Latest news with #Arth
The Hindu
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Taste the flavours of Lahore and Patiala in Delhi at Amninder Sandhu's Kikli
The culinary disposition of Punjab, unlike its geographic landscape, remains undivided. It spells the fusion of hearty, robust and fiery palate coupled with cooking techniques that date back to the Harappan civilisation. Fortunately, you do not have to travel back in time to taste the heritage of Punjabi cuisine. It has a new address — Kikli in New Delhi's Connaught Place. Co-owned by Chef Amninder Sandhu, who is the force behind Bawri (Goa, Mumbai) and Dining Experiences at Tipai (a boutique wildlife escape in Maharashtra), Kikli holds the key to Punjab's lesser-known flavours and dishes that go beyond the usual butter chicken, kulcha, pindi chhole and makki di roti teh sarson da saagh. It offers katlama that sits proud in the lanes of Lahore as Pakistan's well-known street food since 1947 and it digs out the secrets of Patiala's royal kitchen. 'About two years ago, I decided to create a restaurant that is all things Punjab,' says Amninder, talking about the inception of Kikli. Between Mumbai and Delhi, she zeroed in on a heritage site in the capital's Connaught Place and roped in interior designer Ariane Thakore Ginwala to design her new venture as a 'stripped-down version of a haveli'. She wanted the restaurant to house different seating areas, from courtyard and bar to dining section and an open kitchen, which complemented each other and beguiled the curious guest's attention to details. 'It took us nearly nine months to build it,' she says of the venue spanning nearly 8,000 square feet that will be operational from July 28 and can accommodate nearly 130 people. With Kikli, Amninder leverages three things — her Punjabi identity, camaraderie with Sarvesh Kaur (the late granddaughter of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala) and her knowledge of traditional slow-cooking techniques. 'In 2018, when I opened regional Indian restaurant Arth in Mumbai, Sarvesh shared her heirloom recipes with me. These were handwritten notes from her mom. She helped me find my rhythm in cooking and it continues to dictate my culinary choices,' she says. Though Arth was forced to shut during the pandemic because of unforeseen financial setbacks, Amninder says that some of the dishes from its menu are now part of Kikli. One of the 11 sections on the menu, titled The Royals, features Patiala shahi paratha, mewadar keema and kofta alubukhara. The other sections are Salaad, Chaat Pakode Centre, Buns, Meat And Fish Corner, Bade Mazedar, Hara, Rotiya, Pulaaaw, Mithiya Cheezaa and Lassi. Amninder recalls, 'Another interesting thing about Arth was that it was a no-gas restaurant and I cooked everything on open fire. At Kikli, I have installed a hara, on which the dal is cooked overnight.' It was during her visit to a 120-year-old farmhouse in Bathinda, Punjab, where Amninder saw a hara. 'It looks like a hearth, works like a slow cooker and has a smoking chamber. It has two wells where you put paathiya (cow-dung cakes) and coal,' she explains, while adding, 'Kadhai-based dishes at Kikli are made in sarbloh utensils made by third-generation blacksmiths. The chutneys are ground in danda kunda (mortar and pestle).' Kikli's menu champions local ingredients, like ajwain patta, moongre, kaali gaajar, shalgam, chappan kaddu and khapli atta. 'It has papdi chaat where the papdi is made with bajra. Also, in Punjab, coriander seeds, anardana, crushed chilli and amchur is used a lot. For most dishes, I have made my own masala. Also, the vegetables are sourced from Smiling Earth Organic Farms in Selakhari Haryana,' adds Amninder. She likes to assign different periods of history to the borders of Punjab, while describing the origins of some of the dishes on the menu. 'For instance, katlama, a bread, was sent to each other's homes during Baisakhi; on the menu, it is called Kikli katlama. You will find katlama at various places, and if you come to think of it, in the mid-19th Century the Sikh Empire extended from Gilgit and Tibet to Sindh and from Khyber Pass to the Sutlej. So, our culinary heritage is expansive,' she shares. The name Kikli comes from Punjab's folk dance. She says, 'It was suggested by my brother and I think it fits. Even as a dance form, kikli is not for the faint-hearted and is almost like martial art. I feel, the restaurant's co-owner Dhruv Chawala and I are also performing kikli as we run this venture.' A meal for two at Kikli, located at K 11B, Connaught Outer Circle, New Place, K Block, Connaught Place, New Delhi, and open from noon to 1am, is priced upwards of ₹1,500 approx. (without alcohol).
India.com
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet daughter of actor Raj Kiran, who is missing for over 31 years now, as beautiful as any Bollywood actress, her name is...
