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What's on our screens this April

KGF CHAPTER 2 (Theatre release)

Thishistoricalaction drama in Kannada isset in the KolarGold Fields.Atthecentre ofitisthecharacterRaja Krishnappa Bairya, aka Rocky, ananti-villainofsorts. Fightingforthe impoverishedand againstinjusticedespitea criminal record, he isseen as saviourbymany, butthegovernmentseeshimasathreatto lawand order.And ofcoursethereareplentyofenemieshehastocontendwith. Written and directed byPrashanth Neel, thefilmstarsYash, SanjayDutt,SrinidhiShetty, Raveena Tandon and Prakash Raj. Telugu, Hindi,Tamiland Malayalamversionsarealsoavailable.

Scheduled for a 14 April release.

Matrimonials Seeking Brides

Seeking qualified match for 1990born, 6feettall, good lookingand charming Hindu vegetarian boy. Has a Masters degree in ITand ownsfamily homes in Melbourne and India. For further information, please contact me at +61469393036 or email ashishsharma800@gmail.com

Seeking Grooms

Seekinga professionally qualified match, teetotaller, ofgoodfamily background, preferably Australian citizen or PR holder, for highly qualified career-oriented Brahmin girl 35, 5'2", vegetarian, ofgood family background, workingand well settled in Sydney. Please contact aussyd08@gmail.com

34 (Theatre release)

AjayDevgnjugglesthreedifferentroleshere-leadactor,directorand producer - inthisfilm inspired bytrueincidents.Amitabh Bachchan, Rakul PreetSingh, Angira DharandAakankshaSinghstar.Thefilm'strailerhasstronginfluencesof ClintEastwood's 2016 biographical drama SullyinwhichTom Hanksplayedthe characterofChesley"Sully"Sullenberger. Runway 34 hasan Eid release on 29 April. That's right,wedon'thaveaSalman Khan releasethis Eid.

DASVI (Jio Cinema, Netflix)

Abhishek Bachchan is back, thistimeinraw and rusticjaat avatar: an anpadh, corruptand di/ se desi politician. As ChiefMinister, hefinds a new challengewhile in prison: to becomea 'dasvi pass'. Meanwhile hisfiesty wife (Nimrat Kaur) gainsa tastefor her hubby's beloved kursi. YamiGautam alsostars, asa dhaakad IPS officer. Socialcomedy, they're callingit. Lookoutfora 7April release.

BEAST (Theatre release)

Thisblackcomedyactionthrillerfilm inTamilgives us insightsintogoldtrafficking.

ThalapathyVijay and Pooja

Hegdestar, alongside Aparna Das, ShineTom ChackoandYogi Babu. Nelson Dilipkumar writes and directs. Accordingto sources, a major portionof Beast takes place inside a shopping mallsupposedly hijacked by terrorists. A giantshoppingmallsetwas createdbythefilmmakers to look likea leading Chennaimall.

Beastreleaseson13April.

COBALT BLUE (Netflix)

Prateik Babbar playsan enigmaticstranger who takes upa payingguest room inatraditional Malayali family'shouse.Thingsgetcomplicatedwhen his charmsappealto both theson, acalm andcollected youth played by Neeley Mehendale,andthedaughter,a free-spiritedsportsperson played byAnjali Sivaraman. Theensuingeventsshatterthefamily. CobaltBlue is basedon a novel bySachin Kundalkar,set in a Marathi family.

Thefilmreleasedon 2April.

HEROPANTI 2 (Theatre release)

TheIndiangovernmentsendsits mostruthlessmercenarytofight Russiantroops.Canonly happen inBollywood, right?Well, um, it does,in Heropanti2, starring upandcomingactionstarTiger Shroff.(Somewhatdifferent, you cansay, tothesuccessful2014 romanticactionfilm Heropanti whichsawTigerin hisdebutrole oppositeKritiSanon.)Nawazuddin SiddiquiandTara Sutariaalso star inthishighvoltagetaleof action. Plentyofinterestalready for Nawazuddinherein hisroleas maniacalvillain. Eid releaseforthis tooon29April.

