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Wide canvas Having tasted art worldwide, city-educated Bhavna Kakar is now giving the world a taste of Indian art
The show has contemporary works by the masters and prodigies of art in India. The art list includes brands like M. F. Husain, S.H. Raza, Jogen Chowdhury, Akbar Padamsee, T.Vaikuntam and more. "These works are unique either in their concept or their application. They reflect the evolving art in India, an excellent exhibiting and buying opportunity for art enthusiasts in the city," says this former alumnus of Government Art College-10.
The lady, who has tasted art worldwide, is now busy giving the world a taste of Indian art. "The Indian art scene has seen a huge change in the past three-four years. Earlier, I had to introduce the Indian art scene at global auctions and fairs, but now they know a Subodh Gupta and are buying Jogen Chowdhury. People are asking for Indian art, Indian artists fetching Rs 3 crore to Rs 5 crore at Sothbey's and Christie's. Famous galleries like Lisson and Arario want to explore Indian artists, and recently there was a Chalo India exhibition in Japan, promoting Indian artists. I would call that a good start," she gladly shares. And of course, the brand matters. "Promoting art doesn't mean only selling paintings, but also branding the artist. Also, another purpose is to make Indians buy Indian art as well as international artists. There are galleries like Saffron Art, Osean, that are promoting young artists in India" she says. The effort now is to make India Art Summit, held for they first time in Delhi last year, a global affair. "If we are able to bring in international buyers, nothing could be better." The city's art presence was felt through Artfolio, which had participated in it. "I was glad to see the city's presence, I hope this time more artists from Chandigarh would be seen there," she wishes. Though, she emphasise son the role of galleries and collectors for art promotion. "There is a cycle that works here. From the artist, the work goes to the gallery, passes on to the collector and then to the auction or fair. Sometimes, the gallery buys its own work back, and the cycle starts again. But the whole recession thing has actually been a blessing in disguise for the art market. It has placed the artists as well as the works in a more realistic and wider position," she sums up. lifestyle@tribunemail.com
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Luxury for literacy
Speaking about the brand, Dilip Doshi, chairman and MD, Entrack Intl, said, "Mont Blanc did not want to depart from its tradition of writing. And this project is important as it brings the value of written words into developing and securing the future of civilization." The special limited edition has writing instruments with filigree gold-plated olive wreath on the cap and a sapphire that links it to the hallmark of UNICEF. The pens come in three versions and 10 per cent of the sale proceeds will go to UNICEF, each pen starts from Rs 19,000. "Our association with art show highlights the brand's belief in our culture. We have been associated with charitable causes since long. Last year, we generated Rs 41 lakh for Red Cross. So, this is just another effort in the direction," he says. An ex-cricketer and a successful businessman now, Dilip associates luxury to the state of mind. "Luxury is not a car, a flashy wardrobe or a penthouse, but good education, health and insight." As for the man who sells luxury, cause is not about shout and tell, "An act of charity done in silence holds more meaning," he believes. |
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Sweet seduction Malpua, the rich, soft and sugary delicacy, is a treat for the cloudy days
If there is a season for binging, then this is it. Although the mercury has not dipped much, the weather is still a good excuse to stuff oneself with rich, sugarcoated sweetmeats. And for our city foodies, there is no dearth of saccharine pleasures that’ll set the taste buds tingling, but this week we are talking about no ordinary sweet but the baap of Indian mithai and probably the oldest Indian sweet cooked at home—malpua. Referred to as apupani in the Vedas, this sweet also has a nursery rhyme dedicated to it, Chandamama door ke, pue pakaen dhoodh ke. Though this stanza transports one to the initial years of life, but now let’s get out of childhood memories and step into today’s reality—malpuas are or were ritually cooked in all homes, especially on the festive occasions, be it a birthday celebrations, marriage, thanksgiving puja or occasions like Teej. And, for a diverse nation like ours where variety rules, malpua is cooked in almost every state, with a slight variation in the recipe. Commonly served as a snack or a dessert, malpua is famous in the states of West Bengal, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Essentially a deep-fried dumpling, prepared with the batter of suji or flour with curd and enriched with ghee, there comes a slight variation in the recipe as we cross the border of every state. In the villages of Himachal, malpua has its cousin called babru. Though the ingredients remain more or less the same, it’s cooked differently. Here the batter is made of flour, sugar, milk and water. The ingredients are mixed to a drop consistency and then fried in desi ghee. In Uttaranchal, malpua is a single titanic-jalebi look alike, but in Bihar, UP, Maharashtra, Gujrat and Rajasthan, malpuas are traditionally made only with thickened milk and a little flour (sometimes rice flour instead of wheat flour). Rich in taste, malpua batter can be sweetened earlier or the fried malpuas can be soaked in saffron-flavoured syrup later. Depends on what’s your way of cooking. And for apna Punjab, the malpua recipe is almost the same as above.
