Magazine jan 2016 by Seema Pimpley

JAN 2016 Rs.50

01 01 2016

Shah Rukh Khan reveals Dilwale could have done better had it not clashed with Bajirao Mastani Deepika Padukone : Friday if some producer calls or messages saying ‘Good collection’, I delete that message! KAJOL-Nothing can match the power of a good script. Anil Kapoor - I know where I stand and believe in ageing gracefully. From Size 38 To 30 Weight Loss Secrets Of Parineeti Chopra Katrina Kaif: I fear that when I get married, Ranbir Kapoor may not love me Amitabh bachchan- Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi, is creating social awareness in its own way.

RANVEER SINGH - I am not one of

those people who ask, “Friday ko opening kitni thi.” I am one of those people who ask, “Picture kaisi lagi?”

Editor

SEEMA PIMPLEY

Co - Editor Faisal Saif

Consulting - Editor Lipika Varma

International Correspondent Carlyta Mouhini

Special Corresspondent Aahana

Web & Graphics Designer Jayaul Hak Khan Nasreen Qazi

Seema Pimpley Editor & Publisher

Celeb Columnist & Photojournalist Shrisheel

Feature News Writers Sandeep Hattangady Akshita Pawar Mohan Ayyer

Marketing Team

Greta Margreat Tanty Roniec Vats Monish Nawani

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Indrajeet Aurangabadkar Advertising Sales + 09322993982 + 022 65241705 Corporate Office Media Mag International 1st Floor, 123 Aram Nagar-1 fishery institute Road, 7 Bunglows, Andheri (west), amumbai - 400061,India Phone : +91 (22) 65241705, 26375924 Email : globalmovie@gmail.com Website : www.globalmovie.in Prinyed Published & Owned by Seema Pimpley Printed at Triton Arts 44 -Paras industrial Estate, near Kachpada telepho Exchange, Kachpad, Malad (W), Mumbai - 4400064

January 2016 | Global Movie

C OV E R S T O RY

Ranveer singh hopes Khan — the first choice for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani — does just that!

anveer Singh on replacing Salman in Bajirao Mastani I hope I get some kind of mesage from him that you did a good job buddy!

Ranveer Singh loves to hug it out. Anyone who has met the actor can tell that he prefers to let his actions talk louder than words. So it was no surprise when the Bajirao Mastani lead was busy hugging it out, taking selfies with fans, and rubbing off that electric energy on everyone in his vicinity. With the biggest release of his career, Bajirao Mastani days away from release, I spoke to him about his fear of having a film the same day as Shah Rukh Khan, the criticism from the Peshwa family on his casting and more. Read excerpts from the chat… When you planned on becoming an actor, did you ever imagine one day you would have a release with Shah Rukh Khan, is there a sense of achievement? I didn’t want it to happen. I am connected to my producers and for their sake, I was hoping that we get a solo release, but if the situation is unavoidable, so be it. None of it is in my hands. What is in my hands is my performance and I have tried to do justice to the best of my ability. But when you have a film that is coming out the same day, comparisons are drawn. I don’t feel that any kind of comparison is even possible or valid because I have done five years of work and he has done 25 years of work. What is happening with me in my life is that it is not just this aspect, it’s also the kind of people I am working with, when I see myself on hoardings, TV and all that. I could have never imagined all this happening to me. I was hoping to get a good break, but to be the first solo hero ever to be launched by Yash Raj Films who previously only worked with stars? Who’d have thought that? I was the first solo hero to be launched in their 35year history. What was happening on Monday post the release of Band Baaja Baaraat was beyond my imagination. I think at that point in my career, it was one Monday when I opened my inbox and the first five names who had sent me messages were the most prominent people of the industry.

commercial aspect, which I don’t concern myself with because I have very little understanding of it. I am not one of those people who ask, “Friday ko opening kitni thi.” I am one of those people who ask, “Picture kaisi lagi?” So, my area of concern is very very different. The only time when I actually think about Dilwale or the fact that it is releasing on the same day, is when I am asked about it.

Given the fact that Bajirao was offered to others, do you think you were the best choice for the part ? I think each film has its own destiny, every character has its own destiny. I can’t comment whether I was the best choice and I think it is a question that Mr Bhansali should answer. But I put my best foot forward and from what he tells me and what I hear from his close confidants, is that he is very happy with my performance and that is really what’s most important to me. I really don’t concern myself with the baggage that the film or character comes with. I treat it as a fresh piece and in my experience, once the film is made and is out, the baggage that it comes with in the pre-production stage, really becomes irrelevant.

You recently met Salman in Bigg Boss, so did this come up, as he was the first choice to play Bajirao? Yes, he said it a couple of times in jest on stage, but he is always the one to make jokes. He is very mischievous in that sense. He said it, but he said it in jest. I will add that I really hope he watches the movie and I really hope he likes my performance and I hope I get some kind of message from him that you did a good job buddy. I really hope that as I have a tremendous amount of respect for him and I hope that he gives me a pat on the back.

Nervous about the clash ? Nervous would not be my choice of word. I was feeling bad for my team, people have put in so much money, they need to recover so much money as it is one of the biggest budget films ever, so you want a solo release for it, so I was feeling bad for them but I was very confident with what we had made. The material itself is so strong. At the helm you have perhaps the finest filmmaker of Hindi cinema and his team which feeds off of his passion and not just me but all the coactors, choreographers cinematographer, costume designer, everybody in the team have put their best foot forward. I was very confident that we are making it and it would at least be a good film. Whether it will go on to become hit, whether it will go on to become a lifelong classic that is of course the hope. We all hope and pray that it will. But we knew we were sitting on something good. So I wouldn’t say nervous, but just that I was feeling bad for our producers. I was not nervous, why would I be nervous? I would be nervous if I was really concerned with the 6

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What was the most challenging aspect of playing Peshwa Bajirao? Was it more physical or emotional? Oh not just physical! Physical was just the first quarter of the day. I would wake up early in the morning and go to the gym and I would work on that physicality that I would need for a warrior’s toughness. Then I would work all throughout the afternoon on the accent and then in the evening, when my trainer had gone and my accent coach had gone, it would just be me and the material. Changing my voice, changing my stance, new way of sitting, standing, the posture, just working on various aspects, which in summation would create something distinctively different from my own person that when you see it, whatever is chapoed (printed) on screen, you should not be able to trace Ranveer. You should only be seeing Peshwa Bajirao, that’s something I have observed in great performers like Daniel Day-Lewis who I believe to be the paragon of acting. You see him in one film and you see his next film, you cannot believe it is the same person. That was something I was aiming for, which took a lot of work. I had only 21 days but I made the most of it. So it was early morning to late night. Whatever I could do to completely change my being, to kind of sit with the material, understand the man, understand his temperament, put myself in make-belief situations as Peshwa Bajirao and understand how he would perhaps react as opposed to me. So to get deep into the mindset of a man and all your cues are available in the script, that is what they taught us in text analysis in theatre, that all that you need to know about your character is there between those covers. You have to read the lines, read between the lines, see what other people have to say about these people in the course of the script and just marinate in the character in 21 days and present it to Mr Bhansali and see if he likes it or not. He loved it.

Recently members of the Peshwa family said you were a miscast for the role… I think they are just jumping the gun and they should see the film first. I think they should wait and see the film. We dealt with this during the time of Ram Leela, so we are not alien to this kind of protest at the 11th hour. But, Mr Bhansali has always maintained that it is a work of fiction and it is the interpretation of Peshwa Gharanyacha Itihaas (history of the Peshwa family). So, I really believe that at least wait for the film to come out and of course, like we always intended to but now we have to come out in the open and actually say it, we were always going to include a slate at the head of the film that all the characters in the film are fictitious and any resemblance to any person born, dead or alive is mere coincidental. We had to actually come out and say it, but it was always going to happen. But yeah, I guess they are jumping the gun and they should really wait for the film to release.

Is it true that Sanjay was upset with your fashion choices for the promotions of the film? No, Mr Bhansali doesn’t interfere in my personal choices. That’s a lie!. No, really he doesn’t.

anveer Singh: I will always be oversensitive person

Q: You went into a cocoon before starting on ‘Bajirao Mastani’. How much did it help you? Ranveer: Oh, that was valuable. Words can’t express what I gained from the experience. Boxing champ Muhammad Ali had said something to the effect of, ‘All the work is done before you go under the lights.’ I had only three weeks before the shooting commenced and those had to be intensive. I was at a suburban hotel and would take a special elevator to go to the gym so that I could avoid meeting people. I spent hours there to begin my physical transformation, to look like a man with immense strength. I remember reading up and watching everything I could lay my hands on about Bajirao. The thing is Bhansali sir (Sanjay Leela Bhansali) had given me the freedom to present myself as I wanted to. He told me that he trusted my creative choices and what I brought to the table and he would go with that.

Q. Did he? There is a general perception is that he is too controlling. RS: On the contrary, he is the most collaborative director who knows how to empower his people. He has worked with an elite bunch of actors like Rani Mukerji, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, SRK and Hrithik Roshan and has brought out lasting performances from each of them. So, I hope with this one people say that they couldn’t see even a trace of my personality in Bajirao.

Ranveer Singh opens his heart about how 2015 has been the most difficult year for him on the personal front Still sporting his gravity-defying mooch, Ranveer Singh seems reluctant to get out of his Bajirao persona even though the film is up for release soon. This perhaps reflects the actor’s passionate temperament towards his roles, life and relationships. Excerpts from a chat with the actor.

Q. It seems like an energy-consuming process for you. RS: It was. After this, I want to go away somewhere and take a break. Playing Bajirao was an intense experience. I need to chill for a bit after this.

Q. How are you maintaining this mooch? RS: I take 10 minutes every day. I apply the strongest gel by using a specialised paintbrush and then use a hairdryer. I like it; it’s a bit like the one Salvador Dali sported. As I don’t consider myself an extraordinarily good looking man, this kind of works for me.

Q. Bajirao was a passionate man who had such tremendous self-belief that he’s said to have not lost a single war. Is it difficult for a man of today to replicate that kind of singleminded focus? RS: Yes, it took some doing. I kept questioning and imagining why he made certain decisions that he did. Their priorities and values were different. Their relationships too were very different because there were no communication technologies. However, I did find a few similarities between his personality and mine. Just like him I, too, have dream which I want to pursue with single-minded focus. You know I am a crazy history junkie. I love going back to those exciting periods.

Q: Which era do you most want to go back to? RS: It is really a tough call. There are so many civilisations that I find attractive. I would like to go to the evolved ones; may be the Roman Empire. Yes, I want to witness the grandeur, politics and debauchery during that period. I would want to be there just to check out the hedonism and I find these things really trippy. There were two things I really wanted to play during my career — a warrior and a gangster. And here’s my big chance to play the warrior. You know, Bajirao fought till death to get something he believed in without fearing the consequences. I can relate to that.

Q. You in a way are like that, isn’t it? 8

January 2016 | Global Movie

Also read: Deepika stays close by Ranveer’s side till his discharge from hospital Q. You are not as emotionally vulnerable as you were earlier? RS: No, not as vulnerable. Some things will never change. I will always be oversensitive, over attached person. I have had a tough year personally. Lot of my happiness comes from my physicality. Here I prepared myself to be a killer machine and one mishap shattered my shoulder making me stay at home for two months. For me, that was a big blow. The day I feel physically fit is the happiest for me because I feel I can achieve anything. And when I was at home, not being able to even do the basic things, I went into a strange phase. I needed a professional motivational speaker to come and talk to me to get me out of that phase. This year was dismal also because I lost my best friend under very tragic circumstances and then

January 2016 | Global Movie

I lost my grandfather who I was very close to. Furthermore, playing Bajirao was emotionally draining because it tapped into certain emotional areas of my life that I didn’t want to revisit and I had to bring out those uncomfortable emotions and splash them out on the screen.

Q. You mean you had to revisit some emotions and situations that you didn’t want to? RS: Yes, again and again. In a way, it kind of works on your mental health.

Q. But going back to an emotion or situation that you are avoiding can be cathartic... RS: Definitely. But certain things remain unresolved and going back hurts you more. Maybe it is a place you don’t want to go to. I will just say I had to go to those places again and again.

INTERVIEWS

RS: Yes, but sometimes you need that validation from another person’s life to understand that what you are doing is right. A number of times a part of me questions myself if adopting a diplomatic approach towards things and people is a better way of dealing with situations. I see a lot of people around me doing that and I sometimes think maybe there is some merit to that, if that is the wiser way of living. But then I am not diplomatic. I relate to the way Bajirao lived his life. He was fearless of consequences and was an extremist. It was all or nothing for him and I am like that.I have evolved a bit since doing this movie. I had a hell of an experience after my shoulder was badly injured. I became emotionally stronger, wiser and little more mature after I came out of that. I have grown up a little more.

Farhan Akhtar shares his experience of working with Big B in 'Wazir'

Farhan Akhtar is ready to take off on a yearend break for the New Year festivities, but doesn’t want to divulge more details than the fact that he will be accompanied by his near and dear ones. “As they all say, let me say it too… I am off to an undisclosed destination.

