The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - The Tribune Lifestyle

	gyan zone An Oriental delight The Singapore Street Food Festival at The Lalit brings the best flavours from the Southeast Asian cuisine on to your platter Somya Abrol A 'rock and roll' affair for the palate is what one must except when planning to visit a Singapore food festival, especially after starving through the day - it's a buffet, you know. The Lalit, IT Park, Chandigarh, has brought forth a dinner-only Singapore Street Food Festival, which will last till the end of the week. And they sure deliver what they promise. For starters, from the live station, you can lick your forks clean after the Tofu, Fish and Chicken Satay - served with the signature peanut sauce, grilled to perfection — with the Fish Satay deserving more than one serving. Now, since a lot of the basic ingredients used in the Southeast Asian cuisine are similar, make sure you clean your palate with water or their refreshing Watermelon Cooler. The local 'momo-lovers' are in for a treat. The dimsums —chicken and vegetarian —are steamed, delicate bags of flavour. Next up is the Glass Noodle Salad - thin vermicelli noodles with snow peas, peanuts, bell peppers, broccoli and tomatoes. While the noodles are a mouthful, the dressing may be a little understated for the Punjabi palate. Please feel free to season as you go. For the main course, though they also serve Lamb Rendang with Roti Canai and Cantonese Vegetables, what made us wish for bigger stomachs was the mildly-spiced Laksa Curry, served with Fried Rice. This is serious food. Glass noodles floating in yellow Thai, coconut milk-based curry with juliennes of bell peppers - true bliss. But, don't let it get the better of your judgement; dessert is yet to be devoured. Their street food fest specials include Steam Coconut Pudding, Traditional Chinese Pancake Coconut Caramel, Lemongrass Panna Cotta and Kafir Lime Baked Yoghurt. We recommend the baked yogurt, solely because it reminds us of the homely shrikhand. Though we were looking forward to tasting their versions of famous Singaporean street desserts suck as Kaya Toast (coconut custard jam toast) or Ice Kachang (flavoured ice shavings), we're not complaining! Venue 24/7 Coffee Shop Meal for two Rs 2,600 On till July 27, 2014 somya@tribunemail.com
	first-day-first show For the kicks! Directed and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala, under the Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment banner, Kick is a Hindi action-thriller film that stars Salman Khan in the lead role, while Jacqueline Fernandez, Randeep Hooda, Nawazuddin Siddiqui are in supporting roles. It is a remake of the Telugu film by the same name. The screenplay has been adapted by Nadiadwala and Chetan Bhagat. Salman's show I am a huge fan of Salman Khan and the only reason why I went to watch the film was because of Salman. For those who like Salman, this film is a good watch, but there is not much to look forward to as far as the story and script is concerned. Anandita Bhasin, private bank employee Too typical I did not like the film much because the only key element in it is action, that too typical of Bollywood films. Also, the film rides on Salman Bhai's acting calibre that is best suited for the audience that fancies his work. Unfortunately, I am not a fan. Raghav Sharma, student One-time watch It's a decent watch, if you are looking to while away time. There is nothing more than Salman and his action sequences that the film has to offer. What I did like about the film was that it is fast pace and doesn't bore you. It's a decent one-time watch. Jagpartap Singh, student (As told to Amarjot Kaur)
	A Chill-ed out family Poonam Bindra Chill is what young businessman Kunal Jaitwani named his pet and that's what exactly this handsome St Bernard is doing for he is the stress buster for the whole family--be it Vijay, his father or Radhika, his mother, who is a busy social activist. It was three years ago when Kunal got this cute little two-month-old pup from a friend and "I had no idea how tall he would grow and now he surprises me when he stands on his hind legs for he is even taller than me," remarks the six-feet-tall owner. Actually when we saw Chill bouncing towards his master in affection, he nearly toppled him over. We hear that last time Kunal came back from some study tour after three months, he was so much smothered in love by Chill that his clothes all got torn. Such is the volume of affection of this four- legged friend. In an orderly and disciplined manner, Chill must go for his walk at six in the evening, so from five onwards he is busy running towards the gate and back to his leash and some family member. "It is actually a scene to see him going up and down," quips Radhika, who cannot handle him on her own and needs help for his activities. On a somber and a proud note Kunal shares that Chill is a very well-behaved fellow for he never climbs on to the beds or sofas and never even looks towards the dining table even if non-veg food is being served. Even on the road he walks as if he owns it and not bothered about anybody. Little wonder he has often received this comment - 'what a royal dog'. He is always looking for a good body rub and turns up his massive tummy up for Kunal to do the needful. Very fond of grooming himself, Chill never shies away from a bath and a session of combing and brushing. A happy twosome indeed--Kunal and the big handsome Chill.
