Exec Lifestyle?s Weekend Watch recommends and previews television shows, films and live events that you simply cannot miss! Check out our recommendations for this weekend (3 -5 July).

About Time:

Here?s some news for those who want to hear their favourite song at a bar and at the same time do some good for the furry pals in our society.  Come to Boveda and request the DJ to play your favourite songs for just Rs 10. Don?t worry; this isn?t some cheap trick to extract money from you. The money will be donated to an NGO called World For All Animal Care & Adoptions - a registered Mumbai-based animal welfare NGO that has revolutionised the model of stray animal adoptions. Now you can save lives, one song at a time.

Live Act:  

Nation?s favourite playback singer who has given some of the biggest romantic hits in the last couple of years is going live in Mumbai this Sunday. After his return from a very successful tour abroad, Arijit Singh, is all set to mesmerise Mumbaikars with his voice at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Stadium, The National Sports Club of India, in Worli at 7 pm. The show promises to be houseful so grab your tickets now.

Television:

Zing
In the upcoming episode of Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya this weekend, popular actor will play cupid as Anurag?s uncle who shows him the path to true love. Known for his ?dhai kilo ka haath? Dharmendra will act as introspective uncle who understands Himani?s feelings for Anurag and the meaning behind her gifts to him. Catch him spread love and open doors for more exciting chemistry between Himani and Anurag, in the coming episode of Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya this Friday at 7 pm on Zing.

This week exec life gets close and personal with the pet lovers in the industry. To these executives, their furry pals are an extension of their family and thus can demand as much care and affection as theor own children do. And why not, after all, pets know how to give love, affection and loyalty like no other. Check out how executives spend their time with their four legged friends.

By Papri Das and Jigar Ganatra

Whether you are a foodie or not, there is a certain level of excitement in meeting a celebrity chef like Saransh Goila. Therefore, when the self touted #SadakChef, who hosted the popular TV show Roti Rasta aur India agreed to talk about his upcoming book launch over a coffee, we at Exec Lifestyle were quite thrilled.

At first glance Goila comes across as an engaging individual, who is not only eager to tell you about his exploits, but listen to you as well. And the same is reflected in his approach to food: easy to approach, relatable and enriching with a touch of romance. He emanates a certain sense of familiarity which doesn?t require any ice breaker. So we immediately dived at the reason for meeting him -- his latest book, ?India On My Platter?. And before we knew it, we were having elaborate and somewhat demonstrative discussions on his extensive road across the country covering 27,000 km to explore India?s cuisine.

Here?s an excerpt from Exec Life?s rendezvous with Goila.

Why is ?India On My Platter? not a simple recipe book?
Imagine ?Motorcycle Diaries? with food being the main subject and you will get ?India On My Platter?. Needless to say I was heavily influenced by this very famous autobiographical book. I wanted to bring out the romance of my experiences like great travel writers like Ruskin Bond did. My publisher pointed out that while my travel experiences are rich, as a chef, the book will be incomplete without my insights on the various cuisines I have come across. This is the reason we have also included the various 50 recipes that I encountered or created throughout the journey as part of the narrative. They are not your generic recipe styles which one can download from the net any day, but stories that I want to share.

What are the highlights of your road trip?

While I was in Hyderabad, as part of the journey, I met a Kalamkari artist who taught me about his art. In turn I showed him my art, which is cooking and as a result I came up with a new recipe inspired by his art. Apart from that I was surprised to find Surat to be such a treasure trove for foodies. I mean no disrespect to the vegetarians in Gujarat but I was happy to see certain places serving non-vegetarian cuisine. And the street food there was mind blowing. I remember this particular kiosk called ?Bhai Bhai Omelette?, a tiny shop between a Hindu and Muslim neighbourhood, specialising in 100 different types of egg preparations and catering to both the communities.

What kind of dynamics do you share with Chef Sanjeev Kapoor?
After my grandfather if there is someone who inspires me to be a better chef, it's chef Sanjeev Kapoor. I still remember that as I child I used to run from the school bus to home to catch his show Khana Khazana at lunch with my grandfather and grandmother. I would always miss the first 15 minutes because the bus would get me home by 2:15 pm. From being a fan boy to have him guide me in person; life has been very fortunate to me. As I move ahead in my career he really mentors me into taking the right path.  In fact, in spite of his busy schedule he has agreed to launch my book with his own hands.

