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."

Under a canopy of yellow fairy lights that throw a reflection on the white pebbles as a musician doles out soft jazz tunes, the mood is set for brunch. Bartender Manish Solanki has created a line of beer cocktails, marrying clove and coriander notes with the orangy finish of Hoegaarden. We try the first one, a crispy wheat beer with lychee. One sip and we are sold. We stop only when we try another variation with chamomile tea. The final frontier is a beer sangria with a mix of passion fruit, elderflower and chopped fruits.

"The Mexicans love their chilled beer in the warm weather, but they also popularised the Michelada [made with beer, lime juice, and assorted sauces and peppers], inspired by the Bloody Mary. Indians, of course, have long consumed the German-inspired Shandy, mixing lemonade with beer," says Solanki.

A beer cocktail is a concoction that carries mixed notes of mixers, other alcohol and ingredients, with beer dominating the taste. Last month, Bandra's Olive Bar & Kitchen hosted a brunch in collaboration with Hoegaarden. To match steps with the beer cocktails, executive chef Rishim Sachdeva created a menu executing his favourite techniques of fermenting, curing, cooking at low temperatures, flash cooking, smoking, pickling, etc. "For the brunch, we incorporated orange, coriander and wheat in the menu.

For a fried chicken, we soaked the meat in a 2 per cent salt and orange brine; the dressing had fermented coriander stalks for acidity and bitterness to cut through the sweetness from beetroot crumbs. The orange-cured snapper dish was served with kombu and bunito dashi to bring out the umami. To this, we added coriander oil to enhance its flavour profile. And finally, we glazed the fish with sweet-sour orange butter," says Sachdeva, adding that his focus was on ensuring the food did not fall flat in front of the fizzy drink. According to Binny Dhadwal, founder of Drinq Barmen & Academy, beer cocktails haven't quite found a fan following yet.

"Consumption of any cocktail is a trend that's barely a few years old in India. It's most likely beer lovers who will be the first to head to a bar and order a beer cocktail,"
he says. To help you get ahead of the trend, we went drinking across bars to bring you the best beer cocktails to add to your bucket list.

Bourbon Beer Sour

The deep, pungent notes of bourbon meet the exotic kaffir lime leaf, topped with wheat beer. A road less
travelled, and distinctly different from any sour we have tried, this one should be savoured at leisure.
Cost: Rs 550
At: Dishkiyaoon, The Capital, Block BKC, Bandra Kurla Complex Road

Herbed Beer

This cocktail has the strong flavour of lager, with a light taste of apple. The ginger gives it a stronger effect and the cinnamon twist brings in some balance.
Cost: Rs 275
At: Lighthouse Cafe, Sunville Building, Love Grove Flyover, Siddharth Nagar, Worli

Thanda Garam

A bartender prepares Thanda Garam at Tamasha. Pic/Shadab Khan

Not for the weak-hearted, this one has vodka, tequila, mint leaves, triple sec and green apple. If you are looking for a night to forget, this one will see you through. While the alcohol packs in a punch, the mint and green apple make it a fruity experience we are likely to repeat.
Cost: Rs 695
At: Tamasha, ground floor, Victoria House, Lower Parel

Whiskey Sour

A bartender making Jacks Whiskey Sour at Agent Jack, Andheri. Pic/Satej Shinde

We take a stiff classic Whiskey Sour lover to try this one. Local Kingfisher beer joins the purist glass, and the first sip is orange, whiskey and the crispy, bubbly familiar comfort of beer. The drink is downed, and all we get is a nod. Don't go looking for a classic experience here. Enjoy this version when you are looking for variety.
Cost: Rs 420
At: Agent Jacks Bar, DE Mall, Veera Desai Road, Andheri (West)

Lager Passion

Ketan SS Gohel prepares the Lager Passion at Brewbot Eatery and Pub Brewery. Pic/Tanvi Phondekar

Golden yellow and cloudy haze, this cocktail has it all — vodka, passion fruit puree, peach schnapps, lime, salt and paprika in a Hefeweizen craft beer (Floating Head). What you get is a base taste of a wheat malt profile with banana, peach and accents of clove. The vodka cuts the bitterness from the beer, making it an aromatic drink that is easily palatable.
Cost: Rs 395
At: Brewbot Eatery and Pub Brewery, off New Link Road, Andheri (West)

Kaapi Stout and Gin Zen

When Navin Mittal, founder of Gateway Taproom. was in Prague, Czech Republic, three years ago — known for the highest per capita consumption of beer in the world, and as home to Pilsner — he tried a cocktail featuring a light and dark beer. "The malty sweet taste of dark combined with the crispy bitter of the light, offered the perfect balance. At Gateway, he offers a mean, frothy Kaapi Stout, spiked with the oatiness of Jim Beam bourbon. For those who want a lighter sip, the Gin Zen, which carries the natural taste of clove and banana, has a 30-ml shot of hard liquor.
Cost: Gin Zen Rs 480; Kaapi Stout Rs 540
At: Gateway Taproom, Godrej One, BKC

Peri Peri Twister. Pics/Sameer Markande

The led lights fitted in 3D wall panels engulf The Pabulum (Latin: food) with a violet glow that spills on to the street. Standing next to a chemist and a stone's throw away from a farsan store, the QSR off SV Road in Santacruz, which promises 'fiery fries' and 'sexy shakes', resembles an alien spaceship.

The counter has a slot that holds these BBQ Cheese Fries served in a conical container

Our analogy isn't far off the mark as we step in and overhear a middle-aged couple, curious to know what Nacho Fries and Cheesy Potato Twisters actually mean. A millennial helming the service station explains the dishes. He points to staffers working in a bot-like fashion, adding dollops of Mexican salsa to golden fries and slicing potatoes to create spirals on a stick in an open kitchen. The couple places the order and moves to one of the two dining counters in the space, launched last month by three foodpreneurs - 21-year-olds Himanshu Jain and Mayank Jain, and their friend Deepak Joshi, 26, who runs a catering business.

A staffer preps the fries in the kitchen

The menu is The J-meets-Keventers-meets-Irla's Twisted Potato. It features French fries served with a host of vegetarian toppings - from aioli garlic to tandoori mayo and Schezwan sauce. They also offer Jain fries made with raw banana. From blueberry and rose to popcorn and Parle G, an array of ingredients make their way into the shakes, along with four varieties of twisters.

Death By Chocolate

A-peeling twist
We begin with the Peri Peri Twister ('69), a 12-inch long tornado of spicy flavours. The potato spiral - deep-fried and crisp but non-greasy - is piped with a fiery, paprika-and-garlic infused mayonnaise instead of a powdered spice mix. This enhances the stick, where the mayo's slight tang balances the heat. We wash it down with Popcorn Caramel Shake ('149), a lip-smacking, creamy rendition of the munchie with just the right hint of burnt brown sugar.

Popcorn Caramel Shake

The BBQ Cheese Fries ('99) feature crisp-till-golden, starchy potato fries doused with a peppery, slightly sweet barbeque sauce with an oh-so-good smoked taste that balances the sharpness of the cheese sauce. Our friend remarks, "They are better than the ones at The J."

The Poppers & Fries ('149) comprise three deep-fried cheese balls perched on a bed of fries, doused in chilli garlic sauce and mayonnaise. While the tangy-spicy sauces complement the dish, the poppers are underwhelming, and stodgy.

Try a dessert fry
Heading for a carb crash by now, we pick the apt climax - Death By Chocolate ('149). Coated with generous amounts of Nutella and chocolate sauce, the crisp, unsalted fries, topped with grated cheese, make for a great dessert. We exit with a promise to return, once we're cured of a potato hangover.

