New Delhi, Oct 18 (PTI) With the increasing fan following and demand for fresh voices, singers from 'sarhad paar' (across the border) are a happy lot and hopping into Bollywood into welcoming arms.
The success of Pakistani singers in India like Abida Parveen, Farida Khanum, Ghulam Ali, Nusrat Fateh Ali and more recently Adnan Sami have opened a new window for the present generation. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan, Atif Aslam, Shafqat Amanat Ali, Ali Zafar, Junoon, Strings, Call, Fuzon, Jal are finding a firm foothold in Bollywood as they release albums to an increasing fan following.
"Pakistani singers are the latest rage in Bollywood. While we have talented singers like Sunidhi Chauhan and Sonu Nigam, there is always room for fresh voices. Pakistani singers have a blend of sufi and classical touch to their voice, which makes them different," says Mohammed Asif, senior manager, Tips industries.
The last album of Atif Aslam 'Doorie' sold 1.5 million copies worldwide, which is huge, he adds. Pakistani singers have found a base in India with films like 'Krrish' and 'Awarapaan.' In Pakistan, there is no tradition of film music. The pop rock scene is much more developed there beacause it doesn't have to so-exist with an film music. These singers charge less remuneration compared to established Indian singers, he says. Music has no boundaries and if Pakistani singers are good, we should welcome them, says popular ghazal singer Pankaj Udhas. PTI
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Textile sector cutting back on jobs
New Delhi, Nov 27: With rupee appreciation adversely affecting apparel export, the second largest employment generator, the textile sector, which employs 25 million workers, has started cutting back on jobs and laying off workers to contain costs.
"The total job loss for the textile industry for this year touched five lakh and about 35,000 jobs have been lost in April alone due to an 18.25 per cent decline in exports because of sharp appreciation in rupee," says P D Patodia, Chairman, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry.
According to industry estimates, textiles exports have declined by 6.8 per cent during the April-May period of 2007-08, while cotton yarn has seen a negative growth of 9.9 per cent. India's textile exports amounted to USD 19 billion last year and the target for this fiscal was set at USD 25 billion.
"We have demanded an increase in duty drawback rates, reduction in interest rates for pre and post shipment credit as well as exemption from service tax. The export target of 25 billion dollars set for the current fiscal is unlikely to be achieved with this growth," Patodia adds.
Vivek Kumar, Senior Merchandiser, Maya Exports, which does business in US dollars, says that his company suffered heavy losses in export orders of 10-20 per cent this year. "Most of the big export companies has done retrenchment upto 40 per cent to contain costs," he says.
He adds, 80-90 per cent of Indias textile exports are dollar denominated and with declining exports, the companies have released employees in a bid to contain costs and the worst hit by this slump is textile mill workers.
"The total job loss for the textile industry for this year touched five lakh and about 35,000 jobs have been lost in April alone due to an 18.25 per cent decline in exports because of sharp appreciation in rupee," says P D Patodia, Chairman, Confederation of Indian Textile Industry.
According to industry estimates, textiles exports have declined by 6.8 per cent during the April-May period of 2007-08, while cotton yarn has seen a negative growth of 9.9 per cent. India's textile exports amounted to USD 19 billion last year and the target for this fiscal was set at USD 25 billion.
"We have demanded an increase in duty drawback rates, reduction in interest rates for pre and post shipment credit as well as exemption from service tax. The export target of 25 billion dollars set for the current fiscal is unlikely to be achieved with this growth," Patodia adds.
Vivek Kumar, Senior Merchandiser, Maya Exports, which does business in US dollars, says that his company suffered heavy losses in export orders of 10-20 per cent this year. "Most of the big export companies has done retrenchment upto 40 per cent to contain costs," he says.
He adds, 80-90 per cent of Indias textile exports are dollar denominated and with declining exports, the companies have released employees in a bid to contain costs and the worst hit by this slump is textile mill workers.
Registration of marriage? not many really care
It may have been made in heaven but Sanjay Dutt's much hyped wedlock with Manayata was 'unmade' in Goa with the authorities withdrawing the registration.
Although the celebrity marriage kicked up a storm in the media and led to an action by the Goa government against an official, experts say non-registration does not nullify and infact, not many in the country really bother to go to the marriage registar's office.
"It cannot be said that due to non-registration, a marriage is invalid. Registration of a marriage is only a formality just like registration of a child's birth or of a death, on the part of government to keep track of the numbers. Otherwise in India, lakhs of marriages take place in a year as per customary rites and rituals and the government has no data regarding such marriages," says a senior Supreme Court lawyer Ajay Gupta.
Despite a Supreme Court ruling that mandates each and every marriage to be registered, lawyers claim that there is only a very small proportion of the population that actually gets it done.
"Generally people who marry against the wishes of their parents or want to go to foreign countries apply for registration. In a nutshell, we could say that not more than 5 out of 100 come for registration," says Gupta.
Parija P, a lawyer who specialises in divorce and related cases says, "It is wrong to say that it is mandatory for a couple to get a marriage certificate to get married. Marriage is one aspect and registration of a marriage is another aspect. It could never be said that due to non-registration, a marriage is invalid."
There also is a stark difference between rural and urban areas as also between states. The onus lies upon a particular state to ensure the law is enforced.
"It is not considered a major offence if one does not register a marriage and so a common man's sentiment is not aroused to such an extent that he is motivated to go for it. Also most of our population live in rural areas where it is all the more difficult to enforce as a marriage is valid without a registration too," says Gupta.
"If a couple ties the knot under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 the marriage remains valid even without a registration. Same is also true for other personal law marriages," Parija adds.
Necessity of registration of marriage is only a formality like registration of child birth and death, in order to enable the government to keep track of the marriage. Otherwise in India where lakhs of marriages are solemnised in a year acCording to respective customary rituals, there is no other provision for the government to keep track of marriages.
There is also a number of cases of fraud reported mostly by NRI's who use marraige as an excuse to enter foreign countries, she says.
Since marriage is generally accepted by society even though it is solemnised under different rituals, many unscrupulous elements often take advantage of the institution to further their wants.
Generally in each district, there is one Registrar of marriages. "The registering authority asks for the identification proof as well as the residential proof of the couple. These proofs should be issued by the government like an election voter I-card, ration card etc. They go by the documentary proof only. Generally no actual verification of address is taken. If the address is found to be wrong, then there would be no registration of marriage in that jurisdictional court," says Parija.
Although the celebrity marriage kicked up a storm in the media and led to an action by the Goa government against an official, experts say non-registration does not nullify and infact, not many in the country really bother to go to the marriage registar's office.
"It cannot be said that due to non-registration, a marriage is invalid. Registration of a marriage is only a formality just like registration of a child's birth or of a death, on the part of government to keep track of the numbers. Otherwise in India, lakhs of marriages take place in a year as per customary rites and rituals and the government has no data regarding such marriages," says a senior Supreme Court lawyer Ajay Gupta.
Despite a Supreme Court ruling that mandates each and every marriage to be registered, lawyers claim that there is only a very small proportion of the population that actually gets it done.
"Generally people who marry against the wishes of their parents or want to go to foreign countries apply for registration. In a nutshell, we could say that not more than 5 out of 100 come for registration," says Gupta.
Parija P, a lawyer who specialises in divorce and related cases says, "It is wrong to say that it is mandatory for a couple to get a marriage certificate to get married. Marriage is one aspect and registration of a marriage is another aspect. It could never be said that due to non-registration, a marriage is invalid."
There also is a stark difference between rural and urban areas as also between states. The onus lies upon a particular state to ensure the law is enforced.
"It is not considered a major offence if one does not register a marriage and so a common man's sentiment is not aroused to such an extent that he is motivated to go for it. Also most of our population live in rural areas where it is all the more difficult to enforce as a marriage is valid without a registration too," says Gupta.
"If a couple ties the knot under the Hindu Marriage Act, 1955 the marriage remains valid even without a registration. Same is also true for other personal law marriages," Parija adds.
Necessity of registration of marriage is only a formality like registration of child birth and death, in order to enable the government to keep track of the marriage. Otherwise in India where lakhs of marriages are solemnised in a year acCording to respective customary rituals, there is no other provision for the government to keep track of marriages.
There is also a number of cases of fraud reported mostly by NRI's who use marraige as an excuse to enter foreign countries, she says.
Since marriage is generally accepted by society even though it is solemnised under different rituals, many unscrupulous elements often take advantage of the institution to further their wants.
Generally in each district, there is one Registrar of marriages. "The registering authority asks for the identification proof as well as the residential proof of the couple. These proofs should be issued by the government like an election voter I-card, ration card etc. They go by the documentary proof only. Generally no actual verification of address is taken. If the address is found to be wrong, then there would be no registration of marriage in that jurisdictional court," says Parija.
Foreign chefs spice up hotel scene
How Chinese is the 'Chinese' cuisine? Many may have often wondered over the genuineness of 'foreign food' dishes that are on offer in restaurants.
How Chinese is the 'Chinese' cuisine? Many may have often wondered over the genuineness of 'foreign food' dishes that are on offer in restaurants.To bring about a sense of culinary veracity to their menus, restaurateurs are hiring chefs from the country of origin of the food to titillate taste buds."Foreign chefs are finding India a hot destination for their profession as Indian hotel industry is at boom. Occupancy levels at most hotels today average at around 80-85 per cent through the year, thanks to the host of conferences and trade shows beings hosted in the country. And the future only looks brighter," says Rajesh Mishra, Chairman, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI).