Q. Do you trust people less now? RS: I will just say that my circle of friends has become very small over a period of time. I was this friendly person who was close to a lot of people. But gradually the circle became smaller and there are very few people I trust. That includes my team. I want it to be like that because I would rather nurture my substantial relationships than just scatter energy. This is not something I planned. It happened organically and I am okay with that. - See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/ranveersingh-i-will-always-be-oversensitive-person/16726158#sthash. GnPdoUka.dpuf

There is that air of mystery to it,” he smiles. Before he flies off, there’s lots to wrap up, like a host of interviews before his next film Wazir hits the marquee in the beginning of January 2016. On a Sunday afternoon, hitlist caught up with Farhan at Mehboob Studios in Bandra and couldn’t help but notice his thick beard and a mane that appears to have been left to run its course. Excerpts from the chat:

Q. And is it a given that you will also sing? A. No, not at all, I have not sung in all the films that I have acted in. But if there is an opportunity, then why not? In Wazir, an opportunity came my way and I rendered a track.

Q. But don’t you essay the role of an ATS cop in the film? A. People may be wondering why an ATS cop is singing in the film, but they (cops) are also human beings and Q. You are known to drastically experiment with facial have emotions. It is not that my character is shown breaking into a song suddenly; it suits the situation. fuzz and hair in each of your films... A. That’s because when I see myself in the mirror, I want to see the character I am playing, not Farhan Akhtar. Q. This is also the first time you play a character in To me, this is important as it lends more credence to uniform... the character I an essaying. This is my contribution to A. Yes, finally, even though ATS cops wear plain clothes, the role after studying what exactly the person would they don the uniform too. But halfway through the film, look in his daily life or given his set up. I know many my character gets sacked, so the uniform goes too. actors do not like to experiment, but to each his own. I have to appear different in every film and match the Q. Your film is set to release in January, which is needs of the character I am essaying. I am comfortable usually considered a jinxed month from the box office’s perspective. in this zone. A. But I am not superstitious. If a film is good, it will Q. Being a producer and a director, is it difficult being do well. The production team takes the call to release a film after great deal of planning and thought, so if they just an actor in some films? A. In such situations, I have to just keep the other two feel January is a good time, it is. aspects dormant. But, at the same time, acting does not mean that you just land up on the sets, face the camera Q. How was it working with Amitabh Bachchan? and then pack up and go home. An actor does a lot A. It was my first time working with him. I can only say of prep work before the film goes on floors. We have that it was a learning experience which I will cherish workshops and script readings, so an actor can provide forever. a lot of inputs. Filmmaking is a creative process, so there is a lot of to and fro between the actors and the Q. Your next directorial venture? A. I don’t want to announce or say anything until there makers. is something tangible. Till then, I prefer to be an actor, producer and singer. January 2016 | Global Movie

He believes that showbiz has changed, “Today the new generation has picked up a casual living style. They enjoy realistic films based on everyday life. The audience has started to accept both achhai aur buraai. Their thinking has changed. They have started enjoying a variety of subjects. Earlier it was not so. Our films have become better technically. The new generation enjoys it but I find all this artificial.” He expresses his displeasure towards film marketing and promotions. He says, “Today everything depends on marketing. Promoting a film has become essential. My home production Apne was a good film. I don’t think any sports film was better than that. Shah Rukh Khan told me Apne didn’t do too well because we didn’t promote it. I cannot do these promotional exercises. I hate praising myself and never like boasting about my work. Today this has become the norm though.” He also has reservations about contemporary stars. “Today anyone can become a hero. Ever one is for sale.” He recites a sher to express the irony, “Mere liye ab bhi woh mehbooba hai, lekin kya kare logon ne isse dhandha bana diya hai.”

In conversation with Dharmendra H e has enjoyed more than five decades in the top flight of showbiz. Yet, he’s retained an unheard of simplicity. It’s as if Dharmendra is still a Punjabi lad, shy, soft spoken and amicable. You’d never imagine he was the hit machine that churned out hits in the ’70s and the ’80s like they were live tweets. You’d never guess he is the original action movie icon of Hindi cinema. Someone who will be remembered as the Indian superstar who gave Greek gods a run for their money. To top that he’s known for his penchant for Urdu poetry. What’s more he even pens it. Even legends have bad days. On one such day, B-town’s original He-Man Dharmendra had an accident. He reveals, “I was stepping in my vanity van when I missed a step and fell down. I dislocated my shoulder, but I am fit now. Sometime back my 12

January 2016 | Global Movie

haemoglobin had gone down. It came down to 6 when it should have been 13. At home everyone was worried. I had become weak.” Dharamji is a positive soul and naturally he sees the good side to bad health too. “Thanks to every one’s good wishes, my life span has increased. Now I am taking care of my diet so that my health remains good.” At 79 he’s fit as a fiddle and the secret he says was his upbringing in the robust environs of Punjab. “I am the son of a farmer. I was a hard working boy. We used to play Kabadi and hockey. Hum kheton mei kaam karte the. Today’s heroes work hard in the gym to earn their six packs; we used to go to the akhada. The food used to be wholesome and nutritious in the village. We have grown up on pure ghee, milk and curds. Even today I take care of my health. That’s why I am so fit at this age.”

Veterans take to nostalgia like fish to water. Dharamji is no exception. He recalls the glory days with a glint in his eyes. “I remember when Anupama released in 1966. It was about a mother dying during childbirth and the father blaming his daughter for it. It was a true to life film. In Devar I send my friend to see a girl for me. Naya Zamana directed by Pramod Chakravarti was a remake of Bimal Roy’s Hamrahi. Mera Gaon Mera Desh, Sharafat... I did all type of roles.”

different. We don’t have these sort of directors. They are the true legends. I miss that period.” He’s still remembered for the joie de vivre he showcased in the song Main jat yamla pagla deewana from Pratigya (1975). He recalls, “I had to dance on Main jat yamla pagla. I told the director bluntly, I don’t understand the meaning of dance. I suggested I’ll catch the rhythm. The choreographer taught me a few steps. I asked if I could introduce one particular step. I did my own thing and the dance became famous.” He has special memories of yesteryear stars and his contemporaries. “Most of my close friends are no more. I remember Dev Anand, Raj Kapoor, Rajendra Kumar, Shammi Kapoor, Mehmood, Johny Walker... When I go through old photographs, dormant memories come alive. Dilip Kumar saab is my heartthrob. I am a diehard fan of Dilip saab. I always dreamt of meeting him. I got the opportunity during the Filmfare talent contest. Saeeda Khan, Dilip saab’s sister, was handling my make-up. I requested her to introduce me to her brother. That is how I met my idol. He made me sit next to him and have lunch. He was so affectionate. I can never forget that. It’s as if it happened yesterday.”

He misses the friendly warmth of the past and rues that the world has become all about business.“We used to sit with our dada-dadi, uncles, aunts and listen to stories, meet friends, enjoy conversations. There was an emotional attachment. We used to visit neighbours, eat there and relax. Today that affection is missing.” He reveals he’s trying his hand at writing his memoirs. “I am writing my autobiography. I write a few notes and keep it aside. I am lazy.” He has Hrishikesh Mukherji’s Satyakam (1969) in which an interesting insight on who he thinks would do he was paired with Sharmila Tagore remains justice to a film based on his life. “Salman Khan his most acclaimed film to date. He says, “It will be the only and best choice to play me in a highlighted the difficulties faced by a man who biopic.” has an idealistic approach towards life. Those themes are still relevant today. I’d love to play He goes on to share details of his leisure. “A Jat Satyapriya Acharya again if the film is remade.” loves the land. I have a farm in Lonavala. There Some of his best works came with Hrishida and we grow organic food. There are bullocks too. he remembers the filmmaker fondly. “Hrishida Sometimes I go hiking.” And of course, there’s did not do much in his films. He chose a good also poetry. He signs off in characteristic fashion story and wrote good dialogue. We just walked in reciting a couplet on lost love. “Mohabbat ka front of the camera and people would say ‘what mujhse kyun yeh masoom gunah ho gaya... a performance!’ The real magic was Hrishida’s Mohabbat hai khuda aur khuda hai mohabbat, writing and preparation. Today, things are mujhse khafa kyon mera khuda ho gaya.” January 2016 | Global Movie

People think I’m a good boy

He’s gearing up for his upcoming release, Hate Story 3 and in the middle of extensive promotional activity; he makes time for a quick tête-à-tête with us. After giving memorable performances in super hits like 3 Idiots, Ferrari Ki Sawaari and Rang De Basanti, Sharman Joshi is all set to stun the audience with his upcoming erotic thriller, Hate Story 3 that’s directed by Vishal Pandya. Read his exclusive interview here Tell us something about your role in Hate Story 3. It’s an erotic thriller. The genre is sort of new to me. I’ve done a thriller before, Raqeeb (2007) but the film did not do well at the box-office. Hate Story 3 was a wonderful experience for me. Zarine Khan, Daisy Shah, Karan Singh Grover are all young and fine actors. I had more scenes with Zarine so we used to spend a lot of time together. You expect a sense of comfort from your co-actor. Zarine is always positive, happy and smiling. This helped keep the atmosphere on the set happy and light. Vishal Pandya is also a relaxed and cool person. Were you comfortable doing bold scenes? I was extremely comfortable. All the credit goes to Zarine and the rest of the crew because it’s part of our job and we are all professionals. We’re here to act our parts and if it requires a love-making scene we’ll go out and do that just like any other scene from the script. I’m glad there’s so much brouhaha around love-making scenes in India because that ensures a good opening for the film. Apart from that, I feel, bold scenes are no big deal. Your public image was more of a simple person. Are you trying to change that perception with Hate Story 3?

We catch up with the actor who’s ready to take the risk of being risqué. Here’s presenting Sharman Joshi unplugged. Read on... 14

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As an actor I like to explore and try to make my work exciting and interesting. In every film I choose I like to have some element of surprise for myself, which in turn translates to the audience as well. I prefer unpredictability, so I have no idea as to what I am going to do next. I just want to do something different in each genre and so this time I picked an erotic thriller. I would like to do all types of films. I want to do a sci-fi film someday. I’m happy with this change. I know this kind of a film gets more publicity.

How would you describe your career thus far? I feel that God has been very kind to me. I was a part of a few films that were landmarks in Indian cinema. Such things only happen when it’s written in your destiny. All my films whether it was Rang De Basanti (2006), 3 Idiots (2009), Life in a Metro (2007) or Golmaal (2006) are talked about even today. I worked with a director like Raju Hirani in 3 Idiots and Ferrari Ki Sawaari (2012). I was lucky to work with good filmmakers. A few films did not do well but that’s quite common in this profession. What do you do when you are not doing films? I do Gujarati theatre. Theatre is part of popular Marathi and Gujarati culture. Many people in Mumbai like theatre. After films and theatre, I have no time left to be able to do anything else. But I do like to travel. How would you define success? Success is relative. Some may call me unsuccessful. But I feel no one is successful or unsuccessful. Success is peace of mind and being happy with yourself. What would you like to do in the coming years? I want to do a great film that has wonderful content and is a huge commercial success. What have you learnt from life? Life is too short. I want to live it to the fullest. I want to enjoy every moment of life. Who do you like from the younger crop of actors? Parineeti Chopra... I’d like to work with her. I also like Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh. What are your favourite films of 2015? I liked Talwar. I think Bajrangi Bhaijaan is the year’s best film. I liked Salman’s acting a lot. 3 things we don’t know about you… 1. I’m hot tempered 2. I’m notorious 3. I’m an extremist Top priorities of your life… My family, work and just living life Biggest misconception people have about you That Sharman can do only a certain kind of role. That Sharman is good boy. (Laughs)

January 2016 | Global Movie

Get ripped like Farhan Akhtar F

arhan Akhtar, an inspiring bollywood actor who completely transformed his look into a lean body muscle with full dedication for the movie Bhaag milkha bhaa . Achieving an athletic body type needs lot of hard work and determination. Bulking up or reducing can be done easily when compared to the athletic type of body that requires lot of training and strict eating schedule. What is the major point in achieving the athletic type of body? You need to follow hard training, cardio exercises, and clean diet to start shredding the fat. This will help you to expose your muscles.

Goal: Lean muscle built For the movie Farhan Akhtar transformed himself into an athletic body. Basically he has a lean body muscle and little of hard core training for 18 months helped him transform into a complete athletic body like the original character Milkha singh. The hard core training has only 40% effect on the output, the rest 60% is made of proper sleep and clean diet. Remember, your muscles need time to recover and you need at least 8 hours of sleep. 16

January 2016 | Global Movie

Farhan Akhtar Workout Schedule Before planning out the workout schedule, make sure you stay hydrated during workouts by drinking water or energy drinks. Also don’t forget to warm-up prior exercising and make sure to cool down by stretching your muscles out. This will help you to enjoy injury free exercises. Now coming back to the athletic body of Farhan Akhtar, great effort has been put by his trainer Samir Jaura and Melwyn crasto, athletics coach for Central Railway system India. Melwyn took care of his running style and Samir on his fitness. Farhan akhtar worked out 4 hours daily in two shifts. 45 to 60 minutes of Jogging, 20 minutes of stretching, cycling, Altitude training, etc.

