Tickets + Treats from BookMyShow

"Let's celebrate Aaba's Birthday in Jungli style. Let's all go to watch 'The Jungle Book', and then Eat Out today." - My nephew Aamen. 

"What ? How ? Just cause your Mom, dad , grandma and I pamper you to the fault, do you expect 'The Jungle Book' producer to offer you Ticket + Treat , just like that?. We  need to stand in the serpentine queue for the advance booking as the movie is a super hit. We must shell out extra money for the eating out, cause the theater snacks are on par with Kohinoor , the diamond."- Aaba-his Grandfather.

" Aaba, please listen. I will book the tickets on BookMyShow. We don't need to stand in a queue for that and BookMyShow has just launched 'MyCoupons' free discount vouchers that can be availed at popular restaurants and cafes."- Aamen.

Are you still wondering whether my nephew is pulling a fast one?. No it's the NEWS.

Free discount vouchers can be availed at popular eating joints in close proximity to the cinema.

  Offering currently in Mumbai and Pune; to be extended to more cities over the next few months.

 BookMyShow (BMS), India’s largest entertainment ticketing brand, has introduced ‘MyCoupons’- free discount vouchers that can be availed at popular restaurants & cafes that are in close proximity to the cinema you are visiting. The offering is currently available only on www.bookmyshow.com in Mumbai and Pune and users get to choose coupons from a host of restaurants immediately after selecting their seats for a movie. BMS has already partnered with over 100 eateries in these cities including Subway, Café Coffee Day, Baskin-Robbins, Mad Over Donuts, KFC, Pizza Hut etc. to offer such discounts.

On introduction of ‘MyCoupons’, Marzdi Kalianiwala, Vice President - Business Intelligence and Marketing, BookMyShow said, “Usually a movie going experience is coupled with a meal either before or after the show, and this is where BookMyShow wants to add more value for our customers and strengthen the overall proposition. Since we know where and when our customer consumes the content, we can ensure relevant offers are targeted to our users, thus making the overall experience highly contextual.”

“The pilot phase in Mumbai and Pune is tracking a fantastic response and we plan to extend this feature to our app as well as to other cities over the next few months”, added Marzdi.

BookMyShow, a flagship brand of Bigtree Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., is India’s largest online entertainment ticketing platform that allows users to book tickets for movies, plays, sports and live events through its website, mobile app and mobile site. Founded in Mumbai (India) in 2007 by three long-time friends - Ashish Hemrajani, Parikshit Dar and Rajesh Balpande, BookMyShow is now present in over 350 towns and cities across India, currently meeting the entertainment demands of over 14 million customers. With support and encouragement from its investors Network 18, Accel Partners and SAIF Partners, BookMyShow continues to innovate in the e-commerce ecosystem of India.

Save Time & Money while watching the Movie 

 For more information, please visit www.in.bookmyshow.com.

Gail-Indian Speed Star for Olympics Gold

    Gail- Indian Speed Star - An initiative to strengthen the sport of athletics

India is emerging as the Super power in almost every sphere . India has got unlimited talent , whether its Science , Culture , Arts , Architecture , Engineering , Commerce , Medical , Space , Technology , Automobiles , Lifestyle , Fashion , Acting , Debating , Agriculture or Sports. Right Guidance + Right Talent , supported financially with Right Mentor is a Winning formula to achieve the SUCCESS.

 GAIL (India) Limited has embarked on a grassroots athletics program GAIL-Indian Speedstar which is aimed at unearthing young talent across the length and breadth of India. GAIL (India) Limited and National Yuva Cooperative Society (NYCS), launched a grassroots athletics program GAIL Indian Speedstar on the 22nd of March, 2016 at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi.

National Yuva Cooperative Society has tied up with Anglian Medal Hunt Company as its Technical Partner for The GAIL Indian Speedstar project. The persisting, epoch-making attempt before - focused grassroots program aims to create a pool of athletes with knack which will possibly bring honor for India in track events at the highest echelon of sporting events - the Olympics 2020/2024.

