Your Weekend Planner March 26: Holi hai, but Corona is back too
The second wave of Covid-19 is here. So it is best to wave grand Holi parties goodbye this year, and stick to a quiet, at-home celebration. There's plenty on OTT to keep you busy, don't worry.
Dear Reader,
Well, the virus never went anywhere to begin with, lest you get any wrong ideas. We in India just began to believe and behave as if we were Corona-free. But as a glance at the numbers will tell you, this is no time to drop your guard. So keep the mask on, the sanitisers in hand, and wash your hands as much as you know is possible.
Now that the important stuff is out of the way, let's get to the rest. This Sunday marks Chhoti Holi and Monday, Holi. You know the mask alarms have gone off everywhere. The cases are rising. So maybe skip the celebrations this year too. You can make the most of Holi as long as it doesn't involve the risk of catching the virus. That risk is everywhere and every time you drop the mask. So precaution, precaution, precaution. If you've got the vaccine, even then.
Keeping with the Holi sentiment and in-house, socially distanced celebrations, we have a recipe of Baked Gujiya from the kitchen. If baked is not how you roll, you gorge on the ghee-wale Gujiyas and then follow Malaika Arora for some motivation on how to get rid of all 'em calories. We're reading Bond's Blue Umbrella and you can too, if a light read is what you're looking for.
What to watch? Our section on that will help you plan a long weekend in, since travelling doesn't seem an option right now. We sincerely hope that changes soon. There is a slew of films in theatres, from this week's Saina to last week's Mumbai Saga but risking a visit to the cinema might not be on top of a lot of our lists right now. So stay home and make the most of the long weekend. They are rare, as you know. Here's a list of all the long weekends in 2021 if you want a glance.
That's all from us this week. Stay safe. Make the mask your best friend. Get the jab jab it's your turn.
Here's your Weekend Planner.
WHAT’S TRENDING?
This week started on a surprising note for both Shah Rukh Khan and Ajay Devgn fans. The two stars, who have never shared a screen before, got together for a new Vimal Elaichi ad. The video obviously got viral, as people never expected the two to collaborate considering their past clashes in the movie theatres. What was next? Twitter got its perfect meme fodder and netizens got quite creative. Check out the memes here.
Meanwhile, Pawri Girl Dananeer Mobeen trended once again. This time for collaborating with the Mujhe Maaro guy, Momin Saqib. Momin, if you remember, went viral in 2019 for his "Oh bhai, maro mujhe maro" rant after Pakistan lost to India that year in the ICC Cricket World Cup. The two released a fun video and swapped their viral lines. See for yourself.
Delhi police also cashed in on the Pawri Ho Rahi Hai trend to send across the important message of wearing masks and social distancing.
Iceland is in the news currently after a volcano erupted near the Fagradalsfjall mountain situated about 40 km away from the Iceland capital Reykjavik. The eruption did not pose any threat to people living nearby. Amid this, drone footage capturing the lava flowing like a river down the mountain and spewing out of the snout went viral. The video is a must-watch.
Smriti Irani celebrated her 45th birthday on March 23. Her BFF Ekta Kapoor wished her on the special day by sharing some rare photos from her personal album. She also requested the BJP minister to get off the diet as she was making her jealous of the weight loss.
A man went viral on Twitter this week with his bizarre story of finding shrimp tails inside his cereal box. The worst part is, there weren’t just shrimp tails inside the packet. Read his crazy story here.
But all things aside, what is particularly alarming is the increasing number of Covid-19 cases, especially now that Holi is just around the corner. In just two weeks, the average daily death in India due to Covid-19 has increased by 100 per cent. The country has reported at least 1.17 crore confirmed cases of the coronavirus, according to the Union Health Ministry. So the only sane thing you can do right now is stay home and not party. In fact, celebrate Holi a little differently, by making Holi sweets, on video with your family and friends. Coz, why not? More on that in our food section.
SOMETHING TO MAKE YOU SMILE
Wildlife stories always interest the internet. From a sugarcane field in Maharashtra’s Junnar district, two leopard cubs were rescued by wildlife officers, who also helped the babies reunite with their mother. You just cannot afford to miss the pictures.