"Indian chefs are incomparable but hiring a foreign chef adds glamour to the restaurant in attracting guests. In fact, many of Indian chefs are doing a great job in US and Europe and are in great demand overseas. Still, hiring authentic chefs, helps in the certification of food," he adds. Shobha Mishra, Deputy director, FICCI, says the globalisation and easy visa rules have helped the Indian hospitality industry to add diversity in the chef profession. She adds that it is worth noticing the demand of the Indian chefs is increasing by the day and the number of foreign chef in the country is still very small. "They are more skillful and efficient professionally and add more authenticity. In spite of the language and cultural barriers, they understand the psyche of the customer better and if you are a connoisseur of good food, a authentic chef is a must," says Ajit Sharma, Senior General Manger, Jaypee Siddharth. While adding that a foreign chef demands some changes in the style of preparation of the food or the designing of the kitchen, he says, "They want more interactive or live kitchen so that they cook the same food, they used to cook in their country.
How Chinese is the 'Chinese' cuisine? Many may have often wondered over the genuineness of 'foreign food' dishes that are on offer in restaurants.To bring about a sense of culinary veracity to their menus, restaurateurs are hiring chefs from the country of origin of the food to titillate taste buds."Foreign chefs are finding India a hot destination for their profession as Indian hotel industry is at boom. Occupancy levels at most hotels today average at around 80-85 per cent through the year, thanks to the host of conferences and trade shows beings hosted in the country. And the future only looks brighter," says Rajesh Mishra, Chairman, Federation of Hotel and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI).
"Indian chefs are incomparable but hiring a foreign chef adds glamour to the restaurant in attracting guests. In fact, many of Indian chefs are doing a great job in US and Europe and are in great demand overseas. Still, hiring authentic chefs, helps in the certification of food," he adds. Shobha Mishra, Deputy director, FICCI, says the globalisation and easy visa rules have helped the Indian hospitality industry to add diversity in the chef profession. She adds that it is worth noticing the demand of the Indian chefs is increasing by the day and the number of foreign chef in the country is still very small. "They are more skillful and efficient professionally and add more authenticity. In spite of the language and cultural barriers, they understand the psyche of the customer better and if you are a connoisseur of good food, a authentic chef is a must," says Ajit Sharma, Senior General Manger, Jaypee Siddharth. While adding that a foreign chef demands some changes in the style of preparation of the food or the designing of the kitchen, he says, "They want more interactive or live kitchen so that they cook the same food, they used to cook in their country.
Profit’s been big for some small investors
New Delhi, Nov 18 (PTI) If the stock market boom has added billions to the kitties of the billionaires, the country's small investors too have woven some success stories.
"Even the small investor like an office peon who may not be earning more than Rs 5000 a month is investing in the equity market," says Pravin Poddar of Elite Stock Management Ltd.
Small investors, weary of losing money, used to put their savings in the mutual funds (MFs). The small investor has come out of the MFs and learnt to invest wisely in the equities, he says.
According to a RBI report, direct investments by households in shares has increased by 37 per cent, from Rs 8,034 crore in 2005-06 to Rs 10,953 crore in 2006-07. The investments in MFs by households saw a whopping growth of 74 per cent, from Rs 21,139 crore in 2005-06 to Rs 36,700 crore in 2006-07.
Dwij Seth, Assistant Vice-President, IndiaBulls, says that the time is ripe for small investors to make most of Diwali bonus out of stock market and even in coming days it will continue to show upward. The sensex will reach around 35,000 in next 4-5 years, he predicts.
"Investors these days are well informed and becoming more confident about the economy through television channels, brokerage houses and online facilities. Earlier they used to wait for the market to fall down for investment but now seeing long-term gains, they do not panic even if the market falls by 500 points," he adds.
Kirit Somaiya, President, Investors grievances Forum, a NGO based in Maharashtra dedicated to protect the rights of the small investors, cautions that not all the investors are making money but agrees that to a some extent small investors have been benefited by mutual funds.
"Small investors should know that heavy speculation is taking place in the market and considering the extreme volatility in the recent past they should stay away from speculation in the market. People who are investing on routine basis are benefiting in the secondary market but investing through primary market in IPOs is still risky because of its high price. This is not the market for small investors, for sure," adds Somaiya. Bharat Singh, 35, an attender, has learnt to know which companies are doing well. "I reach the office early and take a quick look at the headlines of the business papers meant for the bosses," he says.
"This gives me enough time to do the morning clearing work and decide if I should telephone the company that operates my DMAT account, says Singh, a matriculate, who relies on the dailies to find out whether the companies he has invested in are doing well.
Singh, who has learnt to live with the swings of the market like many other small investors, now plays informal advisor to his colleagues. After all he has gained from the market enough to build a house and more so he has lost only once.
Like Singh , Sunil, a clerk, has also tried his luck in the market and has raked in huge profits by investing in Initial Public Offers (IPOs) during the last 12 months. "I don't consult any expert but read about IPOs in newspapers. I invested Rs 15000 of my savings and now it has increased to Rs 40,000," he says.
Sensex crossed three milestones in October as it breached the 18K on October 9, 19K on October 15 and 20K on October 29.
