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asian lifestyle magazine vol 6 | no 7 | issue # 37 | july 2008 Katrina World’s sexiest Women Anh Tran $3.99 w w w . D i y a m a g a z i n e . c o m C o m p l i m e n ta r y C o p y BusinesswomAn of the month Viva Las Vegas! Party Cambo style 36 > 07 7 7 1 5 4 2 6 8 8 0 0 1 7 Visit JULY w w w . D i y a M a g a z i n e . c o M t o V i e w t h i s i s2008 WWW.DIYAMAGAZINE.COM z e1s sue & win pri Movie Reviews Hollywood parently, no one remembered to turn his switch off so he continues to do his thing in the shadow of an eerily empty city. One day a spaceship lands and drops off a spiffy search robot named EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator). EVE strikes up a touching, even romantic relationship, with little Wall E, his first contact with anything or anyone (other than a pet cockroach) in about 700 years. When EVE discovers that Wall E may have come upon the living proof that Earth is once again inhabitable, she blasts off to tell the humans aboard the Axiom--a massive shopping mall-like space station--that it may finally be safe to return home. Not wanting to let her go, Wall E hops on during takeoff and blasts into the outer reaches of the universe where he experiences the surreal future and brings hope from the past. “ Hollywood.com Says “A clever and groundbreaking motion picture like nothing you’ve seen before, Wall-E is a hilarious, heartfelt and extraordinary comedy adventure that pushes animation to new heights while providing pure out-of-this-world summer fun.” Running Time: 1 hr. 37 min. MPAA Rating: G © 2008 Disney WALL-E “In an almost completely wordless first 40 minutes, we meet the workaholic robot Wall E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) as he goes about the daily tasks--organizing an abandoned junk yard with remnants of what life was like before mankind was forced to leave earth (or die) in the 22nd century. Ap- Rating: HHHHI “Based on a graphic novel, the violent tale revolves around Wes (James McAvoy), a meek 25 year-old office worker who hates his life. His boss berates him, and he can’t even summon the balls to tell his slutty girlfriend to stop sleeping with his best buddy. But his world is suddenly rocked when Fox (Angelina Jolie)--a mysterious, tattooed woman with a gun and a red sports car--takes him on the ride of his life. She takes him straight to The Fraternity, a centuries old legendary group of hired assassins who live--and die--by their code: Kill one to save a thousand. Seems Wes’ long-lost father was a member who has just been whacked, and he is now summoned to join up and unleash the inner killer in his genes. After a rigorous training regimen in which he is almost beaten to a pulp, he emerges as the organization’s new golden boy and finds self-esteem in his new exciting alternative lifestyle. However, the group’s enigmatic leader Sloan (Morgan Freeman) may have other plans in store for Wes that he isn’t quite sharing at the moment.” by Pete Hammond Myers’ Guru Pitka could have used a little more back story and a little less shtick. The thin plot has Pitka uttering philosophical piddle like “an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind,” and repeating his mantra “Mariska Hargitay” over and over. But Pitka is not happy with his standing in the spiritual community--especially with the success story of his childhood friend and colleague Deepak Chopra (who cameos in the film). Chopra has been on Oprah, for god’s sake! Suddenly, Pitka sees the possibility of the fame when Jane (Jessica Alba), the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team, summons him to help get back her star player Darren’s (Romany Malco) mojo back, after his wife Prudence (Meagan Good) leaves him for the legendarily well-endowed L.A. Kings star Jacques “Le Coq” Grande (Justin Timberlake). Pitka’s spiritual mission? Get Darren and Prudence back together in time for the Leafs to win the all-important Stanley Cup. Hollywood.com Says “Mike Myers’ first live-action comedy in five years has a few good yuks, but The Love Guru’s laughter karma fizzles more than sizzles.” “Based on the popular ‘American Girl’ series of books and doll line, this first edition focuses on Kit Kittredge (Abigail Breslin), an aspiring young cub reporter who, during the Great Depression, finds her sunny world turned upside down when her father’s (Chris O’Donnell) car dealership goes under, and he must leave Cincinnati to find other work. This leaves Kit and her mother (Julia Ormond) to fend for themselves selling eggs and homegrown veggies and renting out rooms in order to keep the family home. Kit always has time for others, bringing home a stray Basset hound or convincing her parents to let a couple of hobo friends (Max Thieriot, Willow Smith) help out around the house in return for meals. They are among the colorful characters in her life, including the Kittredge’s new tenants, a magician (Stanley Tucci), a man-hungry dancer (Jane Krakowski) and a ditzy librarian (Joan Cusack)...” By Pete Hammond Hollywood.com Says “Kit Kittredge is a harmless, old-fashioned, very G-rated family film. In this case, though, the ‘G’ stands for girls only.” Photo : 20th Century Fox & Dream Works Wanted (R) Source: wallpapermovies.blogspot.com Photo © 2008- thegurupitka.com The Love Guru (PG-13) Kit Kittredge: An American Girl (G) Photo © 2008- SPicturehouse- The Happening (R) “Improving on his last two duds, The Village and the dreadful aquatic nymph tale Lady In The Water, writer/ producer/director M. Night Shyamalan gets back to the kind of eerie, paranoid thriller he so successfully mined in early efforts like ‘The Sixth Sense’ and ‘Signs’. The results this time