Latest news with #Leela
South China Morning Post
12 hours ago
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
9 savoury desserts by Hong Kong restaurants: from Hansik Goo to Noi by Paulo Airaudo
In Hong Kong, the highest praise for a dessert is to say it's 'not too sweet'. So it seems fitting that the city is witnessing the rise of savoury desserts across its fine dining scene. Advertisement Savoury desserts emphasise herbs, spices, or umami and fermented flavours – often using ingredients typically found in main courses. As Mono's chef-owner Ricardo Chaneton observes: 'The term 'savoury dessert' might sound challenging, but many ingredients we consider savoury are technically fruits or berries, like tomatoes, avocados and pink peppercorns. When creating these desserts, the goal isn't just mixing unusual ingredients – it has to make sense.' This innovative approach resonates deeply with local tastes. 'Hongkongers have a nuanced palate,' comments Leela's chef-founder, Manav Tuli. 'Think of how red bean soups, sesame desserts or even mango pomelo sago rely on natural bitterness or tartness.' 'Ultimately, it's about creating a conversation,' says the restaurant's pastry chef, Cynthia Erica Sugiarto. 'Why can't desserts surprise us the way savoury dishes do?' Without further ado, here are nine savoury desserts from Hong Kong's top restaurants that may surprise you. 1. Ecuadorian chocolate with Andean and Peruvian chillies – Mono Ecuadorian chocolate and Peruvian ají amarillo with Andean chillies at Mono in Hong Kong. Photo: Handout Chocolate and chilli is sort of like Latin America's answer to our tong yuen and ginger soup. This match made in heaven dates back to ancient Mesoamerican civilisations, where the Mayans and Aztecs mixed ground cacao with chilli peppers to create xocolatl, a bitter, spiced chocolate drink.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Malls, restaurants & hotels turn galleries for art
Art is now finding its way into malls, restaurants, and hotels. Developers like DLF and Prestige are showcasing art. Hotel chains like Leela are opening art-focused restaurants. Ambrosia Hospitality's Arts Room allows diners to buy art via QR codes. Experts believe this trend will create more art awareness. Even cultural centers and museums are incorporating retail spaces. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Malls, restaurants and hotels have emerged as new places to display ant sell art. Developers such as DLF and Prestige Group are showcasing art at their luxury malls in Delhi and Bengaluru, while hotel chains like Leela have opened restaurants with a focus on Hospitality has opened a restaurant, Arts Room, in Delhi's Saket where diners can buy art using the QR codes on the art works."Globally, art finds a place in shopping malls and airports and some luxury brands also tie up with artists for designing the product. As art is life, and life is art, it has become an important aspect of retail as well," said Padma Shri awardee artist Paresh Maity. "We have started seeing the trend in India also with Jio World Convention Centre and some malls displaying and selling art. In India, art was always public and with hotels, restaurants and malls now promoting it, it will create more awareness about art."While Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre in Mumbai has a luxury retail space nearby, the upcoming Kiran Nadar Museum of Arts is also likely to have luxury retail space."Art has always been integral to public spaces in India - from architecture to everyday craft. Today, we're seeing a natural extension of that in luxury malls, hotels, restaurants and high-end residential condominiums, where art is not just displayed but also made accessible. Globally too, art increasingly finds its way into unconventional spaces, from airports to retail, enriching everyday experiences," said Amit Goyal, managing director, India Sotheby's International a leading auction house, has conducted several art exhibitions and auctions in collectors and connoisseurs, art acquisition is a serious business and conventionally they go through established routes such as galleries and auction houses and private sales, which offer provenance and curation.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
A road to her village, a newborn in her family — before her own delivery, YouTuber Leela Sahu welcomes niece
In a singsong voice, 22-year-old Leela Sahu smiles at the camera and answers a relative's offscreen question — 'Leela, iska kya naam rakhe ho?' (Leela, what have you named her?). Without hesitation, she replies: 'Aradhya'. In the reel she uploaded to Instagram, she adds playfully: 'Ghar mein Pihu, Pari, Sundariya bhi hai'. The child in her arms is not hers, but her sister-in-law's newborn daughter — the first baby born in the family in 11 years. But Aradhya's birth marks the emotional culmination of a year-long public campaign led by Leela, a Bagheli YouTuber from Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district who drew national attention to the broken, unpaved roads that made emergency healthcare in her village nearly inaccessible for pregnant women. 'She was born healthy. The ambulance came about an hour after we called, and it took another hour or so to reach the hospital,' Leela told The Indian Express. 'My due date is August 2. My only hope is the ambulance will come in time.' Leela said this was the first child in the family in the last 11 years. 'That's why I gave her many names, Aradhya, Pari, Sundariya,' she said. As her own delivery date approaches, Leela says she won't give up. There are six pregnant women who are expecting to deliver in the coming months, and a road is crucial for access to healthcare. 'My work isn't done just because construction began. I'll keep raising my voice till the full road is built. Because this isn't just about one ambulance, or one baby. It's about the other woman too.' The road, or at least parts of it, has finally started to take shape. In late July, after months of public pressure and viral videos, construction work began in Khaddi Khurd under the initiative of local Congress MLA Ajay Singh Rahul, who stepped in after BJP MP Rajesh Mishra's comments triggered outrage. The Congress leader said he was moved to act after seeing how the local MP dismissed Leela's concerns by suggesting he would personally carry pregnant women to the hospital on their due dates. The path to this moment began in July 2023, when Leela, then in her first trimester, posted a video tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 'You got all 29 MPs from Madhya Pradesh, Modi ji. Can't you at least give us a road?' she had said, speaking in Bagheli dialect from her mud-brick home in Khaddi Khurd. Her message resonated across platforms, drawing attention to the region's collapsing infrastructure, where pregnant women were routinely transported by tractor and stretchers due to inaccessible roads. In March 2025, officials from the Madhya Pradesh Rural Road Development Authority confirmed that a five kilometre road under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana had been surveyed and submitted for state approval.