Rising trends in the market caused decline in the investment of Indian households in small saving schemes such as PPF and Postal Saving Schemes, National Saving Schemes, monthly income schemes, National Saving Certificates, and Indira Vikas Patras. RBI report says, their share has fallen from Rs 72,778 crore in 2005-06 to Rs 37, 544 crore in 2006-07, a decrease of around 49 per cent. "Small investors have gained confidence and are now investing a big part of their saving in the market because of the booming economy, sustained bull-run at stock exchange and record inflow of Foreign Instititutional Investors (FIIs)," says Sunil Thacker, Relationship Manager, Kotak Securities.
For 24 year old Abhinav, a marketing executive, everyfall in the market is a good buying opportunity. "I keep on investing on the formula of risk-rate-ratio, higher the risk, greater the profit. I bought Reliance Petroleum shares for Rs 60 and have not sold it yet. I know that in longer peroid of time, net asset value of this share will touch record highs," he says.
Thacker adds, "With India's economy doing exceptionally well, every dip in the market is considered to be a great buying opportunity. Younger generations are now investing more and ready to take risks. And with markets showing intact bull run and unimaginable rate of returns, small investors are showing confidence in the market".
While some investors want to take a cautious approach and believe in wait and watch policy. "I invest only by consulting experts. Market keeps changing at a rapid pace and so it can crash anytime. I think it maybe because of the manipulation at the back-end by majorplayers. They can affect the upward swing of the market anytime," says Mohammed Gayasuddin Khan, a small investor.
"You can attribute the awareness among small investors to channels like NDTV Profit, 'Awaz' or CNBC among others," says Ravinder Seth of Elite Stock Exchange Ltd. "If 50 per cent of the housewives watch the saas-bahu soaps on the television, and youngsters watch cricket, there are 50 per cent watching the programme on the economy," he adds.
Seth further adds, "People now don't go by hearsay or what their neighbours are doing like older days. Now they either like to analyse the market themselves or consult brokerage houses." Thacker cautions all the small investors to stick to good quality stocks and always act as an informed investors and do not get swayed away by the rumours. According to ASSOCHAM report, India has received FII flows worth USD 18.8 billion in the year 2007. The increase is more than 113 per cent when compared to USD 8.8 billion FII in previous calendar year 2006. The stocks markets witnessed huge buying pressure since mid-September as Sensex has risen by more than 4000 points and has touched 20,000 mark on account of FII buying.
"Even the small investor like an office peon who may not be earning more than Rs 5000 a month is investing in the equity market," says Pravin Poddar of Elite Stock Management Ltd.
Small investors, weary of losing money, used to put their savings in the mutual funds (MFs). The small investor has come out of the MFs and learnt to invest wisely in the equities, he says.
According to a RBI report, direct investments by households in shares has increased by 37 per cent, from Rs 8,034 crore in 2005-06 to Rs 10,953 crore in 2006-07. The investments in MFs by households saw a whopping growth of 74 per cent, from Rs 21,139 crore in 2005-06 to Rs 36,700 crore in 2006-07.
Dwij Seth, Assistant Vice-President, IndiaBulls, says that the time is ripe for small investors to make most of Diwali bonus out of stock market and even in coming days it will continue to show upward. The sensex will reach around 35,000 in next 4-5 years, he predicts.
"Investors these days are well informed and becoming more confident about the economy through television channels, brokerage houses and online facilities. Earlier they used to wait for the market to fall down for investment but now seeing long-term gains, they do not panic even if the market falls by 500 points," he adds.
Kirit Somaiya, President, Investors grievances Forum, a NGO based in Maharashtra dedicated to protect the rights of the small investors, cautions that not all the investors are making money but agrees that to a some extent small investors have been benefited by mutual funds.
"Small investors should know that heavy speculation is taking place in the market and considering the extreme volatility in the recent past they should stay away from speculation in the market. People who are investing on routine basis are benefiting in the secondary market but investing through primary market in IPOs is still risky because of its high price. This is not the market for small investors, for sure," adds Somaiya. Bharat Singh, 35, an attender, has learnt to know which companies are doing well. "I reach the office early and take a quick look at the headlines of the business papers meant for the bosses," he says.
"This gives me enough time to do the morning clearing work and decide if I should telephone the company that operates my DMAT account, says Singh, a matriculate, who relies on the dailies to find out whether the companies he has invested in are doing well.
Singh, who has learnt to live with the swings of the market like many other small investors, now plays informal advisor to his colleagues. After all he has gained from the market enough to build a house and more so he has lost only once.
Like Singh , Sunil, a clerk, has also tried his luck in the market and has raked in huge profits by investing in Initial Public Offers (IPOs) during the last 12 months. "I don't consult any expert but read about IPOs in newspapers. I invested Rs 15000 of my savings and now it has increased to Rs 40,000," he says.
Sensex crossed three milestones in October as it breached the 18K on October 9, 19K on October 15 and 20K on October 29.