The reason to launch this program is to identify, select and nurture the hidden talent in athletes. The targeted age group is 11 - 17 years in 100m, 200m and 800m track events across.

A panel of eminent sportspersons like P.T Usha, Rachita Mistry, AnuradhaBiswal& Kavita Raut have been appointed in the selection committee to support selections and guide coaching camps. As members of the selection committee their role would include creating the selection criteria or the GAIL-Indian Speedstar program, and developing the training plan and module for the selected athletes at the National Level.

‘Legendary athlete P.T. Usha launched the initiative alongside the organizers DrAshutoshKarnatak, Director (Projects), GAIL (India) Ltd, Rajesh Pande – President, National Yuva Cooperative Society Ltd (NYCS) and Maneesh Bahuguna- CEO, Anglian Medal Hunt Company.

District trials were conducted under the watchful eyes of coaches and selectors, appointed by the selection committee. The selection of the athletes was based on talent identification and selection criteria set by the selection committee.

Initiatory, in its first year, earlier this year with initial trials conducted at 55 districts across 10 states in which more than 25,000 children participated out of which 850 children made it to the State level

Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon. Minister of State (I/C) Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dutee Chand, AnuradhaBiswal and Purnima Hembram; selected ambitious young athletes from Bhubaneswar, Odisha. 14 children have qualified for the National level trials while Shri Dharmendra Pradhan ji, praised and motivated the selected candidates for National level trials

Camp and Selection: 

The first State level camp and trial was organized on 27-28th of February in Sawai Maan Singh Stadium, Jaipur where 60 boys and girls participated out of which 4 have qualified for the next level. The state trials were held in Odisha (14 Selection), Delhi (28 Selection), Kerala (28 Selection) &Jharkhand(4 Selection)followed by Maharashtra and Gujarat in the last week  of April.  The shortlisted children from the State trials will then participate in the National camp and selection which is scheduled to be held in May 2016 at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, New Delhi. Shortlisted athletes from state trials will attend an intensive national level camp. At the conclusion of the coaching camp, final trials will be held. Winners will be selected based on the qualification criteria and their potential. The winners will be given extensive training throughout the year. The top 9 athletes will then be provided with a world class coaching for over a period of 5 years with an ultimate objective of one of these athletes to represent India at the Olympics.

• " Mann mein hai Vishvas , poora hai Vishvas , India will 
• win Gold with GAIL "

• Facebook : Gail Indian Speedstar
• Twitter : Indian Speedstar
• https://www.facebook.com/GAILIndianSpeedstar/videos/951014715012524/
• For more information on Gail-Indian Speedstar please visit http://www.gailindianspeedstar.org 

Tamasha World HD premier on &pictures HD

World HD premiere of ‘Tamasha’ on Saturday, 30^th April, 8pm. on &pictures HD – India’s premium mass Hindi movie channel

Be ready at home to host The Super Hit Romantic Pair Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor with the ace director Imtiaz Ali only on &pictures HD

Tamasha , directed by the luminous Imtiaz Ali, starring Deepika Padukone & Ranbir Kapoor is a movie about the journey of a young man who has lost his edge trying to behave according to socially acceptable conventions. It is based on the central theme of abrasion and loss of self worth that happens as one attempts to fit in society. 

Why watch ‘Tamasha’ on &pictures HD

                                         You feel trapped in your monotonous 9 to 5 Job

Imtiaz Ali revealed that the concept of the film comes from the fact that some people do not realize their full potential if they do not find the suitable path. One such person is Ved (Ranbir Kapoor), who is in a world which is not suited to him. He portrays an inner fight between acceptance of societal norms and pursuing his passion. We relate to his dreariness… which we sometimes conveniently refer to as ‘schedule’.

