*Nagpur:* A Bhubaneswar-Mumbai GoAir flight was diverted to Nagpur following a phone call warning of a bomb on board, said the airline in a statement on Saturday.The flight G8-243 with 150 passengers aboard had taken off from Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar at 8.20 a.m. and after getting the bomb threat was diverted to Nagpur in Maharashtra where it landed at 9.29 a.m.
The GoAir Bhubaneswar office informed police. All passengers were deplaned and a thorough security check was carried out but no bomb was found inside the aircraft, said the statement from GoAir.
After the relevant security clearances, the aircraft was permitted to depart at noon for the onward flight of the private carrier to Mumbai.
A Delhi bound Indigo flight was also checked, which was about to take off from Bhubaneswar airport following repeated phone calls from an unidentified person in the morning.
Bhubaneswar airport director Sarad Kumar said: "The person made three phone calls to the airport manager stating that bombs have been planted in GoAir flight and Indigo flight. He also used slang words to the manager. Then we immediately landed the Mumbai bound flight at Nagpur and did a security check."
He said the Delhi bound Indigo flight was also thoroughly checked here, but nothing was found.
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*Aamir Khan* who has been shooting for his film 'Dangal' in New Delhi for the past few days had a special visitor on the set.
Unit hands were surprised to see former cricketer Virender Sehwag pay Aamir a visit. He was spotted carrying a box of laddoos specially made by his mom, Krishna, for Aamir.*Aamir Khan*
Considering that Mr Perfectionist has been bulking up for his role as a wrestler, there is no way Aamir could have said no to the laddoos.*Virendra Sehwag*
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jan/24-welfare-schemes_s.jpg*CONDITIONS APPLY: The friendship between Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray and CM Devendra Fadnavis is directly proportional to the benefits the partnership promises to reap*
Names of some of the schemes did not go down well with the opposition Congress party as five schemes out of eight had names that carried phrases with religious reference, including ‘Hinduhridaysamrat’ (the emperor of Hindu hearts), a term that also precedes late Thackeray’s name.
Reacting sharply, the Congress lodged a strong objection, saying that the practice of giving welfare schemes a religious tone was in violation of the Constitution and that it set a poor precedence in the democratic system. “The Congress will move the court if the government does not withdraw the names. We don’t object to naming the schemes after Thackeray, but we pity the Sena’s poor effort at using his name for reaching out to the masses in an absolute illegal manner,” said Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant.
Uddhav remarked at the Congress’ objection saying he wondered why “some people were upset with schemes being named after his late father”. Fadnavis skipped the point in his speech.
The CM’s studied silence is seen as an act of no interference in controversial decisions taken by the Sena leadership. The BJP thinks that the Sena should face embarrassment in case the court decides against nomenclature of the Sena schemes.
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Now, Hindi is a language that's still quite a bit alien to Nargis Fakhri, but now she has to contend with Marathi.
The Yankee sexy siren has been shooting with Riteish Deshmukh for Marathi filmmaker Ravi Jadhav's Bollywood debut, 'Banjo'.*Nargis Fakhri*
As most of the unit hands are Maharashtrians, Nargis is now hearing words like ho, nahi, bhaat and bhajee.*Riteish Deshmukh*
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*Priyanka Chopra* has begun shooting for a new season of her TV show, 'Quantico'.*Priyanka Chopra*
The unit is currently shooting in Montreal in Canada in sub zero temperatures.
The actress has been feeling the bone-chilling cold, but work commitments call.
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*Black Mirror*
The 2011 Brit show, which debuted on Netflix in 2015, has been a favourite with the critics. And it deals with something we should all be wary of. Each episode is about what could and would happen if technology and the ways we use it, go wrong. What happens if we create a social networking clone of a boyfriend who just died, or if you cheat on someone and your memories are accessible by a chip behind your ear? Watch to find out.
