A staff member of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee has tested positive for COVID-19. Tokyo organizers issued a statement Wednesday saying it was a male employee in his 30s who worked at the headquarters building in a part of Tokyo known as Harumi. Organizers said he was in quarantine at home and gave no further details. The Tokyo Olympics were postponed last month until 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The committee employs about 3,500 people, and organizers say about 90% have been working from home for the last several weeks. Organizers said the area in which he worked would be disinfected, and people who worked nearby have been told to stay home.

The Olympics are scheduled to open on July 23, 2021, but questions persist if that will be possible in light of the pandemic.

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The Tokyo 2020 Olympics cannot be delayed beyond the year-long postponement already forced by the coronavirus outbreak, the organising committee's president has warned in comments published Thursday. Tokyo 2020 president Yoshiro Mori said there is "absolutely no" chance of postponing the Games beyond their rescheduled July 23, 2021 opening, according to Kyodo News agency. "Also thinking about athletes and issues over Games management, it is technically difficult to delay it by two years," Mori was quoted as saying.

Mori said he had earlier asked Prime Minister Shinzo Abe whether Japan should consider a two-year postponement but "the prime minister decided that one year is the way to go". Under heavy pressure from athletes and sports associations, Japanese organisers and the International Olympic Committee in March agreed to a year-long postponement of the Games. Organisers and Japanese officials have said the delayed Olympics will be a chance to showcase the world's triumph over the coronavirus, but questions have arisen about whether even a year's postponement is sufficient.

Earlier this week, a Japanese expert who has criticised the country's response to the coronavirus warned he is "very pessimistic" that the postponed Olympics can be held in 2021. "To be honest with you, I don't think the Olympics is likely to be held next year," said Kentaro Iwata, a professor of infectious diseases at Kobe University. He said holding the Games would require not only Japan but also the rest of the world to have the virus under control.

The organising committee itself has been hit the virus, saying Wednesday that a staff member in his 30s working at its Tokyo headquarters had tested positive for the disease. Postponing the Games is a massive logistical undertaking, and expected to incur significant additional costs. Kyodo News quoted Mori as saying the opening and closing ceremonies would need to undergo "drastic reviews" in order to cut costs, adding that organisers would ask the ceremonies' directors to consider including a message about the coronavirus crisis.

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Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and NFL quarterback legends Tom Brady and Peyton Manning are planning a charity golf match for May, the US media reported. The event would be held without spectators in Florida, airing live on TV with the proceeds going to help battle the COVID-19 pandemic, American broadcaster ESPN reported on Wednesday. Turner Sports said one possible date is Memorial Day weekend May 23-25.

Manning, now retired, told a Denver radio station on Wednesday that there had been talks about such an event anyway. "And now, to have a chance to have a major fundraising event for COVID-19 relief, almost like a telethon if you will... if that can take place, I'm all in for that." The Action Network reported that it is likely Woods and Manning will compete against Mickelson and Brady.

Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis recently expressed support for the event featuring golf superstars and football icons. "I'd like to see Woods and Mickelson do the golf, or whatever, because that's social distance," DeSantis said last week. "You wouldn't have a gallery there. You wouldn't have crowds. But to put that on TV, I think people have been starved for content."

The PGA Tour said it hasn't officially endorsed the event but is evaluating health and safety concerns. One location said to be considered is Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida, located just north of Woods' home in Jupiter. The PGA Tour has suspended play since the first round of The Players Championship on March 12. The Tour's revised schedule released last Thursday would begin with a tournament June 11-14 in Fort Worth, Texas.

In addition to the Fort Worth event, the other June tournaments currently slated to be held without fans are the RBC Heritage and the Travelers Championship.

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Six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady got his signals crossed trying to visit his new Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator and walked into a neighboring house by mistake, celebrity website TMZ reported Thursday. Brady's blunder came April 7 as the 42-year-old quarterback, a newcomer to the Tampa area after playing the past 20 NFL seasons for the New England Patriots, searched for the home of Bucs offensive mastermind Byron Leftwich, according to TMZ.

Brady knew Leftwich was expecting him to pick up team-related materials so he just walked into the home of David Kramer without knocking, setting down two bags without realizing Leftwich's house, which has similar white and gray paint and triangular roofs, was the larger one next door. "I literally was just sitting here and I watch this tall guy just walk into my house," Kramer told MZ.

"He didn't even look at me. He just like dropped his duffel bags down on the floor and just kind of like looked up at me and I'll never forget the look on his face. "He just goes, 'Am I in the wrong house?" An apologetic Brady hustled out of the home as if he were being chased by an NFL defender. "He was like, 'I am so sorry. I am so sorry," Kramer said. "Grabs his bags and just is gone. I don't think I've seen someone leave a house faster." Brady, with more Super Bowl rings than any player in NFL history, went next door and finally found the coach who will direct his plays next season when the record-setting passer makes his debut with the Buccaneers.

It wasn't the only trouble Brady has had since the move to Florida. He was told Monday to leave a public park in Tampa when he tried to work out there in breach the city's stay-at-home coronavirus rules. Brady was able to laugh at his blunders in an Instagram post, saying: "Trespassing in parks, breaking and entering... Just making myself at home in Tompa Bay!" Brady has bid to register trademarks on the phrases "Tompa Bay" and "Tampa Brady".

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American reality TV star Khloe Kardashian, who has daughter True, two, with basketball player ex-partner Tristan Thompson wants to have more kids. But she is unsure if she wants Tristan to be her sperm donor.

Speaking in a preview of the E! reality show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians, Khloe said: "I've been taking hormone injections for about five days and the injection process has been fine. Dr Huang was saying the bonus of doing embryos is you get to see what are your stronger embryos, which are healthy, you get to already know all that by mixing them with sperm. Which I do have a sperm donor."
But Khloe is worried about the future and said there is a possibility of her changing her mind and wants to have a baby with her new partner rather than go for Tristan.

Tristan and True Thompson

"You never know like if in three years I get married to someone and I'm like, 'You know what? I don't want that.' It's weird, because Tristan and I, we're not together. I don't know which way to go," she added.

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Ace India sprinter Hima Das on Sunday said her role model has always been cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.

In an Instagram chat with veteran India batsman Suresh Raina, Hima said: "My role model is Sachin Tendulkar, I still remember talking to him when he invited me to his home. When I saw him, I ended up crying and sir consoled me. It was the best moment for me. Meeting your role model is a big moment for everyone and no one can forget that."

On her COVID-19 lockdown lessons, Hima said: "I have learnt a few things during the lockdown: 1. Dedication. 2. We used to go out to eat, which is not healthy 3. We can stay at home and live life without going out unnecessarily," Hima said.

Hima told Raina that she is doing yoga and indoor workout to keep herself fit. "Since we are not allowed to go to the ground, I am doing workouts in the room. We have a 30-40 metre long lawn, and I am utilising it for exercise. Started doing yoga and mind exercise. Eating habits have also changed. I have stopped eating meat and I am consuming more fruits and water," added the 20-year old Assam girl.

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Silverstone owners said on Monday that no spectators would be able to attend the British Grand Prix due to the coronavirus pandemic but the race is still scheduled to go ahead.

The French Grand Prix scheduled for June 28 was cancelled on Monday but while organisers have not yet made a final decision on postponing or cancelling the July 19 British race, Silverstone managing director Stuart Pringle paved the way for a behind-closed-doors race.

"I am extremely disappointed to tell you that we are unable to stage this year's British Grand Prix in front of the fans at Silverstone," Pringle in his statement on Silverstone's Twitter account. "We have left this difficult decision for as long as possible, but it is abundantly clear given the current conditions... that a grand prix under normal conditions is just not going to be possible."

Britain has been one of the countries worst affected by the COVID-19 outbreak, with the number of deaths topping 20,000. The actual toll could be much higher when deaths in the community are taken into account, particularly at care homes. The French Grand Prix is the 10th leg of the 2020 championship to be either scrapped (Australia, Monaco, France) or postponed (Bahrain, China, Vietnam, Netherlands, Spain, Azerbaijan, Canada).

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National rowing coach Bajrang Lal Takhar, 39, wants India's ace rowers, Sawarn Singh and Dattu Bhokanal to make the most of the Coronavirus-caused lockdown by working on their mental toughness.

Takhar, the first to win an Asian Games individual gold [Guangzhou 2010], is keen that the duo fine-tune their technique and emerge mentally stronger when the lockdown is over.

"Dattu performed well at the Rio Games in 2016 [finishing 13th in men's single sculls] in his maiden Olympics. Sawarn is also a good rower. My advice to them is to become mentally strong if we want to win at the Olympics. At the top level, there is not much to differentiate in terms of physical fitness. Being mentally strong can make a huge difference. They [Sawarn and Bhokanal] also need to work on their technique," Takhar, who has been guiding the rowers via video conferencing from his hometown in Maganpur, Rajasthan, told mid-day on Monday.

Meanwhile, Takhar urged patience from those expecting a rowing medal at the Tokyo Olympics. "They [Sawarn and Bhokanal] will surely qualify for the Tokyo Games. They will make it to the final as well, but we may have to wait for another Olympics [Paris 2024] to win a medal," felt Takhar.

Sawarn, 30, has won gold in quadruple sculls along with Bhokanal, Om Prakash and Sukhmeet Singh at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, while he bagged a bronze in single sculls at the Incheon Games in 2014. Bhokanal, 29, won silver in single sculls at the 2015 Asian Rowing Championships in Beijing.

Takhar has urged the Rowing Federation of India (RFI) to concentrate on rural areas if they wish to tap upcoming talent.

"The RFI needs to search for talent in rural regions. Getting physically strong people is extremely crucial to succeed in rowing. We have worked on certain plans to train aspiring players," he concluded.