1 JERSEY

I (Theatre release)

I Acricket has-been I attemptsto revive his career, atage 36,forthe I sake ofhisson. Jersey, 1 starringShahid Kapoor, isa remake ofa Telugu I filmofthesame name. I Shahid'sdad Pankaj Kapur plays hiscoach I and mentor. Directed I by Gowtham Tinnanuri, whoalsodirectedthe I original,thisfilm has I faced multiple COVIDrelatedglitchesfor I release. I CheckItoutnowon

I 14April.

I FA EH (Theatre release) I

I SonuSoodstarsasthe lead inthis upcomingfilm I I directed by Abhinandan Gupta. I I Thestory,apparentlyinspired by reallife events, I isdescribedas "one man'swaragainstIndia's I hiddenenemy,"and promiseshigh-octaneaction I I sequencesatitscore. I Thefilm hitsthescreenson8April.

KAATHUVAAKULA RENDU KAADHAL (Theatre release)

TheTamillanguage rom-comstarsVjaySethupathi as Rambo(shortfor RanjankudiAnbarasu Murugesa Boopathy Ohoondhiran), whois havingitoffwith two beautiful ladies Kanmani(Nayanthara)and Khatija (Samantha Ruth Prabhu)atthesametime. He convincesthem ofathree-wayrelationship, andthings gowell - but notforlong. Thefilmreleaseson28April.

GHANI I MISS RANU MARIA (Theatre release)

I Ranu Mondalbecamean overnight I sensationwhenshe was picked offa West TheTelugu language sports Bengalrailwaystation platformwhere dramafeaturesVarunTej I shesatsinging,and placed in Mumbai's intheroleofa professional I thrivingentertainment industry.Aviral boxer.Thefilm, writtenand I sensation,shegotontotelevisiontalk directedbyKiran Korrapati, shows,and evenrecordedforBollywood alsostarsUpendra, Suniel I musician Himesh Reshammiya. Miss Ranu Shetty,and Saiee Manjrekar. I Maria isher story.ItstarsEshika Deyin Aftermultiple thelead,directed by Bengalifilmmaker postponementsGhaniwill I Hrishikesh Mondal. hitthescreenson8April. I Seethefilmstarting10April.

BY DHANYASAMUEL

ipis are sn1all,ediblesaltwater clams thatareende111icto Australia.Theyarealsoknownas muchtime cleaningtl1e pipisathome.

Coorongcockle orGoolwapipior kuti ('Ngarrindjeri name) in SouthAustralia, andsometimesreferred toaseugariein some partsofQueensland.

The tasteis quite sin1ilartothatofclan1s but slightly sweeter,hence any recipethat usesclams canbeused topreparepipistoo.

Pipis are available forpurchaseatmost seafood storesand markets. But themost in1portantthingtorememberwhile buying pipisis tolookfortl1e MSC bluefish tick. This ensuresthatthe pipisare certified sustainable and con1e from a fisherythat hasbeenassessed and adherestotheMSC FisheriesStandard.

Ifyou arebuyingfrom afishn1onger,make sure toaskifthe pipishave beenpurged i.e., stored in aeratedsaltwatertoremove thegrit and sand. lfnot, thenyou mustdo theprocessyourself. Add 30gmssalt/litre cold water(adjustbasedonthe quantityof pipisyou have) and place thepipisorclams inside fora fewhours,preferablyovernight. Donotrefrigerateas t11epipiswillclose up the shells and not allow thesandandgritto purge out. Instead coverand placein acool spotofthehouse.

Another importantthingtorememberis thatit'sbest todiscard thepipisthathave notopened aftercooking. Bettertobesafe than sorry!

Thegolden rulewhile cookingpipis isto keep it sin1ple-just atouchofflavourtolet the pipisshine.

Theclassicwayofenjoyingpipisiswith butter,garlic,asplashofwhitewineandplenty ofparsleytofinishoff. Butwespicetl1ings upabitinthisTaiwaneserecipe,without

Taiwanese-style Pipis

INGREDIENTS

■ 1kgpipis

■ 75mlShaoxingricewine

■ 6gmsfreshginger;slicedthinly

Forthe sauce

■ 60ml oystersauce

■ 5gmsrawsugar

■ ½tspfreshlymilled black pepper

■ 75ml pipiscookingliquid

Themost sustainable way tocollect pipis are tocollectbyhand usingrakes, a techniquethathas been referred toas'pipi shuffle'. Thfa n1ethod keeps technologyat bayand ensuresthatthespeciesand its sun·ounding natureisprotected.