*I Zombie*
The plot for this one is improbable, crazy and that’s why, delightful. Olivia Moore turns into a zombie one mad party night, starts working at a morgue, tells her understanding boss about her dilemma so he lets her eat the brains of murder victims so she can stay alive. Thanks to the unusual meal choice, she inherits the victims’ personality traits and helps solve crimes. This zombie is a super hero!
*Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt *
It’s the typical tale of a naïve girl who comes to New York City to discover herself and love, just that, in this case, she has been rescued from a doomsday cult, and forced into living in an underground bunker for 15 years. Created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock, who together wrote 30Rock, it’s hilarious with Kimmy being genuinely goofy without being annoying like Zooey Deschanel in The New Girl. And the supporting cast is a treat as well.
*Narcos*
He may have been a dreaded drug lord, but the legend of Pablo Escobar is as compelling as it gets. And it makes for great storytelling. Directed by Brazilian filmmaker José Padilha, Narcos is about Escobar and the men, American DEA agents Steve Murphy and Javier Peña (played by Pedro Pascal who played the gorgeous Oberyn Martell in Game of Thrones), who are given the task of taking him down. It’s been touted for its performances, especially by Wagner Moura who plays the loathsome Escobar, who makes the man who rose to cult status selling cocaine, seem human and charming. Don’t miss it.
*M.A.S.H. *
It’s an oldie, but such a goodie. The good hearted doctors of M.A.S.H, who try and make the best of a depressing situation, are stationed at the 4077th Mobile Army Surgical Hospital in Uijeongbu, South Korea, during the Korean War. It deals with serious issues in such a charming way that you will be smiling all the way through. Though Alan Alda as Captain Benjamin Franklin “Hawkeye” Pierce and Mike Farrell as BJ Hunnicutt are reason enough too.
*Bob’s Burgers*
For all you animated sitcom lovers, Bob’s Burgers is a must-watch. It’s the story of the Belcher family trying to run a burger joint in New York. It’s got a loyal following, thanks to its well-sketched-out characters and witty writing. Bob’s biggest rival is Jimmy Pesto’s Pizzeria, and the family deals with other kinks like their troublesome landlord. But, they rally through and it’s a lot of laughs.
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Parveen Dusanj, now Mrs Kabir Bedi, looks every inch a new bride when we meet her on a Thursday morning at her Juhu residence, which she shares with the 70-year-old actor. Dressed in a vibrant yellow kurta, chuda on her wrists and sindoor on her forehead, she says, "It's important to my Punjabi mother that I wear this."*Parveen Dusanj, 42, married Kabir Bedi, 70, after 11 years, and was attacked on Twitter by Bedi’s daughter, Pooja. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar*
She is warm, welcoming and happy — far from the wicked stepmother of fairytales Bedi's 45-year-old daughter Pooja, accused her of being on Twitter the day she got married. Looking around the room, she tells us the bouquets haven't stopped coming since she married Bedi on January 15 after an 11-year-long relationship. This is Bedi's fourth marriage. Pooja is his daughter from first wife and late Odissi danseuse Protima Bedi.
*Also read: Kabir Bedi slams daughter Pooja Bedi for 'venomous comments' against his wife**Parveen Dusanj at the Juhu residence she shares with husband Kabir Bedi. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar*
"Just for the record," Dusanj says, referring to Pooja's tweet which she later deleted, (Deleted the last tweet on my dad @iKabirBedi 4th marriage. Let's keep things positive. I Wish him the best !!!), "the rift between Pooja and Kabir has nothing to do with me. I am being made a scapegoat."
Then why is she malligning her? "Is this interview going to be about Pooja, because I am not one to name call," she says, brusquely before choosing to speak her heart.