are mixed in this story of a mysterious environmental “happening” on the East Coast that is causing large groups of people to commit suicide. As he does in his most effective films, Shyamalan focuses on a core group of people who must find a way to survive these strange events. Elliot (Mark Wahlberg) is a Philadelphia science teacher already dealing with marital problems with his attractive but rather unstable wife Alma (Zooey Deschanel), now thrust into full crisis mode as he, his wife, a fellow math teacher, Julian (John Leguizamo) and Julian’s daughter Jess (Ashlyn Sanchez) hit the road by train, then car to escape the unusual plague, first thought to be a terrorist attack.” By Pete Hammond In the picture: Director M Night Shyamalan Rating: HHHHI 72 DIYA JULY 2008 Rating: HHIII Rating: HHIII Rating: HH II Movie Reviews Asian (Regional) Off ROAd (KOREAn) Three desperados make a dead run on hot, scorching asphalt in search of freedom but collide head-on with the crude realities of life in the award-winning independent film Off Road. This low-budget, road movie revolves around three social misfits: a slacker car-wash employee who longs to escape his daily grinds, an ex-banker-turned-taxi driver who has no hope for the future, and a prostitute who dreams of returning to a normal lifestyle. Detouring from the normal route, they find much sought after escapism, though clear signs of impending doom looms on the horizon. Selected as the opening film at the 2007 Jeonju International Film Festival and invited to compete in the international film category at the Tampere International Short Film Festival, ‘Off Road’ was jointly funded by the Korean Film Council and the local government of North Jeolla Province, Korea. A graduate of the prestigious Korea National University of Arts and currently a professor at Jeonju University, director Han Seung Ryong, who previously co-edited films like ‘Bongja’, ‘Resurrection of the Little Match Girl’, and ‘Untold Scandal’, offers a sensitive and poignant insight into the agony and struggles of youth. One day, disgruntled car-wash employee Cheol Gu (Baek Soo Jang, See You After School) robs a bank. Stuffing the stolen cash into a bag, he runs into a taxi that happened to be parked in front of the bank and threatens taxi driver Sang Hoon (Jo Han Cheol, Peppermint Candy) to speed away. As luck would have it, Sang Hoon was in the middle of robbing the same bank; he was waiting for his partner-in-crime to withdraw a large sum of money from the bank when Cheol Gu barged into his cab totally ruining his plan. While speeding on the highways, a gunshot injures Cheol Gu’s shoulder and the two men quickly take cover at a nearby motel to treat the wound. There they run into an attractive prostitute Ji Soo (Sun Woo Sun, My Scary Girl). With all eyes on the moneybag, the three outlaws jump on the ride of their lifetime. (YesAsia) Rating: HHHII The Chaser (Korean) L Change The WorLd (Japanese) Besieged City (Chinese) On Air (Korean) Ex-cop pimp Jung-ho is irritated because his girls keep disappearing without clearing their debts. One night, he gets a call from a customer and sends Mi-jin. Jung-ho realizes the phone number of the customer matches that of the calls the missing girls got last. During his search, Jung-ho dents a car in the alley. When Jung-ho spots blood splattered on the driver’s shirt, he senses the man, Young-min, is the suspect. After an intense chase, Jung-ho catches Young-min. But because of Jung-ho’s pretense as a cop, they are both taken to the police station. At the station, the man bluntly confesses he has killed the missing women, and the last girl, Mi-jin, may still be alive. As the whole police force is obsessed with a random search for corpses, Jung-ho is the only one who believes Mi-jin is still alive. With only 12 hours left to detain the serial killer without a warrant, Jung-ho’s hunt begins, searching for Mi-jin entrapped in a place nobody knows. Cast: Yun-seok Kim, Jung-woo Ha, Yeong-hie Seo. Subtitles: English/Korean. Directed: Hong-jin Na With only 23 days left to live, L (Matsuyama Kenichi) burns the remaining Death Note and proceeds to work day and night solving as many cases and consuming as many sweets as possible. One final case is sent his way in the form of a Thai boy who alone survived a deadly virus outbreak in his village. L gets another guest when 12-year-old girl Maki (Fukuda Mayuko, Little DJ) shows up on the doorstep. Both children are connected to an Ebola-influenza virus developed by Maki’s father which has been stolen by terrorists. With the terrorists hunting for Maki and threatening to unleash the virus, L is forced to leave his chair and venture out into the real world, both children in stow. The days tick down as L rushes to develop an antidote and catch the terrorists before time runs out. Cast: Ken’ichi Matsuyama, Mayuko Fukuda, Shunji Fujimura. Directed: Hideo Nakata Lawrence Lau (aka Lawrence Ah Mon) is without a doubt one of Hong Kong’s best and most under-appreciated directors, specializing in gutter-trawling tales of down-and-out youth frittering their lives away in an endless orgy of petty crime and street hustles. GANGS, SPACKED OUT and QUEEN OF TEMPLE STREET are all essential parts of the Hong Kong canon (especially QUEEN OF TEMPLE STREET about a brothel madam dealing with her out-of-control teenage daughter; it’s a movie that deserves the Criterion treatment). He still directs like a madman, with Lau Ching-wan’s MY NAME IS FAME as his latest highest-profile movie, but he also recently made A CITY WITHOUT BASEBALL which was released in November, 2007. This new drama is about the behind the scenes of TV drama production. It also portrays how the whole production