Flavours of the land
Despite the burgers, pizzas and pastas, Punjabi cuisine is still the most preferred. Ashima Sehajpal finds out how it keeps up with competition

Pind Balluchi — Photo: S Chandan

Let as many pizza houses, burger queens enter the Punjabi domain…the cuisine of the land will remain as popular as ever. There’s no debating this, just a fact about Chicken Tikka Masala proves it. Mentions Wikipedia, “A survey in the United Kingdom claimed that it is the country’s most popular restaurant dish. Every seventh curry sold there is the Chicken Tikka Masala. And one time Foreign Secretary Robin Cook asserted that it’s the true national dish.”

Back home, of course, ‘the’ dish is a favourite and others in the list such as Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken, Shahi Paneer, Mutter Mushroom (vegetarians have enough options as well) are not too far behind. And the little competition the cuisine is facing from phoren ones is taken care of by various restaurants, who from time to time introduce new concepts and revamp the menu, just as Punjab Grill is set to. To be launched in the second week of July in Chandigarh, this soon-to-be high-end dining joint hopes to ensure that the cuisine evolves enough to retain people’s interest.

Says Zoraver Kalra, son of renowned Indian restaurateur Jiggs Kalra, “Punjabi food is most popular in India as well as abroad.” To prove the point, he cites the example of Bukhara at ITC Delhi and Dum Pukht, the chain of north Indian cuisine restaurants opened by Jiggs Kalra. “We have observed that it’s not easy for people who love Punjabi food to change their loyalties. And to ensure that it becomes more difficult for them, we bring in new recipes,” he says.

Jiggs Kalra with grandson Zoraver

Kalra adds, “Experimentation is done with the ingredients used. Norwegian salmons are imported to make Salmon Tikka. Tandoori duck is expected to be another hit among food connoisseurs. In total, 12 dishes in the menu will be rare Punjabi delicacies cooked in authentic flavours.”

At Pind Balluchi-22, another Punjabi cuisine restaurant in the city, dishes that originated on the other side of the border (read Pakistan) are also prepared. “People don’t know much about traditional Punjabi food. For them it doesn’t go beyond the usual Dal Makhni, Sarson da Saag and Butter Chicken,” says Kuldeep Thakur, area manager, Pind Balluchi. And on the menu here are Murg Makhni, Dhaniya Murg Curry and Mushroom Kurkure, which were traditional East Punjabi dishes. New recipes are added often. “Recipes aren’t invented by a hit-and-trial method. Rather proper experiments are conducted at the workshop we have at Gurgaon. The idea is to offer Punjabi food that is different from ghar ka khana in Punjab. The basic ingredients remain the same though.”

Even in multi-specialty restaurants, Dal Makhni is the most sought after dish. Says chef Raman from The Lobby-26, “In any multi-specialty eating joint in the city, the Punajbi cuisine is still preferred. Certain dishes have passed down generations as part of the culture. It’s impossible for a foreign cuisine to take over the traditional in only a few years time.”

Ever heard of dishes like Barra Kebabs, Chappli Kebabs or Raan Saab Dera Khan? These East Punjabi delicacies are available at Virsa, Mohali. Says Anu K Bansal, owner, “People might have as many burgers, pastas or pizzas but at the end of the day they will have Punjabi food, as this is how they have been conditioned. So, we offer them change in the form of dishes they don’t get to taste in any other restaurant.”

And the competition to Punjabi cuisine is not just in terms of new dishes, it spills over to presentation as well. “Fancy garnishing and presentation isn’t naturally associated with Punjabi food. But that’s imperative considering how much importance foreign cuisines give to the packaging factor,” she adds. Punjabi cuisine all set for challenges ahead!

ashima@tribunemail.com

Behind the glitz
Suicides by high profile models continue to shock the fashion industry
Neha Walia

Remember the sole reason behind Madhur Bhandarkar making Fashion? No it wasn’t to give Priyanka Chopra’s dwindling career a big boost or to promote his obsession with finding dark corners of high society, but to prove once again - all that glitters is not gold.

Geetanjali Nagpal, Nafisa Joseph, Kuljeet Randhawa, Shivani Kapur and now…Viveka Babajee. The suicide by former supermodel turned fashion choreographer in Mumbai has the fashion fraternity in a shock, the public and media in scrutiny. Call it work stress, glamorous and wild lifestyle, lack of emotional support, loneliness…fashion industry means being in the limelight, for good or for worse.

