Mumbai, July 6 (IANS) Veteran Bollywood star and diva Zeenat Aman took a stroll down memory lane, recalling her school days after posting a picture of herself dressed as a “70+ schoolgirl.”

Zeenat took to Instagram and shared a picture of herself in a long black cotton dress paired with a white full-sleeve shirt.

The actress completed her look with sunglasses, black socks, and Mary Jane heels.

For the caption, Zeenat shared an anecdote from her school days.

“A friend of mine likes to joke that a wonderful childhood only sets you up for disappointment later in life. They’re being silly, of course, but there is a grain of truth in the statement. If those early years are filled with love, insulated from cruelty, and soaked in camaraderie, the inevitable realities of adulthood can come as a shock!”

The actress added that, despite being separated from her school days by many decades, the memories remain clear.

“Don’t we all know someone who was the very best version of themself in school, and then struggled uncharacteristically later on? I am separated from my schooldays by so many decades, but the memories remain sublime.”

The 72-year-old star reminisced about playing hockey, picking strawberries, and being called to the parlour.

“Playing hockey on tableland (I was usually the goalie), strawberry-picking field trips to Mahabaleshwar, clandestine midnight feasts in our dorm, the thrill of being called to the “parlour” because I had a visitor (usually mummy and uncle Heinz, laden with tuck)… there must have been squabbles and gossip too, but truth be told I can’t remember a single slight from those years,” she said.

She praised her school’s routine and discipline.

“St. Joseph’s was run by the Daughters of the Cross and they were wonderful, compassionate and firm mentors. Routine and discipline were paramount and this rigour advices my work ethic till date.”

The actress talked about growing innocently wayward in her teens.

“In my teens, when I grew innocently wayward – sneaking out of campus to go to town with my friends and other such antics – they countered in the most delightful way. Instead of punishing me, they gave me more respect and responsibility! It was an invite to rise that I happily accepted.”

Zeenat also spoke about making international friends at her school.

“My school friends came from an international milieu. Girls from India, Australia, the Middle East… I’ve lost touch with them all, but such a diverse crowd taught me so much about respecting differences and finding commonalities.”

She concluded, “So! Here I am dressed as a 70+ schoolgirl, and asking to hear your defining boarding school memories.”

–IANS

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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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