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‘Marry The Director’s Mind’: Ranbir Kapoor’s Recipe Of Bringing Characters To Life – News18

Published By: Chirag Sehgal

Last Updated: September 29, 2023, 6:14 PM IST

Ranbir’s upcoming film Animal will be released on December 1.

Ranbir Kapoor revealed he needs the director to fall in love with him to breathe life into his onscreen characters.

The thrilling teaser of actor Ranbir Kapoor’s upcoming film ‘Animal’ was released recently and the audience response is phenomenal. Be it Ranbir’s character transition from a clean-shaven lad to a bearded gangster or Bobby Deol’s crazy last-minute entry, the short clip has amplified the anticipation about the film to a whole new level. If the teaser is anything to go by, the lead protagonist has several layers to his character. For a second he appears to be a sweet man and the very next moment, he grabs the shade of an anti-hero. Now, in a recent interaction with Film Companion, when asked about his recipe for bringing his character to life, Ranbir Kapoor revealed he needs the director to fall in love with him for that to happen.

According to the Barfi actor what audiences experience on screen is nothing but the magic of cinema. “There are so many people who are behind trying to get your character alive,” he said. But his method remained simple from the time he began filming his first movie. For Ranbir, it is quite important to “marry the director’s mind.” He explained, “It’s very important because I am that Bandra boy who’s lived a very luxurious life. Traveled all around the world but I don’t know my own country. I don’t know my own people, my own characters. I always have to steal their experiences for me to be better and that love story between me and the director is very important. He has to fall deeply in love with me. And I have to be deeply in love with him.”

The Animal teaser begins with Ranbir casually strolling with Rashmika Mandanna’s Geetanjali in a serene field of flowers. They warmly discuss plans to have kids in the future when suddenly there’s a shift in Ranbir’s character. He is ticked off by Geetanjali’s casual character assessment of his father. “My father is the best father in the world,” says Ranbir angrily before stroking off. The scene cuts to a flashback depicting his troubled relationship with father Balbir (Played by Anil Kapoor).

It appears that Ranbir takes over his father’s criminal business, in a mean gangster look who always roams with gun-wielding goons. The latter half of the teaser is pure rage, with the lead anti-hero entangled in what seems to be a bloody gang war. An unsettling conversation between Ranbir and Balbir makes it evident that the former has dwelled on a path that he cannot come back from or undo. A scene of him getting showered with bullets and lying in a pool of blood teases his death but what makes the end more exciting is the appearance of a shirtless Bobby Deol who is likely the main antagonist. With zero dialogue, Bobby’s bearded angry man keeps audiences hooked to uncover what’ll happen next.

Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga of the Kabir Singh fame, Animal will be released theatrically on December 1.

Chirag Sehgal

Chirag Sehgal, Sub Editor at News18, covers Bollywood, television and K-pop group BTS. Apart from digging deep into the world of television and Bollyw…Read More

Smoked haddock and leek rarebits recipe

This is a riff on the classic, where you gently poach a fillet of smoked haddock in cream, before mixing with strong Cheddar and slow-cooked leeks. This is then spread on toast and crisped under the grill, until it bubbles and caramelises.

On those cold days when the courgettes have finally given in to frost, the ground is hard but the veg garden beds need a lot of work, this is the kind of thing we make in the morning to keep us going all day.

Timings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves

Ingredients

350g fillet of undyed smoked haddock
1 bay leaf
100ml whole milk
150ml double cream
400g leeks (about 2-3)
50g unsalted butter
200g good-quality mature Cheddar
2 tsp Dijon mustard
½ nutmeg
6 pieces of fresh white sourdough (or even a really good tin loaf)

Plum and fig leaf jam recipe

Plums make a great jam, the fruit collapsing into an oozing texture, with a welcome tartness and vibrant colour. But the addition of fig leaves is really quite special. They have a floral, almost buttery and almondy aroma, the flavour of which goes beautifully with the plums.

When I’m making jam, I use a ratio of 1kg of fruit to 350-500g of pectin or jamming sugar. This is less than half the amount of sugar a traditional jam recipe would use and I find that means you can taste the fruit much better.

