I was keen on exploring ZEE5. To my amaze, I stumbled upon this new show called, ‘Lockdown’, a ZEE5 Original. This is a musical show, which has an extraordinary concept that rules out the stereotypical concept of music shows. It features various artists, both from Bollywood as well as digital who join hands to recreate 2 songs. The challenge is that the songs have to be created within a span of 24 hours.
First Episode
The first episode has rapper Badshah and singer Jonita Gandhi who come together in the beautiful town of Chandigarh and create a new version of the song ‘Tip Tip Barsa Paani’ and ‘Kala Jora’, which is a Punjabi folk song.
Second Episode
The second episode featured Kailash Kher and Raja Kumari, who in the town of Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh crafted a new version of two songs with their talent.
Episode 3 features Benny Dayal and Bryden and Parth, who follow the same concept of coming together and crafting a beautiful melody for the audiences. They are amongst the beautiful beaches and bylanes of Goa. Apart from the limited time frame given to the artists to create the song, another tough challenge is for them to choose the right song. But what marveled me was their unique way of choosing the right songs through a little game they play. They chose Gilheriyaan from Dangal and Gulaabo from Shaandaar to recreate with their magic touch.
The Core Idea
The entire idea of this show focuses on the fact that the artists have to seek inspiration from the exotic locales that they visit and recreate the melodies, making it completely different from the already existing one. If you want to watch something interesting then this show on ZEE5 is a perfect mood lifter for you, especially after a tiring day.
So, you’ve been rehearsing with your band mates for several weeks now, you have a set together and are finally feeling ready to start gigging. But what can you do to make sure everything runs smoothly?
As someone with 10 years of gigging experience, I would like to share some first gig: dos and don’ts with you, to ensure that your first gig is memorable for the right reasons!
From Asha Khatau’s kitchen to yours! With the thought of “expressing herself” in mind, the gourmet queen Asha penned her book, Nouvelle Indian Cuisine, which officially released on 30th November 2017.
“The book was a great way to express, what I believe is my unique style of cooking. I was not worried about what people would think. I played around with flavors, had fun, experimented, and at the end of it, tried to bring the world together on a plate” saidAsha Khatau
Ms. Anuradha Paudwal said “Asha ji is family, she is like a little sister to me. She has done a great job in this book. I would also like to thank Amruta ji for removing some time from her hectic schedule & marking her gracious presence on our request. I wanted the best lady for the launch of this book. This book is not special just for its content but also the fact that she has entered her 60th year makes it even more special. As far as Amruta ji is concerned, all I can I say is that we have the very best lady as or the first lady, we are proud of you”
Chef Vicky Ratnani said “Definitely this book must go international because there are many people around the world who aspire to cook Indian food. I think the kind of dishes this book has are very trendy easy to make at home. This book is fabulous and one day I will surely cook these recipes”
Nouvelle Indian Cuisine by Asha Khatau, the latest book in The Best of Epicure series, Nouvelle Indian Cuisine by Asha Khatau, is a modern and experimental approach to traditional Indian cuisine.
Nouvelle Indian cuisine, which was inspired by French nouvelle cuisine, began over a decade ago and is now on its way to becoming mainstream. The hallmarks of this cuisine are dishes plated aesthetically in a modern style that are also lighter on the palate.
The recipes featured in this book use the best of traditional Indian flavours while combining them with modern culinary trends. In other words, Indian food prepared with western sensibilities and a modern style of plating and serving making it distinctively unique.
With over hundred delicious recipes to choose from, this book is sure to please the gourmets, foodies, and the young generation. These recipes are easy to master and equally impressive.
About Asha Khatau- Asha Khatau is a well-known figure in the field of gourmet vegetarian cooking. After twenty years of experience in providing memorable meals for her family and friends, Asha was persuaded to start her own cooking classes about eighteen years ago, which run under the name of ‘Epicure’. The classes feature regional cuisines from all over the world. She has also conducted cooking demonstration all over India as well as different parts of the world. During her extensive travels in India and abroad, she makes it a point to visit local bazaars and restaurants to taste authentic flavours and ingredients.
