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9 Indian -films and web series to watch in October 2021

SHIDDAT: JOURNEY BEYOND LOVE (Disney+Hotstar)

Romanticdrama ShiddatstarsSunnyKaushal, Radhika Madan (whoyou mightrecognisefrom AngreziMediumand MardKoOardNahiHota), MohitRaina,and Diana Pentyin keyroles,ina movie abouttwoparallellovestories. It'salsodirected by Kunal Deshmukh,whosepreviousofferingsinclude Jannat (2008)and Tum Mile (2009).

Shiddatbegan streaming on 1 October.

Dhaakad

Comingoffthesuccessofmuch-awaited Thalaivi, Kangana Ranautreturnstothebigscreenwithaction thrillerDhaakad asAgentAgni. Joined byArjun Rampal and Divya Dutta anddirected byRazneesh Ghai, Kangana'sfilm aimstobe India'sfirst"femaleled actionthrilier''

Dhaakad released in cinemas on 1 October.

I LITTLE THINGS SEASON 4 (Netflix)

I The"biryani monster" is back! Aftermovingin I together, balancingloveandtheircareers,and 1 evenembarkingona long-distance relationship, whatlies in storeforlovebirdsDhruv(Dhruv

I Sehgal)and Kavya (Mithila Palkar)?We'llfindout 1 in thisfourth instalmentofthe hitshow,a lovely take on modern relationshipsin India.

I The newest season of Little Thingsdrops on I 15 October.

LIFT (Dlsney+Hotstar)

It'sOctober,afterall,sowhodidn'tpredictahorrormovie coming?InthisTamilmovieoffering, KavinandAmritha Aiyarplayofficecolleaguestrapped intheirhaunted office,stuckplayinga mysterygamewithonlyaliftas theirescaperouteout. Fingerscrossedforthisone!

Liftreleases on 1 October.

The Conversion

Upcomingromance-drama The Conversion takeson a difficulttopic:religiousconversionsformarriages in India.Afterall, "lovejihad" has been widelydiscussed inthelastfewyears. Inthis lovetrianglesetin

Benaras, Bablu, Dev,and Sakshi (played byPrateek Shukla, Ravi Bhatia, andVindhyaTiwari)tacklethis controversialtopic head on.

The Conversion hits cinemas on 8 October.

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SARDAR UDHAM (Amazon Prime)

I Inspired byreal lifeevents, biographicalfilm

I SardarUdham starsVicky KaushalasUdham Singh, an Indian revolutionarywhotravelled I to London 21yearsaftertheJallianwala Bagh I massacretoassassinate Michael O'Dwyer,the then-lieutenantgovernorofPunjabwhooversaw I the massacre. DirectorShoojitSircar,whohas I helmed productions like Vicky Donor (2012) I and Piku (2015) hascalledthisfilm his "dream project."

I Sardar Udham releases on 16 October.

RASHMI ROCKET (ZEE5)

Inthissportsdrama directed byAkarsh Khurana,

I Taapsu Pannu playsatrackathlete banned bythe country'sathleticfederation overa hyperandrogenism policy. While notovertlycreditedto Indiantrack

I star DuteeChand, Rashmi Rocket certainlytakes inspirationfromthisreal-lifecase,choosinginsteadto addressthe"strugglesoffemaleathletes".

I Rashmi Rocketbegins streaming on 15 October.

SANAK (Disney+Hotstar)

After Commando (2013), Khuda Haafiz (2020)and now Sanak, VidyutJammwal certainlyseemsto bethe newageactionstarofBollywood. In thisactionthriller, a remakeofHollywood film John Q,Jammwal isjoined byNeha Dhupia, Rukmini Maitra,and Chandan Roy in lead roles. Cantheherosave hiswifeand helpless hostagesintime?

Sanak begins streaming on 15 October.

I Comingoffthe massivesuccessofScam 1992,

PratikGandhi returnstoourscreenswiththis romance-dramaoppositeAindrita Ray.Thefilmgets its namefromthe popularfolktheatre ofwestern I India called bhavai, and isabouttwo lovers in a village who playthecharactersofthe Ramlila. In the past I month,thefilm's previoustitle 'Ravan Leela'drewflak

I forhurtingHindu sentiments,suggested a romance between RavanandSita.

I Bhavaiwill see a cinematic release on 22 October.

Air Fryer Mini Samosas

Deep-fried andfilledwith potatoes? No,try this healthierversion stuffedwith lentils, nutsand raisins. Bonus, itcan bemadea weekaheadofDiwali.