Rising trends in the market caused decline in the investment of Indian households in small saving schemes such as PPF and Postal Saving Schemes, National Saving Schemes, monthly income schemes, National Saving Certificates, and Indira Vikas Patras. RBI report says, their share has fallen from Rs 72,778 crore in 2005-06 to Rs 37, 544 crore in 2006-07, a decrease of around 49 per cent. "Small investors have gained confidence and are now investing a big part of their saving in the market because of the booming economy, sustained bull-run at stock exchange and record inflow of Foreign Instititutional Investors (FIIs)," says Sunil Thacker, Relationship Manager, Kotak Securities.
For 24 year old Abhinav, a marketing executive, everyfall in the market is a good buying opportunity. "I keep on investing on the formula of risk-rate-ratio, higher the risk, greater the profit. I bought Reliance Petroleum shares for Rs 60 and have not sold it yet. I know that in longer peroid of time, net asset value of this share will touch record highs," he says.
Thacker adds, "With India's economy doing exceptionally well, every dip in the market is considered to be a great buying opportunity. Younger generations are now investing more and ready to take risks. And with markets showing intact bull run and unimaginable rate of returns, small investors are showing confidence in the market".
While some investors want to take a cautious approach and believe in wait and watch policy. "I invest only by consulting experts. Market keeps changing at a rapid pace and so it can crash anytime. I think it maybe because of the manipulation at the back-end by majorplayers. They can affect the upward swing of the market anytime," says Mohammed Gayasuddin Khan, a small investor.
"You can attribute the awareness among small investors to channels like NDTV Profit, 'Awaz' or CNBC among others," says Ravinder Seth of Elite Stock Exchange Ltd. "If 50 per cent of the housewives watch the saas-bahu soaps on the television, and youngsters watch cricket, there are 50 per cent watching the programme on the economy," he adds.
Seth further adds, "People now don't go by hearsay or what their neighbours are doing like older days. Now they either like to analyse the market themselves or consult brokerage houses." Thacker cautions all the small investors to stick to good quality stocks and always act as an informed investors and do not get swayed away by the rumours. According to ASSOCHAM report, India has received FII flows worth USD 18.8 billion in the year 2007. The increase is more than 113 per cent when compared to USD 8.8 billion FII in previous calendar year 2006. The stocks markets witnessed huge buying pressure since mid-September as Sensex has risen by more than 4000 points and has touched 20,000 mark on account of FII buying.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Small town chefs in demand
They do not hold degrees or diplomas, run their eateries in nondescript way. Quite a few of them however, finding their way to star hotels in big cities, thanks to the boom in the industry and growing demand for authentic, ethnic food.
These chefs who speak regional languages and struggle with their Hindi, are ushering into the unchartered territory of corporate chefdom and ready to enter the market with some 'original' food for the discerning clientele.
"Regional chefs add extra flavour and authenticity to the food. And with the boom in the hotel industry, the demand for these chefs is on all time high. They bring with them all the spices and don't use market products, which complements the purity and also the way of preparation is completely different," says Nita Nagraj, Executive Chef, Jaypee Hotel.
Bakshish Singh, Surinder Singh Kapoor and Sucha Singh, chefs and dhaba owners from Amritsar, don't know much about the nitty-gritty of market strategy but are happy to reach out to maximum food lovers through their dishes.
"We are the most sought after chefs in Amritsar but we want that our dishes should reach out to the people living in different parts of the country. Sarson da Saag, Tawa Meat, spicy magaz masala are our specialities. Slowly our demand in five star hotels is growing. And We are frequently getting invitations to participate in different foof festivals," says Surinder Singh.
Rajesh Mishra, former chairman, Federation of Hotels and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI), says, "Due to a higher occupancy levels at most hotels average at around 80-85 per cent through the year, thanks to the host of conferences and trade shows being hosted in the country, demand for food and thereby chefs have seen a gradual rise."
Tikkis, Amritsari machhis (fish), champ (mutton chops), seekhan (skewered minced kababs), tandoori paneer, magaz masala (lamg brain) and what more? Surinder says, "The main course has the rara meat (mutton), boti Amritsari (boneless mutton), the very popular butter chicken and tariwala murga (gravy chicken). For vegetarians, we have sarson da saag, aloo ghobhi, aloo launji and paneer kalimirch."
The most popular among the three, Sucha Singh says, "I don't compromise on the usage of ingredients --desi ghee and home made spices -- which are of superior quality and don't harm the customers." Bakshish Singh quips, "Baki diyan gallan chaddo, khan wich jee lao" (leave all matters, just concentrate on food). We are from a very small place but we know how to cook good food. There is a perception that we don't care about hygeine but we take into account all the precautionary measures while making and serving the food."
He adds, "In the last two years, people have started recognising us and now we are getting orders from places other than Punjab. Food festivals are a big help. Here we can promote our dishes and let the world know that Indian food is best."
