25 years of Kaun Banega Crorepati: More theme-based shows like Amitabh Bachchan's that you ought to explore
From Shark Tank India to MasterChef India, now stream the best of theme-based TV shows on OTTplay Premium
The best from the Indian business/finance world come together, call themselves Sharks, and try to find out which start-up business to invest in. The idea has connected with the youth who have come up with creative ideas throughout the seasons. Indian Idol
Do you think you have the singing talent? Indian Idol is the platform to prove yourself! Singers like Arijit Singh, Abhijeet Sawant, and Rahul Vaidya have been a part of this show before making it big. The show often makes headlines for Neha Kakkar, but of course, talent speaks louder. Dance India Dance
Like the name suggests, Dance India Dance is a dancing reality show that has introduced us to Remo D'Souza as the judge and dancer-turned-actor Raghav Juyal. In fact, many actors from the ABCD franchise films are chosen from this very dance-based show, and they match steps with legendary Prabhudheva in today's times. Masterchef India
The cooking-based reality show Masterchef India has gained momentum with time. While Masterchef Australia remains iconic, the Indian version is just as loved for the innovative dishes and cooking techniques, and of course, the judging skills in the midst of all the challenges. Bigg Boss
Like Amitabh Bachchan with KBC, Salman Khan stayed loyal to Bigg Boss and helped the Hindi version become iconic over the years. Now, there's an OTT version of the show, apart from it being expanded into other languages over the years.
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Economic Times
20 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Semma to Chatti and Bungalow: Desi restaurants in Big Apple do a Dhamaka
Indian restaurants in New York are going unapologetically hyperlocal New York: At 7:30 on a sweltering summer evening in New York City, the Garment District is winding down. The frantic activity of the Big Apple's fashion hub gives way to a quieter time of day. But the air still hums with the excitement of secrets to be revealed. Times Square is to the north with its bright lights and heaving crowds, while the Empire State Building is unmissable, awash with colour from the lights. The mannequins in the shop windows, draped in sequined fabric, seem glimmeringly sentient. Tucked away on West 37th Street, a storefront announces Chatti in a flamboyant italic script and, in smaller but no less confident font, By Regi is the celebrated Indian chef's toddy shop-inspired, Kerala-style kitchen. And it's part of a wave. New York is in the throes of a spice-sprinkled gourmet glasnost that is unapologetically city's Indian food scene used to be split, only half-jokingly, into butter chicken for the masses, molecular gastronomy for the those extremes lay an arid vacuum. The ground has shifted with a bunch of intrepid, creative chefs serving Indian food that's uncompromisingly hyperlocal and high concept to NYC. Diners can't get enough of it. And the food critics, powerful enough to make or break restaurants in this part of the world, are the first time in its nearly century long history, the New York Times anointed an Indian restaurant—Semma—as No. 1 in its Top 100 Restaurants in NYC list. The South Indian fine-dining destination, helmed by chef Vijay Kumar (formerly of California's Michelin-starred Rasa) and backed by restaurateurs Roni Mazumdar and Chintan Pandya of Unapologetic Foods, has emerged as an unmistakable disruptor in fine dining. Alongside Semma, several other Indian restaurants made it to the Times' Top 100, including Dhamaka, known for its fiery, rustic menu from the Indian hinterlands; Masalawala & Sons, a nostalgic tribute to Bengali home cooking; Bungalow, a newer entrant from celebrity chef Vikas Khanna blending artful plating with deep-rooted Punjabi flavours; and Dera, a Jackson Heights staple offering a rich blend of Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi Foods is at the heart of this spice-splashed revolution. Pandya has also won the much sought-after James Beard prize for chefs. Most importantly, their growing empire—Semma, Dhamaka, Adda, Masalawala & Sons and Rowdy Rooster—doesn't pander to Western palates. Dhamaka and Semma are booked months in advance. Diners are lucky if they can snag a reservation on Resy.'The Indian food scene right now is as exciting as it's ever been in New York City,' says veteran food writer Andrea Strong. 