team and performers complete a project in a tight schedule and as well as how actors, actresses, and entertainment agencies handle rumors surrounding them. Jang Ki Joon is a manager who is in charge of the activities of many famous actors and actresses. One of them is Oh Seung Ah who is a rising actress. Lee Kyung Min is a drama PD, Seo Young Eun is a script writer with a young child. CAST: Lee Bum Soo as Jang Ki Joon Kim Ha Neul as Oh Seung Ah Song Yoon Ah as Seo Young Eun Park Yong Ha as Lee Kyung Min Genre: Romance Rating: HHIII Rating: HHIII Rating: HHHII Rating: HHHII JULY 2008 WWW.DIYAMAGAZINE.COM 73 74 DIYA JULY 2008 Reviews Bollywood city of Mumbai. It is a “Swades” on skids, hurtling down into an abyss of unpatriotic instigations. From the moment Aamir ( R a j e e v Khandelwal) touches down on Mumbai’s international airport, what assails you is that overpowering sense of an individual’s struggle to survive in a pitiless and often unforgiving city. That debutant director Rajkumar Gupta is able to muster a fair amount of smiles and chuckles in this tale of one day in the life of a man caught in a nightmare that even Franz Kafka would have fond hard to create, let alone condone, is entirely providential. “Aamir” could’ve easily slipped into being a heavyhanded polemical study of the isolation and persecution of the Indian muslim and his constant battle to remain part of the mainstream even as he’s provoked and instigated from both ends to keel over and surrender to the forces of chaos, anarchy and annihilation. Ironically, a work of art like “Aamir” embraces the chaos to create a universe that is in a strange way the opposite of destruction. Persistently, “Aamir” repeatedly invokes images of ominous doom as we see the protagonist wind his way through a dreadful day that would end in abject tragedy. There are hoards of smaller actors, like Gajraj Rao barking orders into poor Aamir’s burning ears through a cellphone that has no outgoing calls. Only incoming fanaticism. “Aamir” is a rare film, which provides us food for thought without burdening us with sermons on the quality of existence. The thrill element presides over the message. The disturbing undercurrents just flow out of the story with a virile fluency. At the end you aren’t watching a film about extremism but a rare take on life at the edge that doesn’t topple over into the abyss. By Subhash K Jha AAMIR - If you are one of those super-selective moviegoers who watches only three films a year then make sure “Aamir” figures on your list. This is by far one of the finest attempts in recent times to explore the psyche of a modern ‘foreign-returned’ Indian as he’s plunged headlong into the Kafkaesque nightmare of crime, grime, extremism and fanaticism in the underbelly of the big, bright and bewildering Rating: HHHII Krazzy 4 Summer 2007 de Taali Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic At last a Priyadarshan comedy that warms the cockles of the heart even as it makes you cackle in glee. “Mere Baap Pehle Aap” is a deftlyscripted piece of quirky and cryptic concoction on role reversal. And if you take away all the humbug and fringe characters, at the core of this cool comedy is a father-son relationship where the father is often caught behaving like a truant child. The film works mainly because Paresh and Akshaye look so delightfully compatible as a father and son who have lived so closely together that they don’t know which is which. Another asset is Ranjit Barot’s background music, which is surprisingly tender and strong in fits and starts. Rating: HHIII Rating: HHHII Sikhander Kher’s debut Woodstock Villa bit the dust. He’s back with ‘Summer 2007’. Sikhander’s co-star in the movie is Gul Panag, Arjan Bajwa, Alekh Sangal, Uvika, Ashutosh Rana, Sachin Khedekar, Shweta Menon, Prashant Narayanan and Vikram Gokhale. Five medical students from a capitation fee college in India, represent the youth hooked onto xbox’s and formula 1 racing. That is the only India they have inherited and that is the only India they know. Till one day, a game they play goes too far. As an outcome they land up in one of the most deprived villages in Maharashtra. Overall, ‘Summer 2007’ is definitely worth a watch in theatre. The movie has a Rang De Basanti kinda theme and feel. The runtime will prove to be a major set back for the movie. A lot will depend on strong word out mouth for the movie to do well at the ticket window. “De Taali”, directed by E Niwas (Dum, My Name is Anthony Gonsalves) is a comedy featuring Ritesh Deshmukh, Aftab Shivdasani, Ayesha Takia and Rimii Sen. Does De Taali deserve Taali’s? Lets find out. Paglu, Amu & Abhi live the lives of each other. They drink, eat & sleep together. Sleep? Don’t take it otherwise though. But they are certainly an integral part of each other’s lives. Overall, chop off a few songs and about 20 minutes, De Taali would have been a much better watch. Average. Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic (TPTM) is not a great work of art. It doesn’t cause ripples across the cinematic stratosphere. It does something even better. It makes you feel warm and comforted about the quality of contemporary life. No matter how awful things seem, there’s always that core of goodness in the human heart to count on. This film makes you count your blessings. Kunal Kohli taps into that noble core, so elusive in our cinema. The last film that was as noble-intentioned as TPTM was Ashutosh Gowariker’s “Swades”. This is a film that no one can hate. It doesn’t have a single “bad” character, not even badly-written characters. In just two sequences Sharat Saxena as the legal eagle lets you know all we need or want to know about his life. The children tell us the rest. Rating: HHIII Rating: HHIII JULY 2008 WWW.DIYAMAGAZINE.COM 75 Reviews Tamil Vallamai Thaaraayo dasavatharam Kathavarayan Pandi The story is about a woman pining for lover while living with her newly married husband. Parthiban and Chaya Singh play a married couple. The film delves into the situations that arise when there is no real emotional bonding between the couple. It is an attempt at depicting the outlook of modern-day couples on marriages which tend to flounder for the flimsiest reasons. The film starts with a bang and ends in whimper. “Dasavatharam” is a show of grandeur. Kamal makes it beyond the ordinary. His sheer audacity, magnificence and histrionics are simply spellbinding. And creativity is given new dimensions. The film opens with a bird’s eye view of Chennai and takes the audience to the past the 12th century. In Chidambaram, Vaishnavaites and Shaivaites are in perpetual conflict with the former taking the position that Lord Vishnu is supreme and the Shaivaites being steadfast in their faith in Shiva. King Kulothunga Chozhan (Napoleon), a Shaivaite, forces Nambi (Kamal), a staunch Vaishnavite, to worship Shiva. As Nambi rebels, the king sentences him to death. On the orders of the King, his soldiers throw Nambi into the oceans tied to a stone image of Lord Vishnu. Nambi’s wife Kothai (Asin) also dies from shock. Notwithstanding many flaws and loose ends, the film provides maximum entertainment. By PVS The story is about an illicit arrack distiller and seller who turn a reformer preaching against the evil of drinking after some incidents which teach Karan bitter lessons. The film revolves around Karan who plays the protagonist with maturity. His portrayal of the character with grit would no doubt impress even those who are still unconvinced about his abilities to be a hero. Debutant director Salangai Durai should feel happy that his choice of Karan, who has a certain rustic charm, for the role of Kathavarayan is apt. And Karan has lived up to the reputation of an actor with commitment and zeal. Vithesha who makes her debut in this film, is promising though she has nothing much to do. More of drama and less of preaching would have made the film click. “Pandi” is a typical mass masala. This film sees Sneha changing her simple girl nextdoor-image to a glam girl. She is forthright in her view that what ultimately matters is the box office. She has no compunctions in transforming herself. Her pairing with Lawrence Raghavendra is another highlight of the film. Lawrence has made it as a choreographer and also directed a couple of films but as a actor he is not tested as yet. In “Pandi” he plays a weighty role with multi-dimensions _ comedy, romance, dance, sentiment, etc. What with an insipid story and a hackneyed formula, he is hard put to deliver. It is Sneha who salvages the film. See her in her new image! Rating: HHIII Rating: HHHII Rating: HHIII Rating: HHHII 76 DIYA JULY 2008 JULY 2008 WWW.DIYAMAGAZINE.COM 77 Reviews Telugu Bujjigadu Pandurangadu dasavatharam Anasuya “Bujjigadu”, only meant to be a feast for Ranga (Bala Krishna) is a flirtatious bachelor. Prabhas’ fans, is a mix of fist-feats, feeble He gets addicted to a prostitute called Amrita characters and floundering finale. (Tabu). His parents try to reform him, but fail. Lakshmi (Sneha) is one of greatest devotees of One can easily discern that this Prabhas- Lord Krishna (Bala Krishna). One night Lord Trisha-Mohan Babu-starrer, whose script and Krishna appears in her dreams and asks her direction have been credited to Puri Jagannath, to marry Ranga. Lakshmi somehow manages has been ‘inspired’ by past Chennai-made hits to wed Ranga. But Ranga keeps on going to like K. Balachander’s “Maro Charitra”. Amrita and neglects his parents’ advice. The rest of the story is all about how Lord Krishna The geographical separation of lovers, a vil- makes Ranga realize the importance of being lainous brother and breathtaking locales are loyal to wife and to respect the parents. some of the key elements of this weak plot. While the first half is passable, the second is a pure torture. A Rajnikanth-like element has been added to the movie to herd his fans into the cinemas. While Sandeep Chowta’s scores are scourging sounds of aural assault, Naidu’s scintillating cinematography soothes the senses. Bala Krishna donned two roles of the God and the devotee. He is pretty good in both these roles. His expressions in Lord Krishna character are excellent. Mohan Babu impresses everybody with his modulated diction as the one who preaches the greatness of the parents. Sneha is nice in this performance oriented role. Tabu’s role has more of exposing and there is lot of cleavage show. She looks old though. Govind (Kamal Hassan) is a scientist in USA. He works with the team that develops mass destructing biological weapon. He realizes that a colleague of him is selling such a bioweapon to a terrorist from another country. In the process, he hides the weapon, but it gets shipped to India. A hit-man called Fletcher (Kamal Hassan) is after Govind. The weapon is clandestinely kept inside the idol of Lord Perumal. Govind pairs up with a girl (Asin) and runs away from Fletcher. Another cop chief (Kamal Hassan) is also after Govind. The rest of the story is all about how Govind gets back the missing bio-weapon. The movie starts with an interesting episode set in the 12th century backdrop. Then the movie’s tempo goes down till the character of cop enters. From then, the movie is interesting till the interval. The climax is little interesting. The plus point of the film is Kamal Hassan. First half of the film is mediocre. The second half is good with hilarious comedy by Brahmanandam. On the