Ingredients

Forsamosa pastry

■ 2 cups plainflour/maida

■ 3tbspsemolina/sooji

■ 1cupwater, chilled

■ 3-4tbspghee/oil

■ 1tspcarawayseeds/ajwain

■ SaIttotaste

■ 2-3tbsp oilforbrushingduringbaking.

Forstuffing

■ 1/3cupyellowmungdal soaked in water

■ 1/3 cupchickpeaflour/besan

■ 6-7almonds/cashewschopped

■ 8-10raisins

■ 1.5tsp red chilli powder

■ 2.5tspdried mango powder/amchur

■ 1tbspfennel seeds/saunf

■ 1tbspgaram masala

■ 2.5tspsugar

■ 2 tspsalt.

Bliss Balls

AnAussie laddu ofsorts!Thesepeanut buttercocoaflavoured ballsare perfectto re-energize between meetings.You mayuse marketbasedpeanutbutterifyou like.

Ingredients

■ 1cup peanutsde-skinnedand dry roasted(or½ cuppeanutbutter)

■ 1cupdates, pitted

■ 4tbspcoconutflour/desiccated coconut

■ 4tbspraisinsordriedberries

■ 4tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder.

Instructions

■ Grindthe peanuts in acoffee/spice grinderuntil itresemblesafine powder. Continueto pulseforshortintervalstill it gelstogetherand oil isreleased.

■ Transfertoafood processor, add inall theotheringredientsandpulsetogether.

Instructions

Forstuffing

■ Heatoil in pan. Drainthewaterfrom lentilsand addthemtothe pan.

■ Addchickpeaflourtothelentilsonce theysoften.

■ Addall remainingingredientsforfilling exceptraisins.

■ Mixthespicesalongwiththelentilsandstir.

■ Ina bowl, mixthecooked lentilsalongwith chopped nuts, raisinstomakethefilling.

Forsamosa pastry

■ Addall ingredients(exceptwater)ina bowl toknead intoadough in thestand mixer.

■ Add ¾cupwaterand startkneading, addfew moretablespoonstogetasemi harddough.

■ Addextraflourasneeded,to keepfrom stickingtohandsand board.

■ Placethe dough ina well-oiledvessel and coverwith a cloth/plasticwrapfor 15 minutes.

■ Takeasmall portion ofitand roll into round shape.

■ Cutitin 2 equal halves, makea cone by stickingtheedgeswith water.

■ Fill thestuffingand closetheconewith water.Seal theedgeswith afork.

■ Preheattheairfryerfor10minutes.

■ Line upthesamosas, bakefor20-25 minsat 180degC, brushingoil3times in between.

■ Allowtocool on rack. Store in air-tight container.

■ Take asmall portion ofthe mixandstart bindingin yourhand.

■ Rollinto balls.

■ Storeinan air-tightcontainer.

Puffed Rice Laddu

Thisladdu isvegan andgluten free. It takes lessthan 15 minutesto prepare and can bestored in an air-tightjaratroom temperature.

Ingredients

■ 1 cupjaggery/palmsugar

■ 4 cuppuffed rice/murmura

■ 3tspcoconutoil

■ 1/2tspcardamom powder

Instructions

■ Dryroastpuffedrice in a panfor 10 minuteson lowflame. Keepaside.

■ Now, addtheoil,jaggeryand cardamom tothe pan. Meltitall on lowfame.

■ Thejaggeryis readywhenyou puta drop in asmall bowl ofwaterand it turns hard. Ifitissoft,cookforfew more minutes.

■ Thenintroducethe puffed riceandturn offtheheat.

■ Mixwell andshape into balls, using parchmentpaperifthe mixtureistoo hottohandle.You can alsosetitin a greasedtrayand cutintosquares.

■ Store in acleandryjar.

October 2021

BY MINAL KHONA

MinaI Khona has been readingtarotcardsfor the lasttwodecades. She uses herintuition and connectwith the cards mostlyto helppeople.

Workingon your health, inner and outer, takes precedence overall elsethis month. Petswill need a visittothe vet.Avoid overreacting in problematic situationsand let others know howyou feel. If overburdened at work, you may lookatajobthat's easier.Avoid overeating or bingedrinking.Your payments will all come in on time. Ifyou have certain ideas, now isthe time toacton them. Beclear about what it is you seek.