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World champion Lewis Hamilton said Formula One's Coronavirus suspension had left a "big void" in his life as the sport waits to see if it can return in July. Hamilton, who began go-karting as a child and has risen through the ranks of motorsport, said he misses racing daily after the F1 season failed to get underway. "I miss racing every day. This is the first time since I was eight that I haven't started a season," the British Mercedes driver posted on Instagram.

"When you live and breathe something you love, when it's gone there's definitely a big void. But there's always positives to take from these times." The first practice session of the year was just hours away when the season-opening Australian Grand Prix was scrapped in March, triggering a succession of cancellations. F1 bosses are now hoping to start the delayed season at the Austrian Grand Prix on July 5, while fans will be barred from the British Grand Prix on July 19.

However, Hamilton said the virus shutdown—which has all but closed down professional sports and dramatically slowed economic activity—was not all bad news. "Right now, we all have time in the world to reflect on life, our decisions, our goals, the people we have around us, our careers," said Hamilton. "Today, we see clearer skies all over the world, less animals being slaughtered for our pleasure simply because our demands are much lower and everyone is staying in. Let's not come back the same as we went into this tough time. Let's come out of it with better knowledge of our world, changing our personal choices and habits."

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Hockey India gave fans a sneak-peek into what the country's hockey stars are doing during lockdown. With the sporting calendar coming to a standstill due to the coronavirus pandemic, many top sportspersons have taken to social media to engage with their fans.

HI conducted a special Twitter Q&A, #AskTeamIndia, and went live on the social media platform with four players -- women's captain Rani Rampal, men's captain Manpreet Singh, goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh and defender Harmanpreet Singh.

"Twitter has always been a great service to engage with our fans, we are happy to have their support in #AskTeamIndia initiative which is fun, meaningful and also in some way I hope we are motivating fans to stay positive and active during these difficult times," said Sreejesh.

Sreejesh revealed during the interaction that he is a fan of the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League because of his fondness for former Indian cricket captain M.S. Dhoni.

The women's hockey team also competed in a fitness challenge and as part of that they tweeted fitness videos to raise funds to help those whose lives have been adversely impacted by the pandemic. Hockey India tweeted pictures that showed how players are spending time indoors.

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The postponement to 2021 of the Olympic Games in Tokyo because of the coronavirus pandemic will cost the International Olympic Committee (IOC) "several hundred million dollars", its president Thomas Bach said on Wednesday. "We already know that we have to shoulder several hundred million US dollars of postponement costs," the German wrote in a letter to the Olympic movement, warning that, while the IOC would honour its financial obligations to Tokyo, it would probably have to make cuts. "We also need to look into and review all the services that we provide for these postponed Games," he said.

"The IOC will continue to be responsible for its share of the operational burden and its share of the costs for these postponed Games." The IOC, which has approximately $1 billion (926 million euros) in reserves, took the historic decision to postpone the Games, scheduled to open on July 24, until July 23 to August 8, 2021. If the coronavirus pandemic is not brought under control within a year, the Games cannot be postponed again and will be cancelled, the head of the organising committee (COJO) Yoshiro Mori warned on Tuesday.

A task force, which brings together the IOC and various partners, including COJO, "has established the priorities and management strategies to make these postponed Olympic Games feasible and successful", Bach said. These include creating "a safe environment with regard to health for all participants". "At this moment, nobody knows what the realities of the post-coronavirus world will look like," he said. "What is clear, however, is that probably none of us will be able to sustain every single initiative or event that we were planning before this crisis hit." He added that the IOC should also view the crisis as an opportunity.

"We can fairly assume that, in the post-coronavirus society, public health will play a much more important role. Sport and physical activity make a great contribution to health," he wrote. Bach also said the Olympic movement should consider its relationship with esports in light of social distancing.

"Whilst maintaining our principles by respecting the red line, with regard to the Olympic values, we encourage all our stakeholders even more urgently to 'consider how to govern electronic and virtual forms of their sport and explore opportunities with game publishers'," he said.

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Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stated it will be impossible to host the Olympics even next year if the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic cannot be contained till then. The 2020 edition of the event was pushed back to 2021 in wake of COVID-19 crisis that has hit the entire world. Answering a question related to Olympics, Abe said it is important for all athletes and spectators to feel safe and for that to happen, the virus will have to be contained. "We've been saying the Olympic and Paralympic Games must be held in a complete form, in that athletes and spectators can all participate safely. It would be impossible to hold the Games in such a complete form unless the Coronavirus pandemic is contained," Abe was quoted as saying by CNN.

Earlier, Tokyo Olympics chief had warned the event will have to be scrapped in case of further delay. "In that case, the Olympics will be scrapped," Yoshiro Mori told Nikkan Sports when quizzed about pushing the Games further if needed. Tokyo Olympics was supposed to be held in July-August this year but had to postponed due to COVID-19 crisis. The head of Japan Medical Association (JMA) had earlier said that hosting the event in the summer of 2021 remains difficult till the time an "effective vaccine' is developed.

"Unless an effective vaccine is developed I think it will be difficult to hold the Olympics next year," JMA President Yoshitake Yokokura told reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday. "I'm not saying at this point that they shouldn't be held. The outbreak is not only confined to Japan... it's a worldwide issue."

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USA's skiing legend Lindsey Vonn may have retired from professional sport last year, but she hasn't lost her competitive streak.

In a video posted on social media, she takes on National Hockey League (NHL) star fiance PK Subban in a game of hockey at home. Olympic champion Lindsey and Subban got engaged in August 2019.

In the Instagram clip, Lindsey is seen vacuuming the house while Subban is playing with his hockey stick and a ball. Suddenly, Lindsey tackles him, using her vacuum cleaner (screengrab above) and after a brief tussle, Subban eventually falls to the ground.

"Things are getting competitive around here… #winnerwinner," Lindsey captioned her Instagram post which was viewed over 370,000 times on the photo-sharing platform.

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American singer Ciara, who is expecting her second child with National Football League (NFL) star hubby Russell Wilson, has some advice for pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several hospitals and healthcare facilities in many countries have decided to ban partners from accompanying pregnant women for their doctor's appointments or entering the delivery room.

In a recent interview with Good Morning America, Ciara spoke about how pregnant women should make optimum use of technology to involve their partners during the maternity period.

Ciara revealed how she had to FaceTime Russell so that he could experience the ultrasound with her. "It was the first time we ever had that kind of experience and it was really a moment that marked the time we are living in... we made the best of it, but it was definitely surreal. I took tons and tons of videos, tons and tons of photos during the ultrasound and made the best of that. Also, what we do in our house is we sing to the belly," Ciara said.

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The next swimming world championships, scheduled for summer 2021 in Japan, have been pushed back until May 2022 following the postponement of the Olympic Games, the sport's governing body said Monday. The world championships were due to be held in Fukuoka next year from July 16-August 1 but will instead take place from May 13-29 in 2022, the international swimming federation (FINA) said in a statement.

The 2020 Olympic Games were delayed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, and will now run from July 23-August 8 in 2021. "After liaising with the relevant stakeholders and receiving feedback from them, we have no doubt that the decision taken will provide the best possible conditions for all participants at the championships," said FINA president Julio Maglione. "At a time of unprecedented uncertainty, FINA hopes the announcement of these dates will allow for some clarity in planning for all concerned." The world aquatics championships also feature diving, open water swimming, synchronised swimming and water polo.

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USA'S skiing legend Lindsey Vonn is finding new fun activities to keep herself and National Hockey League (NHL) star fiance PK Subban busy during this Coronavirus-caused lockdown. On Tuesday, Olympic gold medal-winner Lindsey, 35, posted this picture (above) on social media as she washed her SUV, wearing a bikini. "Took an adventure to the drive way [sic]. It was epic. #stayhome #takeabreakwithlandrover," Lindsey captioned her picture that went on to receive over 125,000-plus 'likes'. Lindsey also spelt out her routine during this quarantine period.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Took an adventure to the drive way. It was epic. #stayhome #takeabreakwithlandrover

A post shared by L I N D S E Y • V O N N (@lindseyvonn) onMay 4, 2020 at 8:19am PDT

She begins her day by 8am, feeding her dogs before heading for a workout. "I usually go to the gym but since we're obviously in quarantine, the garage is my jam," she told American magazine US Weekly. Lindsey and Subban tidy up their house together and then engage with their fans via Instagram Live.

NHL star PK Subban

Often, there are work-related meetings for the now-retired champion skier, who is also a successful entrepreneur. "I am working on a few projects so as you can imagine, there is a lot phone calls, Zoom meetings and other business that needs to be done," she said.

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American TV star and model Olivia Culpo celebrated a unique prom night during self-isolation with her National Football League (NFL) star boyfriend Christian McCaffrey, 23.

The couple partied with Olivia's sister Sophia and Christian's mother Lisa besides other family members. "Tonight is prom night with our quarantine crew," the Sports Illustrated model Olivia wrote on social media alongside pictures and a video of their celebration. "Lisa made all the boys do a "promposal" and now's she torturing all of us with chores," added Olivia, 27.

The outdoor party in a cocktail lounge area could also be a celebration of Christian's four-year $64 million (R484 crore) contract extension signed with NFL side Carolina Panthers in April.

The group ate, drank and also played with a unique bubble machine, blowing bubbles for everyone around.

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Evander Holyfield has announced that he will return to the ring to fight exhibition matches. The 57-year-old said in a tweet that the proceeds from his fight will go to Unite 4 Our Fight which provides funds to young people whose education have been disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. "Are you ready? The moment you've all been waiting for...The Champ is back! ?? I'd like to announce that I will be making a comeback to the ring. I will be fighting in exhibition matches for a great cause: #Unite4OurFight. Learn more: http://unite4ourfight.org," he tweeted on Thursday.