'And that's in large part because of Chintan and Roni and Vijay.'Bungalow is Vikas Khanna's most personal offering to date.'This is my last restaurant,' he says, a culinary venture that caps off a 41-year career. 'New York is not an easy restaurant space, of course; it's the greatest, and it's also the toughest.'With Bungalow, he's reclaiming memory, an ode to what his late sister told him after admonishing him for 'chasing lists.''I have so many failed businesses where I could not break the code,' he says, but Bungalow is his homecoming. New York has had great South Asian food for quite some time, says Ryan Sutton, a food critic who has spent over two decades writing about food for Eater and now publishes The Lo Times. 'I remember going to a wedding at the original Junoon about a decade ago—probably the best wedding food I've ever had.' There was also Hemant Mathur's now-closed Tulsi, which had a Michelin star, like Junoon. 'And of course Indian Accent rolled into town a while back, and that venue (like the late Floyd Cardoz's shuttered Tabla) proved that New Yorkers were willing to pay a serious premium for really good South Asian fare,' remembers Sutton. But admittedly, what's going on is more exciting than just trendy amuse bouche. Inside Chatti, the room is filling up fast. Within the hour, it's packed—tables claimed, voices rising in a familiar rhythm. For a moment, it doesn't feel like New York anymore.'For so long, people only knew one kind of Indian food,' says Mathew. 'People become like a community… good food in smaller portions. Now, they're discovering the flavours of Kerala. They're discovering our stories.'Stories that—until a few years back—weren't an option in the fine dining circuit of New York's food scene. These ideas were mostly pushed to the confines of the immigrant-reliant borough of Queens.'What's happening is not a trend,' says Pandya, who fired up the kitchen at Dhamaka, listed as a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant. 'I think it took a lot of crazy steps, almost, that didn't make logical or business sense for us to arrive at this point, and those were the breakthroughs that we needed.'What is happening differently with Indian food, and specifically in their restaurants, is that they are serving the real thing. 'Food we've been cooking for a long time—at our households, at our events—but it was never represented,' says March 2017, common friends had introduced Mazumdar and Pandya to each other. Pandya says Mazumdar was 'a crazy entrepreneur' who wanted someone to partner with.'We knew one thing—our cuisine needed a radical shift,' Mazumdar says. 'Chintan had spent his whole career in fine dining. I came in with a disruptive mindset. That's where we connected. We didn't have a white paper or a protocol.'It was uncharted territory. Indian food had never really worked in this city. 'So we asked, what do we do about it?'Whether that meant serving gurda kapoora (goat kidney and testicles) or refusing to do takeout at the pandemic-born Dhamaka.'The very first time when you open the lid of a freshly cooked dish and that steam comes out—that's a dhamaka,' Pandya says. 'I cannot recreate that in a plastic container.'Currently, Semma is what every Indian wants to talk about. Kumar has taken the city by storm, given that it's unprecedented for a Tamil food-centric restaurant to get a Michelin Kumar wasn't hired to build Semma. He had written to Mazumdar when Rahi launched, saying he would love to join them he finally joined the kitchen at Rahi, his dishes stood out. At that point, Mazumdar said if they end up serving this, they would end up confusing Rahi's core consumers. So Semma was born. Rahi has since closed.'Semma showcases Tamil Nadu. Masalawala brings Kolkata. Dhamaka brought offal. This isn't about fusion or elevation. It's about recognition,' says says: 'The food is spicy, it's loud, it's rowdy, and it's fun. There's an energy to it that's similar to what you'd find in Bombay or Calcutta.'Unapologetic Foods is planning to open an Adda in Philadelphia and a fast-casual Kababwala in NYC by the end of this at Chatti, Mathew is busy attending to guests at every table—explaining toddy shop culture. Khanna says there are nights he sees scores waiting outside. 'They're just coming as a part of a pilgrimage. Agar restaurant ye create kar sakta hai, it means there's so much more.'For the first time, Indian food in New York isn't whispering. It's making noise—and it's not asking for permission. It's unapologetically Indian.