The success of her cooking classes inspired her to write her first book The Best of Epicure’s Vegetarian Cuisines of the World, which was awarded the ‘Best Vegetarian Book in the World’, at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2002, considered to be the Oscars of the cookery world, in the cookbook category.
She has delivered ten more books so far and each one of them is super-successes. Her book, Delectable Desserts of the World, has received an honorable mention at the World Media Awards 2006 in the Best Foreign Cookbook in the World category. Exciting Vegetarian Cuisines of the World placed her among the ‘Top Ten Chefs in the World’ for her research on vegetarian cuisines, at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards at Paris Book Fair 2011.
At a show celebrating 20 years of Gourmand World Cookbook Awards it was announced that Asha’s first book Vegetarian Cuisines of the World was chosen as one of the ‘Top 20 Books in the World’ and is amongst the ‘Best of the Best in the World’.
Her latest activity includes consulting to eminent caterers and restaurants in Mumbai, for menu planning as well as training people in international cuisines, designed to client needs. Her cookery videos are now available on YouTube. She also volunteers at SPJ Sadhana School and Om Creations.
Kingdom of Dreams, the first to introduce a unique, Broadway style theatre in the country are now taking it a step ahead. KoD has now added four new shows to their schedule, which are performed on ice. Called ‘Theatre on Ice’, the first performance is on the childhood fantasy tale, Alice in Wonderland. Ice Vision, a troupe from St. Petersburg, Russia, is bringing the theatrical extravaganza to life. Ice Vision is famous for their unique style of performance and has worked with leading music composers like Gennadiy Gladkov and Alexsey Rybinkov. The troupe consists of more than 25 actors and stars, known world-wide like Alexey Urmanov, Irina Slutskaya etc.
We caught a preview of this musical extravaganza, and have to say that the performances, the choreography, the graphics and the way entire show was put up demands an applause. The hardworking that has gone into making it a success is evident when you see the show. The entire show is performed on ice where in the artists are wearing ice skates. Wearing ice skates, and gliding on the snow as they act and dance in itself is a treat to watch.With a healthy mix of projections and props, the performers told us the tale of Alice and her adventures in Wonderland.
Speaking about the new shows, Mr. Anumod Sharma, MD, Kingdom of Dreams said, “We are proud to bring such unique art form to India. Performance on Ice needs a lot of practice and precision and the ICE Vision does it brilliantly. Such story telling is being performed for the first time and we can’t wait for the audiences to come and experience this grand performance. It is something the audiences will never forget.”
The troupe will also perform 3 other stories namely, ‘Dracula – The story of eternal love’ , ‘Arabian Nights’ and ‘Nutcracker and lord of the darkness’.
“We always give our audiences something unique and artistic. The Theatre on Ice is another one of our attempts to live up to our reputation off being pioneers in promoting Broadway style shows,” Sharma added.
Speaking about the performance, a member of Ice Vision said ‘ We are excited and thrilled to perform in India and looking forward to an amazing experience. We have performed in a lot of countries but never in India before. We hope we get a great response from the audience and look forward to receiving some great Indian hospitality”.
These shows will be added to the current schedule of Kingdom of Dreams. Zangoora and Jumbo will continue to be performed. The Theatre on Ice shows will be performed only for a limited period at the Nautanki Mahal. So please make the most of it while it snows.. don’t forget to watch these timeless tales in a new avatar and enjoy these moments with family and friends.
“If the criminal was once a saint and the saint was once a criminal, then who is a criminal and who is a saint?”
Some lines just hook you, isn’t it.. these lines printed at the back cover of this book made an instant connection with me, and all I wanted to do was grab the book, a cup of coffee and just sit down in leisure to read through it, and thats exactly what I did.
Based on true events of the mishaps in Kashmir, its one of the most sensitive books I have ever read in regards to Kashmir and the issue people face there. Though the start of the book is slow and doesn’t go as expected, but if you manage to hold on for sometime, the book starts gripping you and taking a very enthralling shape.