"I'm training to promote a charity that's very close to me. Our #Unite4OurFight campaign aims to fill the void the pandemic has created on access to resources our youth needs for emotional development and education," said Holyfield in his website.

Holyfield last fought professionally in 2011 when he faced Brian Nielsen. He reigned as the undisputed champion in cruiserweight in the late 1980s and in heavyweight in the early 1990s and remains the only boxer to to win the undisputed championship in two weight classes.

He is also the only four-time world heavyweight champion, having held the WBA, WBC and IBF titles from 1990 to 1992, the WBA and IBF titles again from 1993 to 1994, the WBA title a third time from 1996 to 1999; the IBF title a third time from 1997 to 1999 and the WBA title for a fourth time from 2000 to 2001.

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US pop star Jennifer Lopez, 50, and her baseball star partner Alex Rodriguez, 44, have decided to put off their late summer wedding plan due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was reported last week that the couple had held online meetings with vendors to prepare for a summer wedding, but now with the pandemic showing no sign of containment in the US, where the death toll has crossed 75,000, their plan is off.

"They have been struggling for weeks over this decision but with no return to normalcy in the near future, the couple felt postponing the wedding was the safest and smartest choice," a source told American entertainment network E! News. The couple have conveyed the news of the postponement to their guests. "Guests have recently been notified that the wedding will not be happening in late summer as anticipated," added the source.

Jennifer and Alex began dating in 2017 and got engaged in the Bahamas last March. Jennifer has twins Max and Emme, 12, from ex-husband Marc Anthony while Alex has daughters, Natasha, 15, and Ella, 12 with his ex-wife Cynthia Scurtis.

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Pistol ace Manu Bhaker has got a new electronic target installed at the makeshift shooting range at her home in Haryana in place of an archaic manual machine that was breaking down frequently and hampering her Olympics preparation. The old machine was causing her "immense irritation". Delighted by the reboot in her training, the teenaged star has got down to preparing with renewed vigour, sure in her mind that the Olympics will take place next year despite the uncertainty in the world of sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I have recently got the machine installed at my home and this will be surely more beneficial in my training," Bhaker told PTI from her home at Goria village. Her father set up the range after she showed exceptional skills in the precision sport. Bhaker thanked the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), the organisation that manages her, for promptly getting the machine -- an avant-garde target -- delivered at her home despite the nationwide lockdown enforced to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I was facing a lot of issues with the old machine as it was manual. The thread would come off and often it would break down on and off. Now it's very different with the new machine," the 18-year-old Bhaker said. "Since I feel there is unlikely to be any outdoor action and competitions for another three-four months, I thought it will be useful to get this installed at this point in time."

A medallist at ISSF World Cup, Commonwealth Games and the Youth Olympics, Bhaker was primed for success at sport's grandest and biggest stage in Tokyo which was to happen this year, but the unprecedented health crisis intervened and forced a postponement of the Games by a year. With the world still far away from bringing the situation under control, there are doubts if the Tokyo Games would be held even next year.

"Yes, the Indian shooters were in great form heading into the Games, but health is a bigger concern," Bhaker said. "I am very hopeful of the Olympics taking place next year and also confident of maintaining my game and hitting peak form there. This is a difficult time for the world but I have no negative thoughts and I am mentally prepared."

The target HS10 machine from Swiss company SIUS Ascor is designed for all air guns for distance ranging from 10 to 20 meters. Some of the salient features of the machine are its accuracy, integrated high-intensity LED target illumination, low operating costs (no paper rolls/rubber rolls) and it is also suitable for outdoor shooting.

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Aloo Handi. Pics/Shunashir Sen

Around 60 years ago, an aloo-chana chaat vendor near SIES College in Sion sat idle with restless fingers. He absent-mindedly picked up a peeled boiled aloo, cut it breadth-wise in half, and scooped out the centre as you would do with a baked potato before filling it.

At that moment, a customer happened to stop by. Seeing the scooped-out potato, he asked the vendor to stuff it with chutney, spices and chana, and popped it in his mouth like a pani puri. The burst of flavours pleased the customer, and he told his friends about it. Word spread. Soon, the vendor realised that he could make a business out of the product, and replaced the chutney with tamarind water. He named it Aloo Handi, since a handi is something we fill in. He spent his working life at that same stall in the city. Later, he went back to his farm in Uttar Pradesh (UP) to spend his twilight years.

Around the same time, in 1987, a 15-year-old named Laxmikant Mishra got off at VT from Basti zilla in UP, looking for the big-city life. He got in touch with a family connection, Jaiprakash, a person whom the anonymous Aloo Handi vendor had taken on as an apprentice and bequeathed his trade to.

But Jaiprakash had other things on his mind as an entrepreneur. So, he took Mishra under his wings, teaching the ropes, for him to take over. This was around 1991. Mishra was barely out of his teens. But after evading the authorities for long in search of a permanent space, the young man finally found a place behind Guru Kripa restaurant in Sion — close to the original stall near SIES College — in 1994. That's where he has been ever since, perfecting the Aloo Handi for 23 years.

Laxmikant Mishra at his stall

"In the early days, no one would let me have a permanent spot for my stall. So I'd run here and there. After a while, I found a fixed place — this very place. Since then, I have not really faced any trouble, but right now…" Mishra pauses mid-speech — alluding to a subject he had shared his suspicion about when we'd introduced ourselves for a chat. The subject being, The Tax That Must Not Be Named.

Mishra's eldest son, Shubham, is 21. He is his father's apprentice, and will inherit the business. In doing so, he will be allowing his father to live his dream — that of heading back to his family's farm. But when Shubham takes over, he will also be taking forward a legacy that is quite unique in the Indian street food spectrum. We have never seen the equivalent of an aloo handi anywhere else.
After all, it's a product born out of serendipity.

Time 11 am to 10 pm, daily
At Behind Guru Kripa restaurant, off Sion Circle, Sion West.
Cost Rs 10 for two aloo handis; Rs 15 for a serving of aloo-chana chaat

How to make the Aloo Handi
Ingredients
Boiled potatoes
Boiled desi chana
Minced onions for garnishing
Tamarind water with chilli powder
Spice mix: red chilli, coriander, cumin, black pepper, clove and cardamom; all powdered, salt, black salt and dry mango powder.

Method
Peel boiled potatoes, cut breadth-wise and scoop out.
Put the spice mix and chana in the potato.
Drizzle chilli tamarind water.
Top up with onions.
Eat it like a pani puri.

(Clockwise from left) Bheja Hara Masala, Nalli Nihari, Paya Soup, Tandoori Roti, Dal Chawal Palidu, Pizza Naan and Bohri Biryani (centre)

The Hill Road's din is drowned out by soothing Middle Eastern music as we step into The Tha'l Co, tucked in a residential building off the bustling street. We soak in the pale blue and stone grey décor, with charming latticework, candle-lit tables and abstract art adorning the walls, half expecting a performance of belly dancers. Instead, two staffers bring out a massive, 33-inch Bohri thaal, laden with nine types of starters, four pickles and two salad options.

Pineapple Halwa, Kesar Pista Sancha Ice Cream, Amba Roti, Paan and Mukhwaas

Owner Avinash Bhatia gets the reaction he's hoping for - our gaping mouths. "Bohri food has always been close to my heart, as I grew up with friends from the community. I sourced traditional recipes from them," says the Sindhi businessman, who hails from a family of property developers. He also has experience of running the family-owned Club 9 at Pali Hill, which replaced Hungry Bunny, a cosy café that his father had launched back in 1990s.

A community call
The Tha'l Co offers à la carte and set menus, the latter in the form of thaals for a solo diner and even a family. They also take catering orders. "The family thaal feeds seven guests. It includes mains and desserts too," he says as he ushers us to a low-seating table with seat cushions. It represents the community's traditional dining set-up where a family sits on the floor around a common thaal. However, we opt for the table-and-chair set up, considering we're in for the long haul.

(Clockwise from left) Bheja Hara Masala, Nalli Nihari, Paya Soup, Tandoori Roti, Dal Chawal Palidu, Pizza Naan and Bohri Biryani (centre)

After the traditional passing of salt and a bite of sodhanu (rice and sugar to start the meal), we dig into Dhungareli Tangdi, wrapped in foil and cooked in coals. The dish stars fall-off-the-bone chicken legs cooked in creamy gravy with a distinct crumbly cheese texture that teases our palate.

Then, we move on to fried-till-crisp Chicken Kheema Samosas and Chicken Shahi Roll, where crumb-fried barrels burst with meaty, cheesy flavours. They're washed down with refreshing, watermelon-flavoured Bir Soda, as integral to the community as Pallonji's is to Parsis.

For veggies too
The vegetarian options include Soya Chaaps, where the mock meat is slathered with a makhani-like gravy. We also enjoy the salads - Kokam Bateta, featuring well-cooked potatoes hidden under a thick, tangy-spicy coating, and Kachumber laced with silken, mashed brinjal.

The highlights are the melt-in-the-mouth minced lamb Galawati and the skewered Seekh Kebabs, where the soft and juicy mutton packs in robust, spicy flavours.

Dance to DCP
The mains include Nalli Nihari, Bheja Hara Masala, Bohri Biryani and the vegetarian DCP aka Dal Chawal Palidu. The Nihari wins us over with its soft and succulent lamb cooked in a well-spiced stock with a hint of fennel seeds that we relish with fluffy Pizza Naan. The Bheja Hara Masala scores for its creamy coriander-based gravy, whose flavours are soaked in by goat meat.