"It was Kabir's 70th birthday on January 16. His son Adam [from his second wife, British-born fashion designer Susan Humphreys] and his wife Melissa came down from Los Angeles, his sisters were there and my whole family was down from London too. Since Kabir had asked me to marry him on bended knee at the Spanish Steps in Rome almost five years ago, and I had said yes then, we decided to make everyone happy, and take the plunge spontaneously. Though we didn't need to... We were happy just the way we were."
Dusanj is disappointed that Pooja isn't coming around despite the others embracing her. "If one person wants to rain on my parade, I choose to ignore it. It's hurtful, of course, but I have been raised to be grateful for what I have, and that is helping me ignore this."
Dusanj at 42 is younger than Pooja, who is 45. Could "youthful rivalry" be the reason they don't get along?
"I don't know how old she is… I choose to live in my cocoon and not focus on the negatives. When people aren't happy in their own lives…" she says, leaving the sentence hanging.
It's possible that Dusanj gets her resilience from her mother who raised five children in London as single parent. "She was a superwoman, and I was born in the Margaret Thatcher years — when women's empowerment was supreme. On top of that, I had a grandfather who treated men and women alike, and told us we all had to be Lion's Hearts. That's how I've been brought up."
Although, in India, she is always been known as Kabir Bedi's "partner" since she was spotted in the media in 2008 when the two moved back from Italy. Dusanj who has a political science degree from the University of London, was quite the high flier back at home. She wanted to be a politician, but when she realised she didn't have the requisite personality for it, she worked as consultant for the UK government on social change. "When your work gets noticed, you get to do bigger and better things."
It was then that she was invited to be on Britain's Racial Equality Council as board member, and later founded Tamana productions, an all-women drama group, with the aim of lending a voice to women on social issues. She met Bedi a decade ago at a screening of his play, The Far Pavillions in London, and was introduced to him later at a party. "He was asking me too many questions and was very attentive. But the real clincher was when he told me he was off to an island in Scotland, and I asked him if it was the 'Holy Island'. He said, 'how did you know?' That island was on my [travelling] wish list. There are silent Buddhist retreats there. At that point, I realised he was a very interesting man."
*Also read: Pooja Bedi calls stepmother Parveen Dusanj evil and wicked!*
We ask what she has been up to since. "Oh, you mean since Kabir whisked me here? We launched the production house, Bedi Media. We have just launched his Italian show, 'Sandokan', through it. Plus, there is a script that's going to be made into a movie. I am also working on a documentary in Punjab, chronicling the journey of three generations of women of the same family and their trials."
Could kicking off social change in India be on her agenda to change an image of a famous man's wife? "Maybe. I haven't done myself any favour by not talking about what I have done in the past. In the UK, I used to be invited to show as a social commentator. I do have a mind," she laughs.
When she does work for society, that too will be silently, she says. "But right now, I am comfortable being Kabir's partner. I don't want more. He empowers me every day. I am just grateful for that."http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jan/Aditya-Kat-s.jpg
*Aditya Roy Kapur* and *Katrina Kaif* were spotted at a suburban studio in the city.*Aditya Roy Kapur and Katrina Kaif*
The actress was sporting a multi-coloured pleated skirt and cold-shoulder top.
We quite like the off duty but classy look that can easily translate from day to night wear.
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With dreamy looks and steamy bodies, it's surprising that several popular television actors are still enjoying singledom. But maybe that's what makes it even more fun. It would be interesting to find out how their single mind functions. And as we all know, it's not easy to date in the glamour industry, with all eyes on their every move. hitlist talks to telly town's hottest stars to find out their views about what are the best and worst things about being famous and single.
*Harshita Gaur (Featuring in 'Sadda Haq')
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On being single:* You don't have to worry about unseeing anybody.
*The downside:* You can't fall into someone's arms and show them your weak points.
*Pick-up line:* I may sound clichéd, but I am too shy to use a pick-up line on someone. When I was in class 10, and holidaying in Mussoorie, my lips were badly chapped. I was asking everyone around if they had a lip balm. A guy approached me, rubbed his thumb on his lips and then asked me if I wanted balm for my lips!
