30012025-LSTC-01.qxd 1/30/2025 12:23 AM Page 1 c m y b TRIBUNE On shoot Life Kiara Advani and Yash have arrived in Bengaluru to kickstart a significant leg of the Toxic shoot. The film also stars Nayanthara and Darrell D’Silva. CHANDIGARH | THURSDAY | 30 JANUARY 2025 PHOTO: PRADEEP TEWARI A tale of two pathars CHEF SANJEEV VERMA SILVER SPOON ParbinaRashid T ‘Huge tick in KRITI SANON my wish list’ Actress Kriti Sanon, who has boarded the cast of Aanand L Rai’s Tere Ishk Mein, co-starring Dhanush, will play the character of Mukti, according to her Instagram post. Tere Ishk Mein marks the third collaboration between Dhanush and director Rai after 2013’s Raanjhanaaand Atrangi Re (2021). The upcoming movie is slated to be released in theatres on November 28. “Some love stories are destined to rise from the flames. Witness Shankar and Mukti in #TerelshkMein. From the #WorldOfRaanjhanaa—a story that’s unforgettable. In cinemas 28.11.2025,” Sanon wrote in her post. Kriti also shared an Instagram Story expressing her excitement about joining the project. “An intense love story directed by my fav @aanandlrai, music by the maestro @arrahman!! A huge tick in my wish list. Need your love and blessings. P Really looking forward to .S. collaborating with you @dhanushkraja (sic)” she wrote. Sanon was last seen in Do Patti, which also marked her debut as a producer. — PTI The song Do Taare by Abhilaksh Sharma Lakshi embraces the timeless bond of love and respect for grandparents HAT people’s food habits are shaped by geographical conditions is an argument I often use to defend my unconventional Northeastern tastebuds. Even cooking methods are influenced by geography, for that matter. But to what extent, I learnt only recently when I tried to dig in and then dig about a dish called pathar kebab at Pashtun in Chandigarh. “Why is a dish called pathar kebab if not served on pathar?” My simple query opened a floodgate of information about this dish, which has its origin in Hyderabad and comes with an interesting bit of folklore. Legend has it that Nizam Asaf Jahi VI of Hyderabad, late in the 19th century, used to frequently go hunting. On one such trip, his bawarchis forgot to carry their skewers and shikanjas, which were required to prepare kebabs. So, they cooked the meat on a flat granite stone placed over a firewood. The Nizam loved the dish, and later, this recipe was replicated at the royal kitchens as pathar ke kebab or pathar ka gosht. “The lava stone, which is required to cook and serve pathar kebab, is not available in the North.” This bit of information came from Chef Sanjeev Verma, who co-owns Pasthun. Verma, who has taught in hotel management institutes and worked at prestigious restaurants like Bukhara in Delhi, makes for interesting company. “Nor is the atmospheric pressure of this region conducive enough for marinated lamb pieces to be cooked on a stone in open fire,” he added. “Meaning?” My questioning glance brought out the teacher in him. “Atmospheric pressure plays an important role in the cooking process. The cooking time for potatoes will be much less in Punjab than a place situated on a higher altitude. In fact, it will take a pressure cooker longer to cook potatoes in Shimla. In the South, they cook biryani in shallow open vessels as they need less water to cook the rice, while in the North we have cook it in deep handis. That’s due to atmospheric pressure.” Point taken. But the theory of geographical conditions affecting the cooking process still did not justify A missing set of skewers on a hunting trip gave birth to Hyderabad’s scrumptious pathar ke kebab. A century later, another missing element gave birth to pathar kebabat Chandigah’s Pashtun restaurant. Both are connected by one major factor—innovation why pathar kebab should be cooked on anything but pathar? And this is where Chef Verma’s innovation and the makeover of pathar ke kebab unfolded. “When I introduced pathar kebab in the ’90s, I had a problem procuring the lava stone. So, I tried ankloo, a stone easily found in Himachal. I even served the lamb pieces on the stone. But it soon posed a health hazard. At 600 degrees centrigade, the stone was too hot to handle and what’s worse, it would often break.” So, it all boils down to the right stone when it comes to pathar kebab. It should be granite, should not Of emotion & rhythm Abhilaksh Sharma Lakshi, also known by his stage name ASL Boyy, has unveiled his new song, Do Taare. Making his debut in October, 2020, ASL Boyy has since released 12 songs in Punjabi and English. He has continued to impress listeners with his distinctive ability to blend emotion with cultural depth. Do Taare marked his 13th release and serves as a heartfelt tribute to the love, sacrifices and wisdom passed down by grandparents, capturing