These chefs who speak regional languages and struggle with their Hindi, are ushering into the unchartered territory of corporate chefdom and ready to enter the market with some 'original' food for the discerning clientele.
"Regional chefs add extra flavour and authenticity to the food. And with the boom in the hotel industry, the demand for these chefs is on all time high. They bring with them all the spices and don't use market products, which complements the purity and also the way of preparation is completely different," says Nita Nagraj, Executive Chef, Jaypee Hotel.
Bakshish Singh, Surinder Singh Kapoor and Sucha Singh, chefs and dhaba owners from Amritsar, don't know much about the nitty-gritty of market strategy but are happy to reach out to maximum food lovers through their dishes.
"We are the most sought after chefs in Amritsar but we want that our dishes should reach out to the people living in different parts of the country. Sarson da Saag, Tawa Meat, spicy magaz masala are our specialities. Slowly our demand in five star hotels is growing. And We are frequently getting invitations to participate in different foof festivals," says Surinder Singh.
Rajesh Mishra, former chairman, Federation of Hotels and Restaurant Association of India (FHRAI), says, "Due to a higher occupancy levels at most hotels average at around 80-85 per cent through the year, thanks to the host of conferences and trade shows being hosted in the country, demand for food and thereby chefs have seen a gradual rise."
Tikkis, Amritsari machhis (fish), champ (mutton chops), seekhan (skewered minced kababs), tandoori paneer, magaz masala (lamg brain) and what more? Surinder says, "The main course has the rara meat (mutton), boti Amritsari (boneless mutton), the very popular butter chicken and tariwala murga (gravy chicken). For vegetarians, we have sarson da saag, aloo ghobhi, aloo launji and paneer kalimirch."
The most popular among the three, Sucha Singh says, "I don't compromise on the usage of ingredients --desi ghee and home made spices -- which are of superior quality and don't harm the customers." Bakshish Singh quips, "Baki diyan gallan chaddo, khan wich jee lao" (leave all matters, just concentrate on food). We are from a very small place but we know how to cook good food. There is a perception that we don't care about hygeine but we take into account all the precautionary measures while making and serving the food."
He adds, "In the last two years, people have started recognising us and now we are getting orders from places other than Punjab. Food festivals are a big help. Here we can promote our dishes and let the world know that Indian food is best."
Bourses attract fancy of housewives, students
After the usual gossip and discussions on jewellery and designer clothes, the talks veer around the hitherto uncharted territory of IPOs, demat accounts, BSE and NSE indices and what shares to buy.
As the stock markets boom, housewives and even some college students are taking interest in the markets and some of them are managing their portfolios well too.
"There is a feeling among youth and housewives that they too should invest. Call centre employees, who earn a good salary, easily invest up to Rs 5,000 per month in mutual funds (MFs). Housewives, too, invest in small if not big amounts," says Dwij Seth, assistant vice-president online, India Bulls.
"You can attribute the awareness among the housewives to channels like NDTV Profit or 'Awaz' or CNBC," says Ravinder Seth, managing director, Elite Stock Exchange Ltd.
"If 50 per cent of the housewives watch the saas-bahu soaps on the television, there are 50 per cent watching the programme on the economy," he adds. Agreeing that there is increased interest among women in investments, he says that if three years ago, 10 out of 100 queries his company was receiving on investment were from women, the number has gone up to 30 out of 100.
"Housewives have come out of kitchens and engaging themselves in various vacations like direct sales, event management. They are earning money and contributing to the household income," says Raju Vyas, Chartered Accountant. And as they start earning money, they want it to be managed in intelligent way, he says.
The formula is simple in such families, says Seth. The husband's income goes in to day-to-day expenses. What the wife earns goes into investment, he says. In years to come, every family would require a family financial consultant as there used to a family doctor, Seth says.
Pratibha Rai, a professor in business management says women indeed are coming out of their kitchens. Not many, however, are dealing directly in investments, but are using advice given by experts, she says.
"I was getting almost nothing from my bank savings. But then a suggestion from a friend I met at a kitty party made me invest in the market. I have now invested in three mutual funds and also have taken IPOs of some companies," says Geeta Sujeet, a housewife in the capital's Sarojini Nagar locality.
Industry experts point out that there is a growing trend among youngsters and housewives who till very recently busied themselves with sundry chores around their homes to invest in the markets.
Gauri Kapoor, another housewife, used to invest in banks and fixed bonds. But when she came to know about faster returns in stock market through her 'kittie party friends', she took a piece from her savings and invested in the market.
Faced with the knowledge about volatility of the market, small investors are putting their money in equities, mutual funds, Kisan Vikas Patriks, Post Office Savings and many more such schemes.
"Small investors are now playing a greater role because of the booming economy, sustained bull-run at stock exchange and the healthy increase in trading volumes at the national exchanges, says Sunil Thakkar, relationship manager, Kotak Securities.