The key, though, is to use jamming sugar for its added pectin to set the jam. Sugar is a key part of the preservation qualities in jam. Because I’ve reduced the amount so much, you really do need to sterilise your jars to ensure they keep well. Once opened, keep an eye on them and if any mould appears, scrape it off and store the jar in the fridge.

Timings

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes

Makes

Around 10 jars

Ingredients

2kg Victoria plums, destoned and cut into quarters
2 fig leaves
700g jamming sugar
juice of 2 lemons

Massaman venison curry recipe

In all Thai curries, a good paste made from herbs, spices and other aromatics makes all the difference to the flavour of the finished dish. I always keep a stash of fresh galangal, lime leaves, lemongrass and turmeric, tracked down in Asian supermarkets, in my freezer to make these. You can serve this curry with rice, fruit and/or pickled vegetables. I’ve also served it with steamed garlic shoots, which are delicious, if you’re a garlic grower.

Timings

Prep time: 25 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours

Serves

4-6

Ingredients

4 venison shanks
5 tbsp vegetable oil
2 sticks of lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, grated or crushed
30g galangal or root ginger, peeled and grated
2 medium green chillies, finely chopped
4 lime leaves
1 tbsp finely grated turmeric root (optional)
½ tsp cumin seeds
5 cloves
2 blades of mace (optional)
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 stick of cassia bark or cinnamon
2 Thai cardamom pods, split, or the seeds from 6 green cardamom pods
1.5 litres beef stock
40 pearl or silverskin onions, peeled
400ml coconut milk
1 tbsp tamarind paste
100ml fish sauce
150ml pineapple juice
4 slender spring onions, trimmed but left whole, to garnish (optional)

For the fresh paste

4 lime leaves
2 sticks of lemongrass, trimmed and chopped
20g galangal or root ginger, chopped
50g unsalted peanuts, lightly roasted
1 medium shallot, roughly sliced

Method

Season the venison shanks. Heat 2 tbsp of the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan and brown the meat (in batches) all over on a high heat for 4-5 minutes, then remove from the hob.
In a pan large enough to fit all the shanks, heat another 2 tbsp oil and add the lemongrass, garlic, galangal or ginger, chilli, lime leaves, turmeric, if using, and spices. Cook for a few minutes on a low heat.
Add the stock, bring to the boil, season with salt and pepper, then add the venison shanks and simmer for about 1½ hours.
Meanwhile, brown the baby onions in 1 tbsp oil for a few minutes, then add these to the curry as it simmers.
While it’s cooking, blend the ingredients for the fresh paste with 1 tbsp or so of the sauce until smooth.
After the meat has had 1½ hours, add the coconut milk, tamarind paste, fish sauce, pineapple juice and your fresh paste to it, and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the meat is tender and the sauce has thickened.
It’s difficult to put a cooking time on this so the shanks will need testing every so often. Once they are tender, the sauce should be thick enough; if not, remove the shanks and simmer the sauce until it’s thickened.
Serve the shanks with the sauce, and with a slim spring onion to garnish, if you like.

Roast grouse with parsnip crisps and bread sauce recipe

Something I look forward to every year is roast grouse. When I worked at London hotel kitchens, such as at The Dorchester and Grosvenor House, we were trained to cook and serve it traditionally: a single grouse presented on a silver tray with a dome cloche, beside it a heart-shaped piece of fried bread spread with the cooked liver, some bread sauce, fried breadcrumbs, a fruit jelly and game chips. It was quite a thing to see – and to know how to prepare it all.

These days I’m satisfied with a really good gravy, bread sauce and something crisp. Our game chips used to be pommes gaufrettes, which required potatoes to be sliced on the waffle blade of a mandolin. But I now serve parsnip chips, which are both tastier and easier. They make a great snack with drinks, too. I usually leave the parsnip skin on as it gives them a bit more character.

