have made these movies on the periphery of Bollywood, find themselves in a piquant situation. They are startled by the outright rejection of their productions by the audience. Failures have set them thinking as to where they have gone wrong. "Well, they have gone wrong on many fronts," said Komal Nahata, a trade analyst. "First, they erred on the presumption that the box-office success of the last year's release, Bheja Fry, was a harbinger of good times for non-star-cast productions. "When this small-budget movie hit the big time at the box-office, it got many producers thinking that the time had come for them to replicate its success. So, they hurriedly put together their productions without bothering to analyse what actually, had made Bheja Fry click in the first place," Nahata added. Nahata further said that the success of Bheja Fry did more harm to Bollywood than good, as anybody who could raise some finance dreamt of hitting the jackpot by putting together a Bheja Fry like production. "The movie itself became a genre of sort and a host of small time producers misjudged it when they tried to cash in on it," Nahata said. Yes, the fact that stares them today in the face is that they have become poorer by a few millions, if not more, because the movies they made could not draw even a modicum of good initial revenue. The fate of these movies have already been sealed. Sorry Bhai, that released on November 28, cut a very sorry figure as it could collect only a few hundred rupees on its opening day in many centres. Neither was the box-office performance of One More Thought Entertainment's Dasvidaniya any better, even though the movie's cast was headed by the Bheja Fry actor, Vinay Pathak, who also co-produced it. UTV's Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye starring Abhay Deol, Paresh Rawal, Neetu Chandra and Archana Puran Singh, just about scraped through, but it could not repeat even the marginal success of the company's earlier releases like Aamir, A Wednesday and Welcome To Sajjanpur. Ditto is the fate of four small-budget comedies - Maharathi, Dil Kabaddi, Oh, My God! and Meerabai Not Out. Each one of them turned out to be a losing proposition. "Paresh Rawal may be a good actor, among the best Bollywood has at present. But he can't carry a movie on his shoulders. Maharathi proved that amply," trade analyst Vinod Mirani said. "Extra marital affair is no funny matter in the Indian society, so the audiences cold shouldered Dil Kabaddi. Mandira Bedi is as much a bore in the cricket-based comedy, Meerabai Not Out as she is as a television anchor, over-enthusiastic to the point of giving jitters to the audience," Mirani said. Added V. Varma: "Inanities cannot be passed off as funny, but that is exactly what director Saurabh Srivastava tries to do in Oh, My God! and pays a price for taking the audience for granted. "The makers of all these four movies thought they were making 'time pass' entertainers, concocting funny stories without giving any serious thought to the scripts. The truth has now dawned on them that the audience does not laugh without reasons, that to elicit a laugh from them is a serious matter. Amalgamation of funny sequences does not make a comedy." Bollywood trade circles are unanimous in observing that it is the overconfidence on the part of the directors and producers of these movies and actors working in them that actually forestalled their chances at the box-office.
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Top Bollywood actors and directors were among world film celebrities who hogged the limelight at the opening night of the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) Director Deepa Mehta and actor Preity Zinta arrived at the DIFF premiere to showcase the actors latest film, Heaven on Earth. ''This is one of the most moving films because sometimes films with a message can be boring, but this film uses humour intelligently,'' Deepa said. Preity was in Dubai at the time of the recent terror attacks in Mumbai. The India selection at the fifth edition of the DIFF is called ''A Celebration of Indian Cinema'', curated by Uma da Cunha. Films pertaining to India in competition have been selected by Nashen Moodley. The films in competition are Heaven on Earth, Firaaq directed by Nandita Das and Naseeruddin Shah and Forgotten Women directed by Dilip Mehta. Adoor Gopalakrishnan's Oru Pennum randu Aanum (one woman and two men) would also be premiered at the DIFF being held from Dec 11-18. Hollywood personalities like Oliver Stone and Goldie Hawn adorned the opening night.