Time: 11 am to 11 pm
At: Shop No 3, Tagore Kunj, Saraswati Road, Santacruz West
Call: 8080805775 (delivery via Swiggy and Zomato)

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.

Watch two hours of fresh material by new stand-up artists including Aakash Gupta, Govind Menon, Mandar Bhide and Andy Reghu (in pic).

On: September 12
At: Canvas Laugh Club, Palladium, High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel.
Log on to: bookmyshow.com
When: 8.30 pm 
Entry: Rs 500

Verbena Brewpub & Skygarden

This Tuesday, head to Verbena Brewpub & Skygarden for the La Femme Nights!

In Mumbai, there is something about a night out with your girls, an LBD, stilettos, some great food and drinks, especially if it is a good venue! Mumbai's popular Verbena Brewpub and Skygarden presents the La Femme Nights every Tuesdays.

Calling all the ladies to forget about their work woes to indulge in a few sangrias, martinis and a few more laughs.

Verbena Brewpub and Skaygarden promises to pamper the ladies with unlimited free sangria and fruit martinis between 7:00-10:00 pm.

So ladies, a great night awaits you!

What: La Femme Nights
When: 12th September, Tuesday
Where: Verbena BrewPub & SkyGarden, 4th Floor, Trade View Building, Gate no 4, Kamala mill compound, Lower Parel
Time: 7:00 pm onwards

Thali Sweet accompanied by kadio bodio

For Bandra resident Sophia Netto, the month of September meant eight days of festivities, courtesy the iconic Bandra Fair that the suburb hosts annually. Held in four lanes that dot Bandra's Mount Mary Basilica neighbourhood, it celebrates the birthday month of Mother Mary. "You could spend an entire day at the fair. There would be pageants like September King and Queen, games and cane product stalls that everyone would throng to, and all-night long jam sessions by Catholic bands at Mount Carmel's September Garden with an entry fee of `1. We would binge on potato chops, candy floss and kadio bodio, a deep-fried sweet stick of refined flour dipped in sugar. Even black chana would be heaped at stalls," recollects 54-year-old Netto, who offers black chana and kadio bodio as complimentary treats at BKC's SodaBottleOpenerWala as part of the outlet's ongoing festival, Bandra Feast, which recreates the fair experience.

East Indian Pork Sorpotel

In collaboration with chef de cuisine Danesh Vakshoor, Netto has created a special menu comprising East Indian and Goan delicacies. The menu features Mutton Potato Chops (Rs 195), where fried-till-golden breadcrumb crusted mashed potato shell is stuffed with minced meat, and Vegetarian or Chicken Lonvas (Rs 295), cooked with the famous East Indian bottle masala and thick coconut milk. It also stars East Indian Pork Sorpotel (Rs 295) and East Indian Vindaloo (Rs 295) where the pork is marinated overnight and slow-cooked. "Most homes in Bandra would be open to guests till midnight, who would arrive from different parts of the city and beyond to seek blessings at the basilica. I remember my mother making kilos of sorpotel and vindaloo. I've used her traditional recipes for the menu," she adds. End the meal with Thali Sweet (Rs 175), a festival speciality made with coconut semolina and eggs.

Sophia Netto

The restaurant has also been dressed up with ribbons and balloons that are a throwback to the helium balloons, which were a common sight at the fair. The line-up also includes a retro jam session with in-house DJ Farhan and saxophonist Amar Sukhi on Thursday night, and breakfast housie on Sunday. The idea, says Netto, is to revive the fair's charm. "Unfortunately, it has now turned into an extension of the Hill Road hawking zone," she rues.

Crazy Salmon Roll, Veg California Roll and Crabmeat Gunkan. Pic/Nimesh Dave

We are quite chuffed with the thought of ordering sushi for lunch on a busy day in the newsroom. Sushi and More, a delivery-only enterprise, has been fulfilling Japanese sushi cravings for residents of SoBo and Prabhadevi since 2009, and has now launched in Andheri.

The menu for the suburbs is a slimmer version of the original, but it doesn’t disappoint (there are Jain options as well). They offer nigiri, uramaki and hosomaki style rolls in addition to a few appetisers such as Chicken Yakitori and Rock Corn Tempura.

We pick three sushi options, Veg California Roll (Rs 400, eight pieces), Crazy Salmon Roll (Rs 950, eight pieces) and Crabmeat Gunkan (RS 400, six pieces). They cover Andheri to Juhu via direct orders, so we get a partner delivery company to deliver to Bandra East and as a result, are unable to test their delivery time. But they earn full marks for packaging. The pieces sit firmly in boxes with transparent covers. Separate sections for gari and wasabi (and a pair of wooden chopsticks) ensure that they don’t meddle with the mild flavours of the dishes.

We dig into the Veg California Roll first, as the avocado it comes stuffed with has already turned brown. We feel the rice could be of a better variety. The roll is a downer, with no standout flavours to savour. Next, we try Crabmeat Gunkan, our favourite from the list. The delicate flavour of the meat goes well with the sticky rice it comes topped on, unlike the California Roll, where the rice tasted flat. The Crazy Salmon Roll has fish on the outside and the inside. The amount of meat is worth the money, but the spicy salmon in the centre doesn’t taste very different.

Sushi and More is priced well compared to other restaurants offering the fare, but slight creases need to be ironed out for a silken smooth sushi experience.

Review
Food Mixed
verdict J
COST Competent

Take a break(fast)
We think this bar loves its guests because they even have a bunch of drinks called Hangover Cures. Vodka, whiskey or rum, whatever your poison, there's a cocktail for you, made with fresh ingredients such as passion fruit, tomato juice, citrus fruits and more, that will help you get going.

Cost Rs. 320 onwards
Time 9 am to 5 pm (only Sundays) at Monkey Bar, 14th and 33rd road junction, Bandra West.
Call 26005215

Fight beer with beer

Try this classic Michelada cocktail, which contains tomato juice for potassium, celery and salt for minerals and the bar's house beer which is low on carbonation. They also add their special taco sauce to make it tastier.

Cost Rs. 450 plus taxes
Time 4 pm to 1 am (Monday to Friday) and 12 pm to 1 am (Saturday and Sunday) at Brewbot, Morya Landmark 1, off New Link Road, Andheri West. Call 39698091

Need a coffee fix?

For several city slickers a cup of coffee equals to the start of the day. But for the morning after boozing, a simple cuppa is not enough. Try D:OH! Spronic, made with espresso and tonic water for a kick-start.

Cost Rs. 199 plus taxes
Time 10 am to 1 am
At All D:OH! outlets
Call 62360451 (Andheri)

Cold pressed wonder

Get the most of every ingredient to cure your hangover with this cold pressed juice made with watermelon, celery, beetroot and lime, aptly called Hangover Cure Juice.

Cost Rs. 190 plus taxes
Time 9 am to 1 am at Jamjar Diner in Versova and Bandra.
Call 26368880

For the smoothie junkie

The Gym Junkie smoothie seems to have it all to combat the morning after blues; toasted muesli to fill you up, bananas with complex carbs, to keep your energy levels high; honey to metabolise the alcohol and yoghurt to stabilise blood sugar, and fight nausea and hunger.

Cost Rs. 330 plus taxes
Time 12 pm to 10 pm at Café At The NCPA, gate no 2, Nariman Point. Call 67230110

Detox to the tea

If you can't do without your morning cuppa, try The Big Break Tea Blend by Tasse de Thé. It comprises organic white bai mudan, French lavender buds and lavender leaves that will detoxify your system.