And when stress levels go beyond one’s control we witness the ugly side, in this case suicide. While the debate on self-destructive lifestyles of fashion models grows with each suicide, the common reaction from within the industry is “No comments”. But we do have some who have an opinion and some solutions.

“Every profession has its own set of problems and insecurities. It depends on how individuals deal with them. What is disturbing is the amount of hype generated after such a tragic event. It’s wrong to say that only the fashion industry has this problem. During recession so many bankers took their lives; farmers end their lives during drought and famines. So why criticise only a particular section just because they are famous,” questions model Aanchal Kumar. “I knew Viveka and she was an extremely positive person. Such a hype should not be created,” she adds.

Now the question that remains is what went so wrong? “It’s not about the fashion industry, it’s about the choices you make in life. Fashion is a highly unstable world and while we all struggle to find a balance between our professional and personal life, things may go wrong. In Viveka’s case, I think it was desperation to find that stability in life and pure loneliness,” shares model Amanpreet Wahi.

Model Inder Bajwa too feels that the incident doesn’t prove anything. “I do agree that fashion is a unstable profession, but people who enter this field know this fact. Many take it as a stepping stone to something bigger. As for the pressures, we all have some in life.”

But fashion choreographer Kaushik Ghosh feels that most of the stress comes from within the industry. “Fashion is a highly competitive world where fame comes with a price. With no true friends and commitments, you are left to deal with stress on your own.”

Any solutions? “Stay rooted to your family,” they all echo. “I believe family is the best way to vent out all your frustrations. If you have a healthy support system, there is no way you can lose the battle,” says Amanpreet. Ditto for Inder who resorts to writing and a visit to his family in Punjab when it gets tough. “One needs to find ways to let in positive energy,” says Aanchal.

That first impression
Student parties at the Punjab University are on with the ‘wooing’ exercise much before the session has actually begun
Manpriya Khurana

Come June, come admission chaos and there are documents to be attached, forms to be filled and formalities to be fulfilled. Perfect platform for political homework! The one that student leaders take to while the varsity is not in session.

Scattered all over the campus are respective parties' tents, helpdesk centres. Mind you, the sessions are a few weeks away, while the elections, a few months. The leading affiliations have a lead to maintain, "me too" parties have to follow suit, rest join in too, while the freshers have a help at their beck and call.

"It's not only a phenomenon in Panjab University but in Delhi University as well, where around May-June you'd find such student help desks belonging to one or the other political parties," shares Navdeep Brar, Panjab University student and a PUSU supporter. He adds, "This is the time when forms are out and those seeking admission, especially freshers, need maximum help. That's' where we step in."

If not the sincere intention to help, then the sheer statistics of the new entrants on the campus… reasons galore to make many sport "May I help you". "When the new crowd comes, they need to be made aware of various students unions. Otherwise how would they know? It's also the time to give them information, to make that first impression, which always last longer. It's yet another attempt to gain loyalty of the new comers," Rupinder Singh Bhullar, law student, PU, minces no words. Doesn't everybody know, a fraction of the freshers can make a difference in the ultimate results? Adds Amardeep Singh, B.Com student, "If anybody helps them out during the initial admission struggle, it's quite likely they'll remember us for the rest of the campus stay, be loyal and in turn accommodating." He's been at the "social student service" for over a month now.

Giving the Xeroxed copies away, helping with the last dates, admission queries, the entrance, the revaluation…for students it's a help, helpdesk away. For the colleges and varsity it's the parallel to enquiry counter, which means a shift of some of the rush.

Sukhdev Kundu, former president, INSO, gives yet another insight. "As far as the old students are concerned, they have already set and formed impressions. As far as the new students are concerned, they are completely blank, harbour no prejudices or impressions. This is the right time to catch them." Who knows, a certain percentage turns into an active lot, visible and right there. He adds, "Majority of them come to pursue serious studies, around 10 per cent get interested and involved with one party or the other. But all that apart, as of now, it's a great help for the clueless aspirants of one department or the other."