Circuit training plays a major role and it’s a effective one where you perform various exercises back to back with no rest in between. The main goal is to increase the endurance. Running on the treadmill is a wonderful endurance workout. Also you can use elliptical machine, stair master. Simply cardio alone won’t bring that athletic type to your body. Mix of cardio and weight training will help your body to get toned. It is called resistance training. Squats and lunges are key for strengthening your legs. You can add core training, hanging leg raises, planks, and crunches to get your core tight and strong. Some more exercises includes chin ups, shoulder press, rows, close grip bench press, lunges etc.

Farhan Akhtar Diet Plan • 6-7 small meals a day • White meat like chicken, turkey, fish, green veggies like broccoli, asparagus, mushrooms. • All your meals should include carbs, vegetable and a protein. • Watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes, apples and bananas. Also almonds, cashews, pecans, dried apricot and cranberries. • Drink lot of water daily. Antioxidants help your body to repair dam age caused by pollution, fried foods and exercise. Fruits and veggies which contain Vitamins A, C and E, Zinc and Selenium are antioxidants. • Sweet potatoes, red peppers, tomatoes, carrots, kiwi fruit, grapes, blueberries and mango are just a few of the many foods rich in antioxidants. • Pre – Workout meal plan: 1 Piece of fruit and few gms of carbs. • Post workout: Protein supplements. • Lunch – Chicken, tuna, turkey, roast beef, wheat bread, sandwiches, 2 cups of milk and a fruit. 18

January 2016 | Global Movie

The Piku actor talks about his new show and making a difference…

mitabh Bachchan: aj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi is a medium to develop Individual Social Responsibility! How and when did you decide to become involved with it? By the middle of the year, Star approached me for the show, I liked the concept, we had several meetings with their creative teams and after reaching common ground, began preparation for broadcast. This is a show about unsung heroes. How do you seek them out? Is it hard to convince them to speak of their good work? There is a research team which sets about discovering such individuals. We also have, through television, the medium, the capacity and intent to invite information from the general public if they have any knowledge of these ‘heroes’. I am not aware of their attitude when asked to appear on the show; that the team members would know, but from the little that I have gathered they are quite forthcoming. You recently took a train journey with working class folks. How was the experience? When was the last time you boarded a train? We’re all working class folks, so let’s not express any kind of disparity. The purpose of going on the train to be with Saurabh, to express solidarity in what he so generously does, and to let him know that he

January 2016 | Global Movie

Amitabh Bachchan’s new show, Aaj Ki Raat Hai Zindagi, is creating social awareness in its own way. We caught up with the actor to ask him all about it.

is not alone in that. Many may look at the incident with some cynicism, but for me it was a moment which stirred my conscience, after coming to know of Saurabh, his story and his incredible desire for selfless work. I wanted to just not be this designerdressed anchor striding within massive elaborate settings, expressing sympathetic words of comfort. I wanted to let Saurabh know that we were touched by his contribution to society, and that we would like to do something similar. And honestly, who really cares when I took my last train ride? The show is motivational. So is Kaun Banega Crorepati. Do you see the two shows becoming a platform for social betterment? The credit here needs to go to the channels and the producers of these shows who think so. I am a mere nobody in this vast enterprise. I know naysayers shall debate the thought, with elements of that oftmentioned word — commerce ! Sure, it’s valid to think so. There is a huge business to run and operate. But within this complex business profile, when there is attention towards what you call ‘social betterment’, then the process must be termed laudable. Corporates have beautifully designed the entity of CSR — Corporate Social Responsibility. We need to design within us an ISR — an Individual Social Responsibility, too!

January 2016 | Global Movie

eepika Padukone’s makeup tricks!

DP: Everything is essential – from a day cream to a night cream to a SPF to a deodorant and perfume.

Q: Your skincare routine DP: I don’t follow any routine as such. I just make sure I use a good night cream and always take off my make-up.

Check out what Deepika Padukone’s beauty secrets are!

Q: Your favourite hair care products DP: There’s nothing better than oiling your hair. Q: Your go to look for a red carpet event DP: I am always a lip person. I am someone who prefers keeping the skin clean and enhancing the mouth. Q: What do you think is sexy, beauty-wise? DP: I think less is more. Q: Are you good at doing your own make-up and any tips you’ve taken from beauty artists? DP: I never do my own make-up. I’ve never needed to do my own, always had a professional. I know a lot of girls do and they do a really good job. If I have to shoot for a scene I’d rather focus on the scene, I couldn’t be bothered about the make-up. Q: What’s the weirdest thing you’ve tried in the name of beauty? DP: I remember for a Sabyasachi show once when I was a model we had to wear like buck teeth. It was cute but bizarre at that point. Q: Do you have a signature fragrance? DP: Diptyque is my favourite. Q: Do you gravitate toward a lip colour and if so, which shade? DP: I like nudes and reds. Q: What’s the best beauty advice you’ve ever received? DP: Less is more. Q: The one beauty product you can’t live without? DP: An SPF product.

January 2016 | Global Movie

Deepika Padukone on box office reports: Friday your film releases and if some producer calls or messages saying ‘Good collection’, I delete that message!

Tamasha got great reviews, but did the box-office figures disappoint you?

Honestly, I am not aware of what the numbers should have been like. I don’t get into it and I don’t ever intend to. I don’t get into knowing the budget of a film, how much it was made at, how much it should recover. I have always stayed away from that. So much so, the Friday your film releases and some producer calls or messages me saying, ‘Good collection’, I delete that message. It doesn’t make any sense to me, but the messages which give feedback on my performances I save and cherish. Even socially, you will never see me encouraging conversations that revolve around numbers, whether it is my film or anyone else’s film. It really saddens me to know that this is what we have reduced our films to today. It is really sad that the success is measured by the number of crores a film makes and it’s unfortunate because you cannot put numbers to creative work.

How do you see Ranveer’s evolution as an actor from Ram-Leela to Bajirao Mastani?

He has evolved a lot! I feel in Ram-Leela, he was a little all over the place; I think he was still finding himself. Though he’s a fantastic actor from the word go, I remember when I saw Band Baaja Baaraat. I didn’t know him then. I thought he was a Delhi boy and I remember when I met him for the first time. I asked him, “So have you moved here?” I believed he was from Delhi! And he said ‘I am from Bandra and I live here!’ Then when I worked with him in Ram Leela, I felt he was still fluttering and not so settled and centered, which has happened with Bajirao Mastani. I feel he’s found his groove and come to realise that he’s a certain way on screen and off screen and he flaunts it. When I met him initially, he wasn’t really confident and sure of letting people in on his personality, but now he’s unapologetic.

Who is your biggest critic, mom or dad ?

My sister! They watch all my films, but my sister is very blunt. My mother will still be soft, though in the order it is my mum, my sister and my dad. My dad loves everything I do, my mother and my sister will say it as it is.

You missed working on Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, any regrets ? Deepika Padukone on yet another hattrick of winning films, her biggest critic and her secret for choosing the best scripts available

See films always belong to people who do them. It doesn’t matter who was offered or who didn’t do it. Thats’ why I talk about films that I have been offered. That’s not what matters, what matters eventually after the film has released is who the film belongs to and it belongs to those who have been a part of it.

She’s owned 2015! There’s no denying the fact that Deepika Padukone has repeated her 2013 success mantra, with Piku, Tamasha and Bajirao Mastani all getting her rave reviews. On the personal front, her mental health foundation Live, Love, Laugh is doing some fantastic work. In a candid chat she shares a recent story of a girl who thanked her for saving her life and talks about her biggest critic! Excerpts from our chat…

If Ranbir had to play Bajirao, how do you think he would fare ?

Describe 2015 in a word.

Phenomenonal! It’s been a roller-coaster ride, a whirlwind, but more than anything, it has been an incredible year. I couldn’t have asked for a better year. I thought 2013 was special and kept telling myself that. People around me said, “Enjoy 2013 because it will never happen again.” And here I am, sitting again with three very special releases and so many special memories. It’s been a fantastic year.

You’re making interesting choices. Have you mastered the art of choosing the best scripts yet?

If something has happened subconsciously, through the years, I am not aware of it. But my process of choosing scripts has been very simple. When a director narrates a script, if I connect with it, I do it. If I don’t connect with it, I don’t do it. It’s as simple as that. The only thing I don’t do, is listen to anyone else. Eventually the decision is always mine. And I don’t rely on anyone else’s decisions because everything I do has to be my own. Whether its a success or a failure, I believe it has to be my own journey.

January 2016 | Global Movie

It would have been very different (thinking)..then all the dynamics would have changed. Mastani would have changed, Kashi too. Even if the same heroines were cast the dynamics would change. Somehow for me when I was offered Bajirao…, it was always Ranveer, but that could also be my bad that I am stereotyping an actor. Though it would be interesting to see Ranbir in a role like this!

You spoke about your depression at the start of the year. Do you think that now people are more open about mental health in our country ?

They were hesitant to talk about it earlier, I don’t think they are now. I was on a flight recently from Amritsar to Delhi and there was a lady travelling with her new born adorable baby. Halfway through the flight we had even forgotten there is a child, because the child was so quiet and I remember that few people while boarding were sceptical thinking ‘oh God there is a child on the flight’. Anyway, while getting off she wanted to take a picture with me and she mentioned that she had the baby through surrogacy, and she said it so casually, I was like wow we have come a long way.

Tell me about your foundation Live, Love, Laugh ?

I am hoping that one day mental health will no longer be a taboo subject. A couple of years ago we wouldn’t talk about surrogacy and today we do! One in every four people is suffering mental health issues silently and I think a large part of my recovery was the fact that I found the strength to talk about it, so that’s half the recovery already. I get thousands of emails and letters everyday, I have a message on my phone about a girl who claims that I have saved her life and thats all I wanted when I spoke out about my depression. Initially, people assumed it was an endorsement for a pharmaceutical company, then some people said I was doing it for the publicity of a movie, but now when I get these kind of messages it’s all worth it. It’s all I ever wanted to do with my foundation. Help people January 2016 | Global Movie

“Thank you to Saif and team to put all this together. Good evening to the Alumni IIM the faculty students and distinguished guests. I was so pleased with myself when Mrs. Shaw requested me to give the keynote lecture for this alumni conclave until I saw the alumni list. My mind suddenly froze up like the icebergs in Iceland where I have just shot my latest song, and I thought, “What will I say to all these wonderfully wise people?” For a second I contemplated sending a stunt double but then I read a joke about the wisdom of all you amazing achievers from IIM. The joke made it clear to me that all of you are extremely wise, but your wisdom is of a different kind from us lesser mortals. It went something like this….it was about a kid who claimed he was too good for the standard 1 that he was in and should be promoted to the fourth standard. He was marched to the principals office and for gender equality reasons, obviously the principal was a lady. She thought the kid should be given a fair chance, as ladies are always fair and said she would ask him a few questions and if he answered them right…he will be promoted to the fourth standard. Her first question to him was…

Shah Rukh Khan leaves IIM-B mesmerised with his amazing speech! Read it right here!

But for SRK, who can even charm a tree if he wants, it was just a walk in the park, as he delivers one of his best speeches in recent times. Here’s what he delivered at the 26

January 2016 | Global Movie

“

The Dilwale actor was invited to speak at the IIMBUE 2015 summit this week.

“

Shah Rukh Khan is known for his wit and eloquence. Indeed, there is very few actors in Bollywood who could bowl over an entire audience, especially if the said audience consists of one of the brilliant minds of the country. I am speaking about the recently concluded IIMBUE 2015- an IIM-B Alumni Leadership Summit, with audience members consisting of Union Minister Shashi Tharoor and tennis legend Vijay Amritraj.

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what does a cow have four of that I have only two of? Boy after a moment…Legs.

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What is in your pants that you have but I do not have. Boy… pockets.

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What does a lady do sitting down a man does standing up and a dog does with his one leg raised. Boy…shake hands.

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What starts with F and ends with K is a four letter word and if you don’t get it, you have to use your hand….boy confidently…A Fork.