*First date:* I don't want it to be a typical romantic date, but it has to be fun.
I want to go out, play games, or go on a trek. Going to a restaurant and the candle-light dinner is not my scene.
*To kiss or not:* No, not for me. If you give time to things that tempt you, they become more interesting.
*Nia Sharma (Acting in 'Jamai Raja')
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On being single:* I have been single for far too long, but it gives you freedom. There is no baggage and you can do whatever you want. Guys are always possessive about their girlfriends and have an opinion on how they dress. Considering that I like to dress wild, I am sure it would have been an issue if I was dating someone. There is no one to impose any bans on you.
*The downside:* You want someone to care for you, ask you if you ate or not, tweak your mood, but right now I am my own boyfriend.
*Pick-up line:* I am not that flirtatious, but I had once told someone that he had nice lips, and he blushed. People often compliment me on my figure.
*First date:* I want to go on a long drive with loud music, away from the city, and be with the person. The idea is to get to know each other and to spend time together.
*To kiss or not: * If I am going on date with someone, obviously I am attracted to him, so why do the drama of 'oh-don't kiss me'. It has to happen eventually, then why not on the first date?
*Shravan Reddy (Shooting for 'Krishnadasi')
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On being single:* It's great as I can sleep around. I can sleep all over my bed — left, right, centre... wherever. And, of course, I save money.
*The downside:* All my guy friends are scared of me and find reasons not to get their girlfriends to chill when I am around.
*Pick up line:* Once I happened to compliment a girl at the gym, and told her, “You work out like a man” since she lifted heavy weights. But I don't know if she liked what I said or was offended. This was once used on me, “Are you religious? You are the answer to my prayers.”
*First date:* No formalities. Let's get down to business.
*To kiss or not:* Absolutely.
*Siddhant Karnick (Working in 'Ek Tha Raja Ek Thi Rani')
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On being single: *I'm not single or dating as I'm married to my job. I am in a
relationship with myself. Fame allows me to get to know myself better as my experiences are enhanced.
*The downside:* It's good to have someone to share your ups and downs with. It's nice to bounce your thoughts off someone who would be your closest and best critic and most non-judgmental listener. By not having someone, you miss out on those intimate moments of joy and accomplishments.
*Pick-up line:* They are for the movies and those 'slapped in-your face' experiences. They never worked for me. I've always been about conversations. I'm still waiting for that one line which will knock me off my socks or shorts.
*First date:* Completely impulsive and organic. Those are always the best
*To kiss or not:* Sure! It saves a lot of beating around the bush (pun intended).
*Gautam Rode (Currently seen in 'Suryaputra Karn')
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On being single:* As I shoot in Umbergaon, near Valsad in Gujarat, I can only be dating my work. I believe it is best to be single as you get a lot of attention from everyone. Also, I can devote all my time towards work.
*The downside:* There are days when I do not feel like socialising or meeting friends. I'd like to go home and spend quality time with a partner — that is definitely missed.
*Pick-up line:* I've never used pick-up lines. I don't think they work at all. It's better to strike a conversation and be yourself.
This was used on me, “Please give me a missed call!”
*First date:* It should be casual over a cup of coffee. Just be yourself, have a good conversation and see if the wavelengths match.
*To kiss or not:* I don't know about cool or not cool, but it's definitely a little too early. I believe the two individuals need to first match their sensibilities, see if they feel attracted towards each other in terms of intellect and whether they are compatible or not. Physical intimacy should come at a later stage in a relationship.