Another advantage ofbuyingfron1 a pre111iun1brand is thatthepipisare super fresh and clean ofgrit and sand, which isverycommonwhen buyingfrommany seafoodsellers. So,you don'thave towaste overpoweringthesweetnessofthepipis.

There arevery few ingredientsinuse here,butt11ecombinationoffreshginger, garlic, chilliesand herbsworksmagic to elevatetheflavourofthepipis.Fingerlick'n good!

Andofcourse, don't forgetsomegood qualitybread onthe side tomopupthose juices. Perfectanytime oftheyearbutmost enjoyableonwarmsutnmerafternoonswith a couple ofchilledbeerstoaccompany.

■ 60gmsspringonions(green part);finelychopped

■ 1longredchilli(medium heat variety);finelychoppedwith seeds

■ 35gmsfresh coriander(both stalksand leaves);finely chopped

■ 40gmsgarlic;finelychopped

■ 20mlsesameoil

■ 30ml vegetableoil

■ Salt,toseason

■ Lemon wedges

METHOD

■ Heata large saucepan and addthepipis, gingerand ricewine. Coverandcook for2-3 minutesand shake periodically. Removethepipisastheypopopen (allthe pipiswill notpopopenatthesametime so keepremovingastheydo).

■ Removethegingerslicesand reserve75 ml ofthecookingliquid.

■ In a bowl, mixallthesauce ingredients together.

■ Heatvegetable andsesameoil in a large panorwok.Add halfofthe choppedgarlic andfryon lowheattillgolden brownand toasty(takecare notto burn).

■ Thenaddthe remainingchoppedgarlic alongwiththepreparedsauce; bringto boil.

■ Addthecooked pipis alongwiththe restof the ingredientsandtosswelltocombine. Season withsaltonlyaftertasting.

■ Serve immediatelywith lemon wedges.

BY MINAL KHONA

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

The impulsive and fiery Aries will be moody and deliberate in theiractions as they pickthe card representingthe sign of Cancer. Work from home will beyourfocus and itwill befinancially gainful.You could even be seekinga supportive lover. Some ofyou may be lookingfor a way out of an abusive relationship. Unpleasantsituationsat work or in your personal life will cease. Don't compromise on your integrity. Hold outforwhatyou believe you truly deserve.

ThecardforScorpioappearswhich could makeTaureans more intense and secretivethis month. Theycould develop an interestin mattersofthe occult, orevengetattractedtoa Scorpio. Singlescouldmeetsomeone interestingintheirown neighbourhood. If lookingto sellyourhome, expect delays. Some ofyou mightmake or receive a marriage proposal. Iflosing weight,seea doctor. Moneyand help areyoursforthe asking. Family life could be discordant.

August-born women could havesome issueswith theirreproductive organs orperiods. Singleswill notwantany entanglements posttheirlastbreak-up. Someone closemaybeoverlysecretive abouttheir personal or professional life. If business has been slow in the past, it will pick up momentum soon.Trustyour intuition ifyouare goingtomakea big decision. Asecond careerorajoboffer will improveyour life on all counts. Trust the universeto realise yourgoals.

ThefinickyVirgospickthecard

I representingCapricorn,which may have

I them beingmorefinickythanusual.Avoid I over-analysingyourrelationship, andjust beyourself. Afriend could helpyouwith I businessprospectsorintroduceyouto I someoneforadate.A relationshipthat I isgoingthroughproblemscould possibly end. Moneymaynotcome in asfastas I you like butthings will improve.Stress I related health issuescould crop up.Stop tryingtoo hard in anysituation and letgo.

Prepareforgrowthonthe insideas theChariotcard guidesyoutowards maintaininga balancebetweenyour emotional and rational sides. Singles will notbesatisfied with what'sonofter asthey lookfora deeperrelationship. Propertymatterscangetcomplicated. Ifyou havebeenlivingitup,takeiteasy oryourbodywillforceyouto. Ifyou have been givingmorethanyou get in any situation - workorfriendsorlovers -you mightjustwalkaway.