The three main protagonists tie you in an emotional tale and take you through the ups and downs of both their relationships and life in general. How they meet after 20 years after their respective lives have been shattered, makes for an interesting yet sensitive read. From being a beautiful valley to a bloodshed valley of unpredictable circumstances, the author has beautifully captured the essence of Kashmir. Reading the book one can very well imagine and relate to the changes Kashmir has gone through over a period of time and also how it has affected the lives of people who once lived there or still continue to.
Unlike the beginning, you may find the climax of the book little rushed up, especially when the story shifts its base to Bombay. The ending also may seem slightly filmy, but yet the overall experience of reading this book has been a pleasant one. Though a work of fiction, but one knows exactly when the author has depicted true events. Normally the books that I have read in past which focus on Kashmir miseries, haven’t encapsulated a story in them, they have been pure work of true incidents much like documentaries, but this book by Sanchit, will satiate both your needs as a reader. It will give you a beautiful and emotional story to connect with and also give you a gruesome insight into the realities of Kashmir.
Music for me is something that soothes my soul, it sets me free, lifts up my mood and helps me unwind in the most relaxing manner.
Music doesn’t provide just entertainment, but also has lots of positive effects on our health. I came across this wonderful article on Music for Well Being: 11 Positive Effects of Music on Health.
The daily commute to and from work is not something any of us look forward to. It’s lost time; time that could be better spent at work, or enjoying leisure activities at home. It’s dealing with the annoying behaviour of other commuters, the pushing and shoving, the being forced to sit too close to someone you don’t know. It’s a miserable experience, but one that we have to put up with if we want to be able to do our jobs.
It therefore makes sense to consider the potential for making the commute as enjoyable as possible — or, at least, as bearable as possible. If this is something you’re always going to be forced to do, then turning to technology could be the difference-maker that takes you from mild irritation to as-pleasant-as-possible commuting experience.
So what do you need to ensure the time you spend travelling to and from the office is as good as it can possibly be?
1) Smartphone Games That Don’t Require A Data Connection
If your commute is around 30 minutes each way, then relying on a data connection as a means to entertain yourself is going to get expensive – fast. Browsing the web and social media is how most of us spend our commute, but an hour per day of such browsing is an unnecessary expense.
Instead, turn to smartphone games that you don’t need to be connected to the internet to play. Put your phone in airplane mode and play to your heart’s content, without having to worry about running up a huge data bill.
2) Headphones (That Won’t Annoy Your Fellow Commuters)
Anyone who has ever been on public transport knows how irritating it can be to be forced to listen to the music of someone else. So if you’d rather zone out to music during your commute, you need to ensure that you’re not going to be one of those annoying commuters. Investing in a good set of best wireless Bluetooth headphones is a good first step, but it’s also worth promising yourself to keep the volume at a reasonable level.
At the very least, having a good option for listening to your own music means you’re going to be able to drown out the music of someone else if necessary!
Smartphone batteries are terrible; this has been acknowledged, explained, debated, and discussed for years now. Given that we seem to have reached a peak point of performance when it comes to battery life, you’re going to need to ensure that you can keep your phone powered through your commutes. After all, if your phone is going to be your main source of entertainment during the daily work travel, then the last thing you want is for it to run out and leave you stuck with nothing to do.
Portable power banks have been around for a few years now, but they still have huge variances in their quality and durability. As a general rule, opt for a larger bank – around 20,000mAh should suffice – so you can be sure of multiple top-ups, just in case you forget to recharge it every night.
So while commuting is never going to be your favourite activity, the above should make it a little easier to deal with!
Podcasts can be considered another type of blogging, and can be just as full time. Everyone can make their own podcasts nowadays about anything they love or find interesting. Yet even when you’re blogging you’re going to need some essential equipment, so it’s the same for going bigger with your recording activities. It can often feel like a closer way of interacting with your audience, and your friends and family as well as you can invite on special guests. So feel free to run your own podcast, but what technology do you need to record and edit your own audio show?
There’s three staple things you’ll need to create a podcast worthy of upload:
A Good Microphone
If your computer comes with a built in microphone, you can use that to start off with. However, if you want something more durable and long term, USB microphones make the whole recording loop a lot easier to monitor. This is because you’ll often be able to see the sound levels in wave format on your screen.