	Coastal flavours Celebrate the vibrant spirit of the coasts of India at Coastal Food Festival at Hotel Hometel, Chandigarh. This Coastal Food Festival presents authentic culinary delights from the coastal regions of Maharashtra, Kerala, Goa, Andhra Pardesh and Manglore, at its restaurant, Flavours. The exotic range of seafood is sure to tantalise your taste-buds! On offer is an array of marine delights, including the absolute favourites like Iswana Sukke (fish curry), Erachi Pacha Mulaka (mutton with green chilli), Thalassery biryani (sea food and dry nuts), Mutta biryani (egg biryani), fish curry in Kottayam style, Koli Barthad (Coorg style chicken curry), Bhende Sukke (okra in coconut gravy), Chakko Channe Ghashi (jackfruit with chana), Padwal Dumbells (stuffed snake gourd),Vala Sangi Sukke (long beans with coconut), Flowera Nonche (pickled cauliflower), Chena Mezhukku Peratty (yam stir fried), Muga Dali Kadi (moong dal), Erachi Pidi (rice dumpling cooked in rich gravy) to name a few. These cuisines will be Hometel Hotel's Executive Chef Bidesh Biswas. The festival is on till August 3 between 7.30 pm to 11.00 pm. The charge per person is Rs 650 + plus taxes. — TNS
	Sporty star Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), leading manufacturer of premium cars in the country, recently announced its entry into the MPV segment with the launch of its mid-size stylish 7-seater, Honda Mobilio. The car marks an evolution in the MPV segment by offering a unique combination of sporty exterior styling along with space, comfort and utility in just the right size to suit the needs of Indian families. The Mobilio, with its strong desirable values, is set to expand the MPV segment and will appeal to diverse customer profiles from many vehicle segments. Honda Mobilio has been developed at Honda R&D Asia Pacific Co Ltd, located in Bangkok, Thailand. — TNS
	Green Thumb Basket full! Growing plants in baskets is a handy exercise Satish Narula Garden management during monsoon is very important. This is the time when most of the garden operations are carried out. This is the time when plants are multiplied. This is also the time for planting, making baskets and also preparing pots. Let us today discuss baskets and other above-ground containers. The biggest advantage with growing plants in the baskets is that they make the continuity of the ground garden with sky as sky garden. Baskets come very handy when there is space constraint and thus provide an opportunity to include more number of species to the collection. They do not also interfere with the movement in the garden. Baskets can be hung on walls using angle irons. Also available now are baskets that stick to the wall. This concept has come in after the availability and use of water-proof paints that protect the wall against moisture as well as seepage. Many fancy type baskets are now available in the market. These are either made with iron strips or with wires. This is done to keep the basket light. When you bring the basket from the market, you will find big gaps in wires or stripes. These gaps are covered using materials like coconut shavings, shade net, polythene or plastic. After this, the basket is filled with growing medium that is soil-sand-manure mixture, the same as used in pots. However, in this case the quantity of soil used is a bit less to keep the mixture light. You can also add shreds of wood shaving or moss grass as ingredient. Such additions conserve moisture for a longer period and reduce the frequency of watering. The baskets are used to grow hardy plants. It is better to grow those plants that are weak stemmed and hang out. Such plants include the likes of spider plant, Tradescantia discolor, zebrena, asparagus, trailing begonia, trailing geranium, pilea and most of the sedums. Baskets are also used to grow short-statured seasonal flowers like nasturtium, sweet allysum, daisy, petunia, portulaca, pansy etc. One could also try a hand at growing podina, dhania, oregano, lemon balm and thyme. I have seen people growing cherry tomato too, which hang down as a string of deep red small fruits. The advantages of using baskets have been discussed earlier. However, there are certain grey areas too and one must keep these in mind. Those using upper stories in housing societies normally hang baskets at the end of the balcony with the result that the water drips down. It may spoil the clothes drying in the lower flats, creating avoidable tension. Remember, gardening is a pleasure and one enjoys it more when appreciated by others. None of your actions should irritate the neighbours! The watering in such cases has to be very restricted and this is possible only when very hardy species of plants are used. (Narula is a Chandigarh-based senior PAU horticulturist and landscapist)