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Date problems just an excuse by actors: Nadiadwala
"I have never faced date problems with any of my actors. If somebody wants to work, there will never be date problems. If actors don't want to work in your project, then they will give a date after five years and will ask for a fee that is unbelievable," Nadiadwala said. He has worked with actors like Salman Khan and Akshay Kumar and some of his earlier hits include Jeet and Judwaa. Nadiadwala says no actor has refused his offer till date. "We (the family) have been in the business for the last 55 years and have grown up in this industry. We understand how it works. "No actor has turned down my offer so far and I also do my preparations before approaching them. First, I approach only if I think he will be comfortable with the role and then I make sure that the script is complete and I am satisfied with it." "Many of these stars have worked with various senior directors or producers at the initial stages of their career. They cite all these excuses as they respect them and normally don't want to say no to them." Nadidawala says stars are more concerned about comfort than money. "Stars are also human beings and they also want to work with people with whom they are comfortable. Money is not an issue as they know they will always be paid. Whatever money is made out of a project, the producer will keep 10 percent of it and give the rest to the actors," Nadiadwala explained. He also says the actors are not so ruthless that they want producers to lose money. "It's a hand-in-glove situation where both think for each other." Though his films are known for lavish backdrops and high star value, Nadiadwala said: "I have never signed any star. The actors whom I had signed went on to become stars. So I never had the intent of signing stars for my films. It was never a conscious effort from my side. "When I signed Rani (Mukerji) and Preity (Zinta) in Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega they were not stars, but they became stars later. The same was also the case with Priyanka Chopra when I cast her in Mujhse Shaadi Karogi." Nadiadwala is known to be an Akshay loyalist. "I know Akshay from my school days as he was my batch mate. We used to get along well from the beginning; so there is no question on why I sign him." His first film with Akshay was Waqt Hamara Hai in 1993 and then he went on to cast him in Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Jaan-E-Mann and Heyy Babyy. And he has teamed up with Akshay once again for Kambakht Ishq, which also has a special appearance by Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone. He admits that the biggest high of his life was meeting Stallone. "He was sitting in his room and I was speechless when I shook hands with him. It was a situation when people cannot talk, they start to murmur. After all, I was meeting my favourite hero, watching whom I have grown up," said Nadiadwala. His favourite Bollywood actor is Dharmendra. In 1992 the producer made a film called Zulm Ki Hukumat with the yesteryear star. "I have grown up on him, so I decided that I would make my first film as an individual producer with Dharamji." — IANS, UNI
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Bollywood actor Chitrangada, who is playing the iconic character of 'Chandramukhi' in Sudhir Mishra's Devdas, says her character is a modern day socialite in the film. Mishra is known for making critically acclaimed films like Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi and Khoya Khoya Chand. His latest film is a modern day interpretation based on Sharatchandra's classic novel Devdas. Lara Dutta is playing the character of 'Paro' in the film while Shiny Ahuja will be seen as the modern day 'Devdas'. Chitrangada, who had taken a break from the film industry after her debut in Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, recently made a comeback with Onir's film Sorry Bhai. Her latest film is a political thriller set in the backdrop of modern Rajasthan, where Devdas is an aspiring politician in the film while Paro is the member of the opposition party. "I am 'Chandramukhi' in the film. My character 'Chandra' is a socialite, who is ambitious, selfish, shrewd and beautiful. She dosen't hesitate in using her sensuality to get whatever she wants," says Chitragada.