Meanwhile, this video of a woman creating nail art with onions is doing the rounds of the internet. Do watch it once.
Also, this is our personal favourite. This cute little baby joined his mother during her morning riyaaz. Of course, the adorable clip went crazy viral.
DON'T FORGET TO WORK OUT
Do you need some motivation to work out? We’ll help you with that. Milind Soman’s mother is 82 and she can do 20 push-ups. If that isn’t inspiring enough, we aren’t sure what is. Now, if that story has helped you gain enough strength and work on your fitness, begin with yoga.
In a new post, Malaika Arora did Eka Pada Ashtanga Namaskara. This yoga asana will help boost energy in the body while improving your core strength. It also helps you get stronger arms and enhance body awareness, as explained by Malaika. Here’s how you can do it.
If yoga isn’t your thing, you may want to try out planks because that is fun too, in Malaika’s words.
ON OUR PLATTER
We must confess, Holi isn't our favourite festival. Especially now that we cannot - and should not - step out of our homes, what do you do on Holi? Certainly cooking Holi special recipes can be a family activity. Skip the thandai and go for gujiyas - we have a recipe just in case. And here's a thought: why not turn it into a co-cooking session? Video call your friends or family living in other cities, cook away, while you exchange gossip. Holi hai, after all.
You need 500 gm khoya or mawa, about six tablespoons diet sugar, 3 1/4 tablespoons desiccated coconut, about 15 cashew nuts and almonds (blanched and chopped), 20 raisins, half teaspoon green cardamom or nutmeg powder, four cups refined flour, salt to taste, about five tablespoons ghee and gujiya mould.
Start by mashing the khoya and roasting it in a deep pan on medium heat till pink. Take it off the heat and let it cool. Then add all the other filling ingredients to the khoya and keep aside.
To prepare the covering, sieve flour and salt and rub in five tablespoons of ghee. Add enough water and knead into a firm dough. Cover it with a moist cloth and keep aside for 15 minutes. Divide the dough into small balls and roll each ball into a small puri of four inches diameter. Spread a puri on a greased gujiya mould and fill a tablespoon of the filling mixture on one side. Moisten the edges of the puri and fold one side of the mould over the other. Press the edges and remove the excess dough and reuse.
Prepare all the gujiyas and spread them on a damp cloth. Bake for 11-13 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 400F degrees. Cool for 5 minutes. While it is baking, heat a sauce pan on medium heat. Add sugar and water and bring to a boil, simmer on medium heat until it thickens enough to a syrupy consistency. Let it cool down.
Dip baked gujiyas in the cooled sugar syrup, coating well on all sides. Sprinkle with some powder sugar for extra sweetness and store away in a dabba. Dig in whenever you want.
FROM OUR BOOKSHELF
It's never a bad time to pick up a Ruskin Bond book. This time, we find ourselves reaching for The Blue Umbrella. This humorous novella, set in the hills of Garhwal, is written in Bond's characteristic simple yet witty language, which is extra-appealing especially in these confining times. The Blue Umbrella captures a village where regular characters emerge as heroes and the not-so pure ones get to redeem themselves. After all, life isn't about binaries, right?
FASHIONABLY YOURS
You can always count on Malaika Arora to serve up envy-inspiring looks with ease. The diva can make heads turn no matter what she wears. However, nothing makes us swoon like Malaika Arora's ethnic collection. From exquisite lehengas to concept sarees or the infamous Manish Malhotra sequinned six-yards, the diva has a beautiful Indian wear wardrobe that is the perfect inspiration for any festive occasion. So, on this week's Fashion Friday, we take a look at her ethnic wardrobe.
MOVIES AND MAGIC
The cinema industry finds itself in a strange predicament - hum karein toh karein kya-type. On one hand, we have (some) big and medium-size films releasing in theatres, they are making some money, too. And on the other hand, due to the rising number of novel coronavirus cases, other big films are postponing their releases as well. So while we have Mumbai Saga and Sandeep Aur Pinky Faraar running to barely full house, we have Haathi Mere Saathi and Bunty Aur Babli 2 postponing their release dates. Even Major's teaser launch was pushed.