I The cardadds uptoseven which implies I introspection andspiritual growth. But the otheraspects ofthetowercard can I alsosignalsuddenaccidents, problems, I break-ups and loss. Ifyourlifeis in I upheaval mode, staycalm and pray because itis pre-destined. Situations I maybe beyondyourcontrolso letgoand

I believe inthehigher powers. Incomeloss I I is also predicted, butneweropportunities I could make upfor it. New avenueswill

I The card signifyingLeocomesfor

I yourwork, leadingto mistakes. You could have problemswith yourteeth I and gums. Finances need somefine I tuningforfuturesecurity. A new sense ofpurpose could helpyou improve your I career prospects. A difficultsituation will I soon end - whether in your personal or 1 professional life.

I Canceriansdrawthe card forTaurus I the May andJune born, which I sotheymaydisplay a stubborn streak. I impliestheycould enter into leadership I Lettinggo ofa painful past is notas roles. It is also a messagethatyou easyasyou believed. An ex could make I should go with your passion, I a comeback. Youremotions could affect I especially ifyou are stuck in a dead-endjob. Let go ofpast I attachments ifyou wantto moveto the I next level in yourcurrent relationship. Itmay nothappen immediately, but I you will be rewardedforyourefforts I atwork. Stickto yourgoals as life I improves on all fronts.

Troublesonallfrontscouldleaveyou I depressed.Singleswon'tcompromise I ontheirvaluesjusttobewithsomeone. I Therewillbedilemmaswithinandoutside afteradecisionhasbeentaken. Lower I expectationsasotherswilldisappoint.A I recurringhealth issuewill need medicines andsupplementsbutmaynotgetcured I completely. Financesarestable.Think I positivenomatterhowdifficultyourcurrent I situationmaybe.Badtimeswon'tlastand thetensionwilleaseouteventually.

Adifficult monthforsome ofyouas I worldly and practical matters bogyou I down; and with the devil card in reverse, I thingsdon'tquite goyourway. A marriagemaybe on the rocks; if I things breakdown, accept itas preI destined. Worktoofeels like a drag I becauseyoudon'tseegains in the short term. Moneycould also be held up. I Don'ttake impulsive decisions asthat I could make matters worse. Plan your workandworkyour plan.

I Singles could meetsomeone new I and there are high chances ofatorrid owedtoyou isstill held up.Travelfor I work is indicated. Those in a relationship I I mightstillfeel distancedfrom their I I partner. Avoid eatingfoodyou are I unsureofand be careful around

I Agood phase financiallyas you can I I expectabundancethough money I I romance. You can expectan upswingin yourcareer. Spiritual matters interest I you andyouwill go deeper into seeking I knowledge. Some ofyou mayend an unhappy marriage or relationship. Itwill I not bea sacrifice; itwill beforthe best.

You movetowardsa healthier lifestyle foryourselfand your pets. The universe is on yourside in helpingyou attract

I yourhome.A new projectleavesyou I I unsureasyou don'thaveclarityon I howtotake itforward. Ifyou can I sacrificeshort-term gains, you will have I I benefits in the longterm. I I open upafterthestorm. I everythingyou need.

Those Nusrat Fateh Ali Kfflam mmrnt5

DEARAUNTYJI

Myproblemisso embarrassingthat Iam almostashamedto bringitup Bahen. butIthinkyouwillbetheonlyonewho understandsmyplight.Iam55yearsold. andamhappilymarriedtoawonderful. kind.thoughtfulman Ireallylovemy husbandandIamcertain hefeelsthe same NowNickisEnglish, becausewhen Iwasyoung,IdecidedthatIdid notwant togetmarriedtoanIndian man becauseI didnotwanta saasandallthetraditional thingsthatgowithIndianfamilies Inany caseAuntyji lifeisprettygoodforme, exceptforthatonelittlearea Myhusband isnotromantic Nowmostofthetime,Iam too busylivinglifetoworryaboutthis But everynowandagain.whenIdecidethatI willwatcholdBollywoodromanticsongs, it's because Ihave agapofromance inmylife Iwish Nickwouldsendme meaningfulgazes.andtellmethatIam themostbeautifulwifeintheworld.and sometimesreadme poetry.Ihavetold him aboutthelackofromance. butnothing changes Meanwhile mycousinstellme how passionate andromantictheirIndian husbandsare. andIfeelIhavemissedout. Andinstead whenIlistentoNusratFateh AliKhan sing Mere Rashke Oamar, Iso wishNickcouldsingthistome -oratleast lookatme meaningfullyduringthesong whileI blushlikeateenager Howtosolve thisproblem,Auntyji?