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Mixed palette There is a story behind every painting. The exhibition at Art Folio unfolds many tales It's not everyday one gets to see a Jamini Roy on display at city galleries. This latest exhibition at Art Folio-9, presented by Three Dimensions in Art and Art Bounty, brings one. An 'untitled' one, but with Jamini Roy written all over it - a tempera on canvas- with delightful forms of Krishna and Balram running after cows, exuding a jovial mood. Even if the gallery had not allocated a central position to it, the frame would have arrested any one attention immediately. A two-day-exhibition, it brings to city as many as 33 works by 25 artists from all over the country, some, up coming artists and others, established. There are works of few familiar names, like Swappan Palley, Asit Sarkar, Jaggannath Paul. Asit is known for his portrait-style human faces in monochrome, Swappan for his mythological forms and Jaggannath for his semi-abstract figures. Among others that grab one's attention is a series of a brahmin in multiple figure. Momin kept it untitled, but from the veena he carries and the clouds that float around him, the figure on his canvas could be Narad Muni. Mythology seems to be the latest muse with most artists. G. Subramaniam paints Radha-Krishna in mixed media, which look more like an illustration. Apanna Pujari's Ganesha is a delightful one, Ganesha playing a dholak and his companion the mouse playing a trumpet-like musical instrument. Others to look out for are Partho Dutta, Om Swami, Dilip Chaudhury and Manu Pal. Partho's The Terrific Trio, three horses in watercolour, is full of life. He economises in colour but makes it up with bold lines. Manu's landscapes, especially the one on urbanscape, has lot of movement in it. Dilip Chaudhury does a nostalgic series on Rickshawpullers. It's a show for those who love figurative works. And going by Shwetambri Singh, one of the curators of the show, this is the kind of art, which is doing its round these days. Concludes today
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Dolly's ibadaat She turns to sufism and comes out with her latest offering —Ibadtaan Very few blessed souls are destined to relish the bounties and benedictions of an illustrious musical legacy like Dolly Guleria, the disciple daughter of legendary folk and film maestro Surinder Kaur, the Nightingale of Punjab. One of her three daughters, Rupinder Kaur, better known as Dolly Guleria by her admirers the world over has seemingly inherited the awesome legacy of a great folk musical tradition of Surinder Kaur. The influence of musical genius of her mother Surinder Kaur and litterateur father S. Joginder Singh Sodhi has been perceptible during her musical career of five decades with her love for folk and literary singing. Credited with singing in Punjabi films, cutting over dozen albums and performing the world over she is today sharing her love for Sufiana music with her latest offering Ibabataan, released at the Randhawa auditorium. Dolly has composed music for the album produced by Charan Thakur for Cosmo Royalz Music. Sharing her views on the concept and her musical venture Dolly says, "The philosophical poetry of the Sufi poets, which formed an integral part of our culture is fading away from our lives. Sufiana Kalaam written hundreds of years ago relate to our emotional, psychological, humanitarian mindset, stirring a soul searching thought even today, as they stimulate our mental setup. Baba Bulle Shah, Shah Hussain, Baba Sheikh Farid, and others who made their connection to God, put in words that the only path to reach the immortal almighty is an upliftment of our mortal souls by not breeding hatred but having more compassion and patience. They did not preach for anyone to follow this path of Sufism, they only expressed how they felt and today when we penetrate in the depth of their poetry we realise it is applicable to one and all. The only question now is how to make it reach to the present and future generations and music seems to be the only justified answer." Dolly, in an earnest endeavor to keep alive this connectivity researched the Sufi poetry for many years, and before composing her album she filtered out what she felt was easy to grasp for all, kept the primary focus on poetry with compositions in 'raagas' and made the music arrangement a combination of rustic piety with flavors of modernity. "Tere rang wich reh ke jeena aye, asaan jaame ibaadat peena aye" (I wish to live in the colors of life created by You and …… to worship You!) has the opening lines written by Dolly herself. She was writing and composing the melodies for her album when her mother Surinder Kaur was still alive. Kaur helped her in the selection of ragas and the formation of melodies. The loss