The dum-cooked Bohri Biryani, with succulent chunks of mutton and potatoes, turns out to be a lighter version of its north Indian sibling. It's long rice grains are laced with the right amount of whole spices and slight tang from the curd. A smoking-hot piece of coal on a bed of mildly flavoured rice and lentils takes the modest DCP to the next level. The flavour lingers in our mouth long after we've tucked into the comforting dish with Palidu, a drumstick stew tempered with cumin and thickened with Bengal gram flour.

By the time we reach the desserts - the rich Pineapple Halwa and creamy Sancha (hand-churned) ice cream in kesar pista flavour - we feel too stuffed to move, realising the true meaning of food coma.

Opens: Next week, 12 pm to 3.30 pm; 7.30 pm to 11.30 pm
At: Pooja Society, Chinchpokli Road, Bandra West
Call: 8956988888
Cost: `786 (single thaal), `986 (per person for family thaal)

Priya John

A cute pink pig dressed as a cupid, angel and demon smiles at us from the labels of various 200gm bottles that we've picked up from Jar-ry Eyed Surprise, an Andheri-based home run venture by Priya John, launched this April. These contain mayonnaise, jams and even pickle – all made using pork. When refrigerated, they last up to a month. "I've found variants with other meats but rarely anything with pork. Since I love bacon and pork, I decided to experiment with it and came up with a bacon jam first. When my sister [Preeti] tried it, she suggested I should start a venture, and even came up with the name," says the 31-year-old, who also runs a fashion accessory label.

(From left) Spicy Porker, Sweet Pork, Porkerizo, Pokernaise and Pork Pickle

She delivers across Mumbai, and ships items to other parts of the country too. However, you need to order in advance. We first dig into Porkerizo, a chorizo jam with marmalade like consistency that greases our taste buds with sweet and spicy flavours, finished off with a smoked aftertaste. The samples include two types of Porkers – sweet and spicy jams – made with bacon. While sweet version is simple, with only sugar and bacon, the spicy offers a hint of cinnamon too. "I've tried them as pizza toppings, in mac and cheese and topped them even on chocolate pancakes," reveals John.

Adding a mental note to make a spicy porker waffle sandwich, we move to Pokernaise. Unfortunately, the mayonnaise tastes more like a mustard sauce, lacking the distinct bacon flavour. Instead, we seek solace in Pork Pickle that packs a punch with its tangy and spicy flavours soaked in by soft pork bits. We feel sorted for lunch as we mop it up with aloo parathas, happy to have discovered our go-to option when we're craving comfort food. John tells us she's in the process of trying bacon butter and bacon salt. When refrigerated, these items last for upto a month.

Call: 8097075107
Email: eat@jarryeyedsurprise.com
Cost: `300 (200gm); `650 (500gm)

From Korea, with love

An Asian take on the classic cocktail, the Kimchi Mary features the Korean condiment and sticks of cucumber frozen into ice blocks.
Time 12 pm to 1 am
At Hello Guppy, Godrej-BKC, G-Block, BKC, Bandra (East).
Call 26534720
Cost Rs 300 plus taxes

Beloved bacon

Two of our loves — bacon and cocktails — come together in this Smoked Bacon Bloody Mary, which pairs perfectly with your slice of thin-crust pizza.
Time 11.30 am to 1 am
At Woodside Inn outlets in Andheri West and Colaba. CALL 26328963
Cost Rs 545 plus taxes

Peppered with pepperoni

Love your slices of pepperoni? The Mary Peppins, made with chicken pepperoni infused vodka, sweet chilli sauce and sea salt water is tailor-made for you.
Time 12 pm to 12 am
At Lemon Leaf, 4, Mandlik Road, Colaba.
Call 22020616
Cost Rs 450

Melon in the mix

A little sweet and little spicy, this Watermelon Bloody Mary sits pretty in a jar,
and sweet on your palate.
Time 9 am to 1 am
At Jamjar Diner outlets in Versova and Bandra West.
Call 26358880
Cost Rs 380 plus taxes

Recipe for a classic Bloody Mary
Ingredients
120ml tomato juice
60ml vodka
10ml lime juice
2–4 lime wedges
4–5 drops of Tobasco sauce
4 – 5 drops of Worcestershire sauce
3 – 4 ice cubes
Salt, to taste
Celery/green chilly for garnish

Method
Rim a roly ploy glass with a lime wedge and salt.
Add ice cubes, Tobasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, lime juice, tomato juice and vodka.
Garnish with celery and/or green chillies.
Recipe courtesy Binny Dhadwal, bartender and consultant

Why so special?

Spanish festival La Tomatina is held annually in the eastern town of Buñol on the last Wednesday of August. The event, where people throw tonnes of tomatoes at each other, is the result of a public brawl that took place in 1945. The festival gained much popularity in India post the 2011 Hindi film, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara.

A banana leaf heaving with a mound of rice, fragrant curries, coconut-flecked gravies - the Onasadhya is the highlight of Onam, the 10-day summer harvest festival celebrated by Malayalis across the world.

Since we're no experts on the subject, we sought out someone who was. And who better to tell us what goes into the onasadhya than someone who has been making it for years? Belapur resident Bina Menon was more than happy to decode the components of the sadhya for us.

"To begin with, the banana leaf is always placed with its narrow side facing the left. While serving, vegetables in thick gravies are placed on the top right-hand side. The centre is reserved for rice and its accompaniments, and the least used items, like the pickle and chips, go on the left," she explains.

Preparing a traditional onasadhya is a time-consuming task. To make the process a more efficient one, families use a system akin to a potluck. "Women from different households cook one dish each, and then come together to serve the meal to guests," says Menon.

OLAN/STEW
Either of the two is served, depending on the family's preference. While both olan and stew have a coconut milk base, olan stars ash gourd and red beans. Stew, meanwhile, could contain a mix of vegetables including onions and potatoes. Spices such as cinnamon and cardamom are used in southern Kerala to give it a distinct aroma.

INJI THAYIR
This item has yoghurt flavoured with ginger, green chilli, and curry leaves. The belief is that having this is akin to having 104 dishes, making it an essential part of the sadhya

PACHADI
A mild, cooling side dish that can be made with a variety of fruits and veggies. Try it with vellarikka (Madras cucumber), or, for a sweet-and-sour flavour, with pineapple.

ERISSERY
Pumpkin and pulses make their way into this side dish, which is prepared using ground coconut paste, and seasoned with roasted coconut.

THORAN
Made with a vegetable of your choice - usually cabbage or beans - this dry dish makes heavy use of grated coconut.

AVIAL
A dish featuring long strips of ash gourd, beans, raw banana, drumstick, yam and other vegetables.

KAALAN
This curd-and-coconut-based dish usually features a tuber like yam. The gravy is thick, and tangier than avial.

KARI
The top left-hand corner is reserved for pickles and chutneys. Featured here are the vadukapuli naranga kari (made using a variety of large lemons), kadumanga kari (using tiny, raw mangoes) and puli inji (tamarind and ginger chutney).

SHARKARA UPPERI, KAAYA VARUTHATH, CHENA/CHAKKA UPPERI, AND PAPPADAM
This section of the banana leaf stars all the crunchy items. There is the familiar kaaya varuthath (banana chips), as well as chips made of either chena (yam) or chakka (jackfruit). Sharkara upperi, meanwhile, is nothing but jaggery-coated banana chips. And, of course, no meal is complete without some light-as-air pappadam (papad).

PARIPPU, SAMBHAR, RASAM AND MORU
These three are served in order, course by course. The parippu (lentils) is served first, with a dollop of ghee on the side, followed by the sambhar. The soup-like, tamarind-flavoured rasam is poured next, and the cooling moru (buttermilk) comes last, to help you wash down the meal.

PRADHAMAN
This is a traditional term for payasam. Two types are served as part of the sadhya - paal ada (above), and pazham (below). The former is made with rice and milk, while the latter - prepared with jaggery, coconut milk and banana - is more decadent.

Ayam Goreng Kalasan with Sambal Kacang

Last October, when Priyadarshini Gupta travelled for a three-week trip to Indonesia, she signed up for a day-long cooking class with a local chef in Yogyakarta, a culturally rich city on the island of Java. She learnt to identify native produce, whip up traditional Indonesian fare - including sambal, a hot sauce of Javanese origin - and even noted the substitutes for ingredients not available in Mumbai. "One example is tempeh [a traditional product made from fermented soy], which is cut into thin slices and fried till crisp and served as an accompaniment with many dishes. The chef suggested tapioca or potato slices for a similar crunch," says the 46-year-old corporate consultant.

Priyadarshini Gupta at a cooking class in Indonesia

This weekend, if you drop in at Gupta's Versova home, you'll find the crunchy potato slices accompanying two dishes - Soto Ayam and Gado Gado - that are part of The Indonesian Kitchen, a dinner pop-up presented by Commeat. While the home chef and former Masterchef India contestant has been hosting meals of regional cuisines like Bengali and Oriya for over a year, this will be her first international meal pop-up.

Soto Ayam

"The menu features dishes from across Indonesia," says Gupta. For instance, Gado Gado is a salad packed with steamed vegetables, prawns or chicken and the traditional dressing of sambal kacang, a cooked version of the condiment with a peanut base. It's a prominent feature on the menus of warungs, or mom-and-pop establishments that dot Indonesia. Meanwhile, Ayam Goreng Kalasan (fried chicken marinated in coconut milk), a starter, is a popular street snack across the Southeast Asian nation. The starters also include Pisang Goreng (fried bananas coated with rice flour) and Rempeyek Kacang, a snack that Gupta calls 'Indonesian mathri' since it's made in a manner similar to the Indian snack, but with peanuts and rice flour.