Reads fine. But alas! who has the time to cook. And this delicacy of yesteryears is no more randomly available in all halwai shops, for reasons unknown. And at home, we wonder if the calorie-conscious janta is still cooking the sweet delicacy, but all the people who have a sweet tooth they know what a delicacy it is! jigyasachimra@tribunemail.com Malpua magic For Gurpreet Singh from Nanak Sweets-19, this delicacy is one of their much-liked specialties. “Malpua is a routine dish for us, but monsoon is the time when we make them in greater number, otherwise it’s only on special order that we make this sweet dish,” he says. Ask him the secret recipe for a perfect malpua and he says, “That’s our trade secret, but our malpuas are usually made of rabri (condensing of milk), a little maida/atta, saunf and then garnished with dry fruits.” Sounds yummy. You can savour this sweet for Rs 7 a piece. We, out of sheer curiosity, ask him—do people buy malpuas these days and he says, “Yes, they do but they are mostly from the older generation. The younger generation is not much interested.” Hmmm… we thought so!
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Nature's own Pramod Arya's painting exhibition showcases mottled hues of nature A dark blue cloud holding within drops of water, ready to burst any minute, a blue-coloured high tide set to hit the sea shore, a row of small magenta flowers swaying with the wind, the lush green needle shaped grass minutes after it was bated with rain water…nature springs up from the minutest elements around us. "But we tend to ignore them," says Pramod Arya standing in front of his works 'Rendezvous With Nature', displayed at Alliance Francaise-36, soaked the colours of nature. "Think nature and first shape that comes to the mind is of a landscape. However, I have let nature takes its own natural form in the acrylic paintings," offers Pramod Arya, lecturer with Government College Of Art. "I brought down the moods and colours of nature as I make of them. Whether it is those magenta flowers growing outside my college or the layer of algae on the water." Through a rich usage of colours like red, orange, yellow, violet, magenta, green, blue Pramod Arya's work assumes forms that were once a part of his sub-conscious mind. "Once I began the paintings, I realised it wasn't me but the work itself which was taking its own form." On till August 13. jasmine@tribunemail.com
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Friendship, full blast Jasmine Singh
DJ Rink, who is playing at Score-8 `on the eve of Friendship Day on Saturday, is excited about her jig in the city. "I will be playing a lot of Bollywood and tracks from my private album Lady Architect."
She is quick to add DJ'ing is not a newfound passion. " I have always liked all kinds of music. I am the first one to get the latest musical instrument that has been launched. I did my sound engineering so that it helps me in my passion. I choose being a DJ because I knew this is the only way I would be with music 24X7." Rink who has been a stable root in the entertainment industry in India for many years has organised various dance and DJ events throughout the country. She has been DJ'ing at renowned clubs in India as well in clubs in Dubai, Bahrain, Singapore and Mauritius. "I am not a resident with any of the clubs. I am freelancer who likes to take her music to all corners of the world and ensure people accept it the way I do. Tribal, trance, progressive, retro, rock, commercial, techno, Bollywood, remixes I like spinning all sorts of genres." A word on the DJ scene outside India? "Strange but true, I haven't seen many female DJ's in Dubai or Singapore. The scene in UK and US is still better. I think it has to do with whether a particular culture accepts the fact that a girl can play equally good music." jasmine@tribunemail.com
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Jab we met, Love Aaj Kal happened
Director Imitiaz Ali talks about his latest release — LAK After the
hit Jab We Met, how challenging was it to direct another love
story? It was challenging and interesting at the same time. There
is lot in this film technically and cinematographically, which is
different from other love stories. How would you describe Saif Ali
Khan as a producer and actor? This is Saif's first home production,
so there is some credibility attached to him for sure. He did all the
production-related activities, but as an actor he did his best in this
film. How was it working with Deepika Padukone? Well, it was
great. She is a talented actor. I had met Deepika before Om Shanti Om
and when I finished writing Love Aaj Kal, I was thinking of her
because her silence is interesting. How did Love Aaj Kal
materialise? The story was in my mind while we were making Jab
We Met! Saif was on my mind. When he heard the script, he loved it.