Then there's the inevitable reason - to make your presence felt. Shares one, "It's a great way of making your presence felt. There's anyways always a rush to be popular, all over the place, show your strength and might on the campus." He adds, "Half of the groups are doing it just because others and everyone's doing it." Opines Navdeep, "Ideally there shouldn't be political parties assisting the students or the parents. It should be department people sans any affiliations."

Meanwhile, there must be several getting their queries answered. Anything, as long as admission seekers are getting the right aid!

manpriya@tribunemail.com

Poet by chance
For Aayush Gopal, poetry was always on cards. A book wasn't
Manpriya Khurana

An urge to doodle impromptu emotions on the back of a notebook took the shape of a book. Again, that was impromptu. "Playing Flipside wasn't meant to be a book. It was just a collection of poems written over a period of time," Aayush Gopal Dawra, class XIIth engineering student, S. D. Public School, speaks of his book. He adds, "These poems are all standalone. They were written over a period of five years or so. They are all scattered thoughts and it's what everyone goes through."

Denial, failure, ecstasy, indecision, dark, confusion, obsession… There's a poem touching almost every conceivable human emotion or issue. "I never wrote them at once. Never sat to write something, as there was no fixed time. It's like whenever I felt like, I'd write or scribble on the back of a book or something." The reason, he feels, that lends it universal appeal. "I feel anybody should be able to connect with my poems. But yes, I penned down the inner struggles or emotions that every teenager goes through." He adds, "There's a poem relating to my father, then there's was one that my mother could relate to. There's also one titled Insomnia that my publisher could connect with."

When he's not rhyming words, he's either strumming a guitar or playing some sport. "Music and poetry go together. I was introduced to poetry around five years back; I think it was Shakespeare's sonnets that drew me into it. Shakespeare I believe is quite underrated as a poet. We all talk about his plays all the time, but never so much about his poetry." While the genre may be as old as Victorian era, there's an attempt to breakaway from the flowery language. "I don't want to or like using too many figures of speech, metaphors, similes."

Though the on and off poetry stint continues, there's no book on the anvil. But then this wasn't either.

Bugatti or Beetle?

The stylish and affordable Volkswagen Beetle is the most wanted car among women, while men prefer a brawny GM truck or a Bugatti, according to a study of 13 million U.S. vehicle registrations over the past two years. The study was carried out by Truecar.com, the California-based auto pricing information company.

The United States has more than 50 percent female population. But still women account for just 36 percent of new car registrations, the study found. Among all new car owners registering Beetles, more than 56 percent were women.

"It fits the description of what women want in a car," a publication quoted Truecar's vice president of industry trends, Jesse Toprak, as saying. "It's cheap to maintain and own. It gets good gas mileage. It's practical to get around in big cities yet it's stylish to drive in hip metropolitan areas. It's kind of a home run from all those different perspectives.

"The old image of the macho man that likes the big trucks and exotic cars still holds true and the data proves that. There were not many surprises from the male perspective," Topark added. According to the study, the highest percentage of male registrations listed expensive, exotic brands such as Bugatti (100 percent), Ferrari (94.4 percent), and Lamborghini (93.5 percent). — ANI

Diminishing marginal utility

A new study has revealed that although older adults watch more TV than children or teenagers, it doesn't do them much good either. Researchers at the Stein Institute for Research on Aging and Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine asked participants how they spent their time and describe their experience of everyday activities.

The results showed that adults over 65 reported spending three times more of their waking hours watching TV than did younger adults. They also didn't find TV a stress buster like teens did.

Television use in particular has been linked with greater risk for obesity and Type2 diabetes, lower life satisfaction, less frequent engagement in social and physical interaction, and increased risk for dementia. The findings came as a surprise to the team who expected that older adults enjoyed TV more than younger ones do, because they have fewer demands on their time.

The researchers concluded that increasing public awareness of alternatives to TV watching and reducing barriers to alternative activities that are more socially and physically engaging could reduce TV use in older people and diminish the potential for associated negative health effects. The study is published in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. — ANI

Just text, don’t talk

Children should text rather than talk on their mobile phones, Australia's radiation safety watchdog has said, noting that a child's skull is thinner and could absorb more radiation.

The Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPNSA) made the observation, after a study into the health effects of using mobile phones."Children should be encouraged to limit exposure from mobile phones to their heads by reducing call time, by making calls where reception is good, by using hands-free devices or speaker options, or by texting," a publication quoted the watchdog as saying.

An Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association spokesman said: "There is no known basis for singling out children for concern." ARPNSA's warning came barely weeks after a 10-year global study linked extended mobile phone use to higher risk of brain tumours.

The media report said that the Interphone project, which is the world's biggest study into the health effects of mobiles, didn't find increased risk of cancer overall, but those who talk at least 30 minutes a day are up to 40 percent more likely to develop glioma, the most common type of brain cancer.

Bruce Armstrong, a professor at Sydney University's School of Public Health who led the Australian part of the Interphone study, pointed out that mobile phone radiation was more harmful to kids as their bodies were less developed. "The skull is thinner and so more of the radiation produced will be absorbed into the brain in a child, who has a mobile phone to their ear, than in an adult who has the same conversation. "It's not a huge amount, but it is material." Armstrong said he supported the radiation agency's advice, but stopped short of calling for it to be extended to all users. — IANS

Art for the world

Barinder — Photo: Vinay Malik

For world peace and against global warming, these are the only two things that we need to work for right now, we've decorated our drawing rooms enough, worked for the money too," Barinder, painting teacher at Navodaya Vidalaya, Muktsar, minces no words. He's been invited to King Charles School, United Kingdom to showcase his art works. "I'll be there for a one week programme in school, where I'll be showing my works." Showcasing his fifteen years of works in hundred frames.

Shares Barinder, "I got to travel across India, got a chance to click it too. So I'll be showcasing 100 frames from my collection."

He adds, "I basically want to capture the entire Indian culture and take it there and click theirs and bring it here. This is to enhance the cross cultural connection."

On the cards is an exhibition in December in the city. "It'll be themed, Things Around Us and will be based on what I'll have clicked there." As for the exhibition in question. This too is to aware the kids only, at school level, of the global warming and world peace. — TNS

Breaking stereotypes
Jasmine Singh

For an actor, irrespective of the medium, the biggest challenge is to break the stereotypes and give the audience something different with every shot. Sachin Shroff, television actor who is starring in a new show on Imagine Rakta Sambhandha, faces the same challenge, but does he also have a solution?

"Television does tend to get monotonous time and again. Every time someone takes up the onus to do something different he or she invariably gets caught in the repetitive web," shares Sachin. "For instance there are loads of serials based on rural lifestyles and then you have loads of them based on the girl child, someone makes a trend and others follow in a row," he smiles.

However, with Rakta Sambhandha, Sachin looks forward to making a crack in the monotony, if not breaking it. "I play Aditya from a well-to-do family, who marries against the wishes of her elder sister," he says. Now how different is this, we wonder! "All said and done television is a dicey thing. You cannot predict the fate of the project much in advance. I liked the script of Rakta Sambhandha, it is being produced by UTV so I expect it to be good," says Sachin, who was last seen on a reality show Pati Patni Aur Woh along with his wife Juhi. So, how real are the reality shows for the actor? He laughs, "It is a 50-50 ratio. In the end, we cannot deny the fact that these shows are also meant to garner as many viewers as they can."

Working with Juhi, we quickly ask lest he escapes this one. "It is always great working with Juhi. She is thoroughly professional and there is lot of brain storming to do when she is around." Competitiveness? "What's that," he laughs. Any chances of taking a detour to Bollywood? "Only one actor in a thousand leaves television to become a name in Bollywood. As of now it is the new show and many more to come. I might do something if I get a good role."

jasmine@tribunemail.com

Remembering the poet
SD Sharma

The city of Panipat is not just known for the three battles, but also for three Sufi and literary scholars — Bu Ali Qalanader, Hali Panipati and Sayed Ashoor Kazmi," says litterateur KL Zakir at a tribute-seminar on Kazmi on Tuesday. The gathering mourned Kazmi's sudden demise in Birmingham recently. A seminar, organised by Haryana Urdu Akademi, was also held at their Panchkula complex.

Born and brought up in Panipat in an affluent family, Kazmi earned a name as a prodigious Urdu writer before migrating to Pakistan and finally settling down at Birmingham, informs Zakir while introducing Kazmi, who has authored as many as 18 books. Kazmi rose to eminence as a shipping magnate in UK but commanded more influence as an author of rare books on varied themes. Chiraag-e-manzil, Siraat e-Manzil, 1857 Gadariyon ke khatuut and Adaab ka Pachaas Sala Safar are some of his works.