Spicy Steamed Tofu 

The mains feature Soto Ayam, a one-bowl dish with poached chicken or prawns, flavoured with macadamia nuts, light soy and Balinese egg noodles, and Gule Kambing, an aromatic lamb curry laced with macadamia nuts and spices like cinnamon, galangal and lemongrass. If you're a vegetarian, try Soto Ayam with tofu and shiitake mushrooms, or opt for Sayur Nangka, a gravy dish starring jackfruit soaked in coconut milk. The menu includes Spicy Steamed Tofu, a baked tofu dish made with shiitake mushrooms. "This is a contemporary version. Traditionally, it is steamed in a banana leaf," she says.

Longtong

The accompaniments include Longtong (compressed and steamed rice cakes) and steamed rice. "While Thais use sticky rice, Indonesians prefer the long-grained jasmine rice. Indonesian cuisine also features tamarind, jaggery and nuts like almond and peanuts - all ground - in the gravies. They might sound similar to Indian dishes but their taste is distinct," says Gupta.

End the meal with Nagasari, banana-based steamed rice flour cakes.

On: September 9, 7 pm to 10 pm
At: Versova, Andheri West.
Log on to: bit.ly/2iNSGdF
Cost: Rs 1,400

You may also like - Photos: Your hunt for top 10 eggless desserts in Mumbai ends here

Prachi Dhabal Deb will demonstrate eggless royal icing work on cakes and cookies

Baking a batch of chocolate brownies is simple enough, provided you follow the recipe to the T. But, what if you want to create a two-tiered wonder for your best friend's wedding? Starting today, Cakeology, brings together cake artists from around the world to equip you with all the skills you need to go from home baker to pro baker.

Sachiko Windbiel's 3D fondant cake toppers

"The country's cake decorating industry has been witnessing drastic changes in the past few years. Home baking is a serious business now," says Farzana Gandhi, project and brand building consultant, Cakeology.

The second edition features artists like Alyson Reynolds (Scotland), Sachiko Windbiel (New York), Tina Scott Parashar (Dubai) and Bijay Thapa (New Delhi), who will hold 35 demos and six workshops for aspiring bakers.

Learn to make realistic sugar flowers from Alyson Reynolds

In her six-hour hands-on workshop, which is open to beginners as well as professionals, Windbiel will show participants how to create cute 3D figurines and toppers using fondant. Along with new fondant techniques, special attention will be paid to achieving good body proportions as well as creating expressive facial features.

Three special cakes will be on display this year. UK-based cake sculpture expert Rose Macefield will be making a life-size bride and groom wedding cake. The second is a life-size elephant by Samie J Ramachandran, whose 500kg London Bridge cake got plenty of eyeballs at an exhibition in Bengaluru. For the last one, London-based bakers and best friends Valeri Valeriano and Christina Ong of the multi-award winning Queen of Hearts Couture Cakes will create an entire English garden using nothing but buttercream.

Till: September 10, 10.30 am to 6.30 pm
At: World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade
Log on to: cakeology.in
Call: 9820744629
Entry: 200 per day

While working on a cruise liner, Dipak Adhikary of BKC's The Good Wife, had the opportunity to travel to Spain and enjoy its cuisine. "I found that saffron, which has been synonymous with all things Indian, was extensively used in Spanish food," he says.

Years later, when he joined the BKC restaurant, Adhikary decided to experiment with saffron in European dishes. "It offers an intense flavour, colour and taste, and has qualities that blend beautifully with European cuisine," he says, moving on to list ways in which the ingredient can be used.

To prepare the saffron hollandaise sauce, a fragrant mix with a hint of sweetness, you need 125 gm clarified butter, two eggs, 2 ml white wine, 2 gm thyme and 2 gm fennel seeds. "First, add 1 gm saffron to 50ml lukewarm water to get the saffron water ready," he says, instructing us to extract the egg yolk, add the reduction and vigorously whisk the yolk with clarified butter. Once done, we are asked to place the bowl in a saucepan containing simmering water. "Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens. Then, slowly, drizzle the saffron water till you are content with the consistency." This simple recipe, he adds, is the perfect accompaniment to veggies.

Chef Dipak Adhikary makes grilled asparagus with saffron hollandaise sauce. Pic/Tanvi Phondekar

If savoury is more your style, he has a tangy alternative in the form of steamed rawas with saffron fennel sauce. The ingredients include 50 gm fish bones, 20 gm carrot, 10 gm celery and 180 gm rawas. Take a pan with water, place the fish in, add lemon juice, salt and pepper and let it cook. He says, "Strain the stock, add the butter saffron [same technique as the hollandaise], wait for it to thicken and the sauce is ready."

Bittu Sahgal and Dia Mirza enjoy a meal at Kitchen Garden by Suzette in Bandra. Pics/Shadab Khan

There is a peacock whose cacophony Bittu Sahgal wakes up to at his Napean Sea Road residence every morning , before he starts hammering away at articles for Sanctuary Asia, a magazine he launched and has been editing since 1981. And as Dia Mirza tells us how she came to be associated with Sahgal's various projects, a butterfly fluttering in the al fresco section of Kitchen Garden by Suzette lights up her eyes. The actor, who has been deeply involved with the cause of the environment, attended The International Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Forum in Kyrgyzstan last month, and was appointed the ambassador of the Wildlife Trust of India earlier this year. As the mentor and the mentee meet over lunch, words flow as odes to nature, unravelling the green legacy of India and the ecological miracle called Mumbai.

Hasan: How did your association come about?
Sahgal: She walked into our lives like a breath of fresh air.
Mirza: There had been always a sense of awe for the man he is and his work, but I hadn't had facetime with him. So, when I met him socially at a dinner, I chased him. I told him, 'The problem with people like you is that you don't communicate with people like me. If I had more access to your mind, I would take your ideas to more people.' Bittu is someone I look up to as my guardian, my guru. He really changed my life.
Sahgal: It takes a lot out of somebody to keep fighting for 40 years. Then I look at you and I say to myself, 'We won!' Life is a marathon and the baton has been passed on.
Mirza: The world is constantly drawing you away from your purpose. Bittu came into my life as a reminder of all the things I was nurtured with when I was being brought up. I went to a J Krishnamurti school, where we did classes under trees, we grew vegetables and discussed materialism. My work in films had taken me far away from all this but he reminded me that the two can co-exist. And I made a choice.

Avocado Toast and The Greek salad arrive.
Hasan: Speaking of choices, are both of you vegetarian?
Sahgal: I don't perceive meat as food. I was born in a non-veg loving Punjabi family, but I stopped eating meat when I was old enough to say no to my mother.
Mirza: I am not a vegetarian, but I have become more conscientious about my consumption. There are certain meats I don't eat, like wild animals.

Hasan: Where does Mumbai stand in the fight to ensure urban centres retain their green cover?
Mirza: As citizens of Mumbai, we need to remember that we are the only city in the world with a large forest cover in the heart of the city.
Sahgal: We have a garland of mangroves protecting us. Sanjay Gandhi National Park has more butterflies than the entire UK. We are like spoilt rich brats who don't understand the value of our wealth. Like the biodiversity of forests, we need biodiversity of attitudes and strategies.

Mirza: And laws. Isn't it appalling that we are waking up to waste management systems only now?
Sahgal: We have planners planning infrastructure at sea level, when the rest of the world is planning for six metres above sea level. It defies logic that my generation is straddling your generation with white elephant investments that can never work. Nature doesn't give you judgement, it gives you consequences. Mithi river was a consequence, as is Florida.

Mirza: As Bittu always quotes Senegalese environmentalist Baba Dioum: In the end we will conserve only what we love and love only what we learn about.

Potato Chops

"Despite having lived in the city for years, not many people are even aware of the existence of this cuisine," begins Sajida Khan, founder of Culinary Craft studio, which will be the venue for a workshop on East Indian fare this weekend.

Mumbaikar Lloyd Rodrigues will conduct the session where he will teach participants how to make four East Indian dishes. The first is the Mutton Stew, which is a combination of vegetables like carrots, peas, onions and tomatoes, and mutton blended with mild spices.

The second item on the menu, shares Rodrigues, is the East Indian Potato Chops, a much-loved snack featuring crumb-coated potato mash stuffed with spiced minced meat.

"The third is a rice dish, which is colloquially referred to as Wedding Rice, since it is usually prepared as part of the East Indian wedding spread," informs Khan. The dish is akin to a pulao, and comes topped generously with fried onions and shavings of almonds and cashew nuts.

No meal is complete without dessert. And the sweet dish that participants will learn to make is a unique preparation called Letri.

Rice is a staple in the community's meals, and this dessert, too, makes use of colourful rice vermicelli mixed with generous amounts of coconut and jaggery.

A 3D rendering of what The Bank will look like when complete

This is a scenario that's all too familiar to most millennials: it's the end of the month, and a colleague's farewell party comes up. The next morning, you realise you don't have enough money to last you till your next pay cheque. Turns out, two budding entrepreneurs from the city have a solution - a pub called The Bank.

Harsh Mav and Shaunak Mukherjee

"The concept is born out of the understanding of what being broke towards the end of the month feels like," begins Harsh Mav, who, along with childhood friend Shaunak Mukherjee, is launching a space where you can drink on a loan and repay it in EMIs, among other things. And they've just started a crowdfunding campaign so you can help turn their dream into reality.

Ajit Dhumal at BBC's first outlet in Goregaon. Pic/Sneha Kharabe

Jumping through hoops
"We have been frequenting different pubs in the city for a while, and we realised that most places serve alcohol at prices that are unaffordable to people like us. So, we started thinking of new ways in which bars could make money while keeping it affordable for customers. That's when we thought, 'Why not do this ourselves?'" says Mav.