Love Aaj Kal is the most awaited release of 2009. Do you
feel the pressure? I am not bothered about that. With Saif and
Deepika Padukone, we are coming with a movie, which is in the reckoning.
The audience will surely give it a chance. Future projects? Right
now there are no plans. . — Dharam Pal
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A new show on Discovery will shadow SRK for six months Discovery Travel & Living will present an engaging series on India's biggest superstar Shahrukh Khan. In this unique television format, for the first time, viewers will be taken into the private and exclusive world of Shahrukh Khan. For six months, cameras will shadow Shahrukh in India and across the globe, to present viewers with a rare peek into the life of the superstar and once-in-a-lifetime viewing experience. Rahul Johri, senior vice president and general manager — India, Discovery Networks Asia-Pacific, said "With this groundbreaking series on India's biggest superstar Shahrukh Khan, we are surpassing all established definitions of lifestyle entertainment. We are extremely thrilled at this opportunity to work with Shahrukh and to provide his fans and millions of viewers around the world with uninhibited access to his life, for the first time ever." Shahrukh Khan said, "The idea of the series format is both exhilarating and unique as it showcases aspects of my life that have seldom been seen in the public domain. I look forward to welcoming you all into my life." The series is under production and will air on Discovery Travel & Living in India as well as other international markets. Blue Mango Films and Red Chillies Idiot Box have been commissioned to produce the series. — TNS
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Tanu Goswami, a
housewife from south Delhi, keeps her freezer stocked with chicken
sausages of all varieties. "Usually I fry the sausages and serve
them with bread, but sometimes, I innovate. I make sausage omelettes,"
said Goswami. Sausage omelette is a simple snack, two rows of
plain egg omelettes flavoured with black pepper and table salt with a
filling of diced sausage between them. Sixty-year-old Chitra, a
grandmother, usually shallow fries chicken sausages. "But I add a
bit of minced green chilli and garlic to it for taste while
frying," Chitra said. Ritu, a housewife, tosses lightly-fried
sausage salads in combination with eggs and vegetables. "It's value
for money and much better than seafood," Ritu said. The history of
sausage, says master chef Vivek Saggar of Delhi-based Food Art, goes
back to nearly 2,000 years when meat was salted, smoked, pounded and
stuffed into casings of animal intestines in Europe and even in China
for storage and consumption. "The popularity of chicken sausages
is growing in India. It is easy to cook because part of it is
pre-cooked. The easiest way to cook it is to saute it lightly with a
tablespoon of oil," Saggar said. His signature recipe is the sausage
rumali roll, the traditional Indian meat roll in a casing of
white-flour wafer-thin large chapatis. Only the meat is replaced
by diced chicken sausage and the vegetables are lightly fried to keep
the taste of the chicken intact. "You can also try out the sausage
chaat -- diced sausages flavoured with minced (raw) coriander,
ginger, garlic, onions, bell paper bits, salt, chilli powder and lemon
juice —like the normal aloo chaat," Saggar said. Sausages
are best preserved at minus 18 degrees Celsius, the usual freezer
temperature, Saggar said. — IANS
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Khumb ki khoobiyan Kandla Nijhowne The largest living mushroom ever found is in the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. It covers 3.4 square miles of land, and it's still growing! Mushrooms are 80 to 90 percent water. That's why they shrink so much when you cook them. Wild mushrooms were gathered and eaten from the time of early man, yet it was only by the 18th century that they were grown methodically. Slowly, they gained popularity and their cultivation has… er… well… mushroomed? Mushrooms Milanese Ingredients 10 large, whole mushrooms 1 ½ tbsp olive oil Method Remove stems from mushroom, keeping aside the caps. Chop the stems finely. Sautee minced onion, adding garlic after a few minutes. Add chopped stems, corn, capsicum and celery (if using). Season and stir in the breadcrumbs, cream and cheese when slightly cool. Divide the mixture into 10 parts and stuff into the mushroom caps. Cook under a hot grill until the topping begins to brown and bubble. Serve hot as a snack or a