Time of India
24 minutes ago
- Time of India
Semma to Chatti and Bungalow: Desi restaurants in Big Apple do a Dhamaka
New York: At 7:30 on a sweltering summer evening in New York City, the Garment District is winding down. The frantic activity of the Big Apple's fashion hub gives way to a quieter time of day. But the air still hums with the excitement of secrets to be revealed. Times Square is to the north with its bright lights and heaving crowds, while the Empire State Building is unmissable, awash with colour from the lights. The mannequins in the shop windows, draped in sequined fabric, seem glimmeringly sentient. Tucked away on West 37th Street, a storefront announces Chatti in a flamboyant italic script and, in smaller but no less confident font, By Regi Mathew. This is the celebrated Indian chef's toddy shop-inspired, Kerala-style kitchen. And it's part of a wave. New York is in the throes of a spice-sprinkled gourmet glasnost that is unapologetically Indian. The city's Indian food scene used to be split, only half-jokingly, into butter chicken for the masses, molecular gastronomy for the critics. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like An engineer reveals: 1 simple trick to get all TV channels Techno Mag Learn More Undo Between those extremes lay an arid vacuum. The ground has shifted with a bunch of intrepid, creative chefs serving Indian food that's uncompromisingly hyperlocal and high concept to NYC. Diners can't get enough of it. And the food critics, powerful enough to make or break restaurants in this part of the world, are raving. For the first time in its nearly century long history, the New York Times anointed an Indian restaurant—Semma—as No. 1 in its Top 100 Restaurants in NYC list. Live Events The South Indian fine-dining destination, helmed by chef Vijay Kumar (formerly of California's Michelin-starred Rasa) and backed by restaurateurs Roni Mazumdar and Chintan Pandya of Unapologetic Foods, has emerged as an unmistakable disruptor in fine dining. Alongside Semma , several other Indian restaurants made it to the Times' Top 100, including Dhamaka, known for its fiery, rustic menu from the Indian hinterlands; Masalawala & Sons, a nostalgic tribute to Bengali home cooking; Bungalow, a newer entrant from celebrity chef Vikas Khanna blending artful plating with deep-rooted Punjabi flavours; and Dera, a Jackson Heights staple offering a rich blend of Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi dishes. Not Pandering to Western Palates Unapologetic Foods is at the heart of this spice-splashed revolution. Pandya has also won the much sought-after James Beard prize for chefs. Most importantly, their growing empire—Semma, Dhamaka, Adda, Masalawala & Sons and Rowdy Rooster—doesn't pander to Western palates. Dhamaka and Semma are booked months in advance. Diners are lucky if they can snag a reservation on Resy. 'The Indian food scene right now is as exciting as it's ever been in New York City,' says veteran food writer Andrea Strong. 'And that's in large part because of Chintan and Roni and Vijay.' Bungalow is Vikas Khanna's most personal offering to date. 'This is my last restaurant,' he says, a culinary venture that caps off a 41-year career. 'New York is not an easy restaurant space, of course; it's the greatest, and it's also the toughest.' With Bungalow, he's reclaiming memory, an ode to what his late sister told him after admonishing him for 'chasing lists.' 'I have so many failed businesses where I could not break the code,' he says, but Bungalow is his homecoming. New York has had great South Asian food for quite some time, says Ryan Sutton, a food critic who has spent over two decades writing about food for Eater and now publishes The Lo Times. 'I remember going to a wedding at the original Junoon about a decade ago—probably the best wedding food I've ever had.' There was also Hemant Mathur's now-closed Tulsi, which had a Michelin star, like Junoon. 'And of course Indian Accent rolled into town a while back, and that venue (like the late Floyd Cardoz's shuttered Tabla) proved that New Yorkers were willing to pay a serious premium for really good South Asian fare,' remembers Sutton. But admittedly, what's going on is more exciting than just trendy amuse bouche. Inside Chatti, the room is filling up fast. Within the hour, it's packed—tables claimed, voices rising in a familiar rhythm. For a moment, it doesn't feel like New York anymore. 'For so long, people only knew one kind of Indian food,' says Mathew. 'People become like a community… good food in smaller portions. Now, they're discovering the flavours of Kerala. They're discovering our stories.' Stories that—until a few years back—weren't an option in the fine dining circuit of New York's food scene. These ideas were mostly pushed to the confines of the immigrant-reliant borough of Queens. Unapologetically Indian 'What's happening is not a trend,' says Pandya, who fired up the kitchen at Dhamaka, listed as a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant. 