Under his patronage, the Progressive Writers Anjuman celebrated its golden jubilee in 1985 where Urdu writers of the world came together and interacted with each other. Kazmi often visited India for various seminars and mushiaras.

Earlier, poet Shamas Tabrezi recounted Kazmi's contribution to the literary world while Dr Mohammad Ayub conducted the seminar. Noted Urdu writer RK Taneja chaired the session while the guest of honour was poet Ramesh Chander Pohal.

You've got mail!

Just when we thought mini-laptops with their one-stop solutions are an answer to all our problems, Nokia comes up with easy solutions for e-mailing, turning the mobile into a handy PC wherein you can easily create an icon and enter the world of mailing. Says Chandan Dang, general manager, North, Nokia, "Nokia offers e-mail to consumers in three ways - for business users through Lotus Notes and Mail For Exchange, for individual consumers through Nokia Messaging (ones who have existing e-mail accounts) and Ovi Mail for first time e-mail users." He explains the quick and simple ways of e-mailing and how it is cost-effective as well.

For enterprise buyers

Nokia works together with Microsoft and IBM in delivering best in class business e-mail and business instant messaging experience. Business e-mail solutions such as Mail for Exchange and IBM Lotus Notes Traveler deliver full mobile office experience with e-mail, calendar, contacts and tasks. These cost-efficient solutions utilise existing company e-mail infrastructure. Utilising the presence information, business instant messaging enables users to streamline and manage the way they communicate with their colleagues, (be it chat, file sharing or calls). Companies utilising standard Internet e-mail solutions (POP3/IMAP4) can take advantage either of Nokia Messaging, a service by Nokia that provides basic push e-mail for standard Internet e-mail (POP3/IMAP4) accounts or the direct Internet e-mail access client included in Nokia devices.

For Consumers

Nokia Messaging for consumers is a push e-mail UI that aggregates all the consumer e-mail accounts through one client. It can support and mobilise up to 10 e-mail accounts such as Gmail, Yahoo, Rediffmail, Sify and Indiatimes, among others. Nokia's e-mail solution removes the barriers and prohibitive costs associated with mobile e-mail Nokia Messaging is easy to configure (simply in three steps!) with the consumer having to click on the e-mail icon and then enter his e-mail address and password. It ensures easy toggling from one e-mail account to another, without closing the existing e-mail account and without having to go through the web browser.

Supported on more than 33 Symbian, 15 Series 40, one Maemo device models, it has over three million active users in more than 100 countries today.

Adds Chandan Dang, "In India, Nokia Messaging is available free of cost on all compatible Nokia Symbian devices. The service is available through all leading operators in the country and consumers only have to pay the basic data download charges. It will also be available on S40 devices in India very soon."

For first-time users

Mail on Ovi is a free, out-of-the box, e-mail for first-time and more advanced users. As much as 75 per cent of the world population has not used e-mail services yet. Nokia aims to offer the first experience of e-mail to these people on a mobile device. Unlike any other e-mail service that exists today, an Ovi Mail account can be created directly on the mobile phone. For first time e-mail users, Ovi Mail provides an Internet identity, as well as cross access to other Ovi services. Ovi Mail is available across 100 devices in 180 countries in 20 languages currently, with many more planned. Since its launch in December 2008, more than 10 million Ovi Mail accounts have been created and India is among the top 10 countries where Ovi Mail subscribers come from.

In India, the free IM service is currently available pre-loaded on Nokia E63, E71 and E72 devices. — TNS

Denim dazzler

Cost cutting

Old vs Bold
Yesteryears actresses were gold, today's are just bold, says Jackie Shroff

For Bollywood actor Jackie Shroff, old is gold! The actor believes that today's actresses pale in comparison and "lack the elegance, beauty and sensuality" of yesteryears stars.

"The new brigade of actresses lack elegance, beauty and sensuality that was instilled in yesteryears stars like Nanda or Sadhana. There is a lot of skin show happening," Jackie, 50, said the actor.

