15012025-LSTC-01.qxd 1/14/2025 11:28 PM Page 1 c m y b GRAMMYS TO GO AS PLANNED The 2025 Grammy Awards will go ahead as planned on February 2, airing live from the venue in Los Angeles. Despite the ongoing devastation caused by wildfires in the region, the show will not only celebrate music but also serve as a fundraiser for the relief efforts. TRIBUNE Life Focused Sara Ali Khan, who will next be seen in Sky Force, kept herself grounded to connect with her role in the film. She neither used her phone nor anything else that could divert her attention. CHANDIGARH | WEDNESDAY | 15 JANUARY 2025 Comic tadka Mona T HE Energy Chef of India, who made namak shamak a household slogan, is on a show spree! Even as Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi enters the eight season of Punjab De Superchef later this month, he is currently busy shooting for the second season of Laughter Chef Season 2. Chef Sokhi has already been a part of some popular shows, including Turban Tadka, Grand Trunk Rasoi and Maa Ki Dal, among others. “Laughter Chef got unprecedented love and numbers leading to its Season 2. People have reached out to us sharing how it takes them away from their worries and makes them live in the moment,” says one of the very first chefs to take on the Indian telly screen. Laughter Chef brings together old contestants and new, offering a medley, with names like Krishna, Sudesh, Kashmera Shah, Manara Chopra, Samarth Jurel, Rubina Dilaik, Abhishek Kumar and Samarth. Chef Sokhi sure is having fun! Abdu Rozik and Elvish have not only won social media but Sokhi’s heart too. “They are surprisingly good in the kitchen,” he vouches. Choosing his own path Starting his innings from Centaur Hotel, Mumbai, the opportunity to work and learn in Europe was his first big high. Open to risks, he came and chose to work in a restaurant, much against his well-wishers’ advice. He mastered Hyderabadi cuisine, not only from his ustad Habib Pasha, but also Sultana of Spices Begum Mumtaz and more, exploring Nizam connections in the gali and kuche of Hyderabad. Chef Sokhi ventured into writing for big publications Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi is not only an expert with varied cuisines, but also adds a dash of comedy to the lives of people. Shooting for Laughter Chef Season 2, he believes one should be open to opportunities before establishing his place on TV A number . of shows, he continues to be a restaurateur— ready to open his 11th restaurant—Karigari in Connaught Place, New Delhi. He hopes to take the count to 20 by the year end! So, where does he get all the energy to juggle cooking, be a part of shows and everything in between? “If you are passionate and ready to put in all it takes, the path appears, things click and the Almighty bestows you with the energy,” he beams. Name and fame aside, he humbly admits that his home kitchen is ruled by his wife, Aparna. “She is such a wonderful chef that our restaurants have dishes curated by her.” The concept of Karigari gives due credit to home chefs and the menu has entries not just by Aprana, but also Chef Sokhi’s mother and mother-in- law! CHEF SOKHI PLANS TO TEACH CELEBS “I think there are a lot of expectations from this season, especially because of the success of the previous one. Many people have high hopes and this time we will try to focus more on the food. Our stars, along with showcasing their comedy, should also pay attention to cooking good food. This way, people can see another side of them—not just their humour but also their culinary skills. I will make every effort to ensure that food gets the importance it deserves in this season, along with everything else. I also plan to teach them some cooking because I’m sure not all of them are experts at it.” IANS City Beautiful beckons Chef Sokhi often comes to Chandigarh and calls it a foodies’ paradise. “I have had some of the best vegetarian and non-vegetarian food here and tried every established name— right from Pal Dhaba to Garg Di Chaat.” He’s looking forward to enjoying winter delicacies as he comes to Chandigarh next for shooting Season 8 of Punjab De Superchef. Having been a part of the show’s journey from Season 1, he credits it all to his fans. “I have been incredible lucky to have received so much love from food lovers.” Now that he’s on so many shows we ask if a Khatron Ke Khiladi or Bigg Boss is on the list? “One should be open to opportunities—may be a Hindi or Punjabi film next,” he signs off. Mind the manure... It’s time to add manure to your plants, but be mindful. One very important thing is that the nutrient supply, which depends on the age of the plant. Nutrient supply is divided into two categories—organic and inorganic. The former means application of cow dung manure, kitchen waste manures, vermi-compost or oilseed cakes. Playing