'I think it took a lot of crazy steps, almost, that didn't make logical or business sense for us to arrive at this point, and those were the breakthroughs that we needed.' What is happening differently with Indian food, and specifically in their restaurants, is that they are serving the real thing. 'Food we've been cooking for a long time—at our households, at our events—but it was never represented,' says Mazumdar. In March 2017, common friends had introduced Mazumdar and Pandya to each other. Pandya says Mazumdar was 'a crazy entrepreneur' who wanted someone to partner with. 'We knew one thing—our cuisine needed a radical shift,' Mazumdar says. 'Chintan had spent his whole career in fine dining. I came in with a disruptive mindset. That's where we connected. We didn't have a white paper or a protocol.' It was uncharted territory. Indian food had never really worked in this city. 'So we asked, what do we do about it?' Whether that meant serving gurda kapoora (goat kidney and testicles) or refusing to do takeout at the pandemic-born Dhamaka. 'The very first time when you open the lid of a freshly cooked dish and that steam comes out—that's a dhamaka,' Pandya says. 'I cannot recreate that in a plastic container.' Semma Sensation Currently, Semma is what every Indian wants to talk about. Kumar has taken the city by storm, given that it's unprecedented for a Tamil food-centric restaurant to get a Michelin star. Originally, Kumar wasn't hired to build Semma. He had written to Mazumdar when Rahi launched, saying he would love to join them someday. When he finally joined the kitchen at Rahi, his dishes stood out. At that point, Mazumdar said if they end up serving this, they would end up confusing Rahi's core consumers. So Semma was born. Rahi has since closed. 'Semma showcases Tamil Nadu. Masalawala brings Kolkata. Dhamaka brought offal. This isn't about fusion or elevation. It's about recognition,' says Sutton. Strong says: 'The food is spicy, it's loud, it's rowdy, and it's fun. There's an energy to it that's similar to what you'd find in Bombay or Calcutta.' Unapologetic Foods is planning to open an Adda in Philadelphia and a fast-casual Kababwala in NYC by the end of this year. Back at Chatti, Mathew is busy attending to guests at every table—explaining toddy shop culture. Khanna says there are nights he sees scores waiting outside. 'They're just coming as a part of a pilgrimage. Agar restaurant ye create kar sakta hai, it means there's so much more.' For the first time, Indian food in New York isn't whispering. It's making noise—and it's not asking for permission. It's unapologetically Indian.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Nationalism card at play, parties follow BJP lead in backing Diljit Dosanjh
Jalandhar: After BJP leaders openly backed Punjabi singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh , under fire for his film "Sardar Ji 3" starring Pakistani actress Hania Aamir, leaders of other parties from Punjab have also voiced support for him. Initially, leaders from parties other than the BJP appeared hesitant to publicly support Dosanjh, arguably Punjab's most prominent singer since Sidhu Moose Wala, as the "nationalism card", especially the Pakistan angle post-Pahalgam terror attack, was played against him. BJP national spokesperson R P Singh was the first to defend Dosanjh, posting his support late at night on May 27. Singh, who described Dosanjh as "a national asset and a global ambassador of Indian culture", received both praise and criticism for his stance. On June 28, Punjab BJP leader and prominent Punjabi film actor Hobby Dhaliwal held a press conference at the Punjab BJP state office to express solidarity with him. On Wednesday, former BJP MP Hans Raj Hans, an accomplished and prominent Punjabi singer, also expressed solidarity with Diljit. After BJP took the lead, Punjab Congress and AAP leaders also spoke up in his support. Leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, MLAs Sukhpal Singh Khaira, and MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa expressed solidarity with Dosanjh on their social media accounts. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Is your tinnitus getting worse? Do this immediately (Watch) Hearing Magazine Undo Randhawa on Thursday said that he was being targeted due to his Sikh and Punjabi identity. Among AAP leaders, Sonia Mann was an early supporter, speaking up around the same time as BJP leaders. Then Rajya Sabha MP Vikramjit Singh Sahney and Punjab speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan were the prominent leaders who spoke up. Shiromani Akali Dal discussed the issue in the party's core committee meeting on June 30 and expressed solidarity with the singer. The party held that Dosanjh was being unfairly targeted and called for an end to the "politics of hate". MSID:: 122231938 413 |