If you need some comparisons for the best models, look here, and keep an eye out for entry level microphones as they’ll be best to start and get to grips with. Microphones don’t have to be necessarily complicated however, but are a little bit of an investment so it’s good to know what you’re buying.
A Recording Device
Use your own computer or have an external method of recording. It’s often easier to just use your computer’s built in software if you have nothing else and want to get started straightaway. However, this does mean your files will be harder to find and more easily corrupted as computers are not specialised for this activity long term.
Invest in an external device if you want to try making a podcast long term. These devices will keep your files safe in a format that’s ready to edit, like a WAV. file. They also won’t corrupt your data with trying to store it in a compatible way after being recorded.
Reliable Editing Software
Editing software can be found at many places across the web, but make sure you’re downloading a safe file, and that your software is easy for you to use. You could try something like audacity, which is easy to get to grips with and is completely free.
If you’re confident with what you do, you can use a mixer for your post production effects. These can be used to make a show intro if you’re so inclined, and can create some special effects if you have a themed show or want to dabble in the art of audio mixing.
Creating your own podcast couldn’t be easier with the modern world. Everyone can be their own mini celebrity with online culture, and as long as you have a few listeners you’re in business and everyone can make their own podcasts nowadays about anything they love or find interesting, especially with the help of Music Critic’s Top 10 Best DAW Recording Software of 2018 review for new software for recording! Of course it can always be done for yourself, as it’s another blogging platform, and is a good way to express your creative freedom.
Pelican Entertainment brought to the city the play, Namaste Jai Shree Krishna on 02.09.17 at the Pearey Lal Bhawan, New Delhi.
The play directed by veteran theatre and movie artist K K Raina who also enacts along with the irrepressible Ila Arun and ably supported by Aditi Sharma, Ashutosh Pandit and Abhishek Pandey is a hilarious take on the conflict between old traditions and the emerging values of the new generation.
It takes you skillfully and humorously through the continuous conflict of the old and the new. It takes you through the journey of the youth not ready to accept old ideologies readily and the old not accepting the progressive view point of the youth.
The play takes you through a gamut of emotions from philosophy to humor to laughter to sadness and nostalgic at times.
The cast deserves a special applaud for bringing on each and every emotion beautifully across. A really rivetting play which makes you laugh and think at the same time. And the best part is that you just can’t stop applauding.
A treat for the theater lover. Not to be missed at any cost.
Aditya Chauhan, CEO, Pelican Entertainment said, “Theatre is that moon in my past which will glitter throughout my life no matter what profession I pursue. It is something that will help you to explore your personality better and I guess this could also be the reason that people after doing theater even for once can never really get detached of it.”
Keerthisinghe is a Sri Lankan by origin and is an Entrepreneur, Speaker, Politician, and T.V. Presenter based in India.
He is a firm believer in God and holds great knowledge of Buddhist philosophy.
Having lost his father at the tender age of eight he faced numerous challenges in life and despite his adverse circumstances managed to enter the University of Colombo and graduated as a Bachelor of Law and became a professional lawyer in 2000.
He became an early rupee millionaire and then lost it all.
Being the fighter that he is, his quest has not ended despite going through many failures.
He had firm belief in God and his own never say die attitude to rise again n again. He went through personal and professional set backs always to bounce back even defying death.
The Book as the name suggests is a work of art, a seriously motivational book with a nice and refreshing outlook to really inspire you to achieve your dreams.
A simple narrative interspersed with some truly inspiring stories and personal experiences gives you an ample window to look through the Author’s up and down journey and his strong will and belief in the Almighty to cross all hurdles and move towards the Goal. The book really takes you on a roller coaster ride and leaves you infused with positive energy and high spirit. One gets a sense of belief and feel all charged up to take on the world.
An absolute cracker of a book for all. Very Inspiring. Very Motivational. An absolute must read.
Grab your copy now, you will not regret your buy.
Its available on Amazon for Rs 270/- for paperback.