Cost Rs. 1,025 for 50 grams (serves 48 cups)
log on to tdtworld.com

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.

Truffle and Edamame Dumplings

This city is no stranger to modern Cantonese cuisine, thanks to international brands like Yauatcha and Hakkasan having landed at our doorstep several years ago. And the fact that they're going strong is proof that Mumbai's elite loves the grub.

Enter House of Mandarin, a soon-to-launch fine-dine that aims to quell our dumpling cravings. A project by Rachel Goenka, this is a far cry from the European fare and dainty baked goods we have been treated to from her brands, The Sassy Spoon and The Sassy Teaspoon.

We visit one afternoon to scope out the new restaurant, standing at the same spot in Bandra where an outpost of The Sassy Spoon used to be. The interiors have been transformed — dark wooden accents, lamps, and Chinese murals adorn the elegantly designed space. We settle down at a table and begin our eastward journey.

Sweet and Sour Chicken

Raise your glass
The cocktails deserve special mention. Created by mixologist Pranav Mody, each is a subtle nod to the Orient without becoming a cliché. The Crouching Tiger (Rs 399), made with a lychee green tea-infused vodka with a dash of cranberry juice, is for those who like their drinks fruity but not cloyingly so. The signature cocktail, the vodka-based Mandarin (Rs 399), is fruit-forward and bursts with flavours of citrus and aromatic basil. The tall glass filled with this chilled drink momentarily transports us to a beach deck on a sunny island.

Our favourite, however, is the Mandarin Mocha (Rs 339), which has a whisky base and comes with a dose of espresso and vanilla, topped with orange zest. This is a drink we could count on for that much-needed shot of caffeine.

Mandarin Mocha

Duck tales
The menu isn't trying to impress anyone by being out-of-the-box or innovative. Instead, what you get is pure comfort food, dishes that are flavourful in their simplicity.

Being a Chinese restaurant, you can expect a wide selection of dim sum here. The Truffle and Edamame Dumplings (Rs 440), which have become a regular feature at Chinese fine-dines, are sheer perfection — the film-like wrapping breaks open to reveal an edamame filling that feels like velvet and has a lovely umame flavour owing to the truffle oil. The Crispy Prawn Cheung Fun (Rs 540), served steaming hot, also wins our vote. Two glossy, translucent rolls hold juicy prawns and a layer of crunchy tempura batter.

Crispy Prawn Cheung Fun

A drizzle of soy sauce gives the dish a flavourful punch.

If you're visiting with the intention of shelling out the big bucks, don't skip the Aromatic Crispy Duck (Rs 1,150 for quarter, Rs 2,150 for half). Deep fried duck thighs are shredded and served with pancakes, a rich plum sauce and batons of cucumber and scallion. There is a method to eating this dish — place a light-as-air pancake on your plate, spread a dollop of plum sauce, place a spoonful or two of the shredded meat on it, throw in some greens, roll it up and tuck in.

Steamed Whole Pomfret with Ginger and Scallion

Pots of delight
Among the mains, you can't miss the soy-drenched Steamed Whole Pomfret with Ginger and Scallion (Rs 2,200). The seasoning on this dish is on the milder side, so if you're looking for something with a punch, this is not it. You can, instead, opt for the Sweet and Sour Chicken or the Sanpei Chicken Claypot (Rs 540 each), and pair either with a portion of the Spicy Vegetable Fried Rice with Taro (Rs 390).

The interiors are peppered with Chinese murals. Pics/Bipin Kokate

We can never have too much of the fare from the Far East, and if you're anything like us, you know where to look if dumplings are on your mind.

Bavarian Bouquet and Tropical Froth 

A trend we have seen in menus across the city is the use of the term, progressive global cuisine. This covers everything under the sun and allows chefs to serve dosas or dimsums. Many falter in delivering the best of each cuisine, while others manage to gain footfall.

Andheri's newest brewery (in place of The Pump Room, which was a brewery too), Barrel & Co has a menu that falls in this category. The interiors are industrial with a surprise mix of S&M, in the form of a large cage and mannequins decked in chains.

Beer-infused Chicken Supreme with Dukkah Spice 

Butter Chicken and Jeera Rice (as part of lunch thalis) and Spaghetti Lamb Bolognese fight for attention. We hope for the best and order their craft beers first. We have a weakness for wheat beers and the Belgian Wit ('190 for 330 ml) has the perfect grainy flavour with a hint of citrus. The Hopfenwiezen and Irish Red Ale (both '190) need a little more finesse for a smooth transition of the many flavours they pack. The most unique offering is the Bavarian Bouquet ('210), a floral, sweet beer that we guess will polarise opinions. It's unlike anything other breweries serve and the aroma reminds us of an exotic spa — we don't mind it one bit and call for another mug. One thing that all the beers lack is a good head. To further experiment with the Belgian Wit, we pick Tropical Froth ('300), a cocktail that makes the most of the citrusy nature of the craft beer when mixed with orange, apple and pineapple.

Zucchini Stuffed with Cottage Cheese and Cream Melange; (bottom) The industrial interiors. Pics/ Dhara Vora Sabhnani

Happy with the beers, we try a Mini Dosa Taco with Chicken Sukka ('290), Beer-infused Chicken Supreme with Dukkah Spice ('275) and Zucchini Stuffed with Cottage Cheese and Cream Melange ('275). We are not disappointed. The chicken skewers are tender and the coating of dukkah adds a woody taste to the meat. The stuffed zucchini, comes on a bed of chutney-like paste and the rolls are stuffed with delicate paneer. The chicken stuffing of the dosa tacos starts with a sweet taste and then hits spicy notes, balancing the flavours. The dosa is a tad soggy.

Like us, other tables seem to be having a good time, too. Several tables are filled on the Monday evening when we visit. With good food, aptly priced craft beers (just two options for bottled beers is a downer) and a well-designed entrance to property that will soon become an Insta favourite, Barrel & Co calls for a revisit.

Mom's Butter Chicken Tikka Masala. Pics/Atul Kamble

When Cafe Delhi Heights sold its 2,00,000th Jucy Lucy Burger (Rs 445), the chain organised a competition at its outlets in Gurgaon, Delhi and Noida. Ashish Singh, the corporate chef of 13 of the outlets — with another one coming up on Janpath and Mumbai's first branch launching at Kamala Mills today — tells us that the winner ate two-and-a-half of the burgers, while the runners-up gave up at two and at 1.75. Consisting of a 250gm mutton patty, 70gm cheddar cheese topping and 15 to 20gm of jalapenos, respectively, all stuffed in a six-inch bun, this burger is definitely not for the weak-hearted. But if you love gastronomic challenges, it's a must-try. We make a mess when we try one, but relish the paprika-herbed patty with crunchy veggies and a cheesy aftertaste.

Panzanella Salad

A board displays 2,08,133 when we walk in, the number increasing with each Jucy Lucy sold. A look around the vibrant 80-seater space, opposite Farzi Cafe and cushioned between The Beer Cafe and Love and Cheesecake, reveals it to be family-friendly. The booths come with LCDs; there is a low-seating area for noisy groups and a bar section to slip into nightclub mode.

Owners Sharad and Vikrant Batra have also got Michael Swamy — who opened Nueva, a South American fine-dine, with the duo in Delhi — to create a recipe book based on the 80 dishes from the menu, which will be launched in Mumbai next month.