As the stock markets boom, housewives and even some college students are taking interest in the markets and some of them are managing their portfolios well too.
"There is a feeling among youth and housewives that they too should invest. Call centre employees, who earn a good salary, easily invest up to Rs 5,000 per month in mutual funds (MFs). Housewives, too, invest in small if not big amounts," says Dwij Seth, assistant vice-president online, India Bulls.
"You can attribute the awareness among the housewives to channels like NDTV Profit or 'Awaz' or CNBC," says Ravinder Seth, managing director, Elite Stock Exchange Ltd.
"If 50 per cent of the housewives watch the saas-bahu soaps on the television, there are 50 per cent watching the programme on the economy," he adds. Agreeing that there is increased interest among women in investments, he says that if three years ago, 10 out of 100 queries his company was receiving on investment were from women, the number has gone up to 30 out of 100.
"Housewives have come out of kitchens and engaging themselves in various vacations like direct sales, event management. They are earning money and contributing to the household income," says Raju Vyas, Chartered Accountant. And as they start earning money, they want it to be managed in intelligent way, he says.
The formula is simple in such families, says Seth. The husband's income goes in to day-to-day expenses. What the wife earns goes into investment, he says. In years to come, every family would require a family financial consultant as there used to a family doctor, Seth says.
Pratibha Rai, a professor in business management says women indeed are coming out of their kitchens. Not many, however, are dealing directly in investments, but are using advice given by experts, she says.
"I was getting almost nothing from my bank savings. But then a suggestion from a friend I met at a kitty party made me invest in the market. I have now invested in three mutual funds and also have taken IPOs of some companies," says Geeta Sujeet, a housewife in the capital's Sarojini Nagar locality.
Industry experts point out that there is a growing trend among youngsters and housewives who till very recently busied themselves with sundry chores around their homes to invest in the markets.
Gauri Kapoor, another housewife, used to invest in banks and fixed bonds. But when she came to know about faster returns in stock market through her 'kittie party friends', she took a piece from her savings and invested in the market.
Faced with the knowledge about volatility of the market, small investors are putting their money in equities, mutual funds, Kisan Vikas Patriks, Post Office Savings and many more such schemes.
"Small investors are now playing a greater role because of the booming economy, sustained bull-run at stock exchange and the healthy increase in trading volumes at the national exchanges, says Sunil Thakkar, relationship manager, Kotak Securities.
As business of laughter grows, humour poetry still popular
New Delhi, Apr 29 (PTI) From the bygone days when 'hasya-kavi sammelans' were the only widely popular means for rip-roaring comedies, laughter today has branched into a flourishing business, thanks to popularity of laughter shows on the TV channels.
The boom in the business has spelt success for the artists who find themselves suddenly in the big league spotlight. Although critical of the laughter shows as lacking in originality, popular poets however say the good old Kavi sammelans continue to be popular and still draw crowds.
Rajeev Nigam, a popular artist points out "There is no doubt that laughter shows are fuelling boom in the entertainment industry. Laughter Challenge was the first show that changed the fortunes of my type of artists. Raju Srivastava, who used to take five to ten thousand rupees per show, now charges honorarium in lakhs."
Stand-up comedy had started much earlier but the impact was never like this, he says. With audiences looking not only for just jokes but a combination of spoofs and gags he says stand-up comedy has become a much more difficult task, Nigam says.
Noted humourist and poet Surendra Sharma says, "Comedy today shows lack of originality and challenges all poets and artists, except the veterans, to showcase at least one original humour." "The laughter show artists fabricate original lyrics to make them vulgar. These kinds of shows are not appropriate for family audience. Nobody laughs in these shows except Navjot Singh Sidhu," he adds.
Famous Hindi poet Allahar Bikaneri says he feels a lot of new poets have suffered because of the laughter shows but there are still a large number of audience who understand and prefer to laugh on good poetry. "These laughter show artists have nothing new to present. They just repeat jokes and satire used by famous poets fourty years ago. But I see it as a positive change. Now poets have no choices but to create original work, which will ultimately help in improving the quality of poems," he says.
During the last few years the space for stand-up comedy in the country has widened with performances by the likes of Sunil Pal, Ehsaan Qurasi, Naveen Prabhakar, Raju Srivastava, Rauf Lala among others who continue to entertain audiences as well as rake in big money for artists, producers and advertisers, say industry experts.
But even as shows like the Great Indian Laughter Challenge, Comedy Ka Badshah, Comedy Champions, Raju and Party and Aaj Tak Aisi Ki Taisi do brisk business laughter-based shows may not mean gauranteed success. Editorial Head of TV Today Network, Qamar Waheed Naqvi, views such shows as reflecting the present day society. He strongly denies that such shows have anything to do with the money- making business. He takes the example of Aaj Taks Aisi Ki Taisi as a programme that views happenings in politics, cinema and sports with a hint of sarcasm. He points out that news channels are merely delivering what viewers want.