side dish with herbed stir-fried rice. Mushroom Manchurian Ingredients 250 gm mushrooms Oil for frying Method Make thin batter out of flour, 2 tbsp. cornflour, chilli powder, salt and ½ tsp. each of ginger and garlic. One by one, dip washed and dried mushrooms in the batter and deep fry in hot oil. Drain and keep aside. Use a few spoonfuls of the remaining oil and stir fry the remaining ginger, garlic and crushed red chilli for a minute. Add the salt and spring onions. Stir fry for another minute and pour in 1-1 ½ cups water. Dissolve 1 tbsp of cornflour in a little water and add to the gravy. Stir continuously till it resumes boiling and becomes transparent. Add fried mushrooms, seasoning and soy sauce to taste and boil for a few more minutes. You may use more cornflour if you feel the need. Serve hot with noodles or rice. |
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Wholesome goodness Ishi Khosla on organic food, nutrition and more
As for introduction goes, Ishi is a clinical nutritionist, founder president of the Celiac Society for Delhi and director of Whole Foods, an organic food production company, who applies the macro-principle of packaging nutrition, weight and health management while incorporating correctives to address specific problems like obesity, nutritional imbalances and dietary irregularities. It’s also time to shift out dietary habits from grain-based meals to vegetable and fruit based one. Why, she explains, “Our forefathers used to eat a lot of wheat or rice (they are energy-based), because their lifestyle required energy. Our lifestyle does not require all that energy. What we need are fibres, phytochemicals and anti-oxidants and less of sugar and trans-fats,” she says. She broadens one’s knowledge about lifestyle diseases too. “Stress and depression are not the only ones. Even gas, heartburn and ulcer are now considered lifestyle diseases,” she says. “And guess what, in a sub-tropical country like India people are suffering from Vitamin D deficiency,” she informs. Quite shocking indeed! So what is the remedy? “Simple food. Six to nine servings of vegetables, whole wheat atta, unpolished rice, two to three servings of low-fat milk and paneer, three four servings of pulses and eggs, lean meat and plenty of fish,” comes the reply. And mind you, vegetable does not mean potato only. “Go for bright coloured vegetables in salad and soup form if possible,” she advises. And this ‘possibility’ factor brings out another question. Is it possible for a working woman to keep up with such an elaborate diet chart? “Working woman should opt for functional food like nuts, seeds or oat which are easily available and go beyond nutritional value,” she replies. Is she practicing what she has been preaching at a broader level? Her Whole Food provides all kind of organic products as an healthy alternative. “There has been an increasing awareness about organic produce after the Coke controversy and now people are looking for it. If one cannot totally shift to organic food, they can at least produce a few vegetables and fruits in their kitchen or terrace gardens,” she says. Her latest venture entails supplying health food to the school canteens. If you still have more questions in mind, there is this book by her The Cholesterol Facts, and coming up with two more Diet Evolution and The Wheat Free Cook Book. Well, you may find some your questions finally answered. parbina@tribunemail.com
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Season of verse After 60 long years of its inception, the Rashtriya Sahitya Akademi-Delhi has ventured to hold a national session on the Hindi Rachna Path in the city for the first time. "City Beautiful, over the years, has emerged as a vibrant centre for academic, literary and creative activities and now it's time that we host this prestigious national literary event," said poet Madhav Kaushik, the local coordinator and member of the National Hindi Advisory Board. Giving the programme details, he disclosed that as many as 20 top poets and short story writers will read out their creations during the four sessions. Noted literary personalities to participate and read their verses include Vishwanath Tewari (Gorakhpur), Hemant Shesh and Ekant Srivastav (Kolkatta), Kuber Dutt, Gagan Gill, Kamal Kumar (Delhi), Parmod Trivedi, Se Ra Yatri (UP) and Mridula Behari (Jaipur). It will also see the participation from Chander Trikha and Virender Mehandiratta from the city. Two sessions each on poetry and story reading will be held between 10 to 5 pm on August 2 at Hotel Park View-24.