  You believe Travel can change your life

Imtiaz Ali’s films are known to be around the change that travel and exploration can bring in one’s life. Tamasha is the trailblazer. It is interesting to see how the movie explores new countries, with love as the core theme coupled with many twists and turns. The exotic locations of Corsica, Tokyo, Delhi, Shimla and Kolkata blends into the movie beautifully and give the movie a deserving texture and warmth.

                                                                             Meet Don and Mona Darling

The characters in the movie come alive and how! Deepika as Mona Darling and Ranbir as Don are very fresh to watch and this adorable pair is the pulse of the movie. The bohemian, starry eyed – Don is a treat to the audience and the fashionable Mona Darling is no less. Together, they set out to explore the picturesque French island with terms and conditions applied, of course!

                                                                             The soulful music of Tamasha

With Oscar winning composer A R Rahman having curated the music for the film, it is definitely one the biggest reasons to watch the movie. Irshad Kamil's lyrics touch the soul and add a new dimension to the story. From ‘Matargashti’ to ‘Heer Toh Badi Sad Hai’, the songs evoke a series of emotions in the hearts of the viewers. The music with the amazing visuals will definitely leave audiences spellbound.

                                Dream team – Imtiaz Ali, Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone

You cannot deny the sizzling chemistry between Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. But that apart, it is undeniably one of the best performances of Ranbir Kapoor in a really long time. And the queen of beauty Deepika Padukone will make you fall in love with her once again through Tamasha. Add to it, the sheer brilliance of Imtiaz Ali and its bound to be magical!

                                               http://www.andpictures.in/

Yo Grandmama so Hot & Cool

 Yes, Right, nothing contradictory in the Heading. The Grandmama's Cafe, adjacent to Preetam da Dhaba at Dadar (East), Mumbai is Hot n Happening, yet Chilled out, Cool simultaneously.

The college students were in boisterous holiday mood at the left side while the elegant ladies were absorbed in intellectual, literary conversation at the right side of Grandmama's Cafe. 

That's Grandmama for you, bonding Boldly & Beautifully with both  Generations. Grandmama's Cafe bridges the Generation gap, quite famously. How?. Check out these two photos of two different age groups, same day, same time.

            
 I had read lots of rave reviews about Grandmama's Cafe, and was much eager to check it out. But the word 'Dadar', where Grandmama's is located, terrified me. All Mumbaikars are aware of Dadar and its Fame. The rest of India may be in awe of the warning 'Gabbar aaya' but We Mumbaikars tremble when we hear the local train announcement 'Next station Dadar, Aglaa station Dadar, Poodhil station Dadar'. Since morning to night and in between too Dadar is always CROWDED as if tomorrow is a curfew and people need to stock up on vegetable, fruits, clothes, watches, books, bags and FLOWERS. I always make it a point to alight at Elphinston station instead of Dadar to avoid the crushing RUSH. If you are wondering what's so great about rush, then you must read 'Shantaram' by Gregory David Roberts.

Finally when I mustered enough courage to brave mammoth traffic on Gudhi Padwa (celebrations / processions  in full swing ) and reached the front-yard of Grandmama's Cafe, I was absolutely blown over by the gorgeous view. The alfresco dining area which zooms out on the busy Dadar TT street is an exact replica of an English county cottage straight out of Jane Austen's marvelous novel.

The atmosphere inside the Grandmama's cafe iszesty warm and pretty cool.It's a charming gazebo, to catch up with friends, to celebrate the birthdays, anniversaries, to have a family gathering or romantic date , to bond with new colleagues, to Fan over Shah Rukh Khan's latest movie or to trash down Taher Shah's Angel ... OK, forgive me for even mentioning the last one. 

                                    

      

We refreshed ourselves from the Mumbai scorching summer with Grandmama's special mock tails, Belgian chocolate shake and Chocolate banana Oreo shake, which turned out to be quite a tasty-treat. The vibrantly colorful glasses made us go crazy to  capture the snazzy scenes and live-tweet the experience. Armed with our smartphones and DSLRs we behaved so much like paparazzi that the other diners were visibly amused. I looked around other Moroccan-designed table-tops, vintage photo-frames, which too were saying Cheese with eye-candy mock tails of various hues and color coordinated, pretty  knickknacks.

