Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Ahead of ‘World Biryani Day’, celebrity chef Harpal Singh Sokhi has shared some biryani cooking hacks taught to him by Ustad Habib Pasha, emphasising that it is one dish that represents the country.

Harpal, who is part of the show ‘Laughter Chefs’, shared: “I think biryani is a complete food in itself. It’s a one-pot meal with protein, carbs, and the right kind of flavours. Biryani is one dish that represents India very well and is a well-sought-after dish across the country.”

“Each state or place has its own flavour depending on how they have adapted themselves to biryani. So it is, in a way, I think, the perfect dish that represents Indian culture and the country itself,” he added.

When asked about a specific biryani hack, the chef said; “Few cooking hacks that Ustad Habib Pasha taught me is that biryani is actually mutton biryani. There is no other biryani, I don’t think so. Chicken is more like a pulao. It never existed in the early days. The first cooking hack that Habib Pasha taught me was, ‘you need to select the right kind of meat and marinate it with dry spices, and you actually have to kind of hammer them by lifting the meat up’.”

“After mixing the dry spices, you have to lift the meat up and throw it back into the pot. This thumping, which keeps happening for at least 20-25 minutes, breaks up the protein structure of the meat and adds to the cooking time. And the second thing Habib Pasha would do is, when he would cook the rice, he would add a little bit of milk to it. This would brighten up the basmati rice and add to the end flavour and consistency of the biryani,” he said.

Harpal continued, “He would also always say, chef, you need to boil the water with shahi jeera and add salt to it. And the salt taste of the water should be higher so that the rice absorbs the right kind of salt in it. And then the end product gets the right taste of salt. It is not salty, but it brings in the right taste of salt. And that is the most important. Layering of Biryani should be such that the end product gets you a fluffy rice Biryani.”

The chef added: “I learnt to make Biryani in Nizam’s kitchen. It is the epitome of perfection. The true Biryani, in my opinion, comes from the Hyderabadi tradition. Begum Mumtaz Khan taught me the art of using spices. The Hyderabadi Biryani stands out because it has just the right amount of spices, providing great flavour without being overpowering, unlike the Awadhi or Calcutta Biryanis.”

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Actor and DJ Ali Merchant shared his thoughts on changing career paths and reminisced about his days of struggle, including when he had to sell his car because he could not afford the EMI.

Ali shared: “I had to sell my car as I couldn’t afford the EMI, and there was a point when I had only 50k left in my account and all my savings were over. It impacted me very badly in the short term, but I dedicated 3-4 years to learning music theory and DJing.”

The actor, known for his roles in shows such as ‘Amber Dhara’, ‘Saat Phere: Saloni Ka Safar’, ‘Looteri Dulhan’, and ‘Hum Ne Li Hai- Shapath’, is set to make his Bollywood debut in a film produced by Faizuddin Siddiqui.

Ali said he “kept going to see different theater plays to unlearn all that I had learned in TV and to learn new forms of acting.”

Ali also shared the most significant lessons he learned from taking that risk and how those lessons have shaped his approach to decision-making.

“The most significant lesson I learned was to always do what your heart says because that’s going to be long-term. The mind will always put you in doubt, leading you to choose a safer decision. In performing arts, always follow your heart.”

The actor discussed the specific moment when he felt the risk he took was about to pay off or, conversely, when he thought it might lead to failure.

Ali shared: “When I started doing well in DJing and was traveling a lot — over 250+ flights each year — I learned about different cultures and observed people in different cities. This helped me understand the art of realistic acting much better.”

“Watching a lot of world cinema helped me connect the dots, and when I finished my first film, I felt my decision to leave TV was right. It gave me immense satisfaction as an artist. Now, I am eagerly waiting for the release so I can continue working on nice projects and approach the people I want to work with smoothly.”

–IANS

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Los Angeles, July 6 (IANS) Hollywood actor Kevin Bacon stepped outside in disguise to experience life as a “regular person” and realised it is not fun without being recognised.

The 65-year-old actor shared his experience in a Vanity Fair article titled ‘Kevin Bacon Spent a Day as a Regular Person’.

Bacon told the magazine: “I’m not complaining, but I have a face that’s pretty recognisable.”

“Putting my hat and glasses on is only going to work to a certain extent. I went to a special effects makeup artist, had consultations, and asked him to make me a prosthetic disguise,” he added.

After wearing fake teeth, a new nose, and glasses, the actor headed to a shopping mall in Los Angeles and was initially thrilled, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Bacon said: “Nobody recognised me.”

However, Bacon soon regretted his decision.