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"In India, art is the first thing people will not spend on and the last thing they will think of buying. Art is not a perquisite here, like in Europe and other countries." That's not a complaint but a matter-of-fact piece of information shared by Bhavna Kakar, executive and managing editor of Art & Deal and one of the few consultants and curators who make good art come alive, at least for the man on the street. Converting the Shopping Arcade at Taj-Chandigarh into her own gallery space, Bhavna brings a collection of 32 contemporary art works, the best from among the best in the country, for Mont Blanc's Signature for Good initiative, India Here and Now, in support of UNICEF's education and literacy programme. 
Call her an art taster, for her job is to discover from the pool of artists in country, the ones who stand apart. "Individuality of an artist is the real skill. When I judge some of the amateur works, the point that strikes is something that I haven't seen before. Otherwise, art is purely subjective," she says. 
Well, that was about the way of cooking. Now some traditional
talk on how to cook a malpua. The older generation cook book says,
coarsely ground wheat flour is best for the recipe as it helps to make crisper malpuas
and the batter should be left to stand for a few hours before spooning it into
a kadhai of hot oil. Then, it should be allowed to cool a little and
then immersed in a thick sugar syrup for a perfect crisp golden malpua.
They are inseparable. Together, they make an amazing duo. She promises to never let go off her companion. "Not till eternity," DJ Rink aka Snehal Shah from Mumbai is proud to introduce her closest pal, 'music'. "We have been together since childhood," she adds with a puckish grin. "I always wanted to be close to music. Better still, I want music to be around me all the time. Honestly, I can't think of doing anything
else."
Wait. We can't move on with our queries before she settles this one. A female deejay is not a common thing at discotheques? Smiles, "Yes, they aren't. Nevertheless you must understand 'music' has nothing to do with male or a female DJ. If a woman DJ understands music and manages to get people on the floor, I think she is equally welcome like the other male deejays." "When people see a girl in the deejay box they give a 'oh, look a girl' kinda reaction. Once I start playing and they start dancing to it, of course after liking it, the gender thing flies off in the
air."
35-year-old,
three movies old, film director Imtiaz Ali who hails from Jamshedpur is
ready to take the centrestage again with Love Aj Kal.
Transcending generations, encompassing three nations, the story is of
love, with Saif and Deepika in the lead. His debut film Socha Na Tha
was critically appreciated and second Jab We Met was a super hit.
He talks to Lifestyle about Love Aaj Kal.
Sausage
rumali roll, sausage omelette, sausage in vegetables, sausage chaat,
curd sausage, sausage rice, sausage salad ... India is gradually
putting sausage predominantly chicken in its menu. 
We grew up on a diet of dreamy stories depicting gossamer-winged fairies and impish goblins perched atop toadstools amidst misty meadows and gurgling brooks. It took some growing up for one to figure out that this fairytale furniture was after all, an edible substance! Mushrooms are strange things, aren’t they? They have no leaves, roots, or seeds, and don’t even need any light to grow. It sounds off putting but the truth of the matter is, a mushroom is a fungus! Rich in fiber, protein and Vitamin B, they help maintain a healthy metabolism. They have low sodium, carbohydrate and fat levels and high fiber content. This is the reason why mushrooms are considered good for those aiming for weight loss. Potassium is vital for a healthy heart and there is more potassium in a single mushroom than in a banana! Researches have suggested that white button mushrooms can reduce the risk of breast cancer and prostate cancer.
It’s time to think healthy. How many servings of fruits and veggies a day? Olive oil over refined variety? Milk or no milk? Before one gets lost in questions and more questions let’s bring the expert in —Ishi Khosla, a clinical nutritionist, founder president of the Celiac Society for Delhi and director of Whole Foods, an organic food production company, who visited the city to address a seminar on Nutritional Trends in Gastro-intestinal Disorder at Fortis, Mohali.