Anti-oxidant Smoothie

We start with ISBT Makhani Maggi (Rs 285), loaded with chunks of butter that melt into the creamy gravy. Our cholesterol level shoots up even before we take the first bite of the spicy, Indianised recipe that may receive scorn from Maggi purists. But we are surprised at ourselves for actually polishing off this bowl.

The Sushi Chirasa (Rs 825) — traditionally served as a bowl of sticky rice, with crabsticks, avocado, tuna, salmon and peppers tossed in — is completely avoidable as the sticky morsels fail to impress us.

ISBT Makhani Maggi

We cleanse our palate with a Nimboo Anardana Shikanji (Rs 205), which is garnished with coriander and embodies the best of a chatpata flavour.

By the time we reach the Eggs Benedict (Rs 375), we are wishing that the dishes went easy on the butter, since they are comfortingly palatable without it. The Benedict comes on a bed of moist croissant and bacon, and the yolk oozing out of it tempts us to dig in.

Jucy Lucy Burger

The croutons in the Panzanella Salad (Rs 375) are crunchy, and so are the French beans, broccoli and babycorn, flavoured with Parmesan and herbs. We also sip on an Anti-oxidant Smoothie (Rs 325), which has chia and flax seeds, strawberry and yoghurt.

Finally, slow claps and drum rolls for Mom's Butter Chicken Tikka Masala (Rs 625), please. This one's a family recipe, with the chicken smoked in the tandoor and tender to bite into. To our delightful surprise, the creamy tomato gravy is sans cashew nuts. The dish is served with hot naans and saffron-scented rice. Slightly tangy and spicy, this is one butter chicken that Mumbai's been craving for.

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

Sweetish House Mafia, known for its decadent desserts, cookies and cookie shakes, has now introduced a new cookie that will bring a smile to the faces of mums-to-be. The latest offering is targeted at expectant and nursing mums alike. The cookies are packed with nutrients that provide the energy required during pregnancy. They also fulfil sweet cravings that are common when carrying. The cookies also are a good option as a healthy mid-day munch for anyone counting calories.

Loaded with flax, oats, brewers' yeast and other yummy nutritional ingredients, these cookies offer a wealth of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants. While flax provides Omega-3 fatty acids that are essential for brain development, oats are a rich source of fibre, iron, healthy vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants.

Brewers' yeast is a great source of Vitamin B and amino acids, a natural ingredient used to help stimulate and increase the production of breast milk. With a dash of chocolate crumbs, the sweet package sounds like a sure hit for the mommie brigade.

Neha Arya Sethi, co-founder, Sweetish House Mafia, says, "Mums are some of our most regular patrons. While we'll be delighted to continue giving them our indulgent desserts, we realise that a big part of baby care comes from a mother's diet. Our Mommy's Cookies give mums and fitness enthusiasts flavours and wholesome components."

LOG ON TO: sweetishhousemafia.com

Garima Arora at Masque. Pic/Sneha Kharabe

"I haven't slept in two days," says Garima Arora, armed with a takeaway coffee cup, when we meet her at Mahalaxmi fine-dine, Masque. She has arrived just an hour ago from Bangkok, where she runs her six-month-old restaurant, Gaa. But her caramel-hued eyes light up as soon as we start chatting about her first pop-up in the city, in collaboration with chef Prateek Sadhu.

"We'll do a version of the bhutta, use ingredients like seabuckthorn from Ladakh and chocolates from Pondicherry. Prateek and I share the philosophy of celebrating local produce," says the 30-year-old. Arora seems to have imbibed the philosophy during her three-year stint at René Redzepi's Noma in Copenhagen, voted the best in the world. Born in Hyderabad and raised in Mumbai, Arora studied journalism at Jai Hind College before heading to Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Her illustrious CV includes stints with Gordon Ramsay's Verre in Dubai and at Gaggan Anand's eponymous restaurant in Bangkok before she ventured out. Edited excerpts from the interview:

Keema Pao with homemade butter

How did the shift from journalism to food happen?
My father is an avid cook. He would make dishes like risotto and hummus, which were unheard of in the early '90s. So, I had a keen interest in food but I wanted to plan something in it after winning a Pulitzer [laughs]. Then, on a trip to Singapore, I tried hotpot and decided to start cooking.

What were the learning lessons, working at the world's best kitchens?
At Gordon's, I learnt humility. Noma changed me as a person. I saw the chefs create magic out of limited produce and realised that the food is always bigger than the chef. I also learnt that fermentation can be used as a means of cooking, something I practise till date.

Fish Khanom La

Did these stints prepare you to work with Gaggan Anand?
Oh, Gaggan's was way more chilled out. He is also a confident chef; his Indian food is spot on. I think a lot, and believe that every step in the cooking process needs to have a reason. Gaggan is more carefree. From him, I learnt that cooking with a free hand isn't a bad thing.

Then, was it a challenge to carve your own niche with Gaa?
Yes, it still is. Many guests compare us with Noma but what I serve is my personal interpretation. Our idea is to introduce diners to flavours they've never tried before. For instance, at the border of Laos and Thailand, I came across eggfruit for the first time, and I was filled with childlike happiness. It tastes like avocado, with the texture resembling an egg yolk. At our restaurant, we use it on flatbread and as a soft serve. We also do a savoury version of Khanom La, a southern Thai dessert. The way it's made is a dying technique.

Crayfish, Eggfruit and Pomelo

Have you introduced any recipes from back home at your restaurant?
Homemade white butter that my grandmother would make. She would let the cream ferment naturally and then churn it. Guests wonder if it's cheese.

What's your take on Mumbai's culinary scene?
Chefs need to add a lot more thought to the food they are serving. For instance, many restaurants try to modernise Indian food; I wouldn't dare do that. Given the historical references, we should look at Indian food more intelligently.

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.

Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo topped the timesheets by a dominant margin ahead of teammate Max Verstappen, as Red Bull marked themselves out as contenders for victory on the opening day of Singapore Grand Prix practice.

Ricciardo put in a dazzling one minute 40.852 second lap under the floodlights, setting a new record around the Marina Bay street circuit after having already lowered the earlier benchmark with the fastest time in the opening session.

His effort was a massive 0.556 seconds quicker than Verstappen's best. Championship leader Lewis Hamilton meanwhile, chasing a hat-trick of wins this weekend, was third fastest after having been fourth in the opening session.

His title rival Sebastian Vettel, second in the evening, was inconspicuous at night with only the 11th fastest time.

Singapore's tight twists are expected to play to Ferrari and Red Bull's strengths and Vettel briefly lit up the timing screens. Valtteri Bottas, who agreed a one-year contract extension with Mercedes, ended the day fourth-fastest.

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

"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.

Representational Image

India's leading player Saurav Ghosal stormed into the final of the USD 50,000 Macau Open, a major PSA world tour event, here today.

The national champion, seeded fourth, ousted the top seed Simon Rosner of Germany in five games 11-5, 5-11, 11-6, 11-13, 11-4 in a pulsating semi-final.

The Indian is ranked 28th in the world while the German is placed 11th.

But that did not unsettle Ghosal who showed his characteristic fighting ability and ensured victory in what proved a topsy turvy tussle.

In the title round, Ghosal will meet second seed Egyptian Mohamed Abouelghar.

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.

Sergio Perez yesterday acknowledged that Force India faces a critical financial situation that has forced him to consider his future in Formula One. The popular Mexican driver said the Silverstone-based outfit remains one of his favoured options, but he feels he must consider other offers and hopes to clarify his thinking during Formula One's upcoming European summer break.

"At this moment, the situation is critical. There's no secret that financial problems have held the team back quite a bit. If you look at the results, we are fifth in the constructors' championship and you cannot imagine the financial issues that we've had so far.