India.com
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Meet actress who married at 16, became mother at 17, divorced before 30, debuted film was superhit, worked in Hollywood, her name is...
Before she was an on-screen diva, she was a teen bride. Before the applause, there was silence. And before Tenet, there was Bobby. Dimple Kapadia's life didn't follow the rules of the script; it tore them up and wrote a new one, frame by frame. Dimple Kapadia, the bold debutante of Bobby (1973), entered the industry at just 16 and unknowingly became a walking paradox: a superstar, a teen bride, a mother at 17, and a divorcee before she turned 30. But her story didn't follow the usual fading-into-oblivion arc. Instead, she rewrote the rules, both for herself and the generations of actresses who followed. Why did she walk away at her peak? Soon after her debut, Dimple married superstar Rajesh Khanna. Their marriage was the talk of the town, but behind closed doors, cracks began to show. Rumours swirled, from career restrictions to pressure for a male heir. As Dimple once revealed, 'He wanted me to stop working.' She eventually left the marriage, becoming a single mother of two daughters by the age of 25. When did the comeback happen? After a 12-year break, Dimple returned to the silver screen with Sagar in 1985. Not only did she reclaim her stardom, but she also picked up prestigious awards, including a National Award for Rudaali and multiple Filmfare Awards. Her performances had matured — raw, complex, and unforgettable. Did she break beyond Bollywood? Absolutely. Dimple stunned global audiences when she starred in Christopher Nolan's Tenet in 2020. She had already tested international waters with Leela in 2006, showing she was always one step ahead of the curve. Even today, Dimple Kapadia is unstoppable. In recent years, she's wowed audiences in Pathaan, Tu Jhoothi Main Makkar, Teri Baaton Mein Aisa Uljha Jiya, Saas Bahu Aur Flamingo, and Murder Mubarak.
India.com
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
Who was Bollywood's first graduate heroine? Worked with Dilip Kumar, Raj Kapoor, Dev Anand, was the first film star to endorse…, her name is…
The film industry has been a place where many prefer to leave their education to become actors. We have come across many actors who hold PhDs, Master's Degrees, and Doctor's degrees before entering the world of cinema. Many had quit their profession to become successful actors. Right from Sai Pallavi to Sreeleela, many of them may know that these divas are doctors. Many such divas possessed such prestigious designations before they became huge stars. However, today we will tell you about Bollywood's first actress to complete her graduation. You'll be surprised to know her name? Who was the first Bollywood actress to complete her graduation? The actress whom we are talking about inspired many people during her era. Bollywood's first heroine to complete her graduation was none other than Leela Chitnis. During her early days, Leela ventured into the film industry when the roles of heroines were limited. The divas were featured in the films to either attract the audience with their beauty or to portray emotional depth in demanding scenes. However, when Leela Chitnis entered Bollywood, she changed the dynamics of the roles offered to heroines. How did Leela Chitnis's education have an impact on Hindi cinema? Leela was the first actress to shatter such taboos of films, and it was through her that the Hindi cinema saw an image of an educated, self-reliant and sensitive woman for the first time. In her autobiography, 'Chanderi Duniyat', Leela revealed how she adapted to situations over time. Even before the great heroines like Nirupa Roy or Sulochana, Leela Chitnis was delegated to play the role of a compassionate mother on screen. Due to which she was honoured with the title of 'Duchess of Depression' and the first graceful mother of Hindi cinema. Leela Chitnis was graciously presented on screen, her impact was such that the audience sitting on the other side of the room was swept away by her performance. Leela never gave up a moment to leave a lasting impression on the people; her roles were such finely played that the audience stood in awe of her. Not only that, Leela nailed the role of sacrifice and human dignity. Did Leela Chitnis transform her personality after becoming famous? Leela Chitnis remained a down-to-earth person, despite her immense popularity in Hindi cinema. Leela never transformed herself. However, during her last years, Leela lived in an old-age home in America. Leela started living a life where there was no camera around her, and she died alone in the darkness of anonymity. How did Leela end up becoming a heroine? In her autobiography, 'Chanderi Duniyat' it mentions every detail about Leela Chitnis. Starting from her birth, family, her first meeting with her husband in college. She was born on 9 September 1909 in Dharwad (present-day Karnataka) in a Marathi Brahmin family. Her father was an English professor, and this family environment made her conscious of education. Leela Chitnis was married at a young age. She went abroad with her doctor husband. She gave birth to four sons. Later, when she got divorced from her husband, she returned to Mumbai. After coming to Mumbai, Leela again started working in a school. But she had the responsibility of four children, and it was difficult to make ends meet. It was during such times that she started Marathi theatre. Through her plays and films, she raised questions on casteism, the status of women, and social pressures. Did Leela fail as a director and producer? Despite this, Leela made her presence felt as an extra in films, and she struggled and became an actress. Then came films like 'Kangan', 'Bandhan', 'Jhoola', where she appeared as a modern, self-reliant woman opposite Ashok Kumar. In the films of that time, her character spoke, thought, and fought. This was a new heroine who was showing a mirror to society by going beyond flowers and saris. Many may not know this, but Leela tried her luck in directing and producing films; eventually, she failed at it.
