RUBINA’S RADAR – THE UNEDITED LIVE INTERVIEW SERIES

Hi everyone! On January 20th, 2021, I started a new series of live conversations called RUBINA’S RADAR – UNEDITED – on Instagram and Youtube with couturier Rohit Bal, a legend on India’s fashion landscape. It’s been two months since, and twelve interviews thus far, with some of the most legendary international icons and visionaries from the worlds of fashion, film, sports, luxury travel, business and then some…

There’s more coming up, so tune in every week by following me on Instagram: @rubinaakhan.inc and subscribing to my YouTube channel: World Of Rubina Khan

Thank you! Stay safe!

Love, Rubina

©Rubina A Khan 2021

RUBINA’S RADAR | DESI GIRL PRIYANKA CHOPRA’S OFFICIAL NEW CHOKRA IS PARDESI BOY NICK JONAS

RUBINA’S RADAR

There’s been a lot of hip-holding of Priyanka Chopra’s pageant-winning waist by American musician Nick Jonas in New York, Mumbai, Brazil, Singapore and London that made for super photographs splashed across tabloids in recent months. Chopra was, after all, the Jealous singer’s and erstwhile Disney actor’s new love – he being the guy who’d dated Selena Gomez, Miley Cyrus, Kate Hudson, maybe even the stunning Kendall Jenner and former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo before her. Chopra had only been dating the Dallas-born Nicholas Jerry Jonas for a haute second, and then, bam! An engagement!

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Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas | Photo: Instagram

She played desi girl to the hilt with her pardesi boy Jonas flying down to Mumbai with his parents, Denise and Paul Kevin Jonas Sr for the roka ceremony. The pre-wedding ceremony held at her Juhu home was all about honouring Indian family traditions and culture and loving an American guy, amidst family and friends. More family, less friends. It was attended by the 55th richest person in the Forbes World Billionaire list 2018, Mukesh Ambani, and his wife Nita and daughter Isha and Bollywood’s almost number one actor, Alia Bhatt among others. Bollywood’s presence of popular faces was minimal here. Even Karan Johar who is literally everywhere, was on foreign shores and couldn’t strike a pose and pout for the assembled photographers on the Juhu street, but his congratulatory bouquet of flowers did make it to the photo grids. Same difference. The claims that Chopra and Jonas wanted to keep it private and low-key don’t quite match up with the calculated release of information and photographs by the machinery. A supposedly quiet visit to an orphanage, St. Catherine’s in Mumbai the morning after the ceremony not only had pictures circulating, but videos of the same posted by Jonas himself. Millennial super girl Kylie Jenner fell in love with Travis Scott, made baby Stormi and racked up billions during her pregnancy more discreetly than the engaged adults here. And closer home, Salman Khan is being human sans any visual mementos of his philanthropy.

Chopra has a definitive style when it comes to her fashion stakes, aided by Hollywood stylist Cristina Ehrlich and of late, Mimi Cuttrell, the 25-year-old primary stylist to Palestinian-Dutch-American model Gigi Hadid. Interestingly, there was no fashion to talk about really at the ceremony or the subsequent party by Chopra, but the loved-up photographs of the newly-engaged couple made for the ultimate fashion statement here, with diamonds of course.

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Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas | Photo: Instagram

To go from being in love with an Indian man on the right side of 50 to a JoBro of 25 was a bit sudden, if anything. As far as her love life went, there was no talk of it in the West prior to her Jonas coupling, although Mumbai knew very well of a love affair, albeit unofficially, that was storming inside of her, never mind where she lived or where she worked – Bollywood or Hollywood. But she’s now spoken for and all that Bollywood tumult seems behind her today. And as their initials NP go, there seems to be no problem or objection to this coupling, aside from some favourable and unfavourable comparisons to her last unofficial superstar boyfriend.

Chopra conquered Bollywood armed with her Miss World crown and winning smile only to power through Hollywood headlining a television series, Quantico, and now, with this East-West coupling, she seems like she’s going to be settling down happily ever after in Grammywood. She wants it all – crowns, endorsements, films, television, music, love, marriage – and is sure getting it all too. The newly-engaged couple are looking to wed on Jonas’ 26th birthday on September 16 after he popped the question on her 36th birthday on July 18 in London. There’s no word on the city, country or venue of their wedding yet and what place on Earth they will call home either.