It just shows the potential this team has. Definitely, I would like to see what happens in the coming weeks and months with the team, because I believe it is a great team," he said. "Now, during the summer break, I will have a good idea what's happening, and then I will take a decision," he added.

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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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The Mysore Race Club Trophy for maiden three-year-old horses is slated as the feature event of Saturday's race card which features eight races. There are seven runners in the fray, two of them--Grand Accord & Sagittarius--making their debut.

While a victory by one of the two first-timers cannot be ruled out, the fact remains that at least two of the experienced lot, namely Admo and Masquerade, have it in them to stake a serious claim for the winner's prize.

My vote goes to the Nosher Cama-trained Admo (PS Chouhan up) because he has had the benefit of a decent run on this track when finishing a noteworthy runner up to the good type Batteleur three weeks ago.

First race at 2 pm.
Selections:

Adam's Treasure Plate - Div II (For 4y&o, class V; 1200m)
Divine Spark 1, Arc Of Passion 2, Rising Concert 3.

Enaksi Plate (Class III; 1000m)
Wild Fire 1, Lincoln 2, Free Speech 3.

Eloise Plate (Class III; 1800m)
Daffodil 1, Unforgettable You 2, Comic Timing 3.

Mysore Race Club Trophy (For 3y, maidens; 1400m)
Admo 1, Masquerade 2, Grand Accord 3.

Yogender Singh Trophy - Div II (For 4y&o, class IV; 1400m)
Godsent 1, Frosted 2, Arabian Storm 3.

Adam's Treasure Plate - Div I (For 4y&o, class V; 1200m)
Headlines 1, Lilac Time 2, Royal Mews 3.

Alexandress Plate (For 3y, maidens; 1000m)
Excellent Gold 1, Hopeilicious 2, Kotor 3.

Yogender Singh Trophy - Div I (For 4y&o, class IV; 1400m)
Dibaba 1, Ame 2, Star Comrade 3.

Recommendations
Best bet: Excellent Gold (7-2)
Upset: Name Of The Game (6-3)

Today's pools
Super jackpot pool: 3,4,5,6,7,8
Jackpot pool: 4,5,6,7,8
Treble pool: I - 5,6,7; II - 6,7,8
Tanala pool: All races.

The protesting staff Jayesh Parmar (left), Dattatray Tambadkar and Anthony D'Souza (right) outside the Mumbai School Sports Association’s office at Azad Maidan yesterday. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Four Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA) employees — Anthony D'Souza (junior clerk), Dattatray Tambadkar (junior clerk), Jayesh Parmar (peon) and Rakesh Gaud (groundsman) accused the school body of ill-treating them for working under protest by wearing black bands on their arms and mouths yesterday.

"Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis launched the Maharashtra Mission One Million initiative under which over 10 lakh students across the state played football. Fadnavis and State sports minister, Vinod Tawde were present at Bombay Gymkhana.

Rakesh Gaud

Similar matches were played at various venues, of which MSSA ground was one of them. MSSA officals didn't want them to see us. Esmero Figueiredo threatened us and told us to vacate the office premises. Others were working, then why not us?" Tambadkar told mid-day.

Interestingly, the workers didn't protest in the last few days, but decided to do so only yesterday so that they can be seen by the chief minister and other officials. The ongoing tussle between the workers and MSSA is in court at the moment.

While, MSSA official Sebastian Fernandes said: "Due to the program, there was a lot of chaos hence we decided to give them a holiday. Others were working as there was final at Cooperage."

Amanda D'Souza

Riding on Amanda D'Souza's brace, St Joseph's (Bandra) beat St John The Evangelist (Marol) 2-0 in the MSSA-organised Ahmed Sailor inter-school U-16 girls hockey tournament at Kandivli on Saturday.

In the very first minute, St Joseph's Rachel Michael beat her opponents with her dribbling skills, but the ball missed the target. However, Amanda put her stick in the way of the ball and the ball deflected towards the goal post. Amanda was in the thick of the action again in the 13th minute of the rain-marred game when she netted her second goal.

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.

Rishab Shah

Rishab Shah of Cathedral and John Connon School (Fort) bagged gold in the Mumbai School Sports Association (MSSA)-organised inter-school under-16 boys chess tournament at Rajiv Gandhi Sports Complex, Sion yesterday.

Rishab, who won two bronze in the under-14 rapid and blitz formats in the Western Asia Youth Championships which concluded in Sri Lanka last week, finished with 8.5 points from 9 rounds. Sarvesh Kumar of Podar International School (Powai) and Vedant Panesar of Lady of Ratanbai and Sir Mathuradas Vissanji Academy (Andheri) won silver and bronze respectively.

Rishab, 14, wants to become a Grandmaster (the highest title a chess player can attain) and idolises India chess great Viswanathan Anand.

Varad Parab's lone goal helped St Stanislaus High School (Bandra) beat Bombay Scottish (Mahim) 1-0 and secure a spot in the final of the Mumbai Schools Sports Association (MSSA)-organised inter-school boys under-14 Division I football tournament at Azad Maidan yesterday. Both teams had their fair share of chances during the first half.

St Stanislaus' Varad Parab (centre) heads a ball as the Bombay Scottish’s Ryan Davar (left) looks on during the MSSA U-14 semis at Azad Maidan yesterday. Pic/Shada Khan

Shayne's early move
Stanislaus' midfielder Shayne D'Costa almost put his team in front, only for the Bombay Scottish goalkeeper Kritaansh Khera to come up with a save.
On the other hand, Scottish forward Craig Daniel too had an opportunity to score for his team from outside the penalty area, but vigilant Stanislaus goalkeeper Moin Khan thwarted the attack.

Both teams remained goalless at the end of the first half. After the break, both team put on an attacking display. Scottish were close to scoring when they received a free-kick, but the pressure got the better of defender Ryan Davar, who kicked the ball over the bar. Finally, St Stanislaus' Varad broke the deadlock in the 38th minute. The striker powered home the winner after he received a cross from teammate Jaffer Mansoori, who came dribbling in from the right wing.

'Great team effort'
"We wanted to attack from the beginning. We went hard at our opposition as we did not want to give them any opportunity to score. It was a great team effort and now we look to winning the final," Varad told mid-day.

Suraj Narredu astride Lady in Lace

Growing up in a racing family and watching my father (Satish) and uncle (Malesh) riding as top jockeys, shaped my destiny, and I started riding at a young age. Though record books will tell you that I climbed the ladders of success rather swiftly, no jockey can experience a real sense of fulfillment unless he wins the greatest race of them all — the Indian Derby at Mahalaxmi.

And because both, my father and uncle, had won the great race as jockeys, it was almost a question of continuing the family tradition. So it was a dream realised when I won the 2015 Indian Derby with Be Safe (trained by Malesh), who matched the record of my father, having won the big race both as jockey and trainer. Be Safe thus marked a new chapter in my career. Now I get another opportunity to have my moment in the sun. This Sunday, I will ride another, very capable Derby aspirant in Lady In Lace, trained by Prasad Raju of Hyderabad. Here's why I consider her so special.

I was on the bench with an injury when Raju sent her into the care of my trainer-brother Rajesh Narredu in Bangalore. From the sidelines, I watched her winning two races — one with an apprentice rider (M Ayyer), and the other, with jockey YS Srinath, who also went on to win two more races, including the Fillies' Championship, when she went back to Hyderabad. The trainer optimistically pitched her in the Hyderabad Derby, and in blinding rain, Prevalent Force (ridden by jockey Srinath who had switched allegiance) had to go to the bottom of the well to contain Lady In Lace.