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"Last week, a customer called saying he wanted to check if we could make a salad he’d tried in Germany," says chef Ajay Chopra, founder of Mumbai-based home-cooking kits Burgandy Box. This particular salad had watercress lettuce in it, an ingredient that Chopra is glad is easily available in the city.*The no-carb spaghetti on the Craft menu boasts noodles made of grated raw papaya. It is their fastest-selling item. Natural flavour of food is 2016’s big trend, says Romil Ratra*
The caller here isn’t alone in his interest in trying to locate a vegetable he liked. "People want to know what they are eating, where is it grown and how has it been treated. For the last 10 years, there has been a focus on local and seasonal produce in the West, which has also popularised the farm-to-table concept.*The output from First Agro’s 85 acre-farm in Narsipur Taluk, Mysore district, is 60-62 tonnes per harvest. Of this, 85 per cent is sold in Bengaluru, and the remaining produce goes to Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Kochi*
While every chef or restaurant cannot own farms, there are dedicated people who are doing a good job," says Chopra, who admits that India is yet to see a rise of farmers thinking out of the box. "Today, glocal produce (global crop grown locally), is abundant, and chefs are widely planning menus around it. For example, if there is fresh edamame, or a strain of roma tomatoes, I make sure they are on my menu. I am in touch with my supplier to know what crop is coming up, too."*Ajay Chopra*
What Chopra doesn’t agree with is the demand for all vegetables year-round. "Our mothers never made gobi in the summers. It is not good for the digestive system. Similarly, gajar ka halwa is for winters. I am consciously adopting the methodology of desi khana."*Nameet M, First Agro*
The art of plating and serving good-looking dishes is another reason vegetables, which come in all shapes and sizes, in different hues and textures, are the heroes of the dish today. Abhijit Saha of Bengaluru-based Avant Garde Hospitality, says, "It is our habit to follow the West, but weren't vegetables always the central focus for Indians? Now, we are seeing them in a new light. Or, should I say colour? " he laughs.
Saha, who owns restaurants Caperberry and Fava in Bengaluru, has been hosting a Veggies Chic festival for six years at caper. "We make every dish out of vegetables. For example, we once did a deconstructed vegetable paya in the form of a sushi," he says, adding, "Veggies and greens are versatile as they don’t not have sugar. People are beginning to scan and learn, and there is a balance in the demand-supply chain. Edible flowers and microgreens add excitement and freshness to the plate. They help create drama. For example, air drying vegetables can create crunchy chips. Vegetables are used to create rubs, coarse sauces, herbs."
Director at Craft, a deli at Phoenix Kurla Marketcity, Romil Ratra has a curious mind, and is always on the lookout for suppliers who take pride in their craft "Today, the palate wants to taste the vegetable. Diners don’t like too much spice and masala, which kills the purpose of eating vegetables. For this, we grow our own microgreens. Pluck them fresh, don’t store pesto but make it fresh for every order. The natural flavour of food is the trend this year, and so our veggies and fruits become heroes. They can make or break a dish."
One such dish on his menu is the no-carb spaghetti. "Spiralised raw squash and carrot is our interpretation of the noodle. This is our fastest selling item — wholesome, fresh and healthy."
He is currently busy working on his upcoming project, an Asian bistro called ShizuSan in Pune. "Here, we are going a step further. We are creating maki rolls with whole edible flowers. They have a natural flavour and each part of delicious."
Source well
While vegetables may be supreme to the dish, the taste depends on the quality of the source. Farrokh Khambata, owner of South Mumbai's fine-dining restaurants Joss, Amadeus and Umame, heavily relies on his source.
"A chef is always looking for good produce and I am ready to pay a premium for quality. We have done it for a few vegetables like oyster mushrooms, asparagus, tomatoes and potatoes. We even source organic eggs. The taste of fine-dining food is cleaner. For example, we used to import our camembert from France. Last year, the person I source my vegetables from suggested that I try an organic version of cheese from a woman in Kodaikanal. It changed the final taste of my dish, making it finer," says Khambata.
While people are health conscious, another reason for vegetables getting the much-needed attention is the pesticide and water used. "It has become a thing of principle," says Khambata.