Right off the bat, they faced a series of hurdles. They were turned down by banks for a loan, and investors weren't keen on the project due to the duo's lack of experience in the industry. Mav finally mortgaged his family home for R90 lakh, while Mukherjee managed to acquire a loan of Rs 43 lakh. They even found a space in Lower Parel's bustling Mathuradas Mills. That's when things took a turn for the worse.

"We had put down the deposit, paid three months' rent, and started work on the interiors. Then, suddenly, the BMC put a halt to everything, claiming there was a stay order on the property, a detail the landlord had failed to mention," says Mav.

Furthermore, the landlord refused to return their money, which meant they were back to where they had started - with nothing. "We're going to take legal action to recover the money, but for now, we want to get the project going. That's why we opted for crowdfunding," says Mav.

Moving forward
Needless to say, not all the funds will come from the Ketto campaign. Opening an eatery in the city requires a far larger sum than the Rs 10 lakh the duo is trying to raise. "Right now, we have most of what we need to get the pub going - food and beverage suppliers, staff, and brand tie-ups. We're looking to gather funds for the interiors," says Mav.

What do you get if you contribute to the campaign? Plenty of rewards, it appears, ranging from free drinks to getting double the return on your investment. The search is now on for a new space, and the campaign has already started catching the attention of interested investors, who, Mav and Mukherjee hope, will look beyond their inexperience and give them a fair chance.

Log on to: ketto.org/fundraiser/thebank

Fernando Alonso

McLaren yesterday said they would drop Honda engines in favour of Renault at the end of this season, ending a troubled partnership with the Japanese manufacturer as they bid to return to the top of Formula One.

The celebrated British marque announced a three-year deal covering 2018, 2019 and 2020 with France's Renault, who simultaneously unveiled a split with Toro Rosso — who will now be powered by Honda. Honda's exit is likely to convince Fernando Alonso to stay at McLaren next year.

Lewis Hamilton and Heidi Klum

Formula One star Lewis Hamilton, 32, and supermodel Heidi Klum, 44, went on a dinner date in New York recently after attending a fashion bash in the wake of talk that Klum and her current boyfriend of three years Vito Schnabel, 31, are taking some time off their relationship.

Hamilton is now in Singapore for the F1 event. According to The Daily Mail, Klum was seen walking towards the waiting car with Hamilton in tow.

But the F1 driver made sure to maintain some distance from the America's Got Talent judge on their exit from their dinner.

"She was seen with Hamilton at the Harper's Bazaar event," said a source.

Lewis Hamilton

F1's Lewis Hamilton has said that he has gradually moved to veganism over the past two years after TV documentary inspired him to do so to improve his health and avoid harming the planet.

Mercedes driver, Hamilton said he had changed his habits after watching a documentary about the environmental impact of the meat industry.

"It is something I have been going towards anyway. I stopped eating red meat two years ago," he told the BBC.

"This year I stopped eating chicken and then kind of went back to it and now I've stopped again. So I have generally been pescatarian for the majority of the year and then I cut out fish too."

He added: "I have actually eaten plant-based food for the last two days and it has been amazing. So far, I don't feel as if I have been missing out. I don't know how easy it is going to be when I get home. That is going to be a real test."

Also see: Ex-cricketers in their current jobs: Uber driver, bus stand cleaner

Sparks fly off Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari (right) after he collides with teammate Sebastian Vettel's vehicle (left) in the Singapore Grand Prix yesterday. Raikkonen was eliminated immediately while Vettel retired later due to a damaged car. Pics/AFP

Sebastian Vettel pulled out a scorching lap in the dying stages of Saturday's qualifying session to seize pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Ferrari driver lapped the floodlit Marina Bay street circuit in one minute, 39.491 seconds, the fastest ever set around the 5-kilometer long track, in a dazzling display of speed.

Max Verstappen went second fastest and will start alongside Vettel on the front-row with his Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo third.

A victorious Lewis Hamilton jumps off his Mercedes

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton, Vettel's title rival, was only fifth ahead of teammate Valtteri Bottas.

The Briton, seeing a hat-trick of wins this weekend, seized the championship lead with victory at the last race in Monza.

But starting on the third row, with the Red Bulls and Kimi Raikkonen's fourth-placed Ferrari between him and Vettel, Hamilton could well have to drive a race of damage limitation that could cost him his slim three-point advantage.

"I'm still full of adrenaline so maybe whatever I say doesn't make any sense," a breathless Vettel, who let out a loud whoop of joy over the team-radio, said immediately after qualifying.

"The car was tricky but it came alive and it was getting better and better as the night progressed, so really happy that we got it done."

Saturday's pole was the 49th of Vettel's career and an unprecedented fourth at Singapore.

It could prove to be an especially crucial one with seven of the last nine races in the city-state won by the pole-sitter.

But the German, who also has an unprecedented four wins at the twisty track, initially did not seem to have the pace to seize the top-spot.

Red Bull had topped the timesheets in every session over the weekend.

With Verstappen even topping the opening two parts of qualifying, the former champions had looked on course to score their first front row lockout since the United States Grand Prix in 2013.

But Vettel put it all on the line when it really mattered, vaulting to the top of the timesheets during the final 12-minute pole-position shootout.

Nico Hulkenberg was seventh for Renault ahead of Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne, who put both McLaren's in the top-ten a day after the Woking-based squad agreed to swap Honda power for Renault.

Carlos Sainz, set to move to the works Renault team next year, rounded out the top ten for Toro Rosso.

Force India's Sergio Perez was 12th with teammate Esteban Ocon 14th.

"At the Singapore Grand Prix, Rannvijay Singha met F1 legends Fernando Alonso and Mika Hakkinen and committed to Johnnie Walker's JOIN THE PACT initiative, which is a global campaign that encourages people to NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE."

2017 marks the 10th year of the campaign and the aim is to collect 5 million commitments from consumers to Join the Pact by end of 2018. For every commitment collected 1km of safe rides home is given back by Johnnie Walker.

Mika Hakkinen and the McLaren Honda and Sahara Force India drivers are Johnnie Walker's Global Responsible Drinking Ambassadors. Mika has visited over 40 countries to spread the #JoinThePact message.

Three-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has offered his support to athletes using sport to make a political stand.

Lewis Hamilton

United States president Donald Trump last week suggested NFL players should be sacked by their clubs if they knelt in protest during the American anthem. Players from up and down the league have been kneeling during pre-match renditions of the Star-Spangled Banner - while the entire Pittsburgh Steelers team remained in the locker room when it was played ahead of their recent game with the Chicago Bears.

F1 leader Lewis Hamilton heads into this weekend's Japanese GP grateful to have extended his overall championship advantage, but conscious that his Mercedes team have their work cut out to rediscover their car's lost speed. The German team were the third slowest team for the second weekend in a row at the last race in Malaysia, after also similarly struggling for pace in Singapore.

Lewis Hamilton

The Briton heads into Sunday's race at the Suzuka circuit, where he has won twice before, with a heftier 34-point lead over the Ferrari driver with five races to go, but only because of the misfortune that has blunted the German's championship charge.

Mexico City: Sebastian Vettel insisted he has no fear of Lewis Hamilton who on Sunday equalled his mark of four world drivers titles.

The German finished fourth for Ferrari in the Mexican Grand Prix after an opening lap collision with Hamilton, who finished ninth for Mercedes.

Sebastian Vettel

Dutchman Max Verstappen won the race for Red Bull. "I am disappointed, obviously," said Vettel. "But all this is not that important. It is more important for me to say well done to Lewis, who has deserved the title and done such a superb job all year."

Wearing dark glasses, the deflated Vettel hugged Hamilton and congratulated him personally in the post-race interviews pen. "Yes, all congratulations to him. It's his day today. He deserved it."

Asked how he rated Hamilton in the pantheon of champion drivers, Vettel said: "Well, he's up there with four titles so he deserves it, if you can count!"

He added: "But I don't fear him. I like racing against him and I just wish I could have done more of it this year, but overall they [Mercedes] were the better bunch."

British Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton and German Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel praised late Argentine great Juan Manuel Fangio as both racers eye matching Fangio's five Formula One titles.

Hamilton secured his fourth title weeks before the end of the 2017 championship while Vettel won the last of his four consecutive crowns in 2013.

Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton

"Certainly, we will never match him in how successful he had been in such a short time and so little races. Obviously, back then it was different. Racing was different," Vettel told Efe on Thursday ahead of the season-ending race this weekend in Abu Dhabi.

Fangio, who died in 1995, won his maiden world title in 1951 and took four straight crowns between 1954 and 1957.

"To have achieved what he did achieve in that time, where a lot of things needed to come together, the cars were not as reliable and all of that, still he managed to be that successful, I think he's probably the best we've ever had in terms of putting it together, in terms of skill, in terms of how brave they were at the time," Vettel said.

Hamilton echoed Vettel's opinion of Fangio.

"I agree with Sebastian. Naturally, he's just a leading icon in motorsport. To have achieved what he achieved in the time, when danger was really at its worst. I think he's the driver that I think everyone admires most, perhaps being that it was in the most dangerous period of time in motorsport," Hamilton said.

"I think he should be celebrated more for his success. It's not really mentioned a huge amount. Often you hear about Ayrton and Prost, but I feel he's the godfather of the sport in terms of the drivers," he added.

Hamilton said he expected fierce competition from Vettel during the 2018 Formula One season.

"No one is perfect. Even I have things to work on. I expect Sebastian to raise the bar again next year. Ferrari had a great season," the British racer said.

Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton after claiming pole in Melbourne on Saturday. Pic/Getty Images

World champion Lewis Hamilton claimed the first pole position of the 2018 Formula One season, unleashing a dazzling display of speed that stunned his rivals in the dying seconds of qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver, who goes into the season as favourite to clinch a fifth world championship, lit up the timing screens with a late one minute 21.164-second lap, the fastest ever around Melbourne’s Albert Park circuit.