"We don't go with TRPs or the number of advertisers. We started this show for our audience to show the 'exact' situation of the country," he says. "For a news channel, it takes lots of time and money to create programming, but for the viewer, only seconds to reject it," he adds. For the average television viewer like Reema Kapoor, a housewife, it doesnt matter where she gets her laughs from.
"I love watching laughter shows. It has become a part of my routine appetite she says. Vinay Pathak of 'Bheja Fry' fame, who started his career with the small screen and then marched to Bollywood, is careful to talk about comedy shows on news channels. "Well I don't want to bite the hands that feed me but let's not go nuts. Deliberate gags on news channels are not good and substance still matters," he says Surendra Dube dubs those who produce television laughter programmes as 'a bunch of thieves'. "These kinds of shows are dangerous to our litereture and culture," he says.
An actor should not come into politics: Dharmendra
New Delhi, May 11 (PTI) Even though he himself has taken a plunge into politics Dharmendra's piece of advice to filmstars is to keep away from politics. For the versatile actor, an actor should always remain an actor and should not join politics.
"I won't say that coming into politics was a mistake but yes an actor should not come into politics as it divides audience and general acceptance among fans. An actor should always remain an actor. For me the love and support I got all these years from my fans is the greatest achievement," says the actor turned politician, who completes 50 years in the film industry this year.
On criticism of his absence from Parliament and his constituency Bikaner, he clarifies, "Who says that? I am always in touch with the problem of my constituency. From cleaning up Sur Sagar, a dumping ground in Bikaner, to minimise school fees for children, renovation of the theatre Rangmanch, and building bridges, I am trying to solve each and every problem."
"My office in Bikaner apprises me of the demands of the people on a regular basis. I am from a farmer's family so I understand their problems. And this no politics. I am an emotional but a tough person, these criticism can't break my intention. I never did anything to grab attention, either in acting or politics," the Member of Parliament told PTI.
Coming to his favourite topic, films, he suddenly changes gear and breathes a sigh of relief. "It is bollywood films, where my heart is. Last year was perhaps the best year for me after a long long time. Three hits 'Apne', 'MetroLife in a Metro' and 'Johnny Gaddar' with a Lifetime Achievement Award came my way," says 'Veeru' of Sholay.
When asked about why all these years he did not get a single Best Actor Award despite giving more than 50 Silver Jublee hits? he says, "For me, the greatest award is my fan's love and support, which they always gave me. I don't want to comment on why I did not get an award. But I think I deserved it 14-15 times. Few of them were, 'Phool aur Patthar', 'Satyakam', 'Chupke Chupke', 'Pratigya', 'Sholay', 'Naya Zamana'. The list is long."
Was honour of Lifetime Achievement Award was a sign of retirement? "Generally receiving lifetime achievement awards means 'retirement'. But I won't sit back. There are three four movies in pipeline. 'Har Pall' with Preity Zinta, 'Master' where people can see me once again with Sunny and Bobby after 'Apne' and one movie with Bobby which is based on father, son relationship," says the actor who was once listed among the world's 10 best-looking men by a foreign magazine.
Like his contemporaries Manoj Kumar, Dilip Kumar, Vyjayanthimala and Dev Anand, Dharmendra too wants to write an autobiography but not yet. "I will write my autobiography but at right time. It will tell about real Dharmendra. Everybody knows about the events in my life but I will write my feelings into it," says the actor with most number of hits in Bollywood.
Dharmendra gets philosophical while talking about his relationship with his second wife Hema Malini, which he says is beyond love. "Our relationship is special, I don't want to comment on that."
While adding that he is eager to work with Hema Malini with whom he has acted in 27 movies, he says, "We are actually waiting for a good script. If the script is nice and well written and also suits our age, we will definitely do that."
The matinee idol, who has done almost every kind of roles in his long career, says that he had great on-screen chemistry with superstar Amitabh Bachchan. "In films like Chupke Chupke, Ram Balram and Sholay, we had done some memorable scenes together."
Like Amitabh, why he is not interacting with his fans through internet blogs, he says innocently, "I am not computer friendly. Sunny and Bobby do it but I never tried and at this age there are other important things like doing good work for people of constituency I represent."
Commenting on the present Bollywood actors, wh om he likes most, he says the three Khans (Shahrukh and Aamir and Salman) are doing a good job. "Salman reminds me of myself. I was almost like him in my early days. He has a great attractive body."
Dharmendra has acted opposite leading ladies who also starred with his son Sunny Deol. On this rare competition with son, he says, "Oh, I am the lucky one. I want to work till the last breath."
Dharmendra, the symbol of sinewy masculinity in Hindi films, touched the peak when he took on action hero roles throughout the 1970s. The original 'He Man' of Hindi movies on his physique, his contemporaries could only dream of, says that he always kept on doing regular exercise. But what is the secret behind the handsome look at the age of 73, he adds, "Even today I do bench press, pranayam and horse riding that keeps me fit. PTI
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