*Be the change*
In 2011, when Nameet M, a commercial pilot in Canada, moved base to Bengaluru, the first question he asked was what would he feed his pregnant wife and unborn child. "What was the guarantee that the food was organic, safe and had no pesticide?"
He co-founded First Agro, India’s first commercial farm that pioneered the zero pesticide method of growing crops. Nameet is also reviving lost strains, and has a seed bank of 1,000, stored in refrigerators at the farm.
A grassroots man, Nameet feels chefs don’t value produce. "Ask a chef what is codex alimentarius, and he will not have an answer. It is the global standard defined by the UN to prevent intercity dispute, suggests an acceptable pesticide residue level. If you heard that export mangoes were rejected last year, that’s because it crossed its maximum residue limit," he says.
"Did you know tomatoes can be black in colour, and the original colour of cucumbers is purple? In tomatoes, we grow roma, mini roma, san marzano, which is the king of Italian tomatoes, 15 types of cherry tomatoes. Our specialties are heirloom varieties — 200-500 years old lost varieties collected from seed collectors and curators," says Nameet, whose output from their 85 acres in Narsipur Taluk, Mysore district, is 60-62 tonnes per month.
"We have 60 types of chillies, including jalapenos and Peruvian varieties. Lettuces include iceberg, romains, chiselled and Japanese. We also have 20 types of pumpkins. Did you know 50 years ago, the world had 280 varieties of cucumber? Today, we are down to 16. Farmers stopped growing them as people wanted the shiny, green ones."
While 85 per cent of his crop is sold in Bengaluru, the remaining produce goes to Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata and Kochi.
http://images.mid-day.com/images/2016/jan/Athiya-Ranveer-s.jpg*Athiya Shetty*
B-Town beauties like Athiya Shetty and Huma Qureshi were also impressive.*Ranveer Singh*
Athiya sported an embroidered gown with bold red lips.*Shilpa Shetty Kundra*
An obvious departure from her usual style, we like the vintage feel. We have a feeling Shilpa Shetty's stylist was on a holiday.*Huma Qureshi**Bhumi Pednekar*
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Artist Biren De once spoke of his ‘neo-Tantric’ style as “exploratory”. Orbs and crescents, strongly reminiscent of Tantric symbolism, play a vital role in his art, on view at Jhaveri Contemporary, as part of its latest show Thinking Tantra.*Goutam Ghosh's Gems & Stone (2015)*
Curated by Rebecca Heald, the exhibition ropes in 16 artists, with names like Tom Chamberlain, Prem Sahib and Prabhakar Barwe, to explore each artist’s relationship with Tantra. Did all these artists practise Tantra? Heald recommends Sanskrit scholar Francesca Fremantle’s observation: there are those who have ‘a Tantric attitude to life’.
Heald found a long-time wish come true when gallerist Amrita Jhaveri invited her to curate a show on Tantra. “We are poised for a surge in popular interest about Tantra. For example, Tantric drawings were exhibited at the Venice Biennale in 2014. Some of this coincides with the Dalai Lama saying that if Buddhism does not open up and reveal its secrets, it risks dying out,” she says. Could this surge also have to do with the West’s stereotype of a mystical India? “There is a stereotype, yes, but in the case of the non-Indian artists in this exhibition, I feel they are mostly responding to formal innovations in Tantric drawings rather than the spiritual and mystical side,” says Heald.
Conventionally, Tantric art is made anonymously by people, who would not call themselves artists. Thinking Tantra emphasises on the geometry and the bright colours of the form, which has instinctive links to Western abstract art. But Heald points out to a major difference: Tantra is about the collective; abstract art in the West is often aimed at the individual. Will the twain ever meet? Perhaps Thinking Tantra will provide some answers.*Where:* 58, Walkeshwar Road, Raj Bhavan, Malabar Hill
*When:* Till March 5, 11 AM – 6 PM
*CALL:* 23693639
*FREE* Reported by Mid-Day 1 day ago.