It was a big let down for Raju. Though I had not ridden the filly yet, I felt she was high-class material. The Pune Derby was round the corner. I used my persuasive skills to convince Raju that Lady In Lace should take her chances. She was supplemented at a prohibitive cost with a late entry fee. The rest, as the saying goes, is history. Lady In Lace put up a jaw-dropping show. It was Raju's first Derby winner, and I was thrilled to be part of his team.

Later, Lady In Lace did not even break a sweat when winning the Golconda 1000 Guineas. Shapoor Mistry, a keen judge of horseflesh, opted to buy a 50% share in the filly — that's vindication of the class I always knew she had. She further confirmed my opinion about her when storming past her adversaries late in the lane in the Indian 1000 Guineas. An infection disrupted her training schedule, and she skipped the Indian Oaks. However, she was impressive in a recent mock race. I galloped her on Monday over a mile, and she could not have done better. I strongly believe Lady In Lace is peaking at the right time.

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.

 

 

 

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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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Bhumi Pednekar's fitness is something that is talked about regularly as the actress stunned everyone with her body transformation after Dum Laga Ke Haisha. She is a gym-junkie and is extremely conscious of what she eats. The lockdown imposed in India due to Coronavirus has resulted in health and fitness challenges for everyone and Bhumi has a solution for it.

"I have always strived to lead a balanced lifestyle and believed in the synergy of how nutrition, what we eat directly impacts our health and fitness. This lockdown, though extremely challenging for all of us because it has changed how we live life and exist, is also impacting our minds and that can throw off diet and nutrition in a big way," she says.

Bhumi reveals, "What we eat has a lot to do with how we feel - it's connected and it's mostly emotional. This will create health and fitness issues and I want to share with everyone my nutrition journey through COVID-19 and I hope that people will find this useful."

The actress has maintained a routine and stuck to her nutritious way of life all through the Coronavirus pandemic. She credits her nutritionist Dr. Siddhant for her fit bod and will be doing a live chat with him to share health and nutrition tips to everyone.

"I have ensured that I'm mobile, I have been working out, I'm on a nutrition-rich diet and I have not resorted to binge and junk eating. My nutritionist Dr. Siddhant is a genius and has a wealth of knowledge which has helped me shape my life. I want him to share his knowledge with as many people as possible because he has kept me going despite the lockdown challenges," she says.

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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:

 

 

 

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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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Telugu actress Samantha Akkineni turned a year older on April 28, 2020, and she was seen celebrating her special day with near and dear ones. Samantha's husband Naga Chaitanya hosted a sweet little party for the birthday girl at their home.

Chaitanya also baked a cake for his wife, and the actress shared a time-lapse video on social media. She wrote, "baking my birthday cake." Take a look at the series of photos and video shared by the birthday girl on Instagram.

 

 

 

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Family ❤ï¸Â .... (no points for guessing what I am praying for )

A post shared by Samantha Akkineni (@samantharuthprabhuoffl) onApr 27, 2020 at 12:29pm PDT

For the uninitiated, the 33-year-old actress has a solid fan-following not only in India but globally too and has given us two very memorable films- 24 and Eega, both brimming with imaginative ideas and smashing entertainment. Samantha has come a long way and carved her own niche in Indian Cinema. Her work in the Telugu and Tamil industry continues to resonate with audiences and critics alike.

Speaking of her professional journey, some of her most remembered works as an artist are 24, Oh Baby, U-Turn, Super Deluxe, and Rangasthalam.

On the other hand, talking about her personal life, Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Naga Chaitanya tied the knot in both grand South Indian and Christian ceremony in October 2017.

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When author turned filmmaker Ram Kamal Mukherjee decided to make the big switch he knew that it wouldn't be a cakewalk.Now with his second Hindi film Season's Greetings he emerges as a confident story teller, who can intrigue audience with simple and thought provoking narrative. In an exclusive chat with Midday he talks about his films and beyond...

Probably you are amongst few film journalist from Bollywood who have successfully switched from print to movie making. Was is a pre planned transition?

It might sound like a 'cakewalk' but unfortunately it was not. I had to go through the grind. After my tenure as Editor in chief of a film magazine. I co-produced a finite series Bin Kuch Kahe for Zee TV with director Rajshree Ojha. It was a learning experience for me. During that time, I realized that I would like to make films. But never in my dream I had imagined that I will become a director. In fact it was Esha Deol who literally forced me to become a director with Cakewalk. She said, "It's your vision, and you are doing everything that a director does. I think you will be a good filmmaker!" Esha stood by me and my production house like the Rock of Gibraltar.

You have been a senior journalist, with almost 20 years experience. Did any of your industry friends help you? Or did you approach them?

No. I didn't approach anyone. I wanted to make a film on my own terms and condition. I knew that once I achieve in making a decent movie, industry will support and stand by me. Cakewalk broke all possible records. It became India's first short film to be premiered in a satellite television Cineplex with Colors, the first look was launched in London by Hema Malini, the music rights was acquired by Zee Music, the film was acquired by Viacom18, I was invited at the BBC studios in London for live chat show, it got selected at 21 film festivals and won at 17 film festivals. It also become India's first short film to be premiered at Inox Insignia one of the biggest theatre chains in India. The film was promoted in 6 major metro cities in India and Dubai. We treated it like a feature film, and I give credit to my team and my friends from media and film industry.

Your second film Season's Greetings seems to have created a much bigger news. With United Nation Free and Equal and legends like Amitabh Bachchan endorsing the film it seems to be one of the much awaited movie of this year on OTT?

I am thankful to Mr Bachchan for being so gracious, he spoke so beautifully about the film in his video message. My film is a tribute to the legendary filmmaker Riruparno Ghosh, and I am grateful that Lillette Dubey maam and Celina Jaitly Haag who agreed to be a part of this venture. It was Celina who connected me with the United Nations Free and Equal, and I had to organize special screening for them in Geneva. It took almost two months to bring them on board as our social cause partner. This wouldn't have been possible without our friend and well wisher Charles Radcliffe. Zee5 had initially decided to release it on March but now due to Corona pandemic we had to reschedule everything. But I am glad that we released on April 15, and the film has become the most watched short film on Zee5. The film got selected at seven prestigious international festivals including Cardiff International Film Festival. It won Best Director Jury award at Rajasthan International Film Festival this year. I am eagerly waiting to show the film to all. This film also marks the debut of young and talented actor Azhar Khan. The film deals with LGBTQIA issue in a very subtle manner. The film has been selected at the prestigious Kashish Film Festival 2020 in Mumbai, Asia's largest LGBTQIA Film Festival. I am glad the film is getting appreciated by all, my film celebrates love beyond gender.

Director Ram Kamal Mukherjee with lead cast Celina Jaitley and Lillette Dubey in Season's Greetings

How does it feel when your film gets thunderous applause from media and film fraternity?

I feel blessed. When veterans like Khalid Mohamad, Shoma Chatterji, Nandita Puri, Ananth Mahadevan, Taran Adarsh, Rajeev Masand and Suman Ghosh writes about your film, its a reassurance. But I would like to thank my team for making this possible. My producers Aritra Das and Shailendra Kumar, my associate producers Mohammad Jameel and my wife Sarbani Mukherjee. You might dream big, but you need a producer who will stand by your vision. And of course Celina Jaitly who worked like a team member all the way from Austria in the middle of lockdown crisis. She would manage her household responsibilities and maintain all her work commitment. She interacted with all leading media over Instagram and Skype, she gave telephonic and email interviews. She actively pushed the film on social media. Lillette Dubey maam though she is not on any social media platform, she would record her bytes for channels and send. Her daughter Ira Dubey would record her interview on phone and we would give those bytes to electronic and web media. Azhar Khan supported us from Pune, while Shree Ghatak in Kolkata went all out to spread the word. My singers Sayani Palit and Jaan Kumar Sanu did radio chats and facebook live performance of the song. It was very tough to promote a 47 minute film in the middle of lockdown. But we all need to keep reinventing ourselves.