AUNTYJISAYS

Desh drohi. Whatdidyouthinkwasgoing tohappenwhenyoudecidedtojoinforces withthe Britishandin doing so.allow thosecoloniststoconquerusonceagain? Didn'tyoulearnanythingfromourhistory, gaddaraurat?Didthe EastIndiaCompany notonce ringdingdonginyourheadwhen youdecidedthatol'blightywaswhereyou weregoingtooutsourceyourpatidev?In exchanginga saas andIndiantransitions foragora, youbroughtallthisonyourown head. Goras andromance?Imean, how manyBritishfilmshaveyouseenwhere thereisromanceonanepicscale-likein Bollywood? Inanycase,myadmonishing youisnotgoingtohelp.Iamreallysorry thatyou missedoutonalltheromance oflisteningtoa qawaliandhavingyour belovedexchangelovingglanceswith you.Sowhattodo?Romanceyourself. Organisetohaveflowerssenttoyourself. along with Haighschocolates.Then indulgeinthosechocolatesandlistento qawalis. Andpretendthatahandsome Bollywoodheroiscourtingyou.It'snot cheatingifit'sa personyoudon'tknow in reallifewho isinvadingyourmindwith wildthoughts.That'sallyoucando-just pretendNickisShahrukhorSalmanand letyourimagination gowild.

COVID isharmony

DEARAUNTYJI

Myfamilyisina bitofaCOVID kerfuffieandIam hopingyou can helpme Threeweeksago. myhusbanddecidedtogotoa musicconcertatacrowdedpubin Newtownwith200otherpeople He hadthe besttimeeverandhesang anddancedlikeawhirlingdervish Then.tonoone'ssurprise. hegot COVIDtwo dayslater Mysonand daughter-in-lawareupsetwithhim, becausetheythinkhewasselfish andnegligent. Myhusband.onthe otherhand.thinksthatit'sjustbad luck-andwhenmyson andDILgo tohairdressersorrestaurants.they couldhavejustaseasilycaught COVID Nowthereistensionin my house.HowdoIreconcilemyfamily sothatharmonyreturns?

AUNTYJISAYS acrowdedpubin Newtownwith 200people meansthatstatistically, youarealmostcertaintoget COVID.It'sanumbersgame.So yes.yourhusbandmadeadecision thatwas selfish-ifyourana risk matrix.thelikelihoodofcatching COVIDfromthateventwouldscore as HighlyCertain.Whatdoyoudo withariskthat's HighlyCertain? You avoidit. Everyoneknowsthat - becauseyoucan'ttransferitor acceptitwithoutsignificantcost. Withthatlittle bitofforesightyour husbandknewwhatwasgoing tohappen andhediditanyway. Butwhat'sdone isdone. Howdo yougetyourselfishandfoolish husbandtomakeamends?Well,is he beingintellectuallyfraudulent andclaimingthatit'sbadluckhe gotCOVIDthe samewayitwould be badluckifabirddropped something on his headashewalked downthe street?Oris hesaying badluckbutdeepdownhe knows hedidthewrongthing?Isayas longas patidevisnottaking any morechances.then onlytimeis goingtohealthis breachoftrust. Here's hoping yourhusbandis beingremorsefulanddecidestolie lowforawhile.

OMGwhatacrazysituation.Let's lookatthefacts.Yes.it'strue thatit'sbadluckthatanyofus can getCOVID.Wecangetitfrom anywhere.andsome peoplegetit andothersjustdon't.Whereyour husband'slogicfailsisthatunlikea restaurantorahairdresser.where theenvironmentiscontrolledtoa degreeandyouhavefewerpeople.