The starters, the main course, the desserts were ordered after consulting the cheerful manager cause the menu card was choc-a-block with numerous dishes.  Aesthetics is my Bae and Grandmama's scores a century in that regard. The Bicycle is the star symbol of this perky, quirky lovely lady. Hoisted up at the main signboard, on the shelves of live cooking station, as showpieces on walls, on each table as a ketchup carrier , you will admire the different avatars of Grandmama's bicycle. 

The food presentation in dainty serving dishes and bowls with crispy,crunchy accompaniments is absolutely camera-savvy and yummy. The Grandmama's cafe is almost always houseful as if a family gathering, so does not feel stuffy or crowded. You may need to wait for the AC section or can opt for alfresco area which has it's own airy charm. Patatas Bravas, Buffalo Chicken sandwiches, Harissa chicken pizza , Bibiji ki Achari Khichdi , French fries , Spaghetti Aglio olio - Chicken, Mac and cheese chicken are few of the dishes our group relished in picnic mood. Let the pictures speak thousand words ...

Yo Grandmama so Hot & Cool that you love visiting her in Winter to share the warmth and in Summer to soothe your Sun burn.

Hauslay Ki Udaan powered by Haywards 5000

India's First Start up Reality Program : Haywards 5000 Hauslay Ki Udaan

Focus on your passion, start small, dream BIG and Participate in 'Haywards 5000 Hauslay Ki Udaan' to realize your DREAM.

Haywards 5000 has launched the second season of 'Haywards 5000 Hauslay Ki Udaan' which provides mentoring to aspiring entrepreneurs across the country and a start-up funding of Rs. 15 Lac for the best business idea. The initiative, launched earlier by the Haywards 5000 Hausla Buland Academy, encourages the spirit of those who have an innate resolve to succeed in spite of challenges. The first of its kind program received over 40,000 calls in its last season and over 500 exciting entries went through auditions, leading to one winning idea.

Haywards 5000 will conduct auditions across the nation which will serve as a platform for aspiring entrepreneurs from small and big towns to showcase their innovative business ideas and share their stories of unrelenting resolve.

                                     

The finalists will be selected on the basis of a combination of factors including market opportunity, uniqueness of the presented business idea, the growth potential, the strategy, the enthusiasm and passion of the participant, the knowledge of the industry, realistic goals and finally the total investment required. The on-ground auditions will be held this year in the following cities: Gurgaon, Faridabad, Jaipur, Pune, Nagpur, Kolkata, Bangalore, Secunderabad, Rohtak, Ludhiana, Amritsar and Mohali and will begin in July 2016. Entries are open until the date of these on-ground auditions and participants can register on www.hauslabulandacademy.com 

The first year of the “Haywards 5000 Hauslay Ki Udaan” initiative was held in 2015 and received a tremendous response from all over the country. Last year’s initiative’s calling for entries began in April 2015 in association with India’s biggest media event – IPL 2015, where Haywards 5000 was one of the co-sponsors. The campaign received over 40,000 calls from across the country. Haywards 5000 team conducted auditions across 10 cities over a period of 3 months in order to find “city champions” from each city from a total of over 600 entries. Last year the judges ranged from entrepreneurs like Sumit Jain – Co-founder & CEO, Commonfloor.com, Vivek Singh, CO-founder & CFO of Tone Tag, Naidu Darapaneni, founder CEO of Meraevents.com, Santhosh Karnananda, CEO of MeraEnglish.com to industry stalwarts like Sunil Subramaniam - CEO of Sundaram Finance.

Haywards 5000 launched the “Haywards 5000 Hausla Buland Academy”  in 2012 to provide online skills development courses and training through workshops and has so far reached out to over 100,000 people from different walks of life.