Timings

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour

Serves

Ingredients

For the bread sauce

1 small onion, peeled and halved
50g butter
a few cloves (according to taste)
1 bay leaf
500ml milk
a pinch of ground nutmeg
100g fresh white breadcrumbs

For the parsnip crisps

3 large, clean parsnips
vegetable or corn oil, for frying

For the grouse and gravy

4 oven-ready young grouse
a good knob of butter, softened
4 sprigs of sage
a splash of red wine
about 150ml strong game or beef stock, homemade or good-quality bought
a little cornflour mixed with a little water (optional)

Method

To make the bread sauce, finely chop half the onion and cook it gently in half the butter in a pan until soft. Stud the other
half with the cloves, pushing them through the bay leaf to anchor it. Put the milk, nutmeg and studded onion in the saucepan with the cooked onion and bring to the boil. Season and simmer very gently for 10-15 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat and leave the sauce to infuse for 30 minutes or so.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas mark 7.
For the crisps, top and tail the parsnips, leaving the skin on unless it’s very brown. Using a sharp mandolin or a peeler, slice them as thinly as possible lengthways, then dry the strips with a clean tea towel. Set aside.
Season the grouse inside and out and rub the breasts with butter. Set in a roasting tin, put a sprig of sage into the cavity of each bird and roast for 15-20 minutes for medium-rare, basting them every so often.
Meanwhile, heat the oil for the crisps to 180C in a deep-fat fryer or heavy-bottomed saucepan (no more than a third full). Fry the parsnip slices a few at a time, stirring to ensure that they don’t stick together. Take out those that are ready (after approx 2-3 minutes) with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. The parsnips may appear soft while they are still in the fat but once they have been drained they will dry out and crisp up. Leave them somewhere warm, but not hot, to dry,
then season.
To continue the bread sauce, discard the studded onion from the pan. Add the breadcrumbs and return the sauce to a low heat. Simmer gently for 10 minutes, giving it an occasional stir. Pour a third of the bread sauce from the pan into a blender and process, then return this to the pan with the remaining 25g butter. Stir until the sauce has amalgamated; check and correct the seasoning if necessary.
Remove the grouse from the roasting tin and set aside in a warm place.
To make the gravy, place the tin on the hob over a moderate heat, add the wine and stock, and deglaze the pan by stirring up the stuck-on sediment with a wooden spoon. Simmer for a couple of minutes. For a thicker gravy, add some cornflour mixed with a little water and whisk it in while heating. Strain into a clean pan or jug.
Serve the grouse with the gravy, bread sauce and parsnip crisps. If you’ve got any grouse or game pâté, that is delicious on toast with this dish too.

Pheasant Kyiv recipe

Pheasant can be a tricky bird to cook as it’s larger than most game birds and dries out very quickly. The thighs are good for curries and pies, and the drumsticks, full of needle-like bones, always get used in stock for a broth. I often turn pheasant breasts into breadcrumbed escalopes, and the stuffed Kyiv is a good old classic. During wild-garlic season I freeze some to use in the butter filling for this, but normal garlic is fine. It’s delicious served with wilted spinach.

Timings

Prep time: 30 minutes, plus 30-40 minutes to chill

Cook time: 6-10 minutes

Serves

Ingredients

4 pheasant breasts with the wing bone on, skinned
120g butter, softened
2 tbsp chopped parsley
6 garlic cloves, grated, or 1 tbsp finely chopped wild garlic (when in season)
3 tbsp flour, seasoned
1 large egg, beaten
100g fresh white breadcrumbs
vegetable or corn oil, for frying

Method

Lay the pheasant breasts on a chopping board with the small loose under-fillets facing up. Remove these fillets with your fingers and put to one side. Using a very sharp filleting knife or similar, cut a pocket: slice into (but not all the way through) the centre of each breast, running the knife out to each side, to end up with two flaps you can open and then fold back again, over the filling, later.
Mix together the softened butter, parsley and garlic, and season. Divide the mixture between the opened breasts, placing it in the middle of each one. Using the palm of your hand, flatten the little fillets that were removed and lay them over the butter. Fold the flaps back over each fillet to reform the breast, using a little of the flour to stick it and make sure it is perfectly sealed. Leave to rest in the fridge for 30-40 minutes.
When you’re ready to cook, preheat about 8cm of oil in a thick-bottomed saucepan or deep-fat fryer to 160-180C.
Have three dishes ready, one with the seasoned flour spread out on it, one with the beaten egg and the third with the breadcrumbs. Season the stuffed breasts and coat them in the flour, dusting off any excess, then put them through the egg and finally through the breadcrumbs.
Deep-fry the pheasant breasts for 6-7 minutes (8-10 minutes if they’re large), until golden, then lift out to sit on kitchen paper to drain before serving with wilted spinach.