	STAR TRACK A journey called Bang Bang Siddharth Anand, the director of the much-anticipated Bang Bang talks about the movie and the trouble that the hero (Hrithik Roshan) went through during the making of the movie. Hurt theory It was not an accident or Hrithik would have been hospitalised immediately. But we continued shooting, moving from Thailand to Greece. He had to be launched 30 metres into the air on a jet spray and land in water. We don't know if it was the impact of water which caused the injury. The doctors told him that it cannot be attributed to a specific cause. He himself told me that he had banged his head against a wall while shooting Kaho Naa Pyaar Hai. It could even have been something he had since birth but which got aggravated now. Body doubles Isn't a duplicate's life equally important? I know many stuntmen who've died while working on a film. I'm pained by our pathetic infrastructure. In other countries, a chopper arrives in 10 minutes to fly the injured to a hospital but a life is not valued in India. Marching ahead Most of the film was yet to be shot when he returned. We were so nervous we kept asking him if he was sure he wanted to go full-throttle. Any other actor would have asked for a double. But this man would do anything for a film. He has done jaw-dropping stunts. We've gone beyond Knight And Day. If the Tom Cruise-Cameron Diaz film had a sequel, it would try to match up to Bang Bang. Personal pain Hrithik Roshan has gone through a lot of pain, I'm sure he is still going through a lot. But he never let it show, he knew it would affect the team's morale. No actor has suffered as much while shooting for a film. Bang Bang is easily Hrithik's toughest film. Hrithik-Katrina link up During Anjaana Anjaani, Ranbir (Kapoor) was linked with Priyanka (Chopra), during Salaam Namaste, Saif (Ali Khan) with Preity Zinta. Such stories are usual for my stars. Isn't a duplicate's life equally important? I know many stuntmen who've died while working on a film. I'm pained by our pathetic infrastructure. In other countries, a chopper arrives in 10 minutes to fly the injured to a hospital. —Siddharth Anand
	Katrina turns a costume stylist Katrina is taking a little too much interest in the making of her next film, Kabir Khan's Phantom, which is currently being filmed in London. And, this led to a panic situation on the sets a couple of days ago. Sources tell us that the actress refused to wear costumes designed by the film's stylist, Subarna Ray Chaudhri. She felt they wouldn't do 'justice to the scene'. This came as a surprise to the unit as such a situation had never cropped up before. Undoubtedly, there was a problem and Kat came up with a solution herself. A source from the unit tell us, "Her director friend Ali Abbas Zaffar is keeping her company in London although he isn't involved with the film. Together they went off to Oxford Street to shop for costumes which were a better fit for particular scenes." Subarna is too senior to be bothered by an actress' tantrums and kept her cool. Meanwhile Kat shopped to her heart's content for the scene which is yet to be shot. While Kabir remained unavailable for a comment, Katrina has denied the story and said that she is happy with the costumes of the film. Next stop Karan Johar’s Dharms Productions will produce Ayan Mukerji's next film which will go on the floors next year. It stars Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor and will release on December 23. Video launch Salman Khan, Sajid Nadiadwala, and Jacqueline Fernandez launched a special action making video for Kick in Bandra, suburban Mumbai just before the release of the film. It was much appreciated by the media. Poster perfect Take a look at the full poster of Dil Dhadakne Do that Zoya Akhtar released via social media. The most excited cast member of the film is Ranveer Singh, who has been posting regular updates about the film and more on Twitter.