The principal looks at the teacher and tells him, send him to the IIM…he will fit in there just perfect. That gave me some confidence to stand before you all. Maybe in your quest for knowledge you all might have overlooked some very basic and simple truths…so here I am…to widen your sphere on how normal mortals would have answered those questions. I am no guru in creative leadership so please bear me with a some compassion and patience and do excuse my humour. The essence of creativity is the ability to channelize imagination into expression and build from it something new and possibly ingenious. Whether it is an art form or a scientific invention or discovering a new oundaries but constantly searches beyond them is a mind that is able to create anew. The cornerstone of leadership, I believe, is nothing more than cultivating the discipline and courage to nurture and sustain such a mind while constantly calling the bluff of the illusory limits imposed by life. See I am fifty. An age where you most likely are making retirement plans not romantic plans. But here I am still coochie cooing girls my children’s age. And no they don’t look up to me, actually they can’t because they are all taller than me, they treat me as their age/equal having been put in the position of someone who is a romantic hero, I have cultivated a belief that I can love them back as beautifully as any

man can age notwithstanding. With respect dignity and put in my own experiences of life, which younger heroes wont have. Though I must admit girls having a bit of a father fixation, comes in handy with my endeavours. Leaders are able to assimilate experience in order to reframe the world around themselves on their own terms. They use the very structure of life to dismantle it. They are not afraid to question, to imagine, to dream and to believe. They are also not afraid to act even if their actions might not result in success. There is an old song I always turn to, when I am faced with adversity. Being a public figure most of my actions and intentions are questioned, reviewed and sometimes loved and sometimes even distorted. Ranging from praising my sexiness to questioning my sexuality, I get it all. But whenever I feel thwarted I think of this song…Hum to ACT karega. Duniya se nahidarega.Chahye ye zamaanakahehumkodeewanakahe hum toh ACT karega. Many books have been written on leadership skills, on methods and models for it but in my view, it really isn’t all that complicated.  To be able to dream unencumbered, to imagine and hang on to a boundless mind filled with ideas so that you never stop renewing yourself and the world around you whether it is your inner world, your consciousness or your outer world that encompasses your profession and your relationships is essential to leadership. But dreaming is not enough, its also important to be able to dismantle the old, the frameworks that are laid out before you, the ideas that you yourself cling to, the ones that hold you back and prevent you from growing. It is by disassembling your fears of failing, of losing (not just things, but people and positions), and most of all- of change that you can be truly creative not just in the things you choose to do, but in the way you view your part in the world you inhabit. I meet many successful people in the world of business and I often find that while their ideas are very clear, the way they speak of them is oddly dispassionate. The madness and passion are missing. I get the sad impression that business often becomes numerical: about millions and targets or it ends up being so goal driven that there is a stark loss of inspiration from it. I think the emphasis on organizational goals and efficiency has clouded the poetry of creating. Perhaps because of the artistic basis of the work I do, it is difficult for me to relate to this starkness. I feel it lacks life. Creation cannot be a managerial concept/ notion, no matter how good the idea is, it has to be an “imaginerial” conception. To lead means to inspire, and you cannot inspire people mechanically or through numericals (with all due respect…unless they are stock brokers or bankers!!). Inspiration is an emotional construct. To make people believe in anything, whether it is a product, a story, an idea, or you: you need to connect their ability to imagine and dream with your own. You cannot create within a box with unbending walls. It is an open process, one that is welcoming and wild. To abandon that inclusive wildness for a narrowly defined goal is illusory. I have never set onetruly. I have never set out to earn a particular amount, to count the crores at the box office or to compare my worth with anyone else’s. In fact I would go as far as saying that quantifiable goals are indeed illusions. The only reality is hard work.

January 2016 | Global Movie

Diligence is imperative to both creativity and leadership. Making the mistake of thinking that your dreams will take flight without you having to flap madly at those wings to get up into the sky is plain silly. In my experience, its great to delegate, but there’s no short cut to working hard. To know and to understand what you are doing, to be open to learning about it and from it, every single moment requires diligence. It requires work. If you want to excel at something there shouldn’t be a single person around you who can claim to be more familiar with its mechanics than you are. Its non negotiable to strive and to be familiar with your trade. Life remains ordinary if you are unable to sustain the capacity to work hard on your dreams. If you aren’t determined to get there- you wont. And this is a paradoxical thing because I’ve heard many people say that you need to know where you’re going to be determined about reaching there but it hasn’t been the case with me. I never knew my destination, I can’t even claim to know it today…Now that I am on the cover of Forbes India, is that where I wanted to be as a businessman. My IPL team has won the championship and its profitable, is that the dream I had for a sporting franchise venture. I have a film running in a cinema hall for the last twenty years…should that be the attempt in terms of achievement for my next film. No I don’t think so. I believe goals actually limit our ambitions and desire. I don’t mean that don’t have goals, but call them milestones…think of them as a passing moment of excellence and keep on striving harder for a place which cannot be defined or confined by names or numbers. I have never set goals but I have truly never done a single thing that I wasn’t determined to do the best. I had no idea where it would take me for the most part of it, but I had the idea that I would do whatever it was with a determination that would scare everyone else away.

which unfortunately doesn’t come in your perks package whichever company you join or create…ha ha) because Destiny isn’t what it’s rolled out to be either. Accidents happen (I am a living proof of an accidental movie star/entrepreneur/speaker at an IIM gathering. I wanted to be a sportsman. Represent India hopefully as a hockey or a cricket player. Suddenly I hurt my back. Didn’t have the resources to get the best treatment. Joined a theater group to fill in time and overcome my sadness of not being able to play at a professional level. Father died and we were evicted from our rented house. Mother went looking for a smaller place and the dealer’s father in law was making a series, called Fauji. My mother sent me to him and he cast me as AbhimanyuRai in the serial. Things went ballistic from there. I got film offers and one thing led to another, and I became a movie star. By the way we never took the house from the dealer, Mr. Dhawan who actually got me on the road to stardom. And my mother didn’t live long enough to see my work either). I realize now that hurting my back wasn’t an accident, being here speaking to you all is the larger happier accident. So Destiny plays a part for sure and no one can teach us either how to find it or how to chase it. Just like disaster, it will come your way but if you don’t have the courage to ride its wave when it does, it’ll toss you right back on the beach and all you’ll get to see is the sunset of a tired and weary life (plus your backside will be sore!). So I would advise keeping your eyes open for life’s magic and not turning away from it citing practicality and good reason. There isn’t one. Be brave enough to face your destiny, to sacrifice for it and compromise for it if you have to. It will always be worth it. To imagine that you know better than life is the silliest (and possibly the most costly) mistake one can ever make.

To conclude, I’d like to borrow from my latest endeavour of creativityDilwale and say that unless you live by the heart, unless you are Dilwale, none of this will truly translate into the splendour that life is capable of unfolding before you. The mind is the seed of creativity but the heart is the soil. That seed cannot grow without an open heart. To be able to love, to give, to share, to nurture, to take others along on your journey with as much goodwill for them as you have for yourself is the basis of all creative endeavour, of all real success, of all happiness and of true leadership. If you close up your heart to the world, if you choose to live your life on parameters that let you forget how to love, you will dishonor life and disallow it from honouring you. There is no greater creativity in life or leadership than the ability to touch each moment that you are living with the beauty of living it by your heart, to give back to life the fullness that it has had the generosity to give to you. And that joke I cracked about the little kid…giving all abnormal answers to basic questions….was just a joke. I really think all of you from IIM are very sexy and cool. Actually I must admit it’s really next to impossible to find such a combination of smart and sexy in so many people together. It’s an honour to be amidst you, and talk with you, for it does get lonely just talking to myself in the corner of my golden bathroom.

No matter how hard we work, however, leadership implies being prepared for disaster. And it will come. If it doesn’t hit you like a tsunami washing away your house and home…it’ll show up some other way, as failure maybe, or then by taking away something (or someone) you loved and believed in…so what are you going to do about it? You can cry and wallow. I do that often and I am not ashamed to admit it. I do that in a special corner reserved for tears in my huge golden bathroom. Somewhere between the Jacuzzi and the steam room, I sit on the floor and shed huge tears of self pity, persecution and how the world doesn’t understand my genius and effort….but then I take a hot and cold shower and walk out wearing my limited edition cologne…ready to embrace disaster. So a bit of wallowing and crying is ok… but the thing to understand is that if you learn how to welcome disaster you overcome it. So what if everything gets turned on its head, change your perspective- do a hand stand- don’t sit there staring at the ruins, start getting bits of you together and rebuilding yourself. That’s what leadership is about after all. Besides a “perfect life” is a farce. God isn’t making utopian ad films and screening them on the clouds to sell it’s USP to you. It’s a man made idea and we’re buying into it all the time. Actually, there is nothing more beautiful than the imperfection of life. Creativity is about taking this imperfection and translating into something beauteous. In my trade, life serves as a fertile ground for innovation and ideas. We use its imperfection every moment. In fact there is really nothing that allows us to create better or to live better than trouble so why not embrace it and embrace ourselves too in the bargain. And while we are embracing, lets embrace destiny too ( in my case I will embrace Kajol, Madhuri and Alia also,

January 2016 | Global Movie

Bajirao Mastani’s Priyanka Chopra is EAGER to watch Shah Rukh Khan’s Dilwale! “i and the big clash with Shah Rukh Khan’s Dilwale…” Whether it’s a lead role, a cameo or an item number, Priyanka Chopra has always managed to turn heads. And she knows it. Despite being away from home for her Quantico shoots, PeeCee took some time out of her schedule to talk about her movie Bajirao Mastani, which she says is Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone’s film. Here the actress talks about her inner conflicts while playing Kashibai and clashing with Shah Rukh Khan’s Dilwale. Are you underplaying it with Bajirao Mastani? (Laughs) No, I am not underplaying it at all. Actually, I was stuck with my commitments forQuantico and that’s why I could not be back for the promotions. And honestly, it’s eventually about Bajirao and Mastani’s forbidden love story. Of course, Kashibai is a huge, integral part of the film. What happens to her forms a big chunk of the story but the film is driven by Ranveer and Deepika’s love story. I am not someone who doesn’t see that or understand it. I love Kashi’s role and I am really proud to be a part of this film but I’m not someone who will think that way and underplay. Does screen time matter to you at all? I can recall an incident actually. When I had just joined the business, someone once told me that there are no small roles, there are only small actors. I love the parts that I do and I take immense pride in whatever work I take up because people look forward to watching us on screen and we are in an extremely privileged position. I don’t take work for granted. I am not someone who competes for attention. I never needed to. I get it anyway. (Laughs) I’m not competitive but more collaborative. This is your third association with Sanjay Leela Bhansali but first as a director. Ranveer said you took time to adjust to his methods of filmmaking. Is it true? Sanjay sir and I understand each other extremely well. I was overwhelmed about the costumes, shooting for the period drama where at one point, I was shooting for Bajirao Mastani, Quanticoand Gangaajal at the same time. So when I first came in, that was overwhelming. Working

January 2016 | Global Movie

The beautiful actress mentions about how she is looking forward to watch Dilwale!

with Sanjay sir was the easiest part in the film. He has such an acute understanding of human emotions and I am very instinctive as an actor. I am someone who comes to sets and uses my instincts to gauge what the character must be going through. Sanjay sir is exactly like that. He comes on sets, gets everything ready and explains what to do, how to do. I did not come on sets thinking how Kashi is going to be. Bajirao Mastani is probably one of the most physically and emotionally draining film you’ve been a part of. Will you attempt to do another film in the same space soon? I don’t think there will be any other film like Bajirao Mastani. It’s one of those movies that gets made oncein-a lifetime for an actor and I am fortunate to be a part of it. Secondly, I don’t plan my films that way. I have to emotionally resonate with the character. And only if I think I understand her 100 per cent is when I do the film. And, it can’t be something I’ve done before. Kashi for me is extremely heartbreaking. I am a 21st century modern day girl today. If my husband cheated on me, I will be out! Kashi is in the 1700s and she doesn’t have any other choice. She had to deal with it and all that is so much. It was extremely painful for her. It doesn’t happen quite often with me, but I took Kashi back home. My heart ached and I will be emotional at times thinking it was such an awful position to be in. I would never play another character like that and I don’t think there will ever be another character like that written as well. A lot has been spoken about the clash with Dilwale. You, Ranveer and Deepika share a warm relationship with Shah Rukh. Has this affected it in any manner? There are ample instances which prove that if two good films come together on the same day, they can work. And I’m definitely looking forward to Dilwale. I will definitely watch it. And I know that the world will also want to watch it. I think both the films will work well because both of them are good and they are in completely different genres. Let’s just give due credit to both the filmmakers. They are extremely prolific and have a great body of work behind them. There’s no comparison at all. People too should go and watch both the films. After all, it’s the holidays, guys! January 2016 | Global Movie

Q. You were also like Kashibai, a naïve, childwoman when you entered this industry.

People pleaser no more! Priyanka Chopra admits she is ‘not that naive’

A. (Laughs) That’s true. You had seen me then. I was really naïve for at least seven to eight years after I got in here. I am a little wiser now. I don’t change myself for the world anymore now. Even though I am not that naïve, I try and not allow myself to get cynical and bitter. That’s me. Q. Well, looks like Kashibai is already a hit. We hear you were offered a R9-crore endorsement deal by an ethnic wear brand. A. I won’t discuss the price point, but yes, there is a good offer. You know I have taken pride in doing such diverse roles… characters that are not the real me. I enjoy taking up characters which others might think is impossible for me to portray. I am the shyest person off screen, but when I get such roles, I change and become empowered.