flipside, a better editing of first half and some of the fights would do something good to the film. This film is stuffed with ample commercial elements, mainly the vibrant comedy. Ready has potential chances to bring a hat-trick for Seenu Vytla after Dhee and Dubai Seenu. This film is worth a watch for the comedy. Chandu (Ram), an engineering student, falls in love with Pooja (Genelia), an NRI who comes to visit her uncles in Rayalaseema. A mistaken identity makes Chandu kidnap Pooja who is about to get married. The rest of the story is all about how Chandu sends Pooja back to her place and how he marries her by convincing elders. Rating: HHIII Rating: HHHII Rating: HHIII Rating: HHHII 78 DIYA JULY 2008 Mizhikal Sakshi Malayalam Director Ashok R. Nath has come up with a rather touching and watchable movie in Mizhikal Sakshi, which however may not be box office material. The four songs of the film penned by veteran poet-lyricist ONV Kurup and set to tune by veteran composer Dakshinamoorthy are all good ones, but “Thechchi chembaraththi...” and “Amma oru devalayam...” stand out. Cinematography is in tune with the theme. Script by Anil Mukhathala is fairly good, but could have been better. In total, we have in Mizhikal Sakshi a film that stands out on account of sensitive treatment and good performances. Rating: HHHII One Way Ticket Bibin Prabhakar’s debut directorial venture Khakhi was a rather good film and showed promises of a good director. But his second film, One Way Ticket, which was an eagerly awaited film, fails to make that kind of an impact. There is nothing much to mention about the technical aspects of the film. Two of the three songs in the film seem out of place, while the Oppana song “En khalbile...”, penned by actress Kavya Madhavan, is good. The main problem with One Way Ticket is that it bases itself on a weak plot. To sum up, One Way Ticket falls far below expectations. By Thomas T Rating: HHIII Aandavan Andavan is a typical Kalabhavan Mani-starrer that fails to impress. It tells the story of Murugan, who is known popularly as ‘Andavan’ and who is a thief living in a slum. But Andavan is a Robin Hood kind of thief who helps the poor with the stolen money. And he steals from one man only, the rich Parameswara Panicker, who is a financier cum businessman and a brewer of illicit liquor. Andavan steals from Parameswara Panicker and what he makes from that he spends on charitable activities such as marrying off the poor and such other things. If there is any money left, he flings it into the police station without revealing himself. By Thomas T Magic lamp Magic Lamp is a comedy of errors and mismatched identities that never really provides a convincing argument for its own being. For one, I am still wondering as to what on earth hit me last night and two, my head still hurts real bad. There’s a surplus of crudeness, disorder and chaos in Magic Lamp, but not even a semblance of anything you could call comedy. Which makes it a stunningly inept movie that is an early runner for the Worst Flicks List of 2008. By VN Rating: HIIII Rating: HIIII JULY 2008 WWW.DIYAMAGAZINE.COM 79 previews - bollywood Mehbooba Aashayein Cast: Sanjay Dutt,Ajay Devgan, Manisha Koi... Director: Afzal Khan Cast: John Abraham, Prateeksha Lonkar Director: Nagesh Kukunoor The story revolves around Rahul Singh (John Abraham), a compulsive gambler who wins Rs. 20 million from a bet and throws a party to celebrate. Everyone has a good time drinking and partying till late night during which Rahul proposes to Nafisa (Sonal Sehgal). He announces their engagement to all present, then collapses on the floor. In hospital, he learns that he has only 90 days to live. Wanting to make the most of his last days, he leaves everything behind and moves into a soothing hospice. The inmates he meets change his outlook on life. As his relationships grow with each one of them, Rahul tries to rise above his own needs and live life to the fullest, learning from the courage of those around him. The people he meets in the hospice add colour, both dark and bright, to his journey, which is one about love, hate, life, death and above all, hope. Khushboo Cast: Rishi Rehan, Prem Chopra, Himani Director: Rajesh Ram Singh A young, ambitious and successful professional like Raghu needs to go to Chandigarh before his posting to New York as his last assignment. For Raghu career takes top priority in his life. In Chandigarh, he seems to be destined to cross path with a girl to whom he is inadvertently drawn. But each time Pinky flits away even before he can approach her. When they do meet and get to know each other they realize that they share a very strong bonding. And as usual Pinky once again vanishes from Raghu’s life. When they accidentally bump into each other months later, Pinky has one request...that he meet her family just once. Raghu meets the big, boisterous Punjabi family only to be drawn into the warmth of the large family. Will Raghu be able to turn his back on a loving family? Will Raghu marry Pinky? Will Pinky change her mind about letting him go? Is career more important than a loving family? Raghu is in a dilemma but not Pinky. Shravan Dhariwal, a business tycoon, lives in New York. His charm and money gets him any beauty he desires till he meets Varsha. Varsha, an Indian girl values self-respect and morality much above money. She rebukes Shravan’s advances and for the first time in his life Shravan wakes up to the fact that women are not commodities. To make amends, he goes to meet Varsha’s father and asks for her hand in marriage and very soon the two get engaged. They take off on a holiday and get intimate with each other. However, Varsha’s beautiful dream comes to a shocking end when Shravan tells her that his love for her was just a ploy to sleep with her. A devastated Varsha leaves the country away from his life. Later, Shravan is summoned to his hometown for his younger brother Karan’s wedding to Payal. Shravan meets Payal and is aghast. Payal is none other than Varsha. 