	Priyanka sings for Mary Kom Actress-singer Priyanka Chopra has sung a lullaby in her forthcoming film Mary Kom, a biopic on the five-time World Champion boxer. "I have sung a lori (lullaby) in the film, which comes in the important part of the film. It's a very intimate conversation between the mother and child and yes, it was fun. It has a good tune," Priyanka told reporters at the trailer launch on Wednesday. Directed Omung Kumar the film will release September 5. Shaukeen to release on November 7 The remake of Basu Chatterjee's 1982 film Shaukeen will release in the first week of November. Confirming the news, actress Lisa Haydon tweeted: "Got the most FANTASTIC phone call! #TheShaukeens releases 7th November. Can't wait 2 share this film w/all of u cuz we had such fun making it!" Directed by Abhishek Sharma, the film also stars Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher, Annu Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, and Rati Agnihotri. Family holiday As a gesture of love and gratitude towards his family, Tiger Shroff will take them on a holiday at his expense. The location is undecided and undisclosed at the moment and he is very happy and proud to do so. Keeping in touch Karan Johar took his protégés Alia Bhatt and Siddharth Malhotra out to dinner at a restaurant in suburban Mumbai. We guess Varun Dhawan was busy and could not make it. Karan is clearly happy with the people he has launched.
	chatter box The big leap Soon, there will be a leap in Colors' Rangrasiya. As the ratings aren't as expected now, the makers are changing track by killing lead character Paro, played by Sanaya Irani and taking a five-year jump. Sanaya will return in a new and modern look as a new character. Yoga guru turns down Jhalak Vivek Mishra, who is best remembered for his stint in Big Boss last year, and is also recognised as nude yoga guru was recently offered Jhalak, but was told that he would have to cross-dress (apparently as a replacement of Kiku Sharma). He turned down the offer, as he didn't want to be what he is not. When contacted, Vivek Mishra said, "I would prefer to wait for the right reality show, rather than taking up just about any offer. I am open for working in a daily soap too. Acting is acting, be it in a soap or a reality show." What's ironical is that he recently got hurt while dancing at a regular party in Delhi. He says, "I got injured while dancing. I am wearing a crape bandage and managing to carry on."
	Reality check! Maine Pyar Kiya actress Bhagyashree might consider doing a fiction show, but she doesn't want to do reality shows. She feels there's a lot of drama in them, which she won't enjoy doing. Eijaz’s back Eijaz Khan will soon return to TV with Life OK's thriller show Laut Aao Trisha. He plays the role of a tough cop, who will help Bhagyashree in search of her missing daughter, Trisha. Eijaz feels the role is relatable to him, as he finds many similarities with the role. Akshay to produce another show After Jamai Raja, Akshay Kumar's production house Grazing Goat Pictures will now produce yet another TV show. This one will be an adaptation of popular novel Bombay Duck Is A Fish by Kanika Dhillon, claim rumours. The casting of the show is currently on. Face off Asha Negi, of Zee TV's Pavitra Rishta fame, will be joining DJ's A creative Unit's Ek Mutthi Aasmaan. She will replace the female lead Rachana Parulkar aka Kalpi as the makers have taken a leap in the show. Kalpi will have an accident; then a cosmetic surgery and a new face. She will suffer a memory loss too.