Q. People have raised objections to certain ways the characters in Bajirao Mastani have been portrayed. A. We are telling stories about human beings. And what these three human beings (Bajirao, Mastani and Kashibai) went through 500-plus years ago, no one knows. It is the director’s vision of what might have happened. It is so difficult to tell such stories. I tell Sanjay sir that by now he must be used to such objections. I truly admire him for his work; he’s one of the greatest cinematic voices that we have in the country. I have travelled the world, but everywhere I go I really feel proud to say I belong to Bollywood. I walk around with a strut like a peacock. We are the most prolific film industry and people everywhere are fascinated by Bollywood. It is time we give ourselves that credit. Q. You mean we need to have a lot more self confidence? A. I do. I have major self confidence because I am an actor in Bollywood first.

genius filmmaker. You know, I picked up this role because Kashibai’s character is so heartbreakingly lovely. It is nice to be part of retelling the history that people have A. I can’t even begin to tell you how forgotten. I am so different from crazy it is. We are always running what Kashibai was. So, it was kind In a candid chat with against time. We have shot 13 of fun creating her… with zero episodes in five months. That’s mid-day, Priyanka Chopra make-up and light eyed lenses, about nine days per episode. Now, because she was a Maharashtrian reveals she is ‘not that episode 10 is being aired and we Brahmin and everything had to naive’ any longer, but tries are shooting episode 12 — it is be kept natural. Sanjay sir would not to let herself become that close. So, yes, for the sake not even allow the use of electric cynical and bitter of a break, I got everyone on the curlers on my hair. It had to be sets to come home one night for a curled through hand. He didn’t Priyanka Chopra has not party. We got a DJ too. want to compromise on anything. forgotten to have fun in spite We looked at old movies to get of her mad schedule and Q. It must have been crazy ideas. Besides, I had to wear that constant shuttling between playing diverse characters 11-yard saree; it was so difficult — Kashibai (in Bajirao Canada and India. Excerpts to carry it around that I begged Mastani) and Alex Parrish from a quick chat with him to make the trail smaller. (in Quantico) — almost PeeCee:Priyanka Chopra And then he did make it slightly simultaneously. smaller. Kashibai is this naïve, child-woman character and it A. It was absolute madness. I was a lost case. I felt was nice playing her. like a schizophrenic. Thankfully, i could slip in and out because even here (Canada), the writers are amazing. Also read: The Quantico review: Priyanka And there, of course, we have Sanjay Leela Bhansali, a Chopra unleashes Saturday night fever Q. You recently hosted a party at your Montreal home for your Quantico colleagues...

January 2016 | Global Movie

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge to Diwale is a remarkable the filmmaker. We belong to the entertainment journey and you set fire to the screens with Shah Rukh industry which depends on the 80 per cent illiterate population to decide about this issue. Khan, but do you think that it is so overwhelming to see you two in one frame together that people do not take Is the industry unfair on female actors after they attain notice of anything else? a certain age? There is a definitely a chemistry between me and Shah Rukh. He is a fantastic actor and we share a great comfort level onscreen, I completely agree but we both are decent actors so I hope that people notice more than just the chemistry. Also, we have done some great love stories and that is not to our credit alone. People like our characters and ‘us’ together.

You are a working mother at the same time are very family oriented. How do you juggle work and kids? It was difficult and I was skeptical and nervous at the thought of leaving my babies behind and going of for long outdoor shoots. But Nysa had the most perfect ladylike reply which helped me. “Mumma its okay that you love us, but can’t you love something else too?” I just started crying inconsolably and she was like Mom, please stop crying for I will not talk to you. My husband too juggled his schedule to be with the kids and it was one of the most romantic gestures he has done for me. That is true love.

It was rather a bold move to get married at the peak of your career and start a family. Was it an instinctive decision to do that?

Kajol: I hope people notice more than Shah Rukh Khan and my chemistry in Dilwale! 34

January 2016 | Global Movie

Kajol candidly opens up about sharing screen space with King Khan, breaking rules, her take on the lack of gender equality in the industry and of course the way her personality has evolved over the years… She enters the room with a bright smile on her face, instantly lightening up the atmosphere and chatters away unconsciously with everyone around her. She has absolutely no air about herself, is extremely articulate in her thoughts and most importantly is one of the most filmi personalities you would ever meet! That’s Kajol for you. Genial, funny, genuine and unabashedly honest. She makes absolutely no bones about who she is and is one of the few people in Bollywood who would dare to be herself even as ten cameras point at her. Kajol is full of energy as she is all geared up to hit screens with Rohit Shetty’s Dilwale with the King Of Romance, Shah Rukh Khan. Here’s what unfolded with our exclusive conversation with Kajol. Stay glued.

dy completed eight years in the industry. I just wanted to then take the next step and not do four films in a year. It worked out all well for me because I did not take any advice from others.

Industry reflects what the society feels. Jaise hamari society badalti rahegi, cinema will reflect that. This is a great place for actors today, because lot of genres of films are being made. Fortunately, today we have films where love story honi jaruri nahi hai. So it is a great place for female actors to be in.

You were a bit of a reluctant dresser but now have evolved into this fashionista, what sparked this transformation? Nothing has changed, mere chappal waise ki waise hi hai! But, yes I explored this aspect of my personality much later in my life because I realised that it is sad to let someone decide what looks good on now. I did not like that. It is good have an opinion on what I like and what I don’t like and it is not rocket science!

You haven’t done a sole female oriented role till now, why so? I think all my roles are female oriented but, I have not done a film with only me in the frame because it is difficult for such scripts to come by. For me, it is all about the content. I read a lot of books, so I know that if the story is good, people will like it. Nothing can match the power of a good script. It does not matter if I am one of the seven characters, but the story should be good.

You have always been very a unconventional, mainstream heroine Bollywood has ever had and yet managed to enjoy Your take on the unequal pay issue towards the female mass popularity. Your thoughts on the same. actors? There definitely is an issue where equal payment to actresses is concerned. But again, it is all about the economics. Once the audience want to watch sole female oriented films, this issue will be solved. I do not see female dominated films garnering Rs 100 and Rs 150 crore. I would most definitely want this situation to change but I am not the bra-burning type of a feminist and therefore feel, it should be workable for

What is conventional? Who writes this rules? Is there a rule book? Yes, I have always been myself because usme bahot kam lagta hai na, and I am very lazy. I have always been myself because it is exhausting to be someone else off camera. Truth is that I am lazy, but you would like to believe it is strength.

January 2016 | Global Movie

Raja Krishna Menon: Akshay Kumar would call me at 5 am for narrations

Kajol to begin work on the film with her husband Ajay Devgn, mid-2016…

In 2014, it was all but confirmed that Kajol would play the protagonist in husband Ajay Devgn’s next production, helmed by Ram Madhvani. Eventually, the project was dropped. Rumours of their pairing persisted, but Ajay went on to film Shivaay, his dream project while Kajol stepped into Rohit Shetty’s Dilwale to star opposite Shah Rukh Khan. Now that Dilwale is set for release and Ajay too has plans firmed out for Shivaay with shooting coming to a close in April, plans have been been put into motion for the couple’s next screen outing together. Confirms Kajol, “Yes, we have planned a film under the ADF (Ajay Devgn Ffilms) banner. We have a script in hand and are just refining it further with a couple of important things that need to be sorted.” Ajay plans to put this new film with Kajol on floors in June. He wouldn’t be directing the film though. “We have finalised the director. We’ll soon reveal the film’s title, genre and my character’s details,” says Kajol. It’s clear that Kajol’s marching to her own tunes. “Ajay’s thinking is different and mine is different. I think of myself from a worker perspective and would basically do what I like doing,” she says, “Fortunately, I have a financial ability to do certain films only if I want to. I would do that from script to script. I would step into a film only if I am able to justify my presence there.” Time and again, she has been considered as someone who is very choosy about her roles, something which is visible in the fact that she has done just 30 films in a career spanning 23 years. “Well, yes, I am very picky. But then you never know, if things are exciting enough, I would do three back-to-back commercial films next,” she laughs away.

Kajol moves on from Shah Rukh Khan to Ajay Devgn! The Dilwale actress is all set to start work on her next film very soon!

January 2016 | Global Movie

Akshay Kumar with Raja Krishna Menon on the set of their film Though Raja Krishna Menon helmed the Purab Kohli and Nandita Das-starrer 'Bas Yun Hi' (2003) and 2009 film 'Barah Aana' starring Naseeruddin Shah and Vijay Raaz, the writer-director often finds himself being asked if he is new to the industry. For the past several years, Menon, who has an advertising background, had been piecing together the story of 'Airlift', inspired from the real-life drama surrounding the evacuation of Indian expatriates from Kuwait in 1990 when the country was invaded by Iraq. It is regarded as the biggest human evacuation in history, and the director can’t wait for his film, which stars Akshay Kumar in the lead, to reach the audience. hitlist caught him for a brief chat. Excerpts: Q. You have been around for over a decade, but made only three films... A. Because what works for me may not work for others. But now, I feel the market is more receptive to people like me. When 'Barah Aana' released, it was just after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. It was a small film, which travelled to film festivals and got a decent release. Aamir Khan helped a lot behind the scenes, so the film had its journey. For me, a film is a film; I do not know the difference between mainstream and not mainstream. For 'Airlift', I first narrated the story to co-producer Nikhil Advani through a common friend. Q. Has being an ad filmmaker earlier helped you now in any way? A. When you do ads with stars, the interaction is limited. Stars are under contracts with the companies. I am not sure being an ad film director is a positive thing, at least for me. Q. What prompted you to tell the story of the human evacuation drama in Kuwait? A. I had family members there who were affected. They would keep telling their stories. Then I would meet their friends who would relate their saga. They would show me their family albums and videos; that was the time Kuwait was the wealthiest country in the region. It was only around 2005 that I realised this was a story to be told. My wife’s aunt was an airhostess with Air India back then, so she has given a lot of first-hand information. The film is about knowing what it means to be an Indian, something that the present generation does not know. We are always complaining about things, but what are we doing? We can be the change, but only if we have a positive approach. Q. How was it working with Akshay Kumar? A. He would call me to his house at 5 am for narrations. By 11 am, we would finish off everything and I had a lot of time — the entire day — to concentrate on making the film.

January 2016 | Global Movie

H E A LT H & F I T N E S S

If you’re on a road-trip or a person of the traveler-genre, you will come across the wide variety of cuisines delivered to you by the people of different states in the country, each having their own distinct taste and special flavors. So, whether you are spending a few days up north in Kashmir or vacationing down south to Kerala, you will witness striking dissimilarities in the kind of foods people savor. This is what makes India one of the much-loved countries by gourmet foodies the world over. To give you a better insight into the food scene of the nation, below is a listing of a few Indian states and their special dishes, so that when you are in the country next, you can focus on trying out the best local cuisines!

distinctively popular dishes in

different indian states

Punjab Makke ki Roti

This northern state is especially popular for its amazing local cuisine that is relished throughout the country. Try the makke ki roti and sarson da saag, which is a popular combination of a Punjabi flat-bread and gravy made of mustard leaves and spices. Also, the popular chhola-bhatura, rajma-chawal, amritsari machhli (fish) and lassi (sweetened buttermilk) find their roots in this region.

Gujarat Dhokla

Traditional Gujarati food is adored for its distinctive flavor that maintains an interesting balance between spices and sweetness. Try the dhokla, which is a well-known snack or breakfast item that is both healthy and delicious. Other popular delicacies include the thepla (flat-bread made of fresh fenugreek leaves and flour), khandvi, dhansak and Gujarati kadhi.

Maharashtra Vada Pav

Maharashtrian cuisine covers a range of dishes that go from being too mild to very zesty. Throughout the state, you can find amazing restaurants serving typical local food. The most cherished is the vada pav, which is a potato fritter stuffed between bread buns, served with piquant chutney and green chilies. Other prominent dishes from this region include, pav-bhaji, shrikhand, thalipeeth, puran poli and modak.

Bihar Litti Chokha

People don’t know enough about the typical cuisine of Bihar even though it is excessively rich in taste and austere in the way it is prepared. The most admired delicacy of the state is litti and chokha, which consists of roasted wheat balls stuffed with a special filling and mashed potatoes with distinct flavors. Also worth trying are the sattu parathas, jhal murhi, khaja and tilkut. 38

January 2016 | Global Movie

Rajasthan Dal Baati

This state is not only illustrious because of its vast deserts, beautiful palaces, and vibrant history—it is also famed for the scrumptious indigenous cuisine. The region presents a variety of delicacies when it comes to food. One of the most appetizing dishes is daal-baati, which consists of hard balls made of wheat flour and additives fried in ghee, and a special daal made of different types of pulses. It is usually served with churma, a sweet dish prepared by crushing baatis and adding ghee and sugar. Also try the pyaaz kachori, malai ghewar, gatte ki sabzi and kalakand.

West Bengal Doi Machh

Bengal is just the right state for those who have a sweet tooth or those who love fish. That might be a strange combination—and yet in India, you will find famous Bengali sweets and Bengali restaurants serving the traditional cuisine in almost every city you visit. One popular dish is the doi machh, which is Bengali fish curry with rice. Other well-known delicacies include the sandesh, daab jhingri (a special mustard prawn curry), rasgulla and mishti doi.

Sikkim Phagshapa

The cuisine of this state is influenced by the northeastern part of India and Nepal along with a high Nepalese population. One of the must-try delicacies in Sikkim is the phagshapa, made of strips of dried pork fat cooked with turnips, radishes, and chilies. Also, momos, thukpa, gundruk and sael roti are quite popular in this region.

Andhra Pradesh Hyderabadi Biryani

This is the state that has given the world one of its most savored dishes: biryani. Andhra Pradesh deserves a visit, especially for the authentic Hyderabadi biryani. Biryani is made of layered rice which is cooked with any type of meat, chicken or a combination of vegetables. Other popular food options in the state to take in are mirchi salan, ghongura pickle and korikoora.

Jammu and Kashmir Kalaadi cheese

The northernmost state of India brings forth one of the most delicious cuisines to be found anywhere in the country. The rogan josh, dum aloo, yakhni, haak saag, gustaba and tabak maaz are some of the well-liked dishes served in this region. One incredible delicacy to taste is the kalaadi cheese, which is a traditional local hill cheese (usually made from cow’s milk) native to this land.