Say YES to Haywards 5000 Hauslay Ki Udaan and  Realize your Dreams

If you have a fantastic business idea, get ready to flourish with Haywards 5000

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThgaRoMvgXs 

Royal #ChettinadFoodFestival at Renaissance

'The Vikas Khanna', yes I mean not just Michelin Starred Chef  Vikas Khanna, but the One and Only 'The Vikas Khanna', who is elevated to an enviable status of  'King of Hearts' asked a hall full of Bloggers ( majority were Fair sexes ), 'What is the Specialty of Chettinad ?' and then he went on praising the Grand Hospitality of Chettinad. The Chettiar community from Chettinad village of Tamil Nadu ( India ) is so generous that even if they catch a thief red handed, they will first feed him and only then hand him over to police. Chettinad homes resemble palaces, their food is Royal and their Hospitality is legendary. 

Hey guys, if you have already started planning to rob a Chettinad palace, hold on. Luckily, the Renaissance Mumbai has #ChettinadFoodFestival, going on at their picturesque Lake View Cafe between 10th and 19th April, 2016. Coincidentally, we the bloggers were invited by Renaissance Hotel, for the #ChettinadFoodFestival the very next day. We experienced the whole truth of The Vikas Khanna and his authentic praising of the Chettinad cuisine, first hand ? mouth ? ok, whatever. 

We were greeted at the Lake View Cafe entrance in a very Indian tradition of Kumkum Tilak followed by Sweety Elaner Charru  . Few of the gentlemen were so enchanted with  Elaner Charru that they refused to join us at the alfresco dining area of Lake View Cafe, where a surprise contest awaited us. Don't just trust me blindly, have a look at these Rusty red,curvy jars full of the nectar,tender Coconut milk sweetened with jaggery and flavored with cardamom. Guys n Girls, please go easy on Elaner Charru cause there are many lip smacking delicacies to be savored at  #ChettinadFoodFestival

OK, now , so coming back to the surprise contest, which required the participants to drape the yeshti / dhoti in a Chettinad style. The catch was to wear it perfectly within a jiffy. Our mastibhari Master Chef Geetha Sridhar won this contest hands down, I mean hands akimbo. By the time, we had moved on to  appetizing, freshly pressed Watermelon, Pineapple and Mango juices and soups. The exotic salads on the ice-bed were visually enticing at #ChettinadFoodFestival of Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel

Our fantastic food journey continued with mouth-watering starters. such as Vazakai Varual ( raw banana fries ), Murukku, Alu wadi, Dhokla, variety of chaats (Pani Puri , Sev Puri. Bhelpuri etc.)

Both the Vegetarians and Non-vegetarians have numerous options for main-course like Mutton Chettinad ( lamb cooked with coconut and black pepper, Vankai Kozhi Kattu ( chicken ) , Meen Pulli curry ( fish in coconut milk ) , Era pulli curry ( Prawns tamarind curry ), Enna Katrikai Masala ( baby brinjals fried and curried in onion / coconut gravy ), Pulkatti Chettinad ( Cottage cheese cooked with southern spices ) , Vendakai Puriyal ( ladies finger-Bhindi , tempered with coconut chutney ), Chettinad Kozhi biryani , Pulli sandan , Tomato pepper rasam and Chef Leneesh special Kochi Malliga Dosa, Utappa , Kutthu Paratha, the famous Chettinad thalis ( Veg / Non-veg ) etc.

These sumptuous main course followed by divine desserts, except Payasam ( Chettinad special ), which I did not miss as there were various other Indian Mithaees ( sweets ), Barfis , flavorsome Ice creams, pastries, mousse etc. to tantalize out taste-buds. 

     

Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel brings to its patrons, the traditional and exquisite taste of South India at the Chettinad Food Festival between 10th and 19th April, 2016 at Lake View Cafe. 

[ Picture credits : Tashi Ongya ]