In the world of Bollywood, where legacies often take unexpected turns, a familiar name is once again creating buzz, this time not because of past fame, but a new face who's making waves online. A young woman, connected to a once-popular actor who mysteriously disappeared from the limelight decades ago, is now catching attention with her striking photos. Fans believe she could be the next big thing on screen, even though she's yet to debut. Who is this girl? The girl making headlines is none other than Rishika Mahtani, daughter of veteran actor Raj Kiran, who was once a known face in films like 'Karz' and 'Arth,' suddenly vanished from Bollywood over 31 years ago. His disappearance remained one of the most talked-about mysteries in the industry, with occasional reports suggesting he was in an asylum in the US. Actor Rishi Kapoor had once claimed to have located him during a trip to Atlanta, where Raj Kiran was reportedly under treatment. What does Rishika Mahtani do? While Raj Kiran has stayed away from public view, his daughter Rishika is slowly gaining recognition through social media. Her pictures are going viral for her stunning looks, charming presence, and natural confidence. Many fans are commenting that she has the perfect blend of talent and beauty to become a successful actress, even drawing comparisons to top heroines. Despite being away from the film world, Rishika seems to have inherited her father's screen appeal and also an established path for herself as a business tycoon. Rishika Mahtani is the proud owner of a jewelry brand called RishFine. She is married to Ravi Shah, who, as per his Instagram profile, resides in Chicago. Is Rishika Mahtani on her way to her debut film? As for now, there has been no official announcement of a Bollywood debut yet, fans are already rooting for her to enter the industry. While Raj Kiran remains absent from the scene, his daughter's sudden spotlight has revived public interest in his legacy. For now, Rishika continues to shine on social media, leaving many curious to know if she will soon carry forward her father's incomplete journey in the film industry.
India.com
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This actor once challenged Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, worked in many superhit films, disappeared mysteriously, never found again, his name was...
Born into a Sindhi family, Raj Kiran Mahtani debuted with B.R. Ishara's Kaagaz Ki Nao in 1975. Over the next two decades, he lit up the screen in over 100 films, including Karz, Basera, Arth, Raj Tilak, and Ek Naya Rishta. By 1980, he had already acted in eight films in one year, earning industry respect and audience love alike. Known for both emotional depth and complex, grey-shaded roles, Raj was a powerful on-screen presence through the '70s and '80s. His stardom was as good as those of Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor and other stars of that time. When did the storm begin? Though he had a successful run, the '90s weren't kind. The work dried up. Typecast into side roles and battling dissatisfaction, Raj became visibly frustrated. 'If I can't do something remarkable in films, I'll leave it altogether,' he told Sunday Magazine — words that would turn prophetic. Did depression drive him away? Multiple reports suggest Raj Kiran struggled deeply with mental health issues. The fading spotlight and stagnating career weighed heavily. Eventually, he stopped showing up — both on screen and in life. His sudden disappearance has remained one of Bollywood's most tragic unsolved tales. What did his family say? For years, his family kept his whereabouts private. His daughter once said, 'He was a private man.' But curiosity never faded — fans and colleagues kept asking: Where is Raj Kiran? Rumours flared when actor Rishi Kapoor claimed he went looking for Raj in New York. Allegedly, he was told Raj was in a mental institution. Rishi wanted to meet him, but his brothers reportedly refused. Actress Deepti Naval also shared a heartfelt post about her efforts to find him, confirming the industry hadn't forgotten.
Hindustan Times
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Guru Dutt's legacy is not a style you can copy, it's a wound you must survive: Mahesh Bhatt
Mumbai, Guru Dutt's legacy is not of awards but of silence, the kind that lingers on after the screen fades to black, says Mahesh Bhatt about the legendary filmmaker who "let beauty crumble into truth". Guru Dutt's legacy is not a style you can copy, it's a wound you must survive: Mahesh Bhatt Dutt, regarded as amongst the greatest filmmakers of Indian cinema with films such as 'Pyaasa', 'Kaagaz Ke Phool' and 'Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam', would have been 100 on July 9. He was found dead, possibly from a cocktail of sleeping pills and alcohol, in 1964 when he was just 39. "He took the aching mess of human life, and turned it into poetry that could pierce even silence. Those of us who came after we carried forward the wound. We do not celebrate a hundred years of Guru Dutt. We return to him,' Bhatt told PTI. The filmmaker said he was captivated when he first saw a large photograph of Dutt at Raj Khosla's office. 'Guru Dutt's legacy isn't made of awards, posters, or reels. It is made of silence. The kind that enters a room after the screen goes black and stays. He was our Vyasa . "Guru Dutt took private anguish and gave it mythic proportions. He lit his characters with compassion and contradiction. He let the poet in him rage. He let the woman feel to the point of tears. He let beauty crumble into truth. 