Tamil Nadu Masala Dosa

The taste of India cannot be complete without a mention of the dosa and idli. This state is the origin of the most famous South Indian cuisine that is eaten around the world. There are a variety of dosas available around the region—but the most popular is the masala dosa, in which a fermented crepe made of rice batter is filled with potatoes and served with sambhar and coconut chutney. Also, one must try the idlis, appam, rasam, chettinad chicken and pongal when in this state. January 2016 | Global Movie

Must-try Soups for this Winter A soup can do what a medicine never can - soothe and relax you in an inexplicable way when you're down with cold, cough and fever. It's by far the most comforting food, not to mention, healthy and delicious too. Mentioned below are 5 types of soup which are perfect for these winters not only because of their amazing taste but also their health benefits.

PEPPER RASAM

Winters are synonymous with common cold and cough. Besides right medication, it is imperative to consume comforting and effective foods. The spices in Pepper Rasam help in digestion and soothe your senses, and therefore is a perfect recipe for incessant sneezes and running nose. INGREDIENTS

100 gm Tomato

50 gm Tamarind

Lemon Coriander Soup

Lemon is a rich source of vitamin C, which in turn helps build immunity from cold and cough during winters. Relax with a bowl of hot Lemon Coriander Soup in the evening for a comforting experience.

2 Cloves of garlic 2 gm Turmeric powder Few curry leaves

INGREDIENTS 250 gm Mushroom

1 gm Coriander leaves

25 gm Desi ghee

50 gm Chinese cabbage

750 ml Water

30 gm Garlic

25 gm Carrots

Seasoning

20 gm Fresh cream

20 gm Spinach

10 gm Ghee

50 gm Onion

25 gm Mushroom

2 gm Mustard seeds

30 gm Spring onion

15 gm Fresh coriander

1 gm Curry leaves

Salt to taste

Salt to taste 5 gm White pepper

2 gm Red chilli whole

40 gm Lemon

METHOD

800 ml Water

1. Soak the tamarind in a cup of warm water, extract its juice and throw away the pulp. Grind cumin seeds, pepper and garlic for a few seconds in a mixer.

A coriander sprig to garnish METHOD 1. Cut all the vegetables into triangles, blanch and refresh. 2. Prepare coriander stock with fresh coriander and water. 3. Remove coriander from it and add blanched vegetables to it. 4. Add cleaned de-veined prawns cut in to dices.

January 2016 | Global Movie

1 tsp Cumin seeds

The nutrients in mushrooms are different from those of other vegetables and provide the B group vitamins, especially riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), folate, pantothenic acid and biotin. Mushrooms also contain Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin that helps keep bones strong and fights disease. Khumb Nimbu Ka Ras is a brilliant concoction of health and flavour!

Salt to taste

INGREDIENTS

1 tsp Whole black pepper

Khumb Nimbu Ka Ras

5. Add salt, lemon juice and white pepper. Serve hot!

2. Take a cup of tamarind extract, add chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, crushed pepper, cumin, garlic, salt and curry leaves. Boil them together. 3. Once it starts boiling, keep the flame low and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes or until the raw smell of the tamarind goes off. 4. Heat a tsp of ghee and add mustard seeds to it. When it begins to splutter, add the red chilli, curry leaves and pour it over the Rasam.

30 gm Lemon 5 gm Fresh coriander 750 ml Water For garnish: 2 gm sauteed and dried mushrooms 1 gm coriander METHOD 1. Heat desi ghee in a pan, add mushroom and cook till it gets dry. 2. Remove mushroom from pan, and add garlic, onion in the same oil, and saute. 3. Add mushrooms, water and bring it to a boil. 4. Set seasoning, add spring onion, cream and serve hot! January 2016 | Global Movie

Murgh Makkai Shorba

Corn is an excellent source of dietary fibre and potassium and baby corn kernels are an excellent source of folate. When teamed with chicken, Murgh Makkai Shorba makes for a soup rich in health as well as taste. INGREDIENTS

1 litre Chicken stock 150 gm Corn 25 gm Garlic 25 gm Fresh coriander 15 gm Cumin seeds Salt to taste 5 gm Turmeric

Top Carrot and Beetroot Shorba

While Beetroot is rich in nutrients like calcium, potassium, iron, folic acid, fiber and anti-oxidants, carrots are an excellent source of vitamin A. Beetroot also has natural properties of cleaning the kidneys and gall bladder. The deeper the orange colour of a carrot, the higher is the beta carotene content. Carrot and Beetroot Shorba is excellent for children as it benefits their vision, skin and immune system. INGREDIENTS

30 gm Oil

300 gm Carrot

30 gm Chicken breast

300 gm Beet root 20 gm Ginger

For garnish

5 gm Bay leaf

5 gm Diced chicken

5 gm Green chilly

Coriander sprigs METHOD 1. Heat oil in a pan, add garlic and cumin seeds. Wait till they crackle. 2. Add chopped garlic and saute. Add corn paste and cook.

20 gm Fresh coriander 20 ml Oil 8 Cumin (whole) 750 ml Water Salt to taste For garnish

3. Add chicken stock and cook, adjust seasoning.

2 gm Beetroot

4. Serve hot and garnish with chopped coriander, and chicken dices.

METHOD

2 gm Carrot

17 mocktails every party must have!

Forget the virgin pinacolada and apple margarita, here are the season-end tipples you must try out

2. Designated Appletini

1. BANANA BONKERS

Ingredients:

59 ml fresh apple Juice

3 bananas

20 ml lemon juice

1 cup crushed ice

30ml simple syrup

2 cups lemon sherbet

A slice of apple for garnishing

3 cups fresh grapefruit Juice

Granulated sugar for rimming METHOD: In a cocktail shaker filled with crushed ice,

add apple juice, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake it well. Strain into a glass rimmed with granulated sugar. Garnish with an apple slice. Serve it chilled.

METHOD: Puree banana, combine the pureed bananas,

grapefruit juice, and lemon sherbet and crushed ice. Stir and serve.

3. Italian Cream Soda Ingredients:

100 ml watermelon flavored syrup 236 ml passion fruit flavored syrup 236 ml carbonated water 30 ml half-and-half cream METHOD: Fill in a tall glass with ice and fill 2/3rd of it with carbonated water. Pour in watermelon and passion fruit flavoured syrup, then float half-and-half cream on top. Stir it well when ready to drink.

1. Heat oil. Add bay leaf, cumin and ginger to it. Saute for 1 minute. 2. Add carrot, beetroot and green chillies. Cook for 5 minutes. 3. Add water. Once it starts to boil, strain and make a puree of it. Adjust the seasoning.

January 2016 | Global Movie

4. Strain the puree and adjust seasoning again. Garnish it with diced beetroot and carrots. Serve hot!

January 2016 | Global Movie

4. Shirley Temple

5. Queens Punch

Ingredients:

2 tsp pineapple crush

2 cups water

500 ml Soda

2 cups sugar

2 tbsp vanilla ice cream

1 lemon zest

6 to 8 drops lime juice

1 bottle Maraschino cherries

Ice cubes (crushed)

2 cups pineapple juice

2 tsp orange crush

1 litre club soda

Sugar syrup according to taste

6 lemons (juice)

METHOD: Blend pineapple, orange crush, ice cream

and lime juice. Pour in a glass and serve with ice.

6. Chocolate Liquer Shake Ingredients:

10 almonds 1 tsp Instant coffee powder 2 cups milk 4 tbsp chocolate syrup 3-4 green cardamoms 2 scoops vanilla ice-cream 1 cup whipping cream 3-4 tbsp Swiss chocolate liqueur METHOD: Heat 3-4 tbsp of water and add instant coffee

to it. Crush cardamoms, add to the coffee and strain the mixture. Chop almonds into slivers. Add chocolate sauce, milk, little vanilla ice-cream and ice to the coffee decoction and blend well. Add Swiss chocolate liqueur, remaining vanilla ice-cream and mix well. Pour in a glass and add chopped almonds.

9. Sundowner

Ingredients:

12. Avocado Ranchero

Rose syrup - 40 ml

Ingredients:

Pineapple juice - 60 ml

Processed avocado - 20g

Soda (chilled) - 300 ml

Orange juice - 50 ml

Pineapple, kiwi, banana (chopped and mixed together) -

Milk, blended - 50 ml

Mint leaves (chopped) - 1 tsp METHOD: Add all the ingredients in a pitcher. Stir well

pour into the glasses. Garnish with mint leaves.

11. Hot spiced punch 7. Lemon cheesecake Drink Ingredients:

2 tbsp lemon juice ¼ cup cream A pinch of nutmeg (grated) 2 tbsp castor sugar

METHOD: Blend together all the ingredients in a

blender except the nutmeg for a minute. Pour all the above into a glass and top it with grated nutmeg and serve chilled. —Courtesy Elbo Room

8. Cinderella

White grape juice - 56gms

56 gms orange juice

Cold sparkling water - 30gms

56gms lemon juice

Fresh mint sprig - for garnishing

100 gms club soda

METHOD: Pour the ingredients into a wine glass with

Dash of grenadine Orange, pineapple slices to

Ingredients:

METHOD: Blend the

Lemonade - 50ml

above ingredients together. Garnish with orange slices.

Orange juice - 100ml

14.Sunrise

Grape juice - 2 cups

Ingredients:

Crystallized ginger, chopped - 2 tbsp

Mixed fruit juice - 25ml

Cloves, whole - 8

Orange juice - 25ml

Orange peel - 6 strips (3 x 1/2” each)

Any red fruit crush METHOD: Blend and garnish with a red fruit such as strawberries or passion fruit.

Slivered almonds - 2/3 cups

1 cup ice-cubes

56gms pineapple juice

Crushed ice

Apple cider - 4 cups

Raisins - 2/3 cups

½ tsp vanilla essence

13. Sunny Fizz

Ingredients:

Cinnamon sticks, divided - 13

½ cup yogurt

Ingredients:

METHOD: Blend and add grated chocolate.

200 g

METHOD: Boil water, sugar and lemon zest for 5 minutes. Strain and add the cherries and pineapple juice, while liquid is hot. Add ice, club soda and peppermints. Mix in lemon juice and stir well to serve.

Ingredients:

ice. Stir and garnish it with the mint sprigs. l Serve it chilled.

10. Mid Summer Dream

METHOD: Combine juice, cider, ginger, cloves, orange peel and a cinnamon stick into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Cool the mixture down for 4 hours and then bring it to boil. Reduce the heat and let it cook for 15 minutes. Add raisins and almonds. Cook until raisins are tender. Serve hot garnished with cinnamon sticks. —Courtesy Zinc

16. Just Peachy METHOD: Put ice cubes in a shaker and pour the juices into it. Shake it well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Add club soda and then grenadine. Garnish with orange and pineapple slices. Serve chilled.

Ingredients:

15. Deep Blue

Blue food colouring

Ingredients:

METHOD: Mix and garnish with fruit.

50ml pineapple juice 50ml mango juice

17. Green-eyed Monster Ingredients:

Peach-apricot crush - 25ml

25ml green apple crush

Chocolate sauce - 5ml

Lime - a dash

Fresh cream METHOD: Blend together and top up with club soda

and crushed ice.

METHOD: Blend, top up with club soda.

—Courtesy Cool Chef Cafe

—Compiled by Ismat Tahseen

garnish January 2016 | Global Movie

From Size 38 To 30 The Stunning Weight Loss Secrets Of Parineeti Chopra Revealed This Punjabi kudi has won millions of hearts with her acting talent. Her bindaas attitude makes her different from the rest of the actors. Yes, we are talking about Parineeti Chopra. This bubbly girl soon hogged the limelight, first due to her acting skills and then due to her tremendous weight loss .Parineeti accepts that before joining Bollywood, she used to be fat and weighed around 86 kilos.

exercise regime! Parineeti has been on the heavier side since her childhood. But, once she entered the film industry, her weight brought her into a lot of negative limelight. Despite having a hatred for exercise, she decided to take up gymming. With rigorous weight training, Parineeti, soon shut up her critics by showing off her more toned avatar.

But now Parineeti certainly looks quite in shape. Want to know how she got her curves right in place? Then read on.

I used to be 86 kilos; I used to wear size 38. Right now, fitting into a jeans of size 30 is a big achievement.”

THE JOURNEY OF PARINEETI CHOPR A FROM ‘FAT TO FIT’

To achieve this, Parineeti changed her fitness routine drastically. Here is the exercise regime she swears by:

Losing weight was not easy for Parineeti, considering her love for food. But, with a rigorous workout regime and a strict diet plan, she has finally shed those extra pounds. Not many actors openly admit about being overweight. However, Parineeti is one of the few actresses who not just accepts, but also talks about her weight issues openly to the media. In one of her interviews, she was quoted as saying:

I am a 25 year-old and there is no reason for me to look fat. I want to look great. I am taking care of myself and I am losing even more weight because I want to look better.” Unlike some of the actresses like Huma Qureshi and Vidya Balan, who have always been comfortable with the way they look, our Kill Dill star never felt the same way, as she once said:

Those actresses are comfortable in what they look like. I used to feel uncomfortable. I am in a visual medium and should be able to compete with every good-looking actress. Parineeti confessed that one of the biggest problems she faced when she was overweight was dressing up. She was sick and tired of ill-fitted clothes and having limited options of what to wear. She could not wear sleeveless and faced tummy issues too. The actress said in one of her interviews:

I was sick and tired of clothes not fitting and having limited options on what to wear.” Initially, Parineeti paid less attention to her weight, thinking she could get away with her acting skills alone. But, soon she realised that Bollywood is all about a combination of good looks, figure and acting skills, and thus began her endeavour to lose weight, in order to look good on screen.