In a span of two years you have managed to direct almost five films. That's a decent number...

After Season's Greetings, I wanted to make a short length Bengali film. That's when the idea of Rickshwala came to my mind. I am launching Avinash Dwivedi in as the protagonist in the film. It was a tough project for me. We had to do workshops and shoot in the bylanes of North Kolkata in summers. Avinash gave his blood and sweat for this film. Rickshawla already won Best Actor and Best Director at 13th Ayodhya International Film Festival this year. Then we made Broken Frame, which is based on my fiction Long Island Iced Tea. Yet again I was fortunate enough to work with extremely professional and talented actors like Rohit Bose Roy and Ritabhari Chakraborty. The film deals with martial issue and infidelity. After that, I made Shubho Bijoya with Gurmeet Choudhury and Debina Bonnerjee, which is a romantic film loosely based on O Henry's classic A Gift of Magi. Now I am working on my first full length feature film Binodini Dasi, a biopic on Bengal's famous theatre actress. My first attempt to make a period drama.

Ram Kamal Mukherjee and Esha Deol receiving Society Iconic Award for Cakewalk from Ramesh Sippy, Kiran Sippy and Krishika Lulla

Do you feel that any of your skills as a journalist comes handy when you are donning the hat of a director?

Yes it does! My writing skill helps me in fine tuning my screenplay and dialogues, my editing experience helps me in keeping the scenes precise and save the cost of extra shifts and shoots. My photoshoot experiences helps me in visualizing a character, their costume, hair and makeup. And my nose for news, helps me in creating content that people would like to see on screen. I guess we all use our past experience to enhance our future endeavors.

You have penned five books and directed five movies in a span of three years. You are extremely active on social media, you also conduct special classes for film students and talk shows with celebrities. How do you balance every act?

Huh! Now that you have spelled it, I am feeling breathless. But frankly speaking, I have learnt multitasking from Hemaji (Malini) She inspires me a lot. I think if we can focus on our work then we can distribute our time evenly. Now that we are locked down for almost 40 days, I will be finishing the draft of my Bengali film, work on the story board and first look. I am also working on two non fiction with leading publishers, so my research and drafting is on. I am also working on my Hindi feature film, which will hit the floor by 2021. I don't like to waste time. Even when I am not doing something, I am watching a film or a series. The hunger should never die. And now with lockdown and quarantine, we all have learnt how to multitask, because when you are pushed to the edge then you either learn to fly or you die.

Why do you call Season's Greetings a homage to director Rituparno Ghosh? And how is it different from any other tribute?

Well, this is a different kind of homage to any director. Mostly when we pay tribute, we tend to either make a biopic or remake classics. But I thought of giving him a tribute through multiple ways. Suchitra Bhattacharya was Ritu da's favorite author, veteran Tagore vocalist Suchitra Mitra acted in his film Dahan, so I decided to name Lillette ji's character Suchitra. Celina's character Romita was Rituparna Sengupta's name in Dahan, which was a popular novel written by Suchitra Bhattacharya. The house where they stay is called Utsab, which was yet another film by Ritu. The househelp is Chapala inspired from his film Aarekti Premer Galpo (he acted), where he played a transgender filmmaker and enacted life of theatre actor Chapal Bhadhuri. Transgender actor Shree Ghatak plays the role of Chapala in my film.

There is a sequence between Lillette and Celina where they talk about fragrance of a particular perfume, which is inspired from Aparna Sen and Debasree Roy's kitchen scene from Unishe April. Lavish display of food and characters talking over dinner table has been Rituparno's favourite narrative style, which is a part of preclimax sequence.

Tagore music and Maithili language is yet another aspect which Rituparno had often used in his films. Infact there is a portrait of Tagore used in the film from Balmiki Pratibha, which was prominently used as a metaphor in his film Ashukh. Then references like Banalata pishi is from Bariwali, Abhirupa is again Rituparno's character name from Chitrangada.

Rabindranath Tagore's song Gahana Kusum Kunj Majhe, was used in his film Abhohoman, which has been recreated in the film by singers Jaan Kumar Sanu and Sarbani Mukherjee.

In a scene we see Suchitra is reading Devdutt Patnaik's novel Shikhandi. That's again referring to Rituparno's film Chitrangada, a character from Mahabharata. In fact we have also shown the exterior of Rituparno's house Tasher Ghar in Kolkata which only very few people will relate. There are shots of Ardhanarishwar, that depicts the presence of bisexuality since vedic age.

The entire character graph of boy child Chapal undergoing sex change and becoming Chapala also talks about his films like Memories of March and Chitrangada. But none of it is underlined, everything is subtle. You need to be a Rituparno fan to appreciate or understand. The scene where Romita talks about unexpected rains and letters from her mother is a fleeting reference to his film Tithli.

And of course the climax that would jolt you as an audience, and will remind you of Rituparno in a much prominent way.

In fact the first day and first shot of the movie between Celina and Azhar was shot in Grand Hyatt Presidential suite. After the shot the manager came to meet me. He said, "It's irony that Rituparno had shot Sob Charitro Kalpanik scene with Bipasha Basu and Prosenjit in the same room!" We knew that Rituda is blessing us from the word 'action'!

This film marks return of Celina Jaitly after motherhood, why did you opt for her since she was away and settled in Dubai?

I wouldn't have taken effort if she would habe settled in Mars or Moon, but to not consider an artist for geographical reason in an archaic thought. I knew that she would be my perfect Romita, for three reasons, she never got an opportunity to play a role like this. She shared a very close bonding with her parents whom she lost recently, and she has been associated with LGBTQIA movement for last two decades. I remember Celina broke down before shoot. She went to severe depression and I guess this film was her fulcrum to spring out of the situation. Ritu da once mentioned, every artist comes with their own qualities, as a director you need to utilize that aspect and mould them into your narrative.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever.

Bollywood singer Kanika Kapoor has now approached the King George's Medical University (KGMU), offering to donate her plasma for treatment of other Covid-19 patients. The singer called up the head of transfusion medicine department, Prof Tulika Chandra, and volunteered to help.

"She called me up and said she really wanted to help other Covid-19 patients. Vice Chancellor Prof M.L.B. Bhatt has given a go ahead on it and we will now be carrying out the tests on her to see if she is fit to donate her plasma," said Prof Chandra.

As per experts, Kanika's sample will be tested for a number of things before she can donate her plasma. These include her haemoglobin level that should be above 12.5, weight should be more than 50 kg and the patient should not have diabetes, cardiovascular issues, malaria, syphilis and other such ailments.

Kanika's sample will probably be taken on Tuesday and if found to be eligible, she will be donating her plasma on Wednesday. Kanika Kapoor had grabbed headlines last month when she became the first Bollywood celebrity to test positive for Coronavirus.

Kanika had attended two parties in Lucknow in the presence of top politicians and bureaucrats and all of them were later tested for Corona. Kanika was hospitalized for over a fortnight at the Sanjay Gandhi Post-Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS).