80 DIYA JULY 2008 JULY 2008 WWW.DIYAMAGAZINE.COM 81 82 DIYA JULY 2008 advice Problems causing you distress in life? Send in your worries, we will help you out! Theloveexpert@diyaMagazine.com dent, but please don’t be Arrogant. Nothing is a better turn off than arrogance when someone getting to know you. Do not worry about your looks. Once people overcome their shallowness, they see the true inner person you really are. AsK THe Love eXPeRT: Q: I am almost 30 years old and I haven’t been in a serious relationship that lasted more than two months. I want to date, but I don’t think I am attractive enough to the opposite gender. I’m getting old and I feel I have missed my chance at finding a partner. A: It can be somewhat scary. Well in general regardless of age, the dating game is a scary place to be. There are a lot of mind games involved and you never really know how interested they are in you. A lot of people rush to settle down as soon as they meet someone because sometimes they say they are done with dating. Most people find partners in social settings, and I still believe that till today. Did you miss out of the dating scene in college? No problem. I would strongly urge you to (if you haven’t already), build up your circle of friends. That is the best way to meet people. Chances are, they know friends who know friends and before you know it, you’re meeting new people and potentially a partner. It does take effort. Branch out and build your social skills. The more personable you are, the more likely people will notice you, want to spend more time with you, and introduce you to their other friends. Be confi- Q: I have had a past that makes me not trust easily. I am with a wonderful person in my life right now but it still is hard to trust him, even though he has done nothing to break my trust. I am paranoid about him leaving. How can I overcome this problem? A: Trust is a tricky, tricky thing. Sometimes it’s easy to earn, sometimes its very hard. But you can lose it just as easy. I understand your problem with the past. I think everyone has felt betrayed at some point in their lives by people they love. However, everyone deserves a chance at being trusted. You say he has done nothing to break your trust. Therefore you have acknowledged that bit, the next step you need to work on is your fear. Write down your worries and then compare them to your significant other and ask yourself- “Can I see him doing this to me?” and most likely the answer is “no”. Keep reminding yourself that, and over time, you will listen to yourself. In the meantime, I do ask you to not act irrationally around him and accuse him of things he has not done to you because you are paranoid. Men can only take so much of living in someone else’s paranoid world! Treat him with the same respect and trust he treats you until you have successfully worked on your fear. JULY 2008 WWW.DIYAMAGAZINE.COM 83 84 DIYA JULY 2008 Secrets of food Chicken Tikka Masala Submitted by Philpot eating well Life is often rushed. But eating slowing encourages you to take a time-out. Pause a moment before you eat to give thanks for the gift of food that lies before you. An attitude of gratitude helps you to enjoy each bite more. Plus, the more you chew, the more your teeth and salivary enzymes break down your food so your stomach doesn’t have to. You don’t have to be a chef to be an artist in the kitchen. The food you prepare can engage all your senses—from the aroma across the room to the vibrant colors and playful textures. All these characteristics create a rich, satisfying experience no matter what you’re eating. If you’re the one in the kitchen, toss in some edible flowers, garnish with your favorite herbs, and try using plates in colors that complement your creation. Sharing a meal or breaking bread is a timeless custom across all cultures. It’s a way to celebrate your food. Eating with others might also encourage you to relax and enjoy the full experience around you, which will also help you eat more slowly. Turn off the tube. Step away from your desk. Give eating your undivided attention. Savor every bite. These strategies will help you tune in to your body’s sensations so you know when you’re full. There’s no reason to keep eating if your body says enough. In fact, yogis will tell you to stop eating even before you are full because a full belly makes you sluggish. Looking to other cultures can give you cool cues for eating well too. For example, a beautiful Japanese custom is to serve each item in its own small dish. These dishes enhance the visual experience as well as encourage you to eat smaller portions. Each small entrée in unison becomes an ensemble of food with plenty of interest and variety to make dining delicious. 1 cup yogurt 1 tablespoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger 4 teaspoons salt, or to taste 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces 4 long skewers 1 tablespoon butter 1 clove garlic, minced 1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons paprika 3 teaspoons salt, or to taste 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce 1 cup heavy cream 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro In a large bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, black pepper, ginger, and 4 teaspoons salt. Stir in chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Preheat a grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade. Grill until juices run clear, about 5 minutes on each side. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute garlic and jalapeno for 1 minute. Season with 2 teaspoons cumin, paprika, and 3 teaspoons salt. Stir in tomato sauce and cream. Simmer on low heat until sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. Add grilled chicken, and simmer for 10 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, and garnish with fresh cilantro. Source: SimpleSolutions Corporation In our fast-paced world, it’s easy to lose track of nature’s seasonal ebb and flow. Eating the freshest fruits, vegetables, and fish of the season ensures that you’ll have the widest selection to choose from and increases your connection to mother earth and the natural rhythms beneath the sun, moon, and stars. A good cook knows that it’s all about the ingredients. To ensure that your meal is sensational, make certain each ingredient is fresh. The best way to do this is to eat only foods that are growing in your area right now. If you buy something that isn’t growing near you, it’s likely to have withered a bit while withstanding travel over time and distance. Source: Alibaba JULY 2008 WWW.DIYAMAGAZINE.COM 85 86 DIYA JULY 2008 Rating: HHHHH Excellent HHHHI Good HHHII Average HHIII Fair - Service - Atmosphere - Good for Group, Family - Food Authenticity - Taste Authenticity - Pricing ($ Very Affordable: $$ Moderate: $$$ Pricey: $$$$ Expensive) Reviewed by Staff writers & Anthony Tran Rates are based upon: ResTAURANT Review samui Thai Cuisine Plano/Allen, TX 5700 Legacy Dr., Plano, TX (972) 398-2807 Some of the best Thai food you will experience. All of the curry dishes are exceptional. The service is good and the ambience is perfect. If you like Thai food you will love this place. This family run Thai restaurant breaks the mold with an amazing design, wonderful fresh food ranging from traditional dishes like pad Thai and Thai fried rice to Thai infused dishes like their great Sea Bass entrance. There is also a full service bar and generous patio. HHHH Food Authenticity HHHH Taste Authenticity HHHH Service HHHH Atmosphere HHH Group, Family $$$ Pricing try to pad kee mao or panaeng curry. HHHH Food Authenticity HHH Taste Authenticity HHH Service HHH Atmosphere $$ Pricing Bistro B Restaurant (vietnamese Cuisine) Jasmines i & ii (Thai Cuisine) Plano, TX 2050 W Spring Creek Pkwy Plano, TX (972) 517-1677 One of the very few small, family oriented best values in Plano, TX. Pricing are reasonable, authentic and large portions of the best Thai food. Jasmine I & II are small modest place with a friendly staffs. For the appetizers go for the corn patties or the chicken satay, you won’t be disappointed. All the dishes are delicious, but Dallas/Grand Prairie, TX 9780 Walnut St. Dallas, TX (214) 575-9885 Bistro B is actually a Vietnamese/Pho restaurant, not French as the name might implied. With two locations, the menu is amazing. There are over 300 menu items including soups, rice dishes, noodle bowls, spring rolls, and so much more. They also do groups, family style and have a wide variety of delicious tea based drinks. All of the food is incredibly fresh, especially the rice, paper spring rolls are amazing. It is very fast paced with lots of servers running all over the place. Severs don’t have sections so you probably won’t see the same one twice. HHHH Food Authenticity HHHH Taste Authenticity HH Service HHH Atmosphere HHH Group, Family $$ Pricing Dallas, TX 12817 Preston Rd., # 105 Dallas, TX (972) 392-0190 For excellent and the finest Indian cuisine in Dallas, visit the India Palace Restaurant and Bar. The elegant, softly lit interior is the perfect setting for a relaxing meal. The Dallas Observer has named one of the first Indian restaurants in Dallas, India Palace “Best Indian Restaurant” for the past 12 years. In fact, India Palace has been named “Best” and 4 STARS by several sources, including D Magazine, Dallas Morning News, and Zagats. HHHH Food Authenticity HHH Taste Authenticity HHHH Service HHHH Atmosphere HHH Group, Family $$$ Pricing Arc-en-Ciel Restaurant (Chinese/vietnamese) Garland, TX 3555 W Walnut St., # E Garland, TX (972) 272-2188 This is one of the very first Chinese/Vietnamese restaurants in Garland, attracting diverse clienteles, as there are colors in a rainbow. The name, then, is appropriate: It’s French for rainbow. But what keep the customers coming back time after time are the magnificent Chinese and Vietnamese dishes. The decor >> india Palace (Asian indian Cuisine) JULY 2008 WWW.DIYAMAGAZINE.COM 87 HER E E BA HALNQUET L G OUT TAK E PRIC Akbar Al Hamra Al Markaz Apna Bazar BBQ Tonite Bhatia Mart Bombay Chinese Bombay Grill Bombay Sweets Chaat Cafe Tandoor Grill Chettinad Palace Clay Pit Curry’s Dunes Flavors Goga Sweets Gopal Grand Cafe Haveli Hot Breads Jasmine Cafe India House India Palace Indian Food Indiya Fusion Kalachandji Kashmir Kokila Kebab ‘n Kurry Madras Pavilion Maharaj Restaurant Masala Diner Masala Wok Mayuri Noodle Wave Our Place Pasand Ruchi Palace Rice 1 Roll Roti Grill Royal Sweets Shammy’s Shish Kabob Silver Spoon Sitar Taj Chaat Tandoor Grill Taste of India Taste of Pakistan Tawa Grill Temptations Tharas Chat Corner Saffron House Udipi Cafe Bombay Sizzlers Wok of Fame Zyka 88 DIYA JULY 2008 Indian Indo/Pak Pakistani Indian Indo/Pak Indian Indo-Chinese Indian Indian Indian fast food Indo/Pak South Indian Indian Indian Indo/Pak/Med Indian Indian Gujarati American Indo/Pak Continental Middleastern Indian Indian Indian Indian Fusion Kashimiri Indian Indian South Indian Indian Indian Indo/chinese Indian Vietnamese Indian Indian Indian Indian Indian Fast food Middle eastern Middle eastern Pakistani