And perhaps that's the right move too. For we have a number of celebs testing positive for Covid-19, especially now that shoots have resumed. Topping the list is Aamir Khan, followed by R Madhavan and Rohit Saraf too this week. We already have Kartik Aaryan, Ranbir Kapoor, Manoj Bajpayee, and a whole lot of others. In times like these, you have to agree with Soni Razdan, no?
But then there's some good news too. Both Salman Khan and Sanjay Dutt got their first dose of the vaccine.
So, yeah, That's what a week in Covid times looks like. But now, we're going to take you back to a time before coronavirus took over our lives. With our weekly stories, of course. On Monday Masala this week, we revisited Rani Mukerji's Hichki. Tuesday Trivia was dedicated to Thalaivi Jayalalithaa and how her political career was paved by Aayirathil Oruvan. Wahiyat Wednesday was all about Akshay Kumar and Twinkle Khanna's International Khiladi. And on Throwback Thursday, we remembered Dibakar Banerjee's LSD, now that LSD 2 has been announced.
Now, off you go to our OTT section for some fresh new content.
ON YOUR OTT SCREENS
ON NETFLIX
What to watch: Pagglait
You will like it if you liked: Badhaai Ho
Written and directed by Umesh Bist, Pagglait stars Sania Malhotra in the lead role. The Netflix film revolves around a young widow, who tries to find her own identity instead of mourning her husband’s death. The film also stars Sayani Gupta, Shrutii Sharma, Ashutosh Rana, Raghubir Yadav, Sheeba Chaddha, Meghna Malik and Rajesh Tailang in pivotal roles. Pagglait premiered on Netflix on March 26. Read our review here.
What to watch: Secret Magic Control Agency
You will like it if you liked: Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters
The popular fairy tale characters Hansel and Gretel are secret agents in Netflix's Secret Magic Control Agency. It is a kid-friendly animated comedy in which Hansel and Gretel, who cannot stand each other, must use magic, clever thinking and teamwork on a mission to find a missing king. Secret Magic Control Agency premiered on Netflix on March 25.
What to watch: The Irregulars
You will like it if you liked: Sherlock
Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson at the centre of a horror series is intriguing enough. The Irregulars begins streaming today (February 26) and follows the lives of Bea, Jessie, Billy, Spike and Leo as they solve sinister crimes with the ace detective by their side. The show is set in Victorian-era London and has a dark setting.
ON AMAZON PRIME VIDEO
What to watch: Chacha Vidhayak Hain Humare S2
You will like it if you have watched: Chacha Vidhayak Hain Humare
Zakir Khan is back and this time we will see him fight elections. We saw the comedian, who has also created this series, get caught in hilarious situations in season one. In the second season, he is set to try something new and hopefully, he will take a fair path. The show will start streaming today, March 26. Read our review here.
What to watch: The Illegal
You will like it if you liked: Never Have I Ever
The Illegal tells the story of a budding filmmaker who travels to LA in order to make his dreams come true. He soon realises that nothing comes without hurdles and learns to never give up as he settles in the new system. The show stars Suraj Sharma, Iqbal Theba, Jay Ali, Hannah Masi, Danny Vasquez, Adil Hussain, Shweta Tripathi, and William Moses among others and began streaming on March 23. Read our review here.
What to watch: Invincible
You will like it if you have watched: Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
Invincible narrates the story of Mark Grayson who aspires to become like his father, the most powerful superhero on the planet. After his seventeenth birthday, Mark develops his own powers but he needs to decide what kind of superhero he wants to be. It will start streaming today, March 26.
ON DISNEY+HOTSTAR
What to wat: OK Computer
You will like it if you liked: Cargo
OK Computer starring Radhika Apte, Vijay Varma and Jackie Shroff in lead roles is a sci-fi comedy now streaming on Disney+Hotstar VIP. Claiming to be India's first and one-of-its-kind sci-fi comedy series, the show presents a futuristic time when the world of humans collide with that of robots and AIs (artificial intelligence). But will technology save humanity or destroy it? Watch the show to find out. Or, read our review here.