of a parent is irreparable. It took Dolly two years to go back to the same project and work on the final nuances. Dolly dedicated this album to her mother on her 79th birth anniversary, which fell on November 25. A special musical evening was organised at the Punjab Kala Bhavan on Friday. Cabinet minister Punjab, Capt Kanwaljit Singh who was the chief guest, along with chairperson, Punjab Art Council Bibi Harjinder Kaur, and the guest of honour C.R. Moudgil, director, Haryana Punjabi Sahitya Academy, released the album. Earlier, Rajpal Singh delivered a welcome address, while Sunaini Sharma, singer and daughter of Dolly, gave an introduction to the project. A touching tribute song and vote of thanks by Dolly Guleria marked the conclusion. lifestyle@tribunemail.com
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If you are game for redesigning or may be just adding a touch of ethnic yet designer winter décor to your home, then the weaver's exhibition at Fabindia-9 in Panchkula awaits you. A whole new collection of handloom durries and a vibrant range of carpets and upholstery weaved to perfection make for a fine festive buy. The collection includes Punja loom carpets, quite popular in this part of the region, in cotton, woolen, jute or cutpile work. It's a first of its kind workshop where artists who make these durrries will display their skill in front of the customers. Kind of a one on one interaction between inquisitive customers and the artisans. Like this artist from Panckhkula, Mursheed Ahmed, who specialises in Punja loom weaving says, "It takes us two days to make a durrie, but when people come to buy it, they don't realise the effort gone into creating that piece. This workshop will give us a chance to put forth our real mehnat." He is also associated with a weaver's group and on an average makes four to five carpets in a month. Other types of handlooms include pit loom and the jacquard loom. Apart from the carpets, it also has runners, weaved upholstery fabrics and Kalamkari block printed durries as well. They come in the price range of Rs 400 to Rs 10,000. — TNS On till today
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A leading FM network, BIG 92.7 FM, has been seen implementing its brand philosophy of 'suno sunao, life banao' quite literally on many occasions. So, when the people the worldover are reeling under the burden of financial instability and depression, BIG FM has conceptualised a campaign that will ensure at least its listeners get a chance to get tough on recession. The campaign 'Ek Saal Free Maal', which will run in two cities of India - Chandigarh and Kolkata and will be on for a period of 2 weeks starting December 8, 2008, shall use the strap line - 'Recession ki lenge….aur sab ko denge' . A combination of on air and off-air events, the campaign is essentially a music quiz, aimed at testing the knowledge of BIG FM listeners about singers, lyricists and music directors. The format is simple with two contestants answering the quiz to win a BIG Ticket. It shall entitle winners to an annual free supply of - fuel, movie tickets, gym memberships, dinner coupons, apparels, DTH connection plus rental, mobile phone and talktime, and much more. While normally, two winners will be announced each day, the New Year Dhamaka on December 31, will see listeners winning BIG Ticket every hour! Listeners can get themselves registered for contest by sending sms on 55454. Commenting on the campaign, Siddharth Bhardwaj, regional director, North - I, BIG 92.7 FM, says, " Ek Saal Free Maal has been conceptualised keeping in mind the prevailing mood of the masses." —TNS
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Fruitful effort Kandla Nijhowne
Traditional X-mas cake 100gm glacé cherries, chopped 50gm crystallised ginger, chopped 100gm candied peel, chopped 280gm sultanas and raisins 4tbsp brandy or orange juice 175gm chopped nuts (almonds, walnuts and cashews) 200gm softened butter 200gm powdered sugar 4 eggs, beaten grated zest and juice of 1 orange 200gm plain flour 1tsp ground cinnamon 100gm ground almonds Method |
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Choc-a-bloc New flavours, latest varieties and enticing boxes—what else can you ask for!
A perfect gift for someone you care or someone you'd like to know better, chocolates have found a new meaning in flavours. "Though we have 22 flavours of chocolates but people want something different," says Nikhil Mittal, owner, Nik Bakers. Talk about X-mas and its choco flavours. "Chocolates are the essence of X-mas and this time, we have a range of diverse flavours like carmel, dark truffle, mocha, cointreau, white truffle, blueberry, mango, almond rock and hazlenut. Other than this, we have the liquor chocolates too and most liked are champagne and vodka-filled chocos."