That put him a gaping 0.664 seconds clear of his closest challenger Kimi Raikkonen, who will line up alongside the Briton on the front row. The Finn’s Ferrari team-mate and 2017 title runner-up Sebastian Vettel was third 0.674 seconds off the pace.

Yesterday’s pole was the 73rd of Hamilton’s career. The 33-year-old is already Formula One’s most successful qualifier, having surpassed Michael Schumacher’s previous benchmark of 68 pole positions last year. He now also holds the record for most poles at Albert Park, with yesterday’s effort his seventh around the 5.3-kilometer long circuit.

“You would think it had become the norm with all the success we've had these last years, but it's still just as intense,” said Hamilton whose Mercedes team have swept to four straight constructors' titles.

“My heart is racing. I'm always striving for perfection and that was as close as I could get today."

Qualifying offered the first chance of the season for fans to see how the teams all stacked up against each other.

The initial runs in the final pole-position shoot-out phase of qualifying fuelled hopes of a three way battle between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull at the front.

Hamilton held provisional pole after the initial laps, but only just, with Vettel a marginal 0.034 seconds adrift and Max Verstappen 0.061 seconds off the pace. He then dashed all hopes of an evenly matched contest, pulling out all the stops and banging in the lap that clinched him pole.

Vettel, who won at Albert Park last year after starting alongside pole-sitter Hamilton, and Raikkonen were refusing to write off their chances, however.

Mercedes are known to switch the engine on to a more powerful qualifying-only mode — dubbed the ‘party mode’ this year — with their advantage shrinking on race day as they opt for a more normal setting.

“Yeah, I hope they did turn it on today, as that means they have to turn it off tomorrow,” said Vettel.

“I think it’s very close. I think we saw yesterday in the long runs that the pace is very close, so let’s see.”

Hamilton denied turning the engine up between the two runs with team boss Toto Wolff putting it down to the Briton simply getting the car and tyres into the sweet spot.

“What were you doing before?” Vettel asked kicking off an amusing round of banter between the two four-time champions who, in an unprecedented scenario in Formula One history, will be going head-to-head for a fifth title.

“I was waiting to put a good lap in, wipe the smile off your face!” Hamilton shot back.

Verstappen had to eventually settle for fourth, with Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo fifth. The Australian, however, will start his home race eighth after copping a three-place grid penalty for speeding under red flags in practice on Friday. Both Red Bulls have opted to start the race on the more durable supersoft tyre as opposed to their rivals who will start today’s race on the ultra-soft.

Kevin Magnussen will instead start fifth for Haas ahead of team-mate Romain Grosjean as the American team continued to turn heads with their speed after chalking up their best ever qualifying result.

Nico Hulkenberg qualified eighth but will start seventh on account of Ricciardo’s penalty. His Renault team-mate Carlos Sainz will start ninth.

Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne just failed to make it through into the top-ten shootout in McLaren’s first qualifying session since ditching Honda for Renault power. The pair set the 11th and 12th fastest times.

Valtteri Bottas provided the biggest drama of the session, crashing his Mercedes in the final phase of qualifying without setting a time. The incident brought a brief red flag.

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Gaganjeet Bhullar, who was tied 3rd last week in the Queens Cup, moved into contention once again with a superb six-under 66, which carried him to 14-under at the Sarawak Championship here yesterday. Bhullar was three behind the leader Paul Peterson of the US who posted a bogey-free three-under-par 69 to hold a narrow one-shot lead over countryman John Catlin in the third round.

Bhullar had rounds of 68-68 on first two days and is now in prime position to make a charge for his first win this season and the ninth on Asian Tour in his career. Bhullar had seven birdies, four on front nine and three on back nine against just one solitary bogey on Par-3 eighth. Among other Indians, Himmat Rai (68-67-70) was tied 11th and Ajeetesh Sandhu (68-71-67) was tied 16th. S Chikkarangappa (70-67-70) was tied 19th, while Khalin Joshi (68-70-71) and Honey Baisoya (71-69-69) were tied 31st.

The other two Indians who made the cut were Aman Raj (74) at tied 44th and Jeev Milkha Singh (73) at tied 53rd. Rashid Khan (75) was tied 63, while Viraj Madappa, Chiragh Kumar and M Dharma missed the cut. Bhullar said, "I hit the ball really good. I hit all the fairways and missed only three greens. Overall it was a good day in terms of ball striking. I got off to a good start with two birdies and that gave me a lot of boost and confidence.

"I'm happy to be in this position. I've been striking the ball really good in the last four months. The trick is all mental now. If I'm able to do the same thing in the last few days, I will be happy with my game." "Golf is a funny sport and anything is possible. Everybody is giving their 100 percent and so am I. I'll go out there and do my best. Game wise, I'm feeling really confident and I've been converting a lot of good scores and giving myself a lot of opportunities."

Bhullar opened with birdie-birdie and then had three pars. He followed up with birdies on sixth and seventh and dropped his only shot on eighth. On the back nine, he birdied on the 10th, 12th and 17th. Peterson, who won his first Asian Tour title in January, fired three birdies on his homeward nine to hold on to his lead for the third straight day on 17-under-par 199 at the Damai Golf and Country Club.

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Fernando Alonso, 37, who announced that he will retire from Formula One at the end of the season, could get married to Italian supermodel Linda Morselli, 29, soon.

According to reports in Socialite program, one of the reasons that could have made Alonso take the decision to leave F1 is that he wants to lead a happy married life and start a family with his girlfriend of two years.

Linda Morselli. Pic/Getty Images

While announcing his retirement, Alonso, had said in a statement: "After 17 wonderful years in this amazing sport, it's time for me to make a change and move on. I'm having one of the happiest times ever in my life but I need to go on exploring new adventures."

Recently, Morselli posted this picture on social media kissing Alonso and captioned it: "Love you." If Alonso gets married, it will be his second wedding. He was married to singer Raquel del Rosario till 2011.

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Dia Mehta's lone goal helped Bombay International School (Babulnath) beat Bombay Scottish (Mahim) in the Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA)-organised inter-school girls U-14 Division I football tournament at Azad Maidan yesterday. Both teams started off in an aggressive fashion, but the first half ended goalless.

Switching sides, Dia broke the deadlock in a nonchalant fashion. The goal came in the 27th minute when she intercepted a cross from teammate Simran Jasubhai and hammered into the net from long range to seal the win for her team.

Meanwhile, in a boys U-14 Div II encounter, Holy Family High School (Andheri) beat Infant Jesus High School (Malad) 4-0. Sanford Dias scored a brace while Rommaan Khan and Gavin D'Souza netted one apiece.

As India remains under lockdown to contain coronavirus, Bollywood celebrities including actor Deepika Padukone are relying on group video calls to catch up with their near and dear ones.

The Bollywood's dimple queen on Monday set rather perfect friendship goals while practising social distancing as she spent some quality time with her childhood friends Divya Narayan and Sneha Ramchander on a group video call.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

❤ï¸Â #forever @divya_narayan4 @sneha_ramachander

A post shared by Deepika Padukone (@deepikapadukone) onApr 27, 2020 at 5:10am PDT

The 34-year-old actor, who is quite active on social media, shared on Instagram a three-window jolly screenshot of the video interaction session between the childhood buddies. In the image, all three childhood friends are seen beaming with joy while speaking to each other over the video call.

Keeping the caption of the picture simple yet striking, Deepika inserted a heart emoji along with a hashtag that said "forever" marking her strong bond with her two friends. Earlier this month, superstar Kareena Kapoor Khan was also seen speaking to her best friends several times during the lockdown.

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Bollywood actress and former beauty queen Urvashi Rautela seems to be in a holiday mode and says amid lockdown a virtual vacation will do for now. Urvashi took to Instagram, where she shared a photograph of herself in a sea green bikini. In the snapshot she lies on a wooden plank beside the ocean. She completed her look with a pink flower in her hair and sunglasses.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

Sunshine is my favorite accessory. Close your eyes & imagine beach 🤣😂🌊. A virtual vacation will do for now ☀ï¸Â . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #love #UrvashiRautela

A post shared by URVASHI RAUTELA 🇮🇳Actor🇮🇳 (@urvashirautela) onApr 26, 2020 at 9:28pm PDT

"Sunshine is my favorite accessory. Close your eyes & imagine beach.. A virtual vacation will do for now," she captioned the image, which currently has 330K likes. Urvashi on Sunday treated her fans to a dance video. In the clip, the actress is seen performing "heel choreography" on the Bollywood number "Aashiq banaya aapne" by Himesh Reshammiya.

Earlier this week, Urvashi's Facebook account was hacked. She warned fans not to respond to posts originating from the account. On the work front, "Beat pe thumka", a peppy wedding number featuring Urvashi has just been released. The song is from her upcoming comedy flick "Virgin Bhanupriya".

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Farah Khan's daughter Anya Kunder has been raising money for the animals to help them amid the Coronavirus pandemic and the filmmaker also shared the sketch she drew and it drew a lot of respect from Bollywood celebrities like Tabu, Sonali Bendre, Zoya Akhtar, Tahira Kashyap, Aditi Rao Hydari, and Sonu Sood.

It is a great initiative and not only Bollywood celebrities, but even the commoners also need to applaud her efforts to ensure the well-being of the animals amid this crisis. In case you missed the post that was shared by Farah Khan on her Instagram account a few days back, have a look right here again.