She had, on April 26, come out with a statement clarifying her travel and Covid-19 history declaring that she was aware of misconceptions and wrong information floating around her but she chose to remain silent until ready to speak. Kanika in her social media post had said that all persons she came in contact with in the UK, Mumbai and Lucknow had been tested negative and that she had duly followed the process.

Meanwhile, the KGMU on Sunday night, made the first plasma transfusion in a 58-year-old patient from Orai who is a government doctor whose condition was critical. The doctors now say that the patient is responding well to the transfusion.

The university has received three plasma donations from fully recovered Covid-19 patients, two from doctors and one from a Lakhimpur man.

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Sunny Leone may have her hands full with household chores, but she has also been pursuing painting. She recently completed her 'piece of art', which the actor has titled Broken Glass. She flaunted her artistic streak on social media and wrote, "Finally, done with my lockdown art. It's called Broken Glass as it is sort of... like our lives at the moment. Everything might feel shattered but every piece is meant to be next to each other... to be made whole again. So, if we can work together, we will also feel whole again and come back together (sic)."

 

 

 

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Finally done my lockdown piece of art. Has taken 40days to complete. It’s called “broken glass” sort of like our lives at the moment. Everything might feel shattered, but every piece is meant to be next to each other to be made whole again. So if we can work together we also will feel whole again and come back together. Love you all.

A post shared by Sunny Leone (@sunnyleone) onApr 26, 2020 at 5:01am PDT

Sunny Leone and Daniel Weber have self-quarantined themselves along with the kids Asher, Daniel and Nisha. The entire Weber-Leone family have been updating their fans with sweet family posts on social media.

Sunny and her husband Daniel Weber have always been extremely protective about their children and are often spotted with them. And now, during the lockdown, are spending quality time with them at home.

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In a bid to get a feel of the normal life, Sonakshi Sinha went to the parking lot of her Juhu home and sat in her favourite set of wheels for a while. The actor took to Insta, shared a selfie and wrote, "Sat in my parked car just to remember what it feels like (sic)." Sona did not forget her glares and designer bag to complete the going-out look.

 

 

 

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Quarantine day 34: sat in my (parked) car today just to remember what it feels like 🤪 #sundayselfie

A post shared by Sonakshi Sinha (@aslisona) onApr 26, 2020 at 2:51am PDT

The actress has been active on social media since the lockdown period, and she has shared a lot of messages with her fans through an important medium. Shotgun Junior never shies away from speaking her mind. She is hoping for the coronavirus crisis to end soon and says she would like to dive into the sea once all this is over.

On the professional front, Sonakshi Sinha was last seen in Dabangg 3, opposite Salman Khan. Saiee Manjrekar was also a part of this comedy film. Now, the actress will be next seen in Bhuj: The Pride of India.

"Bhuj: The Pride of India" stars Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, Sharad Kelkar, Ammy Virk and Pranitha Subhash. The film is directed by Abhishek Dudhaiya.

In the film, Ajay will be seen playing Indian Air Force pilot Vijay Karnik, while Sonakshi will essay the character of Sunderben Jetha Madharparya, who is a social worker and a farmer women, who convinced 299 other women from Madhapur to help build a runway during the India-Pakistan war of 1971.

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Adhyayan Suman and Kangana Ranaut were in a relationship back in 2008 when they were working together in Raaz: The Mystery Continues but parted ways soon. And in 2016, the Jashn actor made some shocking revelations about the actress and how vociferous the relationship was. It has been four years since that interview and more than a decade since the relation.

Strangely, questions about her are still asked whenever he gives an interview and his recent one with BollywoodLife was no exception. To give a brief background, Kavita Kaushik of FIR fame also tweeted in support of the actor and how Kangana owned an apology to him. In case you missed it, this is what she tweeted.

Have a look right here:

Also, a huge apology is owed to @shekharsuman7 and @AdhyayanSsuman , they are a sweet family and the hate they got from an eager to judge, feeding on lies smeared popcorn audiences is so damn heartbreaking🙏 everyone was so cruel to them at that time cos of the 'woman card' https://t.co/kRZ8kycwJ2

— Kavita (@Iamkavitak) April 19, 2020

And now, talking about it, the actor said, "I have left that topic miles...miles behind in my life. I am right now way ahead in my life. And it doesn't really matter who wants to apologise or not. I wanted to share my side of story, and I did that three years ago. I am very glad and fortunate that some people came out in support."

To give credit where it was due, he thanked Kaushik for her support and said, "Kavita put out a tweet, and I am very thankful to her. But the amount of fake trollers who came and trolled her, said some really mean stuff to her, I thought that was such a disgrace. It is so sad."

Over the years, the actor has been a part of films like Raaz: The Mystery Continues, Jashn, Himmatwala, and Ishq Click.

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Marriages may be made in heaven but have to go through trying and testing times on Earth. One such marriage is of Kannada star Kiccha Sudeepa and Priya Sudeepa. The two tied the knot on October 18, 2001, and the actor's fans couldn't keep calm at that point of time. But as stated, all marriages see their ups and downs and theirs was no different.

14 years later, in the year 2015, the couple mutually filed for divorce but none of the parties turned up for the proceedings. Was a possible reconciliation on the cards? Was it time for them to give their marriage another opportunity? Yes! But the actor admitted how he erred and couldn't be a good father or a good husband in an interview with Bangalore Mirror. And in an interview with Silverscreen India, he said, "My daughter is my whole life. She's like a ray of sunshine in my life. Pure, dazzling and so very important to my being."

It seems they won't part ways and that seems to be a piece of great news for his fans. In fact, they both celebrated their wedding anniversary in the Bigg Boss (Kannada) House and it met with a fantastic response. We hope they continue staying together and be the happy and happening couple they always were!

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Singer Sona Mohapatra, who is known to speak her mind, has come up with a new song, her own badass version of Raees' Zaalima. The singer's soulful voice is a perfect fit for love ballads, case in point Ambarsariya, Naina, Bolo Na and many of her hits. While, it wouldn't be wrong to say that, very few female solo songs are released nowadays in film soundtracks, it came as a pleasant surprise to see this reprise and refreshing version of the the Shah Rukh Khan's film, Raees' popular love song.

Sona has an unique ability to infuse newness in songs and her version of Zaalima is quite different from the original version, sung by Arijit Singh. As per her post, she had created this in-house video with some interesting 'gender-political' messaging about the state of the music industry some time ago and is all set to release it to spread cheer and even some laughs to drive away the lockdown blues, now!

Sona says, "Musicians have been hit the hardest in recent times. There are no residuals or royalties for creators here unlike the west and unless we step out to play concerts on stage we don't make money. It's only sweat labour in India. The lockdown and post COVID era will hit the musicians even harder with no stages to play in and the economy focusing on essentials. In these grim times, most artists in my community have been setting aside their own emotional state and performing online to spread joy and love and I am so proud of all of them! In these times you realise that it's mostly musicians who have the craft and talent to deliver without too many resources or people helping them. My DIY video should be taken with a pinch of salt although any good comedy does come from a truthful place; our film-music has completely sidelined the strong solo female voice in the last decade and it's time for all of us to notice."

"Few know that I had been called to sing the last few lines of the film version but couldn’t fathom why only the last few lines were reserved for the female voice considering it was a romantic duet!" - she wrote on her YouTube channel, while sharing the song. 

A user commented - "I didn't know who's voice was this? Also, I was a huge fan of Sona Ma'am. But now I'm flat. And now after this rendition, I'm completely dead."

Another user commented: Thank goodness she didn't end up singing the actual song.

Tell us your views about the new version of Zaalima!

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