a conman SPADEWORK SATISH NARULA Sidhant Gupta calls his role of Charles Sobhraj in The Black Warrant demanding Netflix recently treated the fans with another nail-biting thriller, Black Warrant. With the show becoming a rage among movie buffs, Sidhant Gupta in particular has been receiving a lot of praise for his portrayal of the serial killer, Charles Sobhraj. Playing Charles Sobhraj was demanding. He’s a complex individual, capable of both charm and intimidation. It was intense to get into his skin, to reveal the person beneath the notorious reputation. In chasing the mystery, I became one myself. It is essential to know about manures and fertilisers before using them on the soil where you cultivate your dream plants Sidhant Gupta gets the body language spot-on. Dressed in swashbuckling fashion, the smooth-talking ‘bikini killer’ is winning hearts. The cinephiles can’t get over Sidhant’s uncanny resemblance with the real-life criminal. With his slicked-back hair, sharp suits and refined presence, the actor was able to bring the character to life on screen. Sidhant’s remarkable portrayal has turned out to be one of the highlights of the web series. Talking about his experience of playing Sobhraj, Sidhant was quoted saying, “Playing Charles Sobhraj was demanding. He’s a complex individual, capable of both charm and intimidation. It was intense to get into his skin, to reveal the person beneath the notorious reputation. In chasing the mystery, I became one myself. The task was challenging, but I prepared well and gave my best. Rest, it is up to the audience to decide.” Before this, Sidhant gave some memorable performances in the web series Jubilee and Freedom at Midnight. Black Warrant marks the actor’s second profes- sional association with filmmaker Vikramaditya Motwane. These two previously collaborated for Jubilee, co-starring Prosenjit Chatterjee, Aparshakti Khurana, Aditi Rao Hydari, Wamiqa Gabbi and Ram Kapoor, among others. Black Warrant, a crime thriller, is an adaptation of the 2019 non-fiction book Black Warrant: Confessions of a Tihar Jailer by Sunil Gupta and Sunetra Choudhury. The book journal’s Sunil’s time as a rookie jailer at Tihar Prisons. The title Black Warrant, meaning death warrant, suggests there is a stronger focus on convicts on death row. But the Netflix series is not just about capital punishment. It features Zahan Kapoor as Sunil Gupta, Rahul Bhat as DSP Rajesh Tomar, Paramvir Singh Cheema as Shivraj Singh Mangat and Anurag Thakur as Vipin Dahiya. Tanya Chhabria has performed the editing for the drama, whereas Saumyananda Sahi is on board the crew as the head of cinematography. Black Warrant premiered on the streaming giant Netflix on January 10. — IANS c m y b Organic manures are also called bio-fertilisers as they stimulate the soil microbes and break the food present in the soil from complex to simple forms, which are taken up by plants. So, it is very important to keep the soil pool enriched. However, what is more important is that the cow dung manure you add should be well rotten. Addition of unripe manure will invite white ants and it could have serious implications. Such problems do not come with the application of vermi-compost, but then be sure it is from some authen- tic source. Of late, many spurious brands have invaded the market. One of the best sources could be well-established IFFCO products. Another matter of concern is application of oilseed cakes. All thanks to social media and presence of so many opinions and ‘experts’, all kinds of misinformation is being spread. In this case, we would like to inform the gardeners that premier institutions, like Agriculture Universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras, and horticulture directorate experts are available in almost all the districts. They are only a call away. Contact them and save not only your plants, but pocket too! Oilseed cakes’ application is being justified by putting forth ‘organic’ nature and nutrient or fungicidal effects in certain cases, but don’t forget these are oilseed-based and oil, even when present in traces in such cases, is in no way good for the health of your plants. Ask those who had added such cakes to lawns and suffered ‘black spots’, where grass refused to grow! When we talk about the application of manure and fertilisers, there is a method. Normally, for the best effect, we assume that the feeding range of the plant or tree is its drip area, meaning that it is spread all around. The spread of the plant basin should be as big as its drip area. The manure and fertilisers should be evenly spread in the area, well mixed in the soil and every application should be followed by copious watering. Making big basins may not be possible where space is a constraint. ...(to be continued). (The author is a Chandigarh-based horticulturist )