Spicy steak with a pear, rocket and watercress salad recipe

This recipe is inspired by the tasty Vietnamese classic Bò Lúc Lac, or ‘shaking beef’. The beef and marinade are traditional, and here I have paired the watercress salad with some bitter and peppery rocket and delightfully sweet blush pears, and dressed it all with a tangy balsamic sauce.

Timings

Prep time: 20 minutes, plus marinating time

Cook time: 20 minutes

Serves

Ingredients

2 rib-eye steaks, each about 300g
½ tsp vegetable oil
100g watercress leaves
90g rocket leaves
1 red onion, thinly sliced lengthways
2 blush pears (as firm as possible), thinly sliced

For the marinade

2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp fish sauce
4 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp chilli paste
2 tsp garlic paste
4 tsp oyster sauce
60ml sweet chilli sauce
20ml lime juice

For the dressing

60ml olive oil
1 tsp red chilli paste
1 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp caster sugar
60ml balsamic vinegar
20ml light soy sauce
3 coriander stems, leaves and stems finely chopped

Method

Put the steaks into a bowl along with all the marinade ingredients plus 2 tsp ground black pepper and massage well, ensuring they are fully covered. Cover and leave in the fridge for a minimum of 1 hour or, for best results, 3 hours, taking them out to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.
Wipe off as much of the marinade (reserve it) as possible and set aside. Add the oil to a medium frying pan over a high heat. When hot, add the marinated steaks and toss for 1 minute until medium-rare. Take off the heat and leave to rest.
Put all the dressing ingredients into a small bowl, mix together well and set aside.
Once rested, slice the steaks into strips.
Gently toss the watercress and rocket leaves together, then place on a large serving plate. Add the onion and pears on top,
then pour over the dressing, according to taste.
Add the reserved marinade to a pan over a medium heat for 1 minute to warm through. Place the steak on top of the salad and drizzle over the marinade to finish.

Recipe from Vietnamese Made Easy by Thuy Diem Pham (£22, Quadrille)

Coconut crab udon soup recipe

A rich and creamy soup with bouncy, chewy noodles and wonderful umami hits of crab, this is my quick and easy version of Bánh Canh Cua Nuóc Côt Dùa – a dish so synonymous with my childhood that every time I eat it, I am transported back to my village market with a bowl cupped in my hands. Rather than just a recipe, this feels like I’m sharing the key to my happy place. Hopefully you will try it and join me there.

Timings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 15 minutes

Serves

Ingredients

500ml chicken stock
400ml coconut milk
2 tbsp cream cheese (I use Philadelphia), optional
200g mixture of brown and white crabmeat
2 chicken stock cubes, crumbled
20g cornflour
2 x 200g packets of ready-to-heat udon noodles
4 spring onions, finely chopped
4 coriander stems, leaves and stems finely chopped
4 Thai basil stems, leaves finely chopped
4 tsp crispy fried shallots (shop-bought or homemade)

Method

Put the chicken stock, coconut milk, 200ml water and the cream cheese (if using) into a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Add the crabmeat, crumbled stock cubes and ½ tsp salt, then lower the heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes.
In a small bowl, mix the cornflour and 40ml water together, then pour into the soup and stir for 10 seconds.
Add the udon and cook for a further 3 minutes until the noodles are soft and bouncy, then add the spring onions and remove from the heat.
Pour into your serving bowls and garnish with the herbs, crispy shallots and a pinch of black pepper.