Adifficult month, as challenges on all frontssurround you. Any spiritual practiceyou followwill helpyou staycalm.A propertyyou own will be sold. Iflookingfora newjob, youwill change your mind. Take a breakfrom worktill a difficult situation eases up. Takecareof

I You will lookforsignsthatthe I universe is directingyour life and will goona deeperspiritual quest. I Ifinvolved,you will be indecisive I aboutwhichwaytogo withthe I relationship. Some ofyou may wantto changejobs.A decision I regardingyour home, moneyora

Your lack ofa love life is highlighted I and you will lookfora sense of purpose in your life. A propertyyou I own will getsold. A karmic connection I with someone leavesyou unableto I letgo ofthem. Financial gainsare indicated. Watchoutforexisting I health conditionsto suddenly your health and watch outfor accidents at home with gizmos I tripwill needto be made. Don'ttrusttoo I worsen. Usinga talent or a new techniqueatworkwill bringsuccess. I orslipperytilesand whiledriving. Financial blocks willeaseshortly though you maybe blocked right now.

Thecard drawn indicatesthatasituation isgoingtochangeinthe nearfuture. Singleswill meetsomeonewithwhom theyfeel an instantconnectand orforge adeeperbond witha persontheyknow already.Thingswillstarttochangefor the better.Theatmosphereatworkcould betense buteventually itwilleaseoff. Problems regardingthehome, business dealingsoryourhealth willgetsortedto yoursatisfaction. LettheUniversework its magic inyourlife.

Driven and confident, the bestcard in the pack has cometo letyou knowthat despite all hurdles, you can succeed on all fronts. Letgo ifa romance is stagnatingforthingstoget betteron theirown. Moneymaybe blocked or come in small spurts. Asudden trip could bequite beneficial. Someone in yourfamily could befilingfordivorce. Letgo ofthe pastto progress in all realms of life. Change must come from within.

1 easily, you could be deceived. Avoid impulsive expenses or I decisions. It istimeto cutthe I deadwood outofyourlife.

I You will no longerfocus on unproductive I I activities. Afond wish will eventually I I befulfilled.

I It could bea difficult month asstressful situations in theformofan unwell family I member, a relationshiponthe rocks I oreven arealitycheckaboutyourself show upto challenge you. Lookatitas

I a springcleaningbythe universeand do I whatis needed. You could loseyourjob dueto disagreementsoryou mayquitit I yourself. Butyourfinancial condition will I improve and ifunwell, you will recover.

I Avoid negative thinkingandtrustin a higher power. I

A good monthfor Librans asa newjob I or businessopportunitiescomesyour I way.An overall feel-good state of mind I bringsabundance in all spheresof your life. Afamily membercould move I residencesoon. Watch whatyou eat I as itcould cause major health issues. Thoughyou will havemoney, what I is owed toyouwill still be blocked. I Lookfor newwaystodothesame old I things or pick upa newskill for better I prospects.

You couldfind yourselfpushed againsta I wall in several situations. That is partly I duetoyourblackorwhiteviewofthings. I Unforeseen hurdleson all fronts could arise. Ifinvolved, you mayconsider I movingintogetherthough it mayinvolve

I a sacrifice ofsome kind. Those in creative I fieldscould interactwith writers and I publishers. Work remains upbeatas I you meetall deadlines. To changeany I situation, alterthewayyou respond for bestresults.Success is assured.

I Therecouldbesomestressthismonth I duetoeventsorpeoplearoundyou.A plannedtripcouldseesomehurdles. I Marriedfolksseetheirunhappymarriage I getworseduetolong-termissues.Anxiety

I ThepracticalAquarian drawsthecard I ofCapricorn makingthemeven more I groundedtorealityin October. Regardless ofthestatusofyourcurrentrelationship, I youwilldotherightand responsiblething I andothermental problemsarearesultof I which is positive.Yourcareermaybein beingoverburdened.Easeuponyourself. aslumpright now butthingswill look I Anyhealth issuesyouhaveshould not I up. Ifyou havethroatrelated issues,say I beignored.Thoughyourfinancesare I what'sonyourmind.Yourfinanceswill I satisfactory,anattitudeoflackwillmakeyou I improveshortly.Asocialeventleadsto feelyoudon'thaveenough.Seekanswers a newcareeropportunty.Stopchasing I onthespiritual realmtomakelifeeasier. I outcomesand letitgo.

I ThedreamyPisceansalsoexhibita I I streakofpracticaltythis month withthe I pentaclescard drawn. Singleswillattract I romanceintotheirlives. Newordersforthe I I self-employed anda rewardforprevious I I effortsforthesalariedwill improvethings I ontheworkfront.Theyoungshould work I extra hardtolaythefoundationforbetter I I future prospects.Avoid beinginthesunfor I I toolong.Anyweightlossorlackofappetite I needsmedicalattention. Begratefulforthe I smallthings. I