The actor said: “People were kind of pushing past me, not being nice. Nobody said, ‘I love you’. I had to wait in line to, I don’t know, buy a ******* coffee or whatever. I was like, this *****. I want to go back to being famous.”

The actor revealed that he always wanted to be famous after seeing his father regularly getting recognised in public.

Bacon said: “In terms of giving credit to my parents, and of course, I give all the credit to them, my mother was very much on the artistic side and really encouraged acting.”

“My brother was a musician, but in general, among the six of us (children), they both encouraged as much creativity as possible in everything — dance, music, theatre, painting, sculpture, whatever. My father was famous in Philadelphia, which in some ways is a small pond, but for me, it was a big pond.”

“I saw him get recognised by people when he would walk down the street, and seeing that was definitely a big driving force in my life. Frankly, I wanted to be more famous than him. And you can lay me down on the shrink’s couch. We could talk about that for a while. But it was definitely a motivator,” he added.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Actress Amruta Khanvilkar, who is sharing screen space with Sharib Hashmi in the upcoming suspense and mystery thriller ’36 Days’, shared how there was an instant spark of camaraderie between them during an award show.

Interestingly, their connection dates back to 2021, when Amruta presented Sharib with his first-ever OTT Award. Now, the actor-duo stars as a reel-life couple in ’36 Days’.

Ahead of the series’ release, Amruta opened up about her experience joining forces with Sharib on screen after instantly hitting it off with him at an award function in 2021.

Recalling the event, Amruta shared: “We first connected at an OTT Awards, and there was an instant spark of camaraderie. Presenting Sharib with his first OTT Award was such a proud moment because I knew then what a talented and dedicated actor he is.”

“Sharib’s dedication to his craft is truly inspiring, and being able to collaborate with him on ’36 Days’ has been an incredible experience. Our characters, Lalita and Vinod, have a complex and intense relationship, and bringing that to life alongside him has been both challenging and fulfilling,” said Amruta.

The actress further added: “It’s not often that you find a co-star who elevates your performance, but with Sharib, that’s exactly what happened. I’m excited for the audience to witness the chemistry and emotional intensity we’ve brought to the series.”

In ’36 Days’, Sharib portrays Vinod Shinde, the general manager at Hotel Emerald Oceans Star Suites in Goa. Amruta essays the role of Lalita, a complex character shaped by a tumultuous past and a relentless pursuit of luxury and status, leading her into morally ambiguous situations.

’36 Days’ also stars Neha Sharma, Purab Kohli, Sushant Divgikar, Shruti Seth, and Chandan Roy Sanyal, among others.

Set against the serene backdrop of a well-off suburban housing estate in Goa, the series unfolds with the discovery of a murder, setting off a chain of events that unravel the hidden secrets of the seemingly perfect neighbourhood.

’36 Days’ will premiere on Sony LIV on July 12.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Actress and lyricist Gunjan Saini, who is known for her work in the series ‘Gutar Gu’, shared how social media is a great platform for artists like her, calling it a game changer if used in the right way.

Speaking about the same, Gunjan said: “Instagram has given me a lot of recognition. People who come to my shows are usually my followers who have been with me for a long time. Social media is a game-changer if you use it the right way. It has helped me a lot, and through Instagram, I met my partner.”

Gunjan’s relatability and connection to her content have been key to her success. She is known for sharing viral videos on social media.

“Recently, I wrote about middle-class kids, and it crossed four million views. You have to strategise a lot about what is relatable. I also posted a reel about the T20 World Cup, which was also well received,” said Gunjan, who has 206K followers on Instagram.

‘Shukriyaa’ is one of her most viral pieces of content.

Talking about the same, Gunjan said: ” ‘Shukriyaa’ crossed 25-26 million views and one million shares, which is huge for my page. The thought was that I believe being grateful is everything, and it can help you achieve more in life.”

However, she acknowledges that writing content for social media can be challenging.

“Being relatable and unique is a challenge. Everyone is trying to be relatable, so you have to find a way to be unique, which can be tricky at times. When you brainstorm and focus on what your audience wants, it becomes easier to create content.”

On the work front, Gunjan played the role of Pari in the teen drama television series ‘Gutar Gu’. Created and directed by Saqib Pandor and produced by Achin Jain and Guneet Monga under Sikhya Entertainment, it stars Ashlesha Thakur as Ritu and Vishesh Bansal as Anuj.

The show also features Satish Ray, Meenal Kapoor, Harsh Khurana, Shubham Kumar, Tushar Shahi, Aarrian Sawant, and Sambhavi Sthapak in pivotal roles.

The show is streaming on Amazon miniTV.

–IANS

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