Recipe from Vietnamese Made Easy by Thuy Diem Pham (£22, Quadrille)

Smashed potatoes with figs, goats cheese and prosciutto recipe

This flavoursome dish takes the ingredients you might find in the best kind of summer grazing lunch – sweet figs, sharp cheese, salty cured ham – but reimagines them as a warm, comforting dinner.

For this recipe, you’ll parboil little potatoes (I used ratte), then smash them and roast until crisp, along with a whole head of garlic. Then right at the end you’ll add halved figs, spooning a little balsamic vinegar onto each one. You’ll barely warm through thick slices of chalky goats cheese, then serve the whole gorgeous tray with prosciutto (or another silky cured meat) and some finely chopped tarragon.

Some extra crunch might be nice, possibly in the form of some toasted pine nuts or walnuts scattered over when you come to serve. You’ll definitely need bread and a fresh, ideally bitter salad. I’d be tempted to find a frisée lettuce or some endive and toss it with a very classic, thick vinaigrette.

Serves

Ingredients

500g little potatoes (I used ratte)
A whole bulb of garlic, sliced in half
Olive oil
6 figs, halved
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
150g goats cheese, thickly sliced
6 slices of prosciutto
1 tbsp tarragon, finely chopped

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6.
Set a pan of well salted water on the hob. Add the potatoes and bring to the boil. When simmering, cook for 15 minutes, or until just soft enough you could break a potato with the flat of a knife.
Remove the potatoes from the water and, using a masher or the flat side of a large knife, press down on each one so that it breaks but remains just about together. Arrange on a baking tray with the garlic. Drizzle olive oil over everything and a little flaky salt. Roast for 15 minutes, or until the craggy edges of the potatoes are brown and crisp.
Add the figs to the tray, cut side up. Spoon a little balsamic vinegar on each one. Return the tray to the oven for six minutes.
Then remove from the oven, add the goats cheese slices and put back in for about two minutes – you don’t want the cheese to completely melt, more warm through.
Take the tray out of the oven and finish with prosciutto (I just bunch up each slice and tuck them in among the potatoes and figs) and the finely chopped tarragon. Serve from the tray and eat straight away.

Bacon and egg banh mi-style croissant recipe

This bánh mì-inspired recipe has another dose of French flavour by way of using a croissant rather than a classic baguette.

This is a weekend breakfast favourite in our house; it’s super-easy to throw together. I normally have ingredients like the carrot and daikon pickle pre-prepared and ready in my fridge so I can add a Vietnamese touch to a dish whenever necessary.

This recipe makes enough to fill a 1 litre jar; leftovers can be stored in an airtight jar for up to two weeks in the fridge.

Timings

Prep time: 15 minutes, plus cooling and pickling time

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves

Ingredients

For the carrot and daikon pickle

500ml rice vinegar
500g caster sugar
250g carrots, cut into thin matchsticks
250g daikon/mooli (or you can use radishes), cut into thin matchsticks

For the croissant

2 tsp vegetable oil
4 slices of streaky bacon
2 eggs
2 croissants
2 tsp coarse pork or chicken pâté
2 tsp mayonnaise
40g carrot and daikon pickle
6 coriander stems
10 mint leaves
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, thinly sliced
1 tsp light soy sauce
2 tsp crispy fried shallots (shop-bought or homemade)

Method

To make the carrot and daikon pickle, heat up the rice vinegar and sugar in a saucepan to about 80-85C, stirring until all the sugar has dissolved. Take off the heat and leave to cool completely.
Put the carrots and daikon into a clean, sterilised jar (run it through the dishwasher, with no detergent) and pour over the cooled vinegar. It can be eaten after 3 hours but is better if left overnight.
Add 1 tsp of the oil to a small frying pan and bring to a high heat.
Fry the bacon until crisp, then remove and keep warm. Add the remaining oil, then fry the eggs, sunny-side up. Remove and keep them warm too.
Toast the croissants, cut in half and open out on your plate. Spread pâté on one half and mayonnaise on the other. Top with the bacon, carrot and daikon pickle and fried eggs.
Stuff in the coriander stems, mint leaves, spring onion and chilli, then drizzle over the soy sauce. Sprinkle over the crispy fried shallots and a pinch of ground black pepper, and your delicious breakfast is ready.