the essence of Punjabi culture through powerful lyrics and a soulful melody. The song is all set to create an unforgettable impact with its emotional resonance and cultural richness. The music video for Do Taare was filmed in the beautiful, serene locations of Film City, Samrala, Punjab. The picturesque backdrop complements the song’s emotional themes, reflecting the deep cultural roots and familial bonds it celebrates. “Do Taare is a tribute to the unwavering love and sacrifices of parents. Through this song, I wanted to express my gratitude for everything they do for us and I hope listeners can connect with the emotional journey it takes them on. I connect deeply with the lyrics because, as someone who is rooted with the culture, this song reflects values that are incredibly close to my heart. I’m proud to see that the love, respect, and reverence for our grandparents and culture are still very much alive today, which forms the core of this song,” he said. “I’m incredibly proud of the team behind this project—Suraj Kumar, Ashish Sharma, Dilbir Saggu, and the amazing cast, including Dalbir Singh, Manjeet Kaur, Sahib Singh, and Avyan Kaushik, who have brought this vision to life with their hard work,” he added. Under the direction of Suraj Kumar, the music video has become more than just a visual accompaniment. It is an integral part of the song’s storytelling. The heartfelt lyrics of Do Taare were penned by Ashish Sharma, a well-known poet who has been recognised with several prestigious awards, including World Record Holder by World Book of Records UK for writing 100 poems in 100 days on environment and the Proud Indian Award 2016 by The Consulate General of India in Medan, Indonesia. crack under the heat, and it should not be too thick to consume the extra heat. Scientifically put, it should act as a good conductor. With ankloo not working in his favour, Chef Verma needed to do something about the dish. Pashtun, which was then called Khyber, was just getting its foothold among Chandigarh’s foodies and pathar kebab was gaining popularity, so abandoning the dish was not an option. He fell back upon another bestseller from his menu, the lamb rann. Taking thin slices of a rann, which had been marinated with whole species and garam masala Shahid Kapoor talks about the Deewaar connect in his upcoming film Deva PHOTO: RAVI KUMAR SHAHID KAPOOR AND POOJA HEGDE c m y b for at least three hours, slow cooked for six to seven hours and then refrigerated for another two hours, he started cooking those slivers on a thick-bottomed tawa. Verma peppered the slivers with a generous portion of cracked peppercorns and tossed them in butter and cream. To his relief, the dish clicked with his patrons. “Since pathar kebab by then was already a bestseller, we stuck with the name,” he says. Nobody minded it. For two reasons—lamb rann as a dish, though spectacular to look at, needs more than two serious meat eaters to finish it in one go. Compared to that, a portion of Pashtun’s pathar kebab is pretty decent. Second, the pricing. While the rann costs a whopping Rs 2,000, pathar kebab comes at less than half that price. The taste of peppery lamb slivers put a halt to our conversation. The creaminess of the slivers and the crunchiness of the peppercorns, when gulped down with a smoked jamun mocktail, tasted divine. It’s true that the plate placed before me didn’t evoke a sense of history like its Hyderabadi counterpart, but I couldn’t complain. After all, Chandigarh is a young city and we are in the process of making history of our own. Through trial and error! Dashing cop Bollywood star Shahid Kapoor on Tuesday teased a connection between Deva and the 1975 classic Deewaar, suggesting that there was a ‘relevance’ of Amitabh Bachchan’s iconic character Vijay in his upcoming movie. In Deva, Kapoor essays the role of a brilliant but defiant police officer. The action thriller is directed by Rosshan Andrrews, and also stars Pooja Hegde and Pavail Gulati. The movie’s teaser poster, which came out earlier this year, featured Shahid smoking a cigarette in front of a mural of Bachchan from Deewaar as Vijay, the feisty dockworker with a beedi dangling from his lips. About the connection between Deva and Deewaar, the actor said, “This question should be for Rosshan because he was the one who chose that visual. But there is a relevance (of Bachchan’s Deewaar character) within the film.” Deewaar, which turned 50 on January 21, is counted among the best Hindi films of all time. Shahid, who grew up idolising Bachchan, later said, “Talking about Amit ji we have all grown up watching him, we have idolised him as a star. The film had a strong story, very good interpersonal dynamics, great dialogues and stellar performances. It’s a great memory for all of us.” — PTI