Here it is:

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

My daughter Anya has decided to sketch a pet, n sell it for rs.1000-/.. all proceeds will go towards feeding stray animals and homeless during this pandemic.. not much but she s only 12 yrs old.. ♥ï¸Â thank you @tabutiful @rajeevmasand @aartishetty @shaziaqg for advance orders💕

A post shared by Farah Khan Kunder (@farahkhankunder) onApr 5, 2020 at 10:54pm PDT

And now, actor and good friend Abhishek Bachchan has come forward and given Rs. 1 lakh for this sketch and completely bowled over Farah. She couldn't contain her excitement and this is how she expressed her joy. Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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Who gives 1 LAKH for a sketch?? Only @bachchan ..that straightaway doubles Anya s charity drive! Thank u my mad, big hearted crazy boy♥ï¸Â bigggggg huggggg cming up which u will hate i know😂

A post shared by Farah Khan Kunder (@farahkhankunder) onApr 27, 2020 at 5:06am PDT

Zoya Akhtar and Patralekhaa reacted with a heart, a user wrote- "Wow! Told you this guy was the coolest." And another one wrote- "He is such a great guy." Now let's wait and watch who happens to be the next Bollywood actor to come forward and become a part of this great initiative!

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Sonali Bendre is one of the Cancer survivors in Bollywood, akin to Manisha Koirala and Lisa Ray. These women have some very inspiring journeys and are likely to become role models in the future. And now, speaking about her journey to SpotboyE, Bendre spilled the beans on almost everything, right from her treatment to her husband Goldie Behl's unshakable support to how she feels today. It could leave you teary-eyed.

The first question was about her current health and she said, "I'm doing well right now. I'm feeling good. Also, I would say it hasn't been much of a shift for me because the last 2 years have been sort of a quarantine for me anyway. So it's not too much of a change at this point, but I would have a lot of visitors coming and going then. That's the part that I miss the most." She also said how she has been missing her parents due to the lockdown and can't meet them.

"Above all, I'm missing my parents right now in this because I can't really meet them. But other than that, we have lots to be thankful for. I always count my blessings," stated Bendre. When she posted her bald picture on Instagram, it was welcomed by one and all, and the actress earned the respect from everyone for the same. She even spoke about her decision to do it and how it made her feel.

She said, "Frankly, how long are you going to hide? Just get on with life, man. I felt I was getting distracted trying to hide my falling hair, so just putting it out there fully bald was more to help myself than anything else. It was quite liberating, actually." And do you know Goldie Behl didn't want the actress to grow her hair back? This reveal was also made by Bendre.

She stated, "He used to say I need to own it and that I look fabulous without my hair as well. Today, he tells me that 'you should not grow your hair back, the short hair suits you very much'. My husband has been an amazing support." As we stated above, Bendre has been an inspiring figure and we all need to respect her for the way she has handled her life and been such a sport and a spirited lady!

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Ajay Devgn has produced and directed a music video, Thahar Ja, which speaks about weathering the storm. The star, who also features in the video, shot it himself at his Juhu home. It also marks the debut of son Yug as assistant director. The song has been rendered by Mehul Vyas.

It's a four-minute-long video and it not only captures the actor and his montages but also all the medical practitioners and unsung warriors that are fighting day and night to conquer the Coronavirus crisis. This is indeed a soothing way to spread hope and positivity.

Have a look right here:

 

 

 

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We will weather this storm together. Stay safe, Stay Happy. Apno ke liye #ThaharJa #IndiaFightsCorona @narendramodi @uddhavthackeray @cmomaharashtra @praveensinghpardeshi @my_bmc @meenaiyerofficial

A post shared by Ajay Devgn (@ajaydevgn) onApr 25, 2020 at 12:31am PDT

During this lockdown, all the Bollywood celebrities have asked all of us to stay safe and inside our homes. They have also been saluting and applauding the efforts being put by the doctors and nurses to eradicate the virus. Some uploaded a video, many of them tweeted to thank them, and Devgn goes a step ahead and dedicates a song that's all about keeping patience and positivity.

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Nobody knows when the lockdown will end and when life will come back to normal. But for those who have access, they are spending their quarantine by watching web-series, films, and reruns of classic television shows. So on one hand, we have Ramayan and Mahabharat, on the other spectrum lies something called Four More Shots Please, Season 2!

This show is what we call the ultimate triumph of a woman's liberation. Their tendency to do all the possible shenanigans and be unabashed and unapologetic about it is what has made this web-series so catchy and contagious. And one of the leads, Sayani Gupta, a fine actor to the hoot, recently in an interview with Radio City's RJ Harshil, she talked about the show's popularly, how she has been spending time at home, and a lot of other entertaining stuff.

As expected, the first question was about the number of interviews she has given about the show amid this lockdown. She sounds perplexed and says, "I have really lost track, so many, it's insane you know. I give at least 1 or 2 interviews every day. But I have now started my own live videos that is a series of my interactions with some of my friends from the industry, it's called Shy-Me-Not. I've had four sessions so far."

The next question is about her journey from FTII (The Film and Television Institute of India) to films and she takes a deep breath since the answer is going to be really long. She says, "I am from Kolkata and went to Delhi for college and did theatre. I wanted to go to the National School of Drama but decided against it because my seniors, M.K Raina and Habib Tanvir, told me how it was going through a turmoil in terms of syllabus and management. But going to FTII was one of the best decisions of my life, I spent three-and-a-half years over there. It's because of the institute that I'm sitting for this interview today."

She added, "I knew nobody would spot me at a cafe and cast me for a film, and I knew this process would take time but I actually got my first film in the first month of being in Bombay, Second Marriage Dot Com. The director had seen my short film that was made during my education at the FTII. I don't like the world struggle, I feel the journey has been very interesting. I also did a travel show that was once in a lifetime experience, I also assisted Manav Kaul on a film that's going to come out soon."

She also spoke about her character Khanum from Shonali Bose's Margarita With A Straw and said, "To get such a character is a once in a lifetime opportunity, for both Kalki and me. Such films aren't made too often. It was a very performance-heavy part, she was blind and an activist. There was so much to do, and of course, she was homosexual. There was so much scope for performance. I'm happy people took me seriously."

We have seen Gupta in a lot of films over the last few years like Fan, Jolly LLB 2, Jagga Jasoos, and Article 15, so how has she been balancing between this medium and the OTT platform! This is what she has to say, "In these last three years, I have been shooting every day and I've actually done two shifts, three shifts. I have done Inside Edge 1 & 2, Four More Shots 1 & 2, a British series called The Good Karma Hospital that's out now, but I've also done nine films," and she flashes her smile! Talking about her character Rohini from Inside Edge, she says, "I don't know anything about cricket, I have seen the sport with my parents. My father was working for All India Radio and his office was right next to the Eden Garden. But I was never aware of the technicalities of cricket and neither was I interested."

She continued, "Karan Anshuman told me about this even before Excel was producing it. After a few months, the creative producer of Excel called me and said they have a fabulous role, come and meet us. When I read the part, I asked them if they were sure they wanted me to play this, but I guess all of them were confident about me as an actor for some reason and I'm really grateful to them." And then it was time to talk about her character Damini Rizvi Roy from Four More Shots Please, and her initial reaction on reading it.

"I hate the word bold and the context in which you are using it is wrong because even according to the dictionary, it's the boldness of mind. People really misinterpret things by using the term bold. Four More Shots was a very important show when I read it for the first time, and I felt it was amazing that a group of women was trying to make a show which actually was about women. It was trying to normalise everything about the life of a woman. I think it's one of those very important shows, and it's crucial to have such a show in the mainstream narrative, and even the criticism that comes and mostly from men about our sex and smoking, you can understand how regressive, repressed and patriarchal our society is even now."

She added, "When men do all these things and we all have seen it, nobody bats an eyelid, and everyone is like,'Oh my god! Friendship'! The moment it's about women that have chosen to live a particular life and are normal with it, like I am, people tend to have issues. There are lots of topics that are being handled with a lot of sensitivity and depth in the second season. You have workplace gender bias, you have body shaming, you have LGBT rights, you have a homosexual wedding, freedom of expression, freedom of speech. It has everything a woman faces in the urban space or rural space. We are getting long letters and messages, it's crazy."

She continued, "It's moving people because it is making a difference to them." In between, she answers a fan who asks if a woman having sex with multiple men is empowerment for her. She says, "No, it's not, and nobody is saying drinking and smoking is empowerment. But people do go out and drink and smoking is not even shown in the entire season two. Women who go out and drink and choose to have sex with whom they want to, and have control over their sexuality, should be not looked at as a taboo. It's normal, we all do it!"

"Also, you have to realise it's about celebrating yourself and women for their rights, it's about subverting these constant pressures of women. The problem is that women are always shown as these crazy stereotypes, either she's virginal and the hero is trying to woo her and have sex with her, the hero is marrying her, or a vamp who's breaking the hero and heroine's home. Nowhere are women, in most of the mainstream narratives, shown as themselves. What is the problem with having sex with multiple partners? So many people do."

She seems to be raising the right points and makes a very important observation. "Sex was always shown as something done to women and never a choice that women are making. If I want to be intimate with someone or be in a romantic liaison with someone, it's my choice. That needs to be respected and celebrated. Having said that, our intention is never to encourage smoking and drinking or go out and partying, that's not the point. But if there are people who do it, there shouldn't be a taboo about it, even in India. You see Sex in the City, you see Girls, you see Friends, any Hollywood series or show or film and it's fine, but the moment you see Indian girls doing it, you're like, 'OMG'!

"Everyone does it so what's the problem in showing it or representing it authentically! It's a show made by women, it was the need of the hour to represent women authentically," she added. Well, this was truly straight from the heart, and in case you are yet to discover Four More Shots Please, watch it and decide whether you agree with Sayani Gupta or not! But one thing people will agree with is that she's truly a fine actor!

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