Recipe from Vietnamese Made Easy by Thuy Diem Pham (£22, Quadrille)

Zomato prepares Akshay Kumar’s ‘healthy juice,’ recipe. Here’s how people reacted to it

Zomato recently took to Instagram to unveil a recipe for the ‘healthiest juice in the world,’ that Akshay Kumar’s character from the movie Deewane Huye Paagal shared in the film. Not only did Zomato prepare this recipe, but they also made their employees try it, and their reactions are sure to tickle your funny bone.

Zomato makes a healthy drink inspired by Akshay Kumar’s character.

In the post shared by Zomato, you can see a scene from Deewane Huye Paagal, where Akshay Kumar‘s character tells a healthy juice recipe. They start by mixing orange juice in a blender. Then the characters add a piece of ginger, spinach, and red chillies. Once finally blended, Zomato makes its employees try this drink. And needless to say, the people who tried it, instantly expressed their displeasure and disgust. (Also Read: Is Swiggy charging an extra amount on your order? Food delivery company clarifies)

Watch the video of this juice recipe here:

This post was shared on September 20. Since being shared, it has been viewed more than 1.1 million times. The share has also been liked several times. Many people took to the comments section of the post to share their reactions to this juice recipe.

Check out what people are saying about this video here:

An individual wrote, “Zomato if you recommend this juice in notification, then I will forget our relationship and will be breaking up with you.”

A second added, “Haha, this was very funny.”

“There should be a disclaimer on this scene. Do not try this at home,” posted a third.

A fourth joked, “Therefore I prefer Swiggy over Zomato.”

A fifth said, “Where can I order this? Need to give it to my boss.”

“I watched this movie today only, what a coincidence,” expressed a sixth.

Another commented, “Great content, made me laugh.”

A few others have replied to the post using laughing emojis.

What are your thoughts on this juice recipe? Will you try making it?

Foodie Mark Wright shares fakeaway kebab recipe & it’s all done in an air fryer

MARK Wright is the latest celebrity to be bitten by the air fryer bug, as he’s revealed he loves using it to make fakeaway kebabs.

The TV and radio presenter said he’s come up with a way of making a healthy alternative for the popular dish – and it only takes 20 minutes in the kitchen appliance.

Mark Wright has perfected making kebabs in the air fryerCredit: Instagram/_livewright_

He was a big fan of the resultCredit: Instagram/_livewright_

The 36-year-old took to his fitness company’s Instagram account to share his recipe with fellow foodies.

And one of the best parts is that it requires minimal ingredients, including low fat mince, garlic, red onion, chilli and seasoning.

Plus pitta breads, salad and a secret special sauce to serve with.

Mark, who is married to actress Michelle Keegan, then demonstrated exactly how it’s done.

First, he added some ground garlic and chopped red onion to some mince in a bowl, plus a helping of chilli and salt and pepper.

He then mixed it altogether by hand until it formed a patty consistency that could be separated into however many kebabs you’d like to make.

Once the kebab shape had been formed, he put them into the air fryer and set the timer to 20 minutes.

And while the dish was cooking, he turned his attention to building the pitta breads and salad.

Former Strictly Come Dancing star Mark took a pitta bread and layered it with lettuce and sliced tomato and more red onion.

He then mixed up a special sauce using mayonnaise and what appears to be sweet chilli sauce, combining the two to make the perfect condiment to be served with the kebabs.

And once the kebabs were cooked to perfection, he simply took them out of the air fryer and popped them inside the pre-prepared pitta.

The final result got a big thumbs up from Mark, who quickly tucked into his lunch.

And his 72.1k followers were equally impressed, as they said they would be following the recipe themselves.

One wrote: “These look so good – thanks for sharing.”

A second social media user said: “I’ll be trying this one, look SO yum.”

A third added: “I will definitely be trying these. Love seeing the different options of healthier foods from you.”

While a fourth added: “This looks yummy Mark.”

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