	Surveen is all for seasons Surveen Chawla, who recently did Hate Story 2, says she wouldn't mind doing TV, but wants seasonal shows. She was last seen as a host on Comedy Circus Ke Superstars in 2010. She wants to do interesting roles in TV or films, but no daily soap. Lead contention Producer Rashmi Sharma's new show has two contenders for the lead. Buzz is that Aakanksha Singh, who did Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuchh Kaha and Shefali Sharma of Bani - Ishq Da Kalma fame are vying for the role. The show is a love story. Karan’s hard to please Rumour has it that Karan Mehra aka Naren of Zee TV's Pavitra Rishta threw a tantrum when he was supposed to go for a press conference with Ankita Lokhande to Nagpur. Apparently, he didn't approve of the flight and hotel arrangements. Karan refutes the rumours.
	Astro Turf p Khurrana ARIES: Take proper care of your diet. Love life will be exciting. Expectant women: focus on medical checkup. A friend of same sex may be helpful to you. Financial matters may come under strain. Tarot message: Watch your best interests. Lucky colour: Yellow Magic number: 56 TAURUS: Make good use of the quite morning, and you will be well prepared for the rest of the day. Personal relations may be neglected. Tarot message: Delays are the only obstacle in your way. Lucky Lucky colour: Black Magic number: 38 GEMINI: The card "six of wands" will give you extra rewards. Try to keep your schedule varied and flexible rather than letting yourself get pinned down in one spot. Tarot message: Put your terms and conditions in writing. Lucky colour: Red Magic number: 40 CANCER: Your card "the judgment" gives you strength. Communication over legal matters, travel plans and education can be held up or postponed. Tarot message: Put your terms and conditions in writing. Lucky colour: Crimson Magic number: 33 LEO: Today you will have difficulty in getting along with associates. Fraud and trickery could be the order of the day. Tarot message: Use careful judgment in handling issues involving property. Lucky colour: Orange Magic number: 44 VIRGO: Health needs some care. Do not be in a hurry to get financial plans underway. You might be able to do yourself a bit of good with the help of influential people. Tarot message: Plan your life to avoid delays. Lucky colour: Baize Magic number: 59 LIBRA: Today, you are likely going to spend money on astrology or philosophical books. Agreement made today can be very valuable to you. Tarot message: You find within yourself a fountainhead of will power. Lucky colour: Teal Magic number: 63 SCORPIO: The day starts with smiles and cheers. A romantic overture to your working day might give you plenty to think about. Tarot message: Take responsibility for your actions. Lucky colour: Blue Magic number: 26 SAGITTARIUS: Meeting new people will bring delightful opportunity for romance. The energy of the day is suited to creative pursuits. Tarot message: Prevent trouble by taking timely action. Lucky colour: Violet Magic number: 54 CAPRICORN: Avoid speculation today. The married will enjoy a pleasantly romantic phase at home. Take proper care of your health. Tarot message: Don't reveal your plans to competitors. Lucky colour: Rust. Magic number: 40 AQUARIUS: Don't rush to make any hasty decisions regarding your family matters. Postpone plans for intimacy with your lover. Tarot message: Don't try to end the deadlock all at once. Lucky color: Grey Magic number: 33 PISCES: Dispute over small issues is possible at your working place. Women: don't use harsh words or speech. Heavy expenses make you frustrated. Tarot message: You gain by being practical. Lucky colour: Green Magic number: 48
	The Year Ahead Madan Gupta Spatu If your birthday is July 26... Your birth on the 26th day of the month modifies your life path by increasing your capability to function and succeed in the business world. In this environment you have the skills to work very well with others, thanks to the 2 and 6 energies combining in this date. There is a marked increase in organisational, managerial and administrative abilities. Money position and financial problems will be a source of tension. Investments in real estate should be avoided. Do not neglect your health. Your creative talents will prove to be highly lucrative if put to proper use. Family front seems to go smoothly and you can expect full support for your plans. Positive colours: Black, Chocolate. Select days: Sunday, Tuesday. Favourable numbers: 1, 4, 8. Gems recommended: Blue Sapphire, Diamond, Emerald. Charity on birthday: Donate utensils to the needy. You share your birthday with Mugdha Godse (July 26, 1982, Pune), who appeared in one of the lead roles in the Hindi film Fashion. She garnered loads of praise for her performance in the film. Astrologically, Mugdha will excel in the film world in 2015.