'Waqt ne kiya' that ageless song from 'Kaagaz ke Phool' is a throbbing wound. His legacy is not a style you can copy. It is a wound you must survive,' Bhatt told PTI. The filmmaker-producer said he was working on his 1982 acclaimed film 'Arth' when poet-lyricist Kaifi Azmi remarked that he had inherited Dutt's pain as a protege of Khosla. 'We were working on a song for 'Arth'. Jagjit Singh was shaping the early melody of 'Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe Ho'. Kaifi saab sat quietly, listening not just to the tune, but to the wound behind it. And then, in his unmistakably gentle voice, he said to me: 'Tumne Guru Dutt ka dard virasat mein paaya hai. Pain is your legacy'. "He wasn't romanticising it. He was naming it. I had been Raj Khosla's assistant, and Raj Khosla had been Guru Dutt's assistant. That was the line. Not one of fame, but of fracture, not of ambition but ache, wounds passed down like sacred relics. He was right.' The 76-year-old writer-director said he carried the wound into his own work. "Arth", "Saaransh", "Daddy" and "Zakhm", Bhatt said, weren't just films but echoes and testament to what Kaifi Azmi saw that day. "Proof that pain, if you dare not flee it, becomes your voice. And if that voice refuses to lie—it becomes cinema." Bhatt remembers the first time he watched the 1957 masterpiece 'Pyaasa' in a theatre, and how deeply it touched his soul. 'Guru Dutt is not a memory for me. He is a wound that never healed. He's not a figure from the past, I carry him inside me. His cinema invaded me as a boy sitting in the front stalls of Citylight cinema. 'Pyaasa' didn't entertain me; it undressed me. It showed me what it meant to ache without apology,' Bhatt said. 'Even today, when the lights dim and I hear the rustle of silence before a scene, it is his ghost I meet. He is the one who taught me that sorrow, when surrendered to, becomes your signature. He is less my inspiration and more my inheritance,' he said. Bhatt said filmmakers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Vishal Bhardwaj, and Mohit Suri, carry forward the same passion that Dutt embodied in their unique way. 'Guru Dutt cannot be reproduced, only echoed. There are filmmakers who carry a similar hunger for truth and beauty like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, in his obsessive pursuit of the lyrical frame, and Vishal Bhardwaj, in his willingness to explore pain through music and poetry, Anurag Kashyap, when he lets his darkness speak without disguise, Mohit Suri in how he listens to silences and centres the unseen through his use of music,' he said. 'These filmmakers may walk different roads, but like Guru Dutt, they understand that cinema, when it dares to feel deeply, becomes poetry in motion and that perhaps, is how the flame continues to burn. Not loudly, but faithfully,' Bhatt said. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
When Raj Babbar opened up on painful moments after Smita Patil's demise: ‘Never had enough time to plan things for Prateik'
Actors and 's love story was far from straightforward. It was an emotional maze, filled with intense feelings, unspoken worries, and moments of tender togetherness. Their relationship began on the sets of 'Bheegi Palkein', where Raj, who was already married to theatre actor Babbar, found himself drawn to Smita's fearless nature and striking individuality. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Their bond quickly became the talk of the industry. Smita was known for her powerful performances in films like 'Manthan', 'Arth' and 'Mirch Masala', and her deep-rooted commitment to meaningful cinema. Raj, meanwhile, balanced his theatre pursuits with mainstream films, and was seen as someone who lived life with passion. Together, they shared a connection that was intense, complicated, and yet beautifully human. 'I wish she were around to see her son growing' In 1986, Raj and Smita welcomed their son Prateik. For a while, it seemed like their family was finally taking shape. But life had other plans. Just days after Prateik was born, Smita passed away due to post-partum complications. Raj once opened up about this painful time while talking to Looking back at their short time as parents, he shared, 'She was a great human being. We never had enough time to plan things for our son Prateik. I guess he will be doing films shortly. He is already getting calls from various producers and directors. I have given him a free hand to do that. I wish she were around to see her son growing.' An evening that changed everything Raj also recalled the evening when everything turned upside down. He said, 'The most painful moments of life are those which come unexpected. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now One fine evening, when I was getting ready to go for a function I saw her quivering. I touched her and found that she had a fever. I called the doctor and he told me that she needs immediate hospitalisation. I took her to hospital and she was being removed to the intensive care unit.' It all happened so suddenly, 'Thoughout the journey from home to hospital, she kept apologising and I told her that everything would be okay. She looked at me with tears in her eyes. Her look said it all. The doctor came out after an hour and said she had gone into a coma.' Memories that never fade Even though years have passed, Raj has never forgotten Smita. In fact, her memories still live on in him every single day. He spoke from the heart when he said, 'I was part of her and she was part of me. It is natural that you miss a person who was your heart and soul throughout your life, no matter how brave you may say you are. She and her memories will continue to be part of me till my last day.'