How does it feel to get a quote from your favourite Author Ruskin Bond, on your book?

Quite frankly, I gave myself a pat on the back for having pulled such an impossible stunt as to get Ruskin Bond involved in the book. When I thought of a person to get a book quote from, Ruskin Bond?s name came naturally to me, having been such an ardent reader of his works myself.

For a while I didn?t really go ahead with this crazy idea, but then I thought why not. So I looked up this article on him that came out almost half a year back and got in touch with the writer, after putting in all my social media skills. I found her on Facebook, and she turned out to be a common friend. Divine intervention indeed. She told me upfront that Ruskin Bond doesn?t have any social media accounts, he doesn't even have a phone. The only way to contact him is meet him personally at his home in Mussoorie. But his grandson turned out to be a fan of mine, who was happy to help me get in touch with him.

I then went to Mussoorie to meet him personally and had a two hour long chat with him which changed my life.

What do you think of India as a travel destination?

India is a travellers paradise and makes for an amazing destination for road trip. Every hundred kilometers, colours, languages, clothing, the way people look, their eating habits and even the taste of water changes. I think the only other place you can feel similar while travelling is through Europe, but India is more varied and has more character.

If you wish to discover the many characters of India that Goila has found through his travel across the country, check out his book which will launch on 1 July 2015.

By Papri Das

In midst of cracking million dollar deals, managing multiple hundreds of employees and running companies, executives seldom get the opportunity to explore their other talents.

Sometimes, it?s the designation that holds them back from flaunting their talents; say in a party or when engaging in some team building activity. But when that opportunity comes in the shape of saving many lives, there really isn?t any reason to hesitate. Same goes for the many CEOs who participated in a singing show.
The 12th edition of Genesis Foundation?s fundraiser activity saw 11 business leaders letting go of their inhibitions and picking up the mic -- not to give an inspiring lecture on business but to sing songs!
?It was amazing to see such eminent personalities from the business world come together for a cause and not only do it for charity but enjoy themselves in the process,? says Genesis Foundation founding trustee Prema Sagar.

Genesis Foundation is a celebrated non-profit organisation that  provides financial support for life-saving and life-changing medical intervention for critically under-privileged children in areas of cancer, cardiac disorder, post organ transplant medication, thalassemia and extreme deformities.
?The idea was to organise fundraising activities that the participants could get involved in more spontaneously, and would also create a lively atmosphere for the kids. And what would work better than singing?? says Sagar adding that since the inception, they have received rave reviews from both the CEOs and the audiences, which in turn has helped them raise funds efficiently.
?I am glad that our efforts are bringing smiles on their faces and giving them a better life,? says Rhythm House MD Mehmood Curmally, who has been a participant four to five times already, with the latest one being in Mumbai, earlier this month.

?I always had a thing for singing and after performing at the fundraisers I have found out how passionate I am about it. In fact, I am taking vocal training classes these days,? shares Culmally, admitting that he and his fellow participants took the competition way too seriously before the ranking system was pulled out.

?I still take it seriously and make it a point to practice properly before getting on the stage. I try to squeeze in time between lunch, in cars and after work hours at night to give my best performance,? says the CEO who did a cover of Hallelujah for his solo round and Phantom Of The Opera as duet with his friend.
Trinity Vintners CEO Ashwin Deo who rendered his version of the song Ek Ektara from Wake Up Sid, also feels that he prefers the current format way better than when it used to be a competition. ?I had been involved with the event ever since its inception eight years back. I definitely feel that the competition format wasn?t healthy for something with a purpose like this,? says the dynamic CEO. ?I am looking forward to participating in the Delhi chapter of the fundraiser in July,? signs off Deo.

Exec Lifestyle?s Weekend Watch recommends and previews television shows, films and live events that you simply cannot miss! Check out our recommendations for this weekend (25 -27June).

About Town

All you electronic music lovers have a treat in store this weekend. The Maximum Tour 2015 continues to amchi Mumbai with Ma Faiza in association with Vh1 India. Facebook stalking by his fans revealed that the charismatic artist just got himself a crazy hairdo for his upcoming gig in the city. It simply shows how revved up he is to show off his skills sets with the turntable at Blue Frog this Friday at 10.30 pm.

Live Act

Written by Sadat Hasan Manto, the play ?Toba Tek Singh? explores the hypothetical scenario where Pakistan and India decide to exchