Starter among soaps
As Hum Log marks its 25 years, artistes from the city give their take on serials then and now...
Twentyfive years back, it was a different 'scene' altogether. There was no 'plotting' in the television soaps, but sensible plots. Acting wasn't about business at all, but a serious business for sure. There were no reality shows, but realism was reflected in serials. That was an era, when aesthetics mattered, morals held value and actors and producers were accountable to the audience. That was the era of Hum Log, the first soap to hit Indian national television in the first week of July, 1984. It set the example for later entertainment. However, that was! There has been a transition since, some for the better, some for the worse.

Saigal of South
P. Parmeswaram Nair is in the city to regale the fans of K.L. Saigal
Naushad mere dil ko yakeen hai ye muqammal nagmon ki kasam aaj bhi zinda hai voh Saigal, said the invincible music genius and bollywood music director, Naushad Ali, even after the demise of the singing legend. God and nature seemed to have collaborated to create a karishma called Kundan Lal Saigal, he believed and this finds testimony in the fact that many non-Hindi, Urdu-speaking artistes who cannot even properly pronounce Hindi words can copy with flawless diction the gayaki style of the legend. 

Club CORNER
Saturday night fever
What's your pick for this weekend — soak in a rain party or let your hair down at a DJ night?
Vijay Mallaya believes in this, and so does Shah Rukh Khan. So, do most honchos who work like there is no tomorrow. 'Work hard and party harder'. So, it is work, work, and more work throughout, till they hit a day called Saturday. Here begins the most awaited weekend. Confidential files and formal suits are packed off to be opened only on Monday. It is time to let your hair down, slip into casuals, wear a mischievous smile, get set to have a little fun in life. Before you to do that, how about taking a quick look at what clubs, hotels and restaurants are offering.

K for kulfi!
What better way to break a journey than have this cream-dripping, elaichi-smeared cool kulfi
Such shops exist in Ruskin Bond's world! The world of a railway station, busy tea vendor, one post office and of course a bazaar. The bazaar with never ending, narrow lanes, where keepers selling wares of everyday use cry out loud. The hustle and bustle of a crowded shopping arena in an otherwise sleepy tiny hill town. Where everyone can be easily singled out, the tourists, the rural folk women, the children, the boarding school brats, all of them indeed. Well, this was just to create the word picture. Kalka's famous Ishar Sweets might just apply and qualify. Famous, well not so much for the Indian sweets, but for kulfi's.

Southern spice
Sankalp, a new South Indian restaurant, opens in the city
How about having a cheese chilly or a spring dosa? Want it rather simple then opt for the Sandwich Dosa. All right! You aren't the experimenting kinds and want to stick to the traditional south Indian cuisine? No worries, there's plenty to pick from the menu at the recently opened South Indian cuisine restaurant, Sankalp in Sector 26. Around 15 odd varieties of dosas, 12 assortments of utthapams, 5 type pf biryanis, and idli with different servings.

Bon Appetit
Monsoon mocktails
The Saawan ka maheena is upon us and boy, are we relieved!! Unfortunately, the heat and humidity can become oppressive, each time the rain-dance is stalled by the Sun God. The humidity leaves us looking more frequently for a glassful of something cool instead of a bite! Mocktails are mock cocktails, or those that do not contain any alcohol. They are merely a bunch of fruit pretending to be a drink in juice form, with sodas and flavours adding the final zing. I love the exotic (and sometimes suggestive!) names that they come with and those in turn make one believe we are sampling something, quite out of this world! In reality, most mocktails are rather easy to assemble and can be tailored to the availability of fruit or ready juice and to your personal preference.