"They wear short dresses, show off their cleavage and think they look pretty, but it is not like that. Look at the yesteryears actresses. They used to be all covered up and even then looked beautiful," he added.

Jackie is an old hat in the industry. He made his debut in 1982 with Swami Dada and in a career spanning more than two decades gave hits like Hero, Karma, Ram Lakhan, Parinda, Rangeela, Agni Sakshi and Devdas. In recent times, he featured in Eklavya, Veer and Teen Patti among others. Apart from actresses, Jackie rues the modern-day songs too. "The magic that the lyrics of yesteryears songs used to create seems to have been lost today. The way songs of the golden era were written are not written today. The way the lyricists used to describe the beauty of women in words is missing. They fail to strike a chord," he said. "I feel people are also fed up of such songs. I am sure the beauty, essence and the melody of songs of the golden era would make a comeback as life is a vicious circle." Recalling his childhood days, Jackie says he used to love watching Rajesh Khanna and Shammi Kapoor's movies.

"As I loved watching movies, I used to take my friends along to see the morning shows. We used to throw 25-50 paisa coins every time Rajesh Khanna and Shammi Kapoor used to dance on screen," he said.

Last seen in Ek Second...Jo Zindagi Badal De with Manisha Koirala, Jackie would soon be seen as Sai Baba in director Deepak Balraj Vij's movie Malik Ek.

Talking about his role, Jackie said: "When I was offered this role, I was apprehensive whether I would be able to do justice to it or not. It took six months for the director to convince me. But once I got into the character and wore Sai Baba's clothes, everything looked easy. "I didn't prepare for it at all. I could automatically walk like him and even talk like him. This role has changed my soul and perception."

Apart from Malik Ek, Jackie is working on "Interview" and another one with Junior NTR, in which he plays a villain. He is also making a comeback on small screen with India's Magic Star. He will host the magic show going live Saturday on Star One.

Earlier, he hosted Bollywood-oriented shows Lehrein and Missing for Sony TV. He had also hosted a few episodes of Chitrahaar.

"I think the child in me convinced me to take up this magic show. I have myself tried many magical tricks as a child. Moreover, we have seen many singing and dancing reality shows but this one is first of its kind. It will provide a wider platform to some of the good but unknown magicians in India." — IANS

Role call

She laments the lack of women-centric roles in Indian cinema these days and actress Kirron Kher says she envies her husband, actor Anupam Kher who gets the chance to play pivotal roles in many a serious film.

The 55-year-old actress, who has acted in Bollywood films like Devdas and Dostana, is more than willing to be a part of serious cinema made by the new crop of directors like Neeraj Pandey, who made A Wednesday with Anupam.

"I want to work with the new directors, but the films being made are not centered around women. Serious cinema these days is testosterone-driven and men-oriented. I envy Anupam and other actors who get a chance to do such films with people like Neeraj Pandey," said Kirron.

Kirron's wish list starts with Pathak and goes on to include Omkara director Vishal Bhardwaj and Homi Adajania, who directed Being Cyrus starring Saif Ali Khan.

"I wish I could act in films like Dev D and A Wednesday. I want to do a black comedy with Homi Adajania and also want to work with Vishal Bhardwaj, Imtiaz Ali and Anurag Kashyap," Kirron said.

The actress, who has been seen in mainstream Bollywood cinema lately, has done some serious films like Khamosh Paani in Punjabi and Bariwali in Bengali, for which she won the National Film Award for Best Actress in 1999. She has tickled us with her funny dialogues in films like Om Shanti Om and Dostana, but Kirron says that comedy is something which happened to her by chance. "I was a very dramatic actress, I strayed into comedy accidentally with Hum Tum. It is really tough acting in a comic role. You have to get the timing right. Sometimes I get my lines re-written to make it more effective," said Kirron.

The actress is on the judges' panel for the show India's Got Talent on Colors and will soon be returning with its second season. For Kirron, shows like these are a window towards hidden talent in rural India.

"Talent hunts like these open a window for us, we get to see such gifted people coming from the little corners of the country with their traditions. It is also an opportunity for them to come in touch with mainstream India," she said.

Kirron, who has hosted television shows like Purushkshetra and Jagte Raho with Kiron Kher' before joining Bollywood films, thinks that the medium has stagnated now and there is no scope for chat shows any more.