The future Mr and Mrs Jonas are sure to make great music together, and make even better pictures in the times to come. The very fact that she’s an accomplished singer herself having cut a few tracks of her own, to fall for a musician, comes as no surprise really. And, he’s handsome and clearly smitten by her charms. I’m sure Chopra will not just be content cheering on her fiancé from vantage points at his live shows and performances but will be making some real music with him soon. I can’t wait to hear the single or album they’ll cut. And better still, a duet for a Bollywood film too.

Disclaimer: Any part of the content on the rubinaakhan.com website cannot be reproduced without prior permission and crediting the website and the author.

©Rubina A Khan 2018

Maharashtrian Food Festival At Tiqri, Mumbai

Rubina A Khan reviews the Maharashtrian Food Festival at Tiqri, Mumbai: “a sweet and spicy culinary experience of Indian coastal cuisine.”

Maharashtrian food is delicious! And it’s not just about Vada Pavs and Kothimbir Wadis! From Nagpur Pudacha Vadya (Fried Gram Flour Snack) to Sungte (Fried Spicy Prawns) to Jowar Bhakri (Sorghum Bread) and Techa (Green Chilly and Garlic Chutney) to Tamatoche Saar (Spiced Tomato Broth), it is an expansive food realm that should traverse across India with its flavorous coastal cuisine as I found out at the ongoing Maharashtrian Food Festival at Tiqri, the all-day restaurant at Taj Santacruz, Mumbai.
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Chef De Cuisine, Dinesh Joshi, has curated a well-rounded menu to exhibit some of the many delectable dishes of Maharashtra, Vada Pav included. Joshi loves traditional Indian recipes and he’s most inspired by Maharashtra’s culinary history in the kitchen. “Maharashtrian food is very light, and it consists of fresh produce, from dry coconuts to fresh coconuts, procured from the coastal regions as well as the ghats (mountain passes). The cuisine is an amalgamation of the varied influences of the early settlements in Maharashtra from the Portuguese to the Mughals to the Koli fishermen,” says Joshi of the cuisine.

This festival was a great introduction into a whole new world of Indian food, and I even managed to pick up some words of the Marathi language of which I’m the least proficient in. The succulent and fiery Kolhapuri Muttonacha Rassa (Mutton Curry) with Bajra Bhakri was flavourful, as was the Tamatoche Saar (Spicy Tomato Broth), Masale Bhaat (Spiced Flavoured Rice) Kothimbir Wadi Canape (Coriander Fritters), Chicken Sukka Bhakri Roll and my quintessential favourite, Vada Pav. The Vada Pav was better than any “famous” street stall in Mumbai – the Vada (potato patty) was spiced just right, the crust was golden and made the right crunch on first bite, with the accompanying burnt red and green chutneys. The imaginative new dessert on the menu is Joshi’s version of a Maharashtrian festival favourite, Puran Poli (Sweet Indian Flatbread) where he’s taken the Puran made with jaggery and swirled it into an icecream wonder! My new favourite is the coastal sweet, Naralachi Karanji, also made of jaggery and fresh coconut shavings. It’s an addiction in itself wherein you just can’t stop at one. As is amply clear, I enjoyed every dish I tried on the festival menu.

If you’d like a cocktail to go with the spicy Maharashtrian culinary delights on your plate, then the sprightly Preeti at the Tiqri bar will shake up a neat Pometini for you made with fresh pomegranates, elderflower and bitters or an Espresso Martini or whatever you’d like. And, a cheerful bartender is always the best bartender. An afternoon like this, taking in a novel culinary experience, made for an indulgent, lazy weekend in Mumbai.

The Maharashtrian Food Festival is on from January 11-30, 2018.

Tiqri is open 24 hours, except Monday when it is closed from 11.30PM – 6AM
Taj Santacruz Mumbai
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (Domestic Terminal)
Off Western Express Highway, Santacruz (East) Mumbai 400099 India
+91 22 62115211  Tiqri 

Disclaimer: Any part of the content on the rubinaakhan.com website cannot be reproduced without prior permission and crediting the website and the author.

@Rubina A Khan 2018