Well, Tom Hanks was right in Forrest Gump when he said 'you never know what you're going to get when you open a box of chocolates'. And, the excitement and pleasure that comes with opening a box is a sheer delight, as it is in eating. "No doubt chocolates are a pleasure to eat, but when they come in a pretty box, they add to the delight," says Priya Garg, director, Oven Fresh. She adds, "Chocolates are a piece of art and they have to be presented well. Right from theme-based boxes to X-mas colour boxes, for this festive season packaging is as important as the product itself." "Packaging matters a lot, it's the first impression of the product. And these days people lay a lot of importance on packing," says Nikhil. Talking about different kinds of boxes, he says, "Besides square or round ones, we have boxes that come with Santa trimmings with varied hues. Other than this people also come up with their own choice and designs of boxes." Well, that's not all shapes and sizes of the chocolates matter too. "Christmas calls for different shapes and sizes of chocolates. And the most liked ones are Santa Claus, X-mas bells, tree and teddy-shaped chocolates," says Rameet Bakshi, from Crown Chocolates, Mohali. Offering a wide range of X'mas chocolates Priya says, "When it comes to chocolates, base is the important thing. And keeping this in mind we use the best of quality." Talking about flavours, she says, "Right from crunchy to fruits and nuts to white and dark chocolates, liquor chocolates also sell well during Christmas. And they include vodka, rum and champagne." jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com
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Rum for the resilient,
wine for worrywart… Your drink is the reflection of your personality. Check out what your choice of drink says about your traits
A mug filled of frothy beer for the young, happening IITian Sameer, a clear red wine for the clam and status conscious beautiful Alisha, on the rocks whisky and rum for resilient S. Bakshi, a chilled bottle of strawberry flavoured Bacardi Breezer for the bindaas college going Aushutosh. Here you go. Take a pick from the array of drinks as per your age and personality. If you are a serious type you would prefer a hardcore alcoholic drink, a jovial fundo young character would go in for mocktails or white spirits. Then what would a person with an awesome sense of humour go in for? "Probably a coke," smiles Aman Aggarwal, owner Sip 'n' Dine-7. "I have seen people with great sense of humour, who are the heart of the party take cold drinks in hardcore alcohol parties. On the other hand, which age group you fall into also decides what drink you would prefer." Adds Aman, "For instance, youngsters generally prefer white spirits, vodka or Bacardi. As you grow old, you prefer whisky. And for women, they prefer white spirits as they are good camouflage, they don't leave a distinctive smell like other hard drinks and lastly, it is a very up market drink." All said and done, but what has age and personality got to do with the selection of drinks. Is that because youngsters can gulp down gallons and still feel nothing more than a queer feeling taking over, as compared to oldies who drink within a restricted number. "When 18 something begin drinking, they prefer to begin with mocktails," offers Vipul Dua, owner Purple Rice-35. He adds, "Gradually, they move to higher degrees depending on their experience with drinks. Oldies like single malt whisky. The younger generation would go in for beer, which doesn't hit straight away. So, you can go and on unlike other drinks. As for Punjabis, the status conscious types prefer Labels. And for the hardcore party animals there is nothing like the tequila shots. They set the groove for party." According to Vipul, the widely accepted statement that women like wine is not right. "Wine is a drink that people don't like immediately. You have to develop a liking to it. 25 and above age group like to have wine as it compliments well with food." Lastly Mahesh Duggal, hotelier has noticed that personality has a lot to do with the choice of drinks. "Serious ones like whisky, white spirits are for the cooler lot, tequila and rum is for the aggressive kinds and wine and rum tops the list of the pessimists." jasmine@tribunemail.com
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Scotch bright
Every sip from the exquisite range of Whyte & Mackay range will make all the difference to the spirits this festive season. Whyte and Mackay is available in a very exquisite range of blended Scotch whisky in ages of 13, 19 and 22 Year Old in the city. While most distillers settle for only one maturation, Whyte & Mackay works on the unique philosophy of ' all good things come to those who wait ' and uses the age-old double marriage process in the blending of their whisky which ensures a beautifully balanced blend. This unique process not only guarantees a smooth, mellow and distinctive character but more importantly guarantees consistency, accounting for every drop of Whyte & Mackay tasting as good as the first. No wonder Whyte & Mackay Blended Scotch Whisky remains the first choice for gifting for those who appreciate fine things in life. Whyte and Mackay is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Spirits Limited. Double marriage process
The single malts, in this time tested process, are vatted or blended, as it is now known, and held in sherry butts and left for several years during its first phase, allowing the malts to amalgamate and harmonise. The blended malt is then mixed with another six of the finest grain whiskies and returned to a different set of sherry butts for another year to complete its second phase or marriage as it is popularly called, to allow them to mature to perfection, before it is finally bottled.