"Television has grown big commercially but has stagnated in terms of content. Chat shows are finished, they can only run on news channels. I prefer shows like Purushkshetra on TV, which highlight the values and problems of the society," said Kirron.

The actress will next be seen in the Akshay Kumar-Aishwariya Rai starrer Action Replayyy and Dostana 2 with Abhishek Bachchan and John Abraham. — PTI

Regional bounty
Big B in Ooty to shoot for Malayalam film on Kandahar episode

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, back after a refreshing holiday with family in London, will be facing the camera to shoot for a Malayalam film based on the 1999 Kandahar Air India flight hijack episode with Mohan Lal in Ooty.

Bachchan flew to Coimbatore this morning and travelled to Ooty by road to join the cast and crew of the film being directed by Major Ravi.

Big B said even though the language will be Malayalam, his character in the film is North Indian so he will be speaking in Hindi, with an odd sentence in Malayalam.

"Now that shall be tough, but effort shall be made, lets see what happens," he wrote on his blog.

As soon as he landed in Coimbatore, the Bollywood legend turned nostalgic and tweeted, "Doing this after ages..Nostalgic.. So many movies shot here.. Family holidays with kids.. " The actor's role in the film will require him to shoot for three days and has declined the charge fee for his work.

He said South Indian superstar Mohan Lal has been and still is one of the most incredible talents from Kerala and the Malayalam film industry.

The two shared screen space in Ram Gopal Varma's Aag, a remake of Sholay where Mohan Lal essayed the role of 'Thakur' and Bachchan played dacoit Gabbar Singh. — PTI

Safe with Saif
British director wants to make film with Saif

British director Jon Harris, who had edited critically acclaimed Hindi film Being Cyrus, is keen to make a movie with Bollywood star Saif Ali Khan. His The Decent 2 is releasing here July 2 and while he was promoting the film, he was asked a question about one actor with whom he would like to work with and why, said a press statement. To this Harris quickly replied: "Saif Ali Khan. I haven't met him but I loved his role in a film for which I was an editor. I am looking forward to work with the actor if get an opportunity.

"He has this unique feature he can look young at the same time mature. I look at him as the Wolverine i.e. Hugh Jackman of India and am really looking forward to direct him as soon as I get a green signal for my next projects as director."

Apart from directing The Descent 2, Harris has been the editor of films like The Pond, Eden Lake, Stardust, Snatch, Kick-Ass and soon to be released X-Men: First Class. — IANS

Pick & choose

She may have had only two releases in her two-and-half-year-long career, but actress Sonam Kapoor is not perturbed about being left behind in the Bollywood rat race.

The 25-year-old daughter of veteran actor Anil Kapoor says that even though her third film I hate Luv Storys opposite Imran Khan, is an important film for her, she is not nervous or tense about it's box office performance. Her debut film Saawariya (2007) and Delhi-6 (2009) did not do well at the box office.

"I can't be nervous. I believe in living life each day as it comes. My job as an actor is over after the shooting is complete," said Sonam. The actress says she is choosy in her personal life and doubly so when it comes to films. "I believe in quality and I want to pace myself in such a manner that I don't feel saturated," Sonam said. "I don't want to earn that much money anyway," she added. Sonam said IHLS is a small budget film compared to Saawariya and Delhi-6. "I feel it is the budgets that fail not the films. Even though Saawariya broke even, the situation would have been different, if it was made at Rs 15 crore less," she felt. — PTI

‘I have stripped more'

Bollywood actor Imran Khan, who plays a womaniser in his new film I Hate Luv Storys, admits he has stripped more than the girls in the film. "I have some deadly shirtless songs and scenes. I believe I have stripped more than the girls in the film," said Imran.

I Hate Luv Storys is about two people, who are completely opposite when it comes to romance. While Jay (Imran) doesn't believe in love, Simran (Sonam) swears by it and has a very Bollywood idea of the emotion. It is set for release July 2. Dodging rumours of any cold war between him and actor Ranbir Kapoor, Imran said: "I don't think actors should be compared. Every actor looks different and performs differently, everyone has their own strength and weaknesses and are good in their own way."

Imran and Sonam were greeted with much fanfare at the mall. They joyfully interacted with their fans and even shook a leg together for the title song of I Hate Luv Storys for their audience. — IANS