Indian Indian Indo/pak Indian Pakistani Indo/Pak Indo/Pak South Indian Indian Indian South Indian Indian Indo chinese Indian CAT SPIC NAME CUISINE ATM OSP ERIN E LE vEL ResTAURANT GUide Dressy Casual Casual Casual Casual Casual Casual Dressy Casual Casual Casual Casual Upscale Casual Casual Upscale Casual Casual Casual Dressy Casual Dressy Casual Upscale Casual Casual Casual Casual Casual Dressy Casual Dressy Casual Casual Dressy Dressy Casual Dressy Casual Casual Dressy Casual Casual Casual Causal Dressy Casual Casual Dressy Casual Casual Causal Dressy Casual Dressy Casual Casual Dressy Casual $$ $ $ $ $ $ $$ $$ $ $$ $ $ $$$ $ $ $$ $ $ $$ $$ $ $$ $$ $$$ $$ $$$ $$ $$ $$ $$ $ $ $ $$ $$ $ $$ $$ $$ $ $$ $ $$ $ $ $$$ $$ $ $ $ $ $ $$ $ $$$ $$ $$ $ $ LOCATION remains simple and functional, since the food serves as the main event here. Try eating dim sum, or a la cart, to get a chance to sample a wide variety of dishes. However be careful, Dim Sum is not all you can eat, so it can become a bit pricey. HHHH Food Authenticity HHHH Taste Authenticity HHH Service HHH Atmosphere HHH Group, Family $$$ Pricing. ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü ü                                                                                                      Plano Carrollton Carrollton Carrollton Carrollton Plano Richardson Fort Worth Irving Dallas Plano Plano Addison Irving Irving Addison Carrolton Richardson Richardson Irving Richardson/Irving Richardson Euless Dallas Irving Irving Dallas Euless Lewisville Richardson Richardson Dallas Irving Irving Irving Richardson Irving Richardson/Irving Carrollton Irving Dallas/McKinney Dallas Irving Richardson Plano Irving Arlington Plano Euless Dallas Irving Irving Richardson Addison Richardson Irving Garland Richardson Jade Garden (Chinese/vietnamese) Dallas, TX 4800 Bryan St. Dallas, TX (214) 821-0675 Serving Chinese/Vietnamese Cuisines for over 20 years in Dallas, Jade Garden is well known for it’s outstanding Asian food. This is easily one of the best Chinese/Vietnamese places in Dallas/Fort Worth. The restaurant prices are dirt cheap, BYOB, abundant food that is as good, great service. If you prefer authentic Chinese/Vietnamese food, this is a good place to start. Don’t be fool by the outside appearance. Step inside and taste what’s all the fuss about. HHHH Food Authenticity HHHH Taste Authenticity HHH Service HH Atmosphere HHH Group, Family $ Pricing. Cindi’s N.Y. delicatessen Restaurant & Bakery (Traditional American Cuisine) Dallas, TX 1111 N. Central Expressway Dallas, TX (214) 739-0918 With 4 different locations around the Dallas Metroplex, Cindi’s is the best place in town to eat homemade and traditional breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The waitresses are very friendly and attentive. Fresh hot coffee on the table the whole time. Plenty on the menu to select from and always hot when served. This is a clean and neat restaurant; great place to take your family and the kids. The menu is extensive, offering everything from pancakes, pigs in a blanket, potato pancakes, and waffles, to omelets, delicious sandwiches including patty melts, pastrami, corned beef, hearty soups, stews, hamburger steaks, spaghetti, fish platters and more. Beyond breakfast, the menu continues to provide choices from salads to hamburgers to soups and steaks. Daily specials range from hot soups on the weekends to roast beef and steaks on Tuesday. HHHH Food Authenticity HHHH Taste Authenticity HHHH Service HHH Atmosphere HHHH Group, Family $$ Pricing. Benihana (Japanese Cuisine) Dallas, TX 314 E. Main St. Dallas, TX (972) 387-4404 Diners sit around large tables where chefs ostentatiously chop, slice, stir-fry and grill. Entree options are simple--shrimp, chicken, steak and scallops, and preparation is uniform. Every entree comes with a similar stock of sides: rice, onion soup, shrimp appetizer, iceberg lettuce drizzled with dressing, sauteed vegetables and green tea. Pricing is just as affordable as Red Lobster these days. But Better!! Get entertain, eat and enjoy. HHH Food Authenticity HHH Taste Authenticity HHHH Service HHHH Atmosphere HH Group, Family $$$ Pricing. Tokyo one (Japanese Cuisine) Addison, TX 4350 Belt Line Rd. Addison, TX (972) 386-8899 Patrons can sit at booths or tables; classic Asian paintings adorn the walls. Sushi chefs are quick to offer tips and suggest items. The atmosphere easily accommodates big groups hungry for a lot of sushi. California rolls and standard salmon rolls are for beginners, while those who feel more adventurous can try the shark fin and jellyfish rolls or marinated baby octopus. Overall a pretty good blend of being an upper-end atmosphere without being snobby. Customers seemed pretty dressed up for this place. HHHH Food Authenticity HHH Taste Authenticity HHH Service HHHH Atmosphere HHH Group, Family $$$ Pricing. Zander’s House (vietnamese Cuisine) Plano, TX 2300 N. Central Expressway Plano, TX (972) 943-9199 Great exterior and modern interior look, serving Vietnamese Cuisines in North Dallas. Good food in a classy and arty environment. The restaurant’s lunch menu is full of typical Vietnamese dishes - spring rolls, soups, vermicelli(rice noodle) dishes. They are very well prepared, beautifully presented, and very reasonably priced. The atmosphere is much better since they took over this August Moon location, put up dividers, art, flat-screen TVs and a full bar. The restaurant is very clean, white tablecloths and brisk, with helpful and friendly service. HHH Food Authenticity HHH Taste Authenticity HHHH Service HHHH Atmosphere HHHH Group, Family $$ Pricing. DM JULY 2008 WWW.DIYAMAGAZINE.COM 89 90 DIYA JULY 2008 JULY 2008 WWW.DIYAMAGAZINE.COM 91 92 DIYA JULY 2008