— TNS |
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One
after the other the small budget movies are crashing at the box-office,
marking doom for their producers. Failures of films have left scars on
others associated with these movies, including the actors and writers.
Bollywood producer Sajid
Nadiadwala, who has hits like Mujhse Shaadi Karogi and Heyy
Babyy to his credit, says he has never faced date problems with stars
but is aware that actors often use it as an excuse for not doing projects.
When the Diwali lights are not removed from our market squares, we know Christmas isn't really far behind! By December, Christmas's true heralds are in: twinkling lights, bumper sales and shop-windows with beaming Santas amidst clumps of cottonwool, pretending to be snow. Yesterday, I stepped into a gift-shop, asking for a tiny Santa Claus to perch on my fruitcake. The owner, in a booming voice, ordered a sales boy to bring out the Santas, and I quickly turned away to suppress a grin because his Santa was pronounced Santa, as in Santa Singh! In the West, the season's spirit drives people to the mall, to the kitchen, to midnight mass and to festive gatherings. I miss the aroma of home baking that welcomed me at my friends' homes in England-mince pies and boozy fruit- laden cakes, baked to perfection! Do up a fruit cake yourself this season, wow your family, bask in the enticing fragrance wafting through the house, and you'll know what I'm talking about! 
Have ready a deep, eight inch round cake tin. Cut a double thickness of greaseproof paper, both for the base as well as the 'walls' of the tin. Grease slightly and fit into position. Pre-heat the oven to 150°C (300°F). Mix together all the fruit (the first five ingredients) in a bowl and pour over the brandy or orange juice. In a large bowl, beat together the butter and sugar using a hand-held mixer or wooden spoon (about three minutes with a mixer or five minutes by hand) until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs in a jug. Add to the creamed mixture a little at a time, beating after each addition. Do not worry if it curdles, this will not affect the cake. Beat in the orange zest and juice, then add the soaked fruit and the liquid. Stir in the chopped nuts. Set a sieve over the bowl. Tip the flour and cinnamon into the sieve and sift them into the bowl. Tip in the ground almonds and then fold everything into the mixture using a large spoon. There should be no traces of unmixed flour. Spoon the cake mixture in to the prepared tin. Smooth the top with the back of a metal spoon. Bake for one hour, then reduce to 140°C (275°F) and bake for two to two-and-a-half hours until golden brown and firm to the touch. Feeding the cake with extra brandy after baking is a lovely old custom. Make several holes on the surface of the cake with a skewer. Spoon 2tbsp brandy over the holes so it soaks in. Re-wrap and repeat one or two times in the coming week till you're ready to eat it!
Mmmm, chocolate…we fantasize about it, indulge in it and enjoy its pleasures and sweetness. Though a number of articles have been written about it and occasions galore where they have been the centre of attraction, but when it comes to Christmas we can't help but write about it. 
"The trend of eating chocolates has changed over the years and its no more only sweet chocolates. People like diverse flavors and for this festive season we have cardamom, cinnamon and even chilli chocolates. These chilly chocolates taste sweet and spicy," adds Nikhil. 