From size 38 to 30, her

January 2016 | Global Movie

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Starting the day with jogging Meditation Doing yoga for an hour Involving into activities that she likes, such as swimming and horse riding Running on treadmill Using some deadly dance moves to kill those extra calories along with improving her dance skills Cardio and regular exercise

Parineeti’s diet plan Parineeti has a tendency to gain weight easily due to her poor metabolism. Like most of us, she too loves binging on pizzas and pastas. But, this could have been a major hurdle in her weight loss journey. Here is what this Daawat-e-Ishq starlet has to say:

“I gave up pizza! It’s my first love. I can let go of anything but not pizza. But I didn’t have a choice.” So, to follow her dreams and make a mark in the industry, Parineeti had to give up on those pizzas, burgers and other fast food.

January 2016 | Global Movie

Here is the diet that she follows religiously now: Breakfast:

One glass of milk, brown bread with butter, two eggs- white portion only, juice sometimes.

Lunch:

Dal and roti, brown rice, green salad and green leafy vegetables.

Dinner:

Simple food with less oil, one glass of milk and sometimes a chocolate shake.

She also makes sure that she eats her dinner atleast two hours before going to bed.

How She Got Her Fab New Body “For the last few months, I have been working on myself. I have lost a lot of weight, and I am much fitter now. I was so busy last year that I didn’t get the time to work on myself. I neglected my health, but now, I make sure I take care of it. I’m doing a form of Kerala martial arts called Kalaripayattu. I do it every day for an hour. It has made me more flexible, stronger, and has also helped build my stamina. I don’t like going through the regular gym routine to lose weight. It really bores me. I guess I couldn’t multi-task. I was working day in and day out, and not taking care of my health. I not only looked unhealthy, but also felt it. I wanted to feel energetic, but I was just constantly tired. So, I decided to change that. We always aim to get thin. But that’s not enough. We should feel fit from the inside. I was unfit and overweight. Now as I am losing weight and getting fitter, I should soon be where I want to be.” But, here is another side to the story. Apparently, she spent Rs.10 lakh to achieve her body goals! Parineeti signed up for a detox programme in Austria. The source mentioned:

“Under this program, the patient has to undergo several tests in order to determine what his or her body can tolerate. Depending on that, a diet chart for six months is drawn, which the clients have to strictly adhere to. And it costs between Rs 5-10 lakh for a 15 to 30 day- course, depending on the program… Pari’s expectation before taking up this new regime was that she wanted to fit into hot clothes. And she has got her wish.”

Parineeti Chopra’s recent SIZZLING photoshoot was an audition for Salman Khan’s Sultan! The actress was a front-runner to be a part of Sultan, however things didn’t materialise! Aditya Chopra had also at a point finalised her, but it seems Salman Khan didn’t think she would fit the part. So, Parineeti got this photoshoot done to prove that she can do the part. As a source close to the film reveals, “Parineeti Chopra knew about Sultan since a long time. After Kill Dil she had decided to get fit and lost a lot of weight. She wanted to be a part of Sultan and when she heard that she may not make the cut for Sultan, she worked extra hard. This photoshoot that she released now was actually done for Sultan‘s audition and to prove that she can play a wrestler. However as things didn’t materialise.” Recently, Parineeti also took to Twitter to clarify that she isn’t a part of Sultan. She had tweeted, “Guys, I am not doing Sultan, please put all rumours and speculations to rest and let me announce my next film when the time is right.” Check out her SIZZLING photoshoot for the Sultan auditions below:

Well, her efforts have paid off, and she is one happy person, “When I had entered the industry I was big and used to fit into that size category. Now, I feel I am not, as I have lost much weight and look better. I don’t want to be in that weight category. I am working very hard to become thin. I feel I am skinny now,” says a much happier and slimmer Parineeti. 48

January 2016 | Global Movie

B FILES

Madhuri Dixit Nene: Avoid comparison between 'Pinga' and 'Dola Re'

Sonam Kapoor: I was under stress filming

'Neerja'

Actress Sonam Kapoor says she was under stress working in upcoming biopic 'Neerja', which is a story of a slain air hostess. The Ram Madhvani helmed biopic is on senior flight attendant Neerja Bhanot, who saved 360 lives on a Pan Am flight that was hijacked in Karachi in 1986. Bhanot became the youngest and first woman recipient of the prestigious Ashok Chakra Award, posthumously. "It was not emotionally draining. It is important that this story is told. It is about this girl, the youngest civilian who got Ashoka Chakra. She was a normal girl...She did bit of modelling. She had the courage to save the world," Sonam told PTI. The 'Khoobsurat' actress said she was stressed throughout the shooting in anticipation that whether she is doing justice with her role. "I hope I have done justice to it. I was stressed throughout the film hoping I have done best job possible. I feel the reason why this film was made is to recognise everyone that it doesn't matter who you are, where you come from. "You have to be ordinary to do extra ordinary things and everybody has that in them. You need to have courage to do things." The 30-year-old actress revealed that there are quite a few similarities between her and Neerja. "My values with family, relationships, sensitivity, strong sense of ethics...I think the sense of right and wrong, young people need to see these values and have courage to do right things. This ordinary girl did extraordinary," she said. With her last release 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' being a superhit, Sonam says the Rajshri Production film has given her a wider reach as an actor.'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' has given me wider reach as it has gone into the heartland of India and people are loving the film. For me it is important as my next film ('Neerja'). It is not about me, director and producer but about Neerja," she said.

January 2016 | Global Movie

Dance queen Madhuri Dixit feels people should not compare her hit number "Dola Re" from Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 2002 film "Devdas" with "Pinga", which features in the filmmaker's upcoming movie "Bajirao Mastani".

MADHURI DIXIT NENE Deepika Padukone (Mastani) and Priyanka Chopra (Kashibai) have a face off in "Pinga" in the movie, where the two women are dancing to celebrate their love for Bajirao (Ranveer Singh). Many fans have said that the the song reminds them of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Madhuri in "Dola Re Dola", where their characters Paro and Chandramukhi, respectively, dance together to celebrate their love for Devdas. "I would say don't make comparisons and enjoy for what it is. I haven't seen the song yet as I am travelling," the 48-year-old actress said. "I am sure they would have done a great job as it is Deepika and Priyanka. I would say just enjoy for what it is. They also have worked hard for sure on dance," the "Hum Apke Hai Koun...!" star added. "Bajirao Mastani" is set to hit theatres on December 18.

January 2016 | Global Movie

KATRINA KAIF: I FEAR THAT WHEN I GET MARRIED, RANBIR KAPOOR MAY NOT LOVE ME COMPLETELY! The Fitoor actress opens up about marriage, insecurities and Ranbir Kapoor’s family!

I am not as close to Ranbir’s family as I would like. But I would like to hang out with them more. Family would be a defining factor when I make the decision to marry. I am a very responsive person. So, if my partner gives me what I need, I can be the best girlfriend you can wish for. On cheating men We can’t say men and women are the same. No, our biological needs and bodies are different. Men have been the hunters and the philanderers. Being with an actor has its own set of issues, but the basic differences arise because men are men. Cheaters will cheat anywhere. On insecurity in love The back of my head wants to believe that I am (in a secure relationship). But the front of my head says be careful. I don’t think I can make such claims, because were it selfless love, then I would not feel the need to assert myself as much in the relationship. I would be more tolerant. I don’t want to be tolerant. I don’t want to accept it. I want to fight. I want to get what I think I deserve. On marriage My greatest fear is that if and when I get married and I am standing at the altar or the mandap, he (Ranbir) may not love me completely. That he may not know his mind well enough to be making those commitments. The anticipation of heartbreak is my only fear. 52

January 2016 | Global Movie

Dressing well is an art, business: Anil Kapoor Actor-producer Anil Kapoor, who defies age with his suave style and physically fit frame, says dressing well is an art. The “24” actor, who credits his mother for teaching him the value of being well-dressed, shared his sentiments in an interview on Colors Infinity’s show Born Stylish” with host and designer Pria Kataaria Puri. Anil said there was a time when everybody at birthday parties thought that he was from a very rich family as he was always well-dressed, read a statement. In fact, there are still an uninformed lot of people who look down upon fashion enthusiasts and people who dress well. Actually, they don’t know that it’s an art and of course good business,” said Anil, whose daughter Sonam Kapoor is also looked up by many as a fashion icon. Puri also believes that clothes don’t wear you, you wear clothes. I agree with Anil Kapoor. Style is not about spending money, but an expression of who you are. My show is an attempt of connecting the masses to fashion through exposing the style journey of their favourite icons,” she said. On his favourite style moment, Anil said: “My walk in film ‘Ram Lakhan’ was my most spectacular style moment.” He also shared that compliments are always welcome, but “I am not delusional”. I know where I stand and believe in ageing gracefully. But no one is immortal.” 54

January 2016 | Global Movie

Q. In your next film. Mirziya, you are attempting a romantic story for the first time. How challenging was it? A. It's an intense love story and the writing is deep. Gulzar has written the story. It looks simple, but has many layers to it. It's a romantic drama and has high-octane action. I always wanted to do something like this. I think it is every filmmaker's dream to get into this territory (of romance). During the shoot, I rediscovered love. The whole journey was fascinating. Q. When you talk about 'rediscovering love', does it mean that the definition of love has changed for you? A. Yes, most certainly, and I don't hesitate to admit that. We have grown up with certain definitions of love and with this film, I have found a new one.

be made with established actors. Q. You ran into a few hurdles during the shoot, especially when Harshvardhan fell off a horse and had to be hospitalised. How did it affect the schedule? A. The film has high-octane action. He got injured and was down only for a couple of days. Even Saiyami sustained some injuries while riding a horse and was on rest for 2-3 days. But I had a fantastic crew and we completed the film in 86 days, which was incredible. Now, we are looking at a 2016 summer release, so it could be any time between May and July. Q. So, the promotional campaign will ideally kick off in two or three months. What will be your marketing strategy considering you have newcomers as your film's lead pair?

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra: During ‘Mirziya’ shoot, I rediscovered love Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra doesn’t hesitate to admit that love, of late, has taken on a whole new meaning for him

Q. How difficult was it working with newcomers, Harshvardhan Kapoor and Saiyami Kher? A. Wasn't difficult at all. I worked with not just newcomers but a mix of actors belonging to different age groups. In any case, it's not a question of having an easy or difficult time; the script demanded new faces. I had read about the Mirza-Sahiban folklore during my college days and I used to wonder why Sahiban broke his arrows. So, I went to Gulzar for an answer and he said, 'Woh toh Sahiban hi jaanti hain', but then we sat together and discussed about it. Soon, we had a script in hand and I realised that the film cannot

January 2016 | Global Movie

Rohit Shetty: Not 'Bajirao Mastani', but ban affected Dilwale's collection

A. I don't believe in going over the top for anything. For me, marketing and promotions are about creating awareness about a product, but subtly. I don't want to push a film down your throat with excess publicity but, to each his own. People should come to watch the film not on the basis of what I say, but what they feel about it. Q. Will we see you directing more romantic films? A. I have certain scripts that I am working on, but they are not out and out romantic. Some of them do have that essence.

Director Rohit Shetty feels the initial ban on his latest film 'Dilwale', starring Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol in the lead, has affected the opening collection of the action-comedy.

come from international circuit as I always knew 'Star Wars' was coming. I think Shah Rukh is very popular overseas or may be the SRK-Kajol chemistry is working in favour of the film," he said.

The 41-year-old director said he was always prepared for the face off with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Bajirao Mastani'. "We all were aware that 'Dilwale' and 'Bajirao Mastani' are coming together, so, I was prepared for that competition and the harm we will give each other. But I think what affected the Friday and Saturday collections were the ban in Rajasthan and MP. "Almost 40 per cent of the theaters were not showing the film and we resumed on Sunday morning... It's all mathematics, how many theaters we are running in we will get the collections according to that," Rohit told PTI. The "Chennai Express" helmer thinks bans are the outcome of "misunderstanding" and if dealt with patience things can be settled out easily.

Brining back the iconic pair of SRK-Kajol after five years can look like a tough task, but Rohit said it was a cake walk as the 'Fanna' actress gave quick nod to the film. "Bringing Shah Rukh and Kajol together was not planned. I narrated the script to Shah Rukh, he heard the character I had written for the girl and suggested why not take Kajol as it is an important role. "Then we narrated the script and the moment it got over she promptly said yes. It was very easy to bring her on board," he said. Rohit, who had been away from the promotions, said he was busy in the post production of the movie till a week before its release.