ON ZEE5
What to watch: Silence... Can You Hear It?
You will like it if you liked: The Family Man
Silence... Can You Hear It? is an investigative thriller where Manoj Bajpayee plays ACP Avinash Verma who has been given the responsibility to investigate the murder case of an influential judge’s daughter. The probe leads ACP Verma and his team to a politician's home. Made In Heaven's Arjun Mathur plays the politician. The Zee5 original film released today, March 26.
ON ZEEPLEX
What to watch: Retaliation
You will like it if you liked: Revenge
Retaliation stars Orlando Bloom as Malky, a demolition worker. He encounters the priest who was responsible for his traumatic childhood and sets out to seek revenge, fuelled by rage. He is haunted by the memories of sexual abuse at the hands of this man and decides to burn down the church where the abuse took place.
ON EROS NOW
What to watch: 7 Kadam
You will like it if you liked: Udaan
Directed by Mohit Jha, 7 Kadam stars Ronit Roy and Amit Sadh in lead roles. It's a story about a father-son bond, who share a passion for football but have different ideologies due to the generation gap. The series premiered on March 24. Read our review here.
ALSO WATCH: Richa Chadha's Madam Chief Minister is streaming on Netflix now.
WHAT ARE WE WATCHING ON TV?
What to watch: CBS Presents Oprah with Meghan and Harry
Where to watch: Colors Infinity, 8 pm (Sunday, March 28)
Indian audience can watch Oprah Winfrey's talk with Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on Colors Infinity this weekend. On the show, Oprah will speak with Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, about stepping into life as a royal, marriage, motherhood, philanthropic work to how she is handling life under intense public pressure. Later, the two will be joined by Prince Harry as they speak about their move to the United States and their future hopes and dreams for their expanding family.
What to watch: Dance Deewane 3
Where to watch: Colors TV, 9 pm (Saturday and Sunday)
The reality dance show has contestants from three generations. The judges are Madhuri Dixit, Dharmesh Yelande, and Tushar Kalia. Legendary actresses such as Waheeda Rahman, Asha Parekh and Helen will be seen gracing the dance reality show in the upcoming episode. Madhuri will lip-sync to their iconic songs with them. Waheeda Rehman will also perform on her famous song, Paan Khaye, alongside Madhuri Dixit.
What to watch: Indian Pro Music League (IPML)
Where to watch: Zee TV, 8 pm (Saturday and Sunday)
The big musical extravaganza will have a competition between several teams this weekend, each representing a different part of India. The show doesn't have judges but teams of Shaan, Javed Ali, Sajid Khan, Kailash Kher, Mika Singh and Ankit Tiwari who compete with each other for the winning title. The all-rounders of the teams will be seen challenging each other this weekend in a face-off. The episode will also welcome Suresh Raina on the show as they will focus on the commemoration of Team India's 10th World Cup victory.
What to watch: Indian Idol 12
Where to watch: Sony TV, 9.30 pm (Saturday and Sunday)
Indian Idol 12 will welcome Neetu Kapoor on their Rishi Kapoor special episode where the veteran actress will be seen dancing to Khullam Khulla Pyaar Karenge. She will also share interesting anecdotes related to her husband. On Holi special, judges Neha Kakkar, Vishal Dadlani and Himesh Reshammiya will be seen jamming with the Top 10 contestants.
What to watch: Super Dancer Chapter 4
Where to watch: Sony TV, 8 pm (Saturday and Sunday)
Super Dancer Chapter 4 premieres this weekend on Sony TV. The show will be back with Shilpa Shetty, Geeta Kapur and Anurag Basu as judges and Rithvik Dhanjani and Paritosh Tripathi as hosts. This year, Super Dancer auditions were conducted online, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Also on TV: Durgamati, on Sony Max, 12 pm (Sunday, March 28)
ALSO READ | What to watch on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Zee5 and Eros Now this weekend