Latest news with #Kolkata-born
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
State felicitates 10 from Bengal who cracked civil services exams
Kolkata: Meghna Chakravorty, a Modern High School alumna, who ranked 79th in the Civil Services Exam 2024, scored the second highest (215) in interview, just one mark below the national highest of 216. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Now that I transition from the other side, which was filled with darkness and uncertainty, to this side, I wonder if we should ever forget the hardships and struggle that was needed to get here," said Meghna at the state felicitation event for this year's successful civil service aspirants. She and four others trained at the state-run Satyendra Nath Tagore Civil Services Study Centre. In all, 10 from Bengal cleared the exam. This was Meghna's second attempt at the exam. "Didn't go up to the interview level last time," said Meghna, who graduated from St Stephen's College and did her PG from JNU. As Urmi Sinha, who bagged 170th rank in the UPSC-conducted exam in her maiden attempt, shared her childhood dream of becoming an IAS officer, she spotted her mother, Poonam, crying in the audience. "Mamma, don't cry..." said Urmi softly, unable to continue. "Can't thank SNTCSSC enough for all the help they offered my daughter," said Archana Malakar, mother of Paramita, who ranked 477. Paramita, away on training, couldn't attend the event. Rajdeep Ghosh, who has ranked 789th, will give it another shot next year. Everyone in the audience was stunned by grit as he said, "I shall be here to take the exams with you next year again." The candidates thanked the nonagenarian Jyotirmoy Pal Chaudhuri, veteran civil service trainer and SNTCSSC's academic consultant. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Pal Chaudhuri, in turn, told them about Kolkata-born and IIT-Kharagpur alumnus Ashok Khemka, known for his 57-posting career. "Instead of asking 'what went wrong' we should perhaps ask 'what went right'," he laughed. State chief secretary Manoj Pant, who drew parallels between the candidates and his own journey, advised that persistent effort would do the trick. "I want to reiterate what Mr Pal Chaudhuri said. Never forget that you are here to serve (the people of India) and serve with integrity," Pant said. Among the others felicitated were Sahars Kumar (153), Praveen Kumar (837), Yash Kumar (227), Prativa Lama (461), Zojila Dolkar Bhutia (765) and Rishita Das (840). "Our 2024 batch has done really well—54 from our centre cleared the prelims, 17 went up to the personality test and five made it to the final list," SNTCSSC chairperson Surajit Kar Purkayastha said.
Hans India
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Tridha Choudhury turns heads with minimalist photoshoot
Actress Tridha Choudhury, best known to Telugu audiences for her role in the 2020 black comedy Anukunnadi Okati Ayinadi Okati, is back in the spotlight—this time for a striking new photoshoot that's causing a stir online. Tridha starred alongside Dhanya Balakrishna and Komalee Prasad in the film, which revolved around a Goa trip where a group of friends search for a missing sister after spotting her with a shady man in a photo. Now, the Kolkata-born actress is making waves not on screen but with her bold fashion sense. In her latest trending shoot, Tridha is seen reclining casually on a wooden floor, exuding effortless confidence. She sports a colourful, sleeveless corset top paired with denim pants and a statement belt. What's turning heads even more is the quirky mini bag on a gold chain, stylishly placed near her neck — adding an unexpected, playful twist to the look. What's refreshing about the shoot is its simplicity. There are no extravagant sets or dramatic poses — just Tridha, styled with elegance, letting her attitude and fashion do the talking. The clean, minimalistic frames keep all the focus on her, and it's clearly paying off. The pictures have been going viral on social media, drawing praise for both the styling and Tridha's confident screen presence. With this shoot, Tridha once again proves that she knows how to make a statement — whether in front of a movie camera or a fashion lens.
Hans India
25-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Hans India
Tridha exudes world school glamour with modern touch
Tridha Choudhury may have taken a backseat in Telugu cinema lately, but the actress knows how to make her presence felt whenever she steps into the spotlight. The Kolkata-born beauty, who made a memorable debut opposite Nikhil in Surya vs Surya back in 2015, has since carved out a space for herself in Bengali and Hindi films, steadily expanding her cinematic repertoire. Recently, Tridha turned heads in a show-stopping traditional look. Dressed in a vibrant green saree with a bold red border, she exuded old-school glamour with a modern twist. Her strappy embroidered blouse, soft cascading curls, and a pop of pink lipstick added the perfect touch of elegance and sass. Posing effortlessly for the cameras, she reminded everyone why she's still a fan favourite. Her last appearance on screen was in the Hindi film Dil Dosti Aur Dogs, where she portrayed the role of Rebecca. Though she hasn't returned to Telugu films in a while, her recent stylish outing has sparked fresh curiosity about a potential comeback. With her screen presence, evolving fashion game, and undeniable charm, Tridha Choudhury seems poised for a renewed innings in the South. Whether or not a Telugu project is on the cards, one thing's for sure—when Tridha steps out, she makes it count.
Japan Times
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
11 in Japan win Asia's 50 Best Restaurant honors, but Gaggan is tops
Gaggan Anand is back. The Kolkata-born, Bangkok-based, self-styled rebel chef's eponymous restaurant, Gaggan, won the crown at the 2025 Asia's 50 Best Restaurants awards ceremony held in Seoul on March 25. For Anand, this represents more than just a professional success. It is also vindication for his decision to walk away from the initial iteration of his restaurant — also called Gaggan — despite it having held top spot on the list for four consecutive years, from 2015 through 2019. Speaking after the ceremony, Anand said the hiatus between the two operations not only allowed him to evolve his India-meets-Europe-meets-molecular cuisine but also to give it a setting that is more operatic — music, much of it rock, is high in the mix — and interactive with guests. Gaggan was one of nine restaurants in Bangkok that made it onto the prestigious 50 Best list — including two others that Anand is involved with. Gaggan at Louis Vuitton (No. 31) is a collaboration with the global luxury fashion brand, while he is also part owner in Suhring (No. 11), the stylish, modern German restaurant which has held spots in the top 10 for the past seven years. After walking away from his first self-named eatery, chef Gaggan Anand has returned to glory in this year's Asia's 50 Best Restaurants rankings. | ASIA'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS Although Bangkok tied with Tokyo as the cities with the largest number of entries on this year's list, Japan won bragging rights for having 11 in all. Dropping three places from last year's top billing, Sezanne (No. 4) was still the highest-ranking restaurant in Japan, followed by perennial favorites Narisawa (rising two spots to No. 12), Florilege (down from second place to No. 17) and Den (down 14 to No. 22). Three Tokyo restaurants cracked the list for the first time: Crony (No. 30); Maz (No. 43) and Myoujyaku (No. 45), while Sushi Saito made a surprise return to the rankings at No. 33. Rounding off the Tokyo contingent is Sazenka (No. 34), joined by Osaka's La Cime (No. 8) and Fukuoka's Goh (No. 36). Meanwhile Crony's co-owner and sommelier, Kazutaka Ozawa, won the Asia's Best Sommelier award. The South Korean capital was hosting the influential event for the second straight year. This has helped boost Seoul's presence on the list, with Mingles at No. 5, the highest result to date for chef Mingoo Kang, and Onjium rising 11 slots to No. 10. They were joined by 7th Door (No. 23), and Eatanic Garden, which won the Highest New Entry award at No. 25. The annual Icon Award was presented posthumously to the late Margarita Fores of the Philippines. As the 2016 recipient of the Asia's Best Female Chef award, she was honored for her influence in putting Filipino cuisine on the map. To the chefs involved in the ceremony, the importance of the rankings pale in comparison to the sense of community the 50 Best events have fostered over the years. | ASIA'S 50 BEST RESTAURANTS It was a somber moment in an otherwise upbeat and enthusiastic event punctuated by great applause and cheering from all sides for the restaurants on the list. The warmth and enthusiasm that pervade the awards ceremonies is something that Anand touched on in his acceptance speech. "When I was young I never imagined Asia could be a gastronomic hub,' the 47-year-old chef said. 'Today, look who we are. We are not just one city or one country. We are a family of so many people from around Asia, representing our families, our culture, our cuisine." While the media focus is always — and understandably — on the countdown to the great reveal, the awards ceremony is just the climax of a much longer gathering taking place around the 50 Best event. There are talks and workshops, as well as feasts that bring together all the chefs of the restaurants on the list. This year, a number of workshops or introductions to jang (sauces and pastes prepared from fermented soybeans) were held at restaurants around Seoul during the run-up to official events, a response to UNESCO recognizing Korea's deep-rooted culture of jang production as an Intangible Cultural Heritage on Dec. 4 last year. There were also numerous four-hands (or more) collaborative meals arranged by individual restaurants, an indication of how the 50 Best ceremony has become an opportunity for Asia's chefs to rub shoulders and do what they do best — cook together, share recipes and serve the results to the assembled gastronomes and foodies who make sure to arrive well ahead of the awards ceremony. To round off the celebrations, there were the inevitable afterparties, many of them running till the not-so early hours of the morning. This is the process that has created the camaraderie, fostered the friendships and turned the Asia's 50 Best event into an annual culinary carnival for chefs across the region — no matter which city is hosting it.