"Bans do harm the business, but when you go and talk to the people opposing the film, it all gets sorted. I have come to the conclusion that all this happens due to misunderstanding. And the issue easily gets resolved if you go and talk to them nicely," he said. "Dilwale", released last Friday, stars Varun Dhawan, Kriti Sanon, Johnny Lever, Varun Sharma among others in prominent roles. The film has bagged thunderous response overseas and that has left Rohit surprised. "With 'Star Wars' releasing at the same time this kind of response overseas is great. I never really thought this kind of response will

"I was busy finishing the film. We have completed the film in five months. June 21st the film started. We were shooting and editing and working round the clock and were able to finish the film on Saturday for Friday release. I said I am not coming anywhere otherwise the film will not release." Rohit is also planning to watch 'Bajirao Mastani' as soon as he gets free from his own film. "Currently I am busy with 'Dilwale' only, once I am through with it will definitely see the film sometime early next year. I have heard great things about Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. They are friends and will surely see the film.

January 2016 | Global Movie

TELEVISION

With karishma, i have found balance in life: Upen First 'Bigg Boss', then 'Nach Baliye' and now, 'Love School', it seems like the couple has decided that they will only take up projects that bring them closer. "We love working together and we liked the concept of this show. The channel has shows like Roadies and Splitsvilla, which are quite aggressive in nature. This is a positive show about helping the youth with their issues. I think we've all been there when we were in our 20s. We all have faced questions like 'Yeh pyaar hai, ya nahi hai' and other issues. Before being with Karishma, I had my share of relationships and had gone through ups and downs. I have reached an age now where I have understood things, found the right partner and balance in my life," Upen says, adding, "We are offered many shows. But when we do something together, it just becomes bigger. Luckily, the shows that we have done together have been quite popular. But we also have separate careers." Karishma adds, "When we were offered this show and I told Upen, he said, 'Wow! This is tailor-made for us.' We've taken a step ahead in our careers by taking up something that we are judging and hosting together. We have also had our share of relationships and experiences and now we're solving peoples' problems."

From 'reality couple' to 'most-loved'

It's been just a year since Karishma and Upen have been together, so naturally one would wonder if they are qualified enough to be love gurus. Upen says, "We've had so many people call our relationship various things. We had people calling us a 'reality couple'. 'Shaayad aap TV ke liye kar rahe ho'. We've gone through so much, and a year later, we're still going strong. Dr Rachna Singh, a relationship expert, has also been guiding us on how to deal with people and their problems. It's great that people have seen our love blossom. We've journeyed from being a reality couple, to the most-loved couple, to now becoming a couple that everybody wants to be."

Delhi couples more forthcoming than others Out of the eight final couples on Love School, six are from Delhi. Does this mean that relationship problems bother more couples in Delhi? Upen says with a laugh, "This is the first season of the show. When you have shows like Roadies and Splitsvilla, people know what to expect. But here, they didn't know what was in store for them and were shy while talking about their problems. We got the best response from Delhi. We had more people coming to us with their issues in Delhi — these guys have serious problems. Some issues that we've seen people face are with their parents, or some form of child abuse or violence." Karishma says, "In Mumbai and Chandigarh, the people were not very open about their issues. Some people who did open up had small issues that could be sorted in minutes."

Karishma & Upen: We’ve journeyed from a reality couple, to becoming a couple everybody wants to be 58

January 2016 | Global Movie

From being called a ‘reality show couple’ — implying that they came together only for TRPs — Karishma Tanna and Upen Patel have now graduated to becoming love gurus. The couple, who’s also referred to as UpMa, are currently hosting and judging a show calledLove School, where they help other couples solve their problems. They were shooting for the show in Solan, Himachal Pradesh, when we met them for a small chat. Excerpts:

Wedding to be in India and London Upen had proposed to Karishma in a very filmi way this year on the Nach Baliye stage. So, is marriage on the cards? "Marriage is definitely on the cards, because I am committed to her. But everything takes time. My family is based in London and there's a lot of planning needed, it's also an expensive affair. But as soon as we know our marriage date, we will announce it. All we know right now is that it will happen in both India and London," Upen signs off.

January 2016 | Global Movie

Sapna Pabbi kickstarts the shoot of 24 season 2 on her birthday! The Khamoshiyan actress will spend her birthday working on the sets of Anil Kapoor's 24!

In a quick chat, the actress reveals what the new season will be all about! Sapna Pabbi is a star in the making with a new television show coming up and interesting Bollywood films in her kitty. The London born actress has her foothold in the Bhatt camp and debuted alongside Gurmeet Choudhary in the film Khamoshiyan. Although the film did not work wonders at the box office, it gave Sapna a recognition in the Indian film industry as the new sensuous actress. She now plans to concentrate on the second season of Anil Kapoor-starrer 24 that paved way for short television series on the Indian small screen. In a quick chat with BollywoodLife, Sapna reveals her excitement for shooting the first episode of the show on her birthday, her new projects and her New Years plan. What will the story of 24 season 2 revolve around this time? The story does again revolve around Jai Singh Rathod, his life as the Anti Terrorist Unit chief and now he copes with the massacres left by the first 24 hours on his life. He’s still working hard to save the nation from terrorism, again putting his duty before his family. Tell us how your character has transitioned from the previous season to this one. Kiran has definitely grown up in season two. She practically had to go from rebel teenager to responsible young adult in the last season. In just one day! More wiser in her approach this time, and after knowing what all her father had to go through she has a much better warmer relationship with him. More respect for the job he does. When will the show be aired? We’ve only just started shooting, so can’t say yet but towards middle of 2016. Any Bollywood films you signed ? I’m due to start shoot soon for the feature for the 3 Oscar winning docudrama “Born Into Brothell” very excited to be a part of such a story. I do have a couple of juicy Bollywood films in the pipeline, will reveal them once they go on floors! It’s your birthday tomorrow, so how do you plan to celebrate it? Its my first day of shoot for 24. I’m very much used to working on my birthday so it’s fine, I’ll wrap up and then rage it with my friends a lil later. My mum says that if you work on your birthday you work for the rest of the year. Will miss the family though What are you plans for the New Year? Again I’ll be working performing this NYE. And if I wasn’t id be having a small little road trip just out of Mumbai to be with nature and the stars!! Or maybe a house party if nobody felt like driving. Thanks guys! Make sure you catch season 2 of 24 and if you’ve not already the first one for sure, it’s a game changer and I’m not just being biased.

January 2016 | Global Movie

TRAVEL

places to visit in Europe to avoid Cold, chilly winters

Winter isn’t coming to Europe, it’s very much here and it’s not going away anytime soon so pump up the central heating and turn down your blankets. In fact, now the festivities of Christmas are over and you can’t even wear your Christmas jumper anymore, there’s really nothing warm to look forward to for months. Unless, of course, you’re smart enough to escape and head south, which is something we are thinking of doing. So, we set about doing a little research and a lot of daydreaming and here are the results – our top five favourite places in Europe where we won’t need our winter coat.

Canary Islands Without comparison, the warmest place to be in Europe during winter months is on one of the Canary Islands. Sitting pretty in the Atlantic, off the coast of West Africa, winter months have nearly 200 hours of sunshine and temperatures are warm enough to sunbathe in. With a wide variety of activities to enjoy on each island, and some quite dramatic scenery and interesting history to explore, the Canary Islands don’t disappoint as a winter holiday destination. Indulge in some luxury on Gran Canaria, ride a camel on Lanzarote, discover Tenerife‘s foodie scene or lie on one of Fuerteventura‘s white sand beaches. And if you’re not sure which Canary Island is for you, read this post to find out which one is best suited to you and your family.

Crete Greece’s largest and most populated island, Crete, is found deep in the sunshine-happy Mediterranean Sea and promises temperatures that stay well above 15 degrees Celsius. While the locals will consider this to be positively chilly, for visitors from colder climes, it’s the perfect temperature for taking a hike or bike ride through the island’s mountainous landscape – though be warned it will be chillier up there! Alternatively, stick to the south coast, which is the warmest side of the island and here you’ll find it’s warm enough for the local swallows to stay here all year-round rather than flying off to Africa like their northern European cousins, which tells you how mild it can be during winter. In addition to an abundance of beach side restaurants and bars to enjoy sea views, Crete is a great choice for winter-dodging history buffs as the island is considered to the home of the earliest recorded civilization in Europe and there are several historic sites to explore including ancient Minoan castles and century old churches.

Cyprus A little further southeast in the Mediterranean and quite a bit warmer, Cyprus is another island worth escaping to during winter. Temperatures can be as warm as 20 degrees Celsius on the coast and having warmed up all summer, the sea is almost as warm too. This should mean it’s comfortable enough to swim around Aphrodite’s Rock near Paphos, an act that is supposed to give your love life a boost! On average, Cyprus has around 180 hours of sunshine in winter months, which is as much as London gets in May! In terms of what you can do while staying on Cyprus – apart from gloating on Facebook about how warm it is – the choice is yours; enjoy fresh seafood in a coastal restaurant, set off on a hiking adventure, take a boat cruise along the Akamas peninsula or get lost in Old Paphos, an area of great archaeological wealth where you can view mosaics dating back to the 2nd Century.

Madeira Another island lost in the Atlantic, Madeira is where many go to escape winter thanks to its mild temperatures and as much as ten hours of sunshine a day in January. A gem worth discovering at any time of year, Madeira is especially great to visit in winter months due to the reduced numbers of visitors and the low cost of living will make it a very affordable trip after your Christmas splurging. The island’s capital, Funchal, is a wonderful mix of modern and historic with a steep sprawling hillside offering magnificent views of the sea and white-walled and red-roofed houses below, but don’t panic, there’s a cable car to facilitate your climb. Away from the city you can find black volcanic sand beaches, the world’s largest laurel forest and some of the best nature treks in Europe. Don’t forget your sun cream! 62

January 2016 | Global Movie

Malta With a similar climate to Cyprus, Malta is one of the Mediterranean’s best kept secrets, often forgotten in winter, which means that the streets of capital city Valletta or the beaches of nearby Gozo, are emptier than during busy summer months. Surround yourself with some of Europe’s finest examples of Baroque and Neo-Classical architecture by staying in a penthouse apartment in Valletta where you’ll have a range of museums and galleries on your doorstep, or enjoy the city’s growing coffee culture, where you can sit – outside, of course! – and watch the world go by. With temperatures dipping in and out of the low twenties, expect sunshine and a blue sky above, perfect a boat trip to the island of Comino’s turquoise waters or head north on the mainland to Popeye’s Village, a colourful collection of houses built for the 1980 Popeye movie, a favourite with children.

January 2016 | Global Movie

H O L LY W O O D

Top 10 grossing Hollywood movies 2015

Jurassic World (2015)

A new theme park is built on the original site of Jurassic Park. Everything is going well until the park’s newest attraction-a genetically modified giant stealth killing machine--escapes containment and goes on a killing spree. Dir: Colin Trevorrow With: Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, Ty Simpkins Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller 124 mins $652 million

Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015)

When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it’s up to Earth’s Mightiest Heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans. Dir: Joss Whedon With: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi 141 minutes $459 million

Inside Out (2015)

After young Riley is uprooted from her Midwest life and moved to San Francisco, her emotions - Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness - conflict on how best to navigate a new city, house, and school. Dir: Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen With: Amy Poehler, Bill Hader, Lewis Black Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Drama | Family | Fantasy 95 minutes $356 million

Furious 7 (2015)

Deckard Shaw seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto and his family for his comatose brother. Dir: James Wan With: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson Action | Crime | Thriller137 mins. $350 million

Minions (2015)

Minions Stuart, Kevin and Bob are recruited by Scarlet Overkill, a super-villain who, alongside her inventor husband Herb, hatches a plot to take over the world. Dir: Kyle Balda, Pierre Coffin With: Sandra Bullock, Jon Hamm, Michael Keaton Animation | Comedy | Family 91 minutes $336 million

January 2016 | Global Movie

The Martian (2015)

During a manned mission to Mars, Astronaut Mark Watney is presumed dead after a fierce storm and left behind by his crew. But Watney has survived and finds himself stranded and alone on the hostile planet. With only meager supplies, he must draw upon his ingenuity, wit and spirit to subsist and find a way to signal to Earth that he is alive. Dir: Ridley Scott With: Matt Damon, Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig Adventure | Drama | Sci-Fi 144 minutes $219 million

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 (2015)

As the war of Panem escalates to the destruction of other districts by the Capitol, Katniss Everdeen, the reluctant leader of the rebellion, must bring together an army against President Snow, while all she holds dear hangs in the balance. Dir: Francis Lawrence With: Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth Adventure | Sci-Fi 137 minutes $209 million

Cinderella (2015)

When her father unexpectedly passes away, young Ella finds herself at the mercy of her cruel stepmother and her scheming stepsisters. Never one to give up hope, Ella’s fortunes begin to change after meeting a dashing stranger. Dir: Kenneth Branagh With: Lily James, Cate Blanchett, Richard Madden Drama | Family | Fantasy | Romance 105 minutes $201 million

Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation (2015)

Ethan and team take on their most impossible mission yet, eradicating the Syndicate - an International rogue organization as highly skilled as they are, committed to destroying the IMF. Dir: Christopher McQuarrie With: Tom Cruise, Rebecca Ferguson, Jeremy Renner Action | Adventure | Thriller 131 minutes $195 million

10.

Pitch Perfect 2 (2015)

After a humiliating command performance at The Kennedy Center, the Barden Bellas enter an international competition that no American group has ever won in order to regain their status and right to perform. Dir: Elizabeth Banks With: Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Hailee Steinfeld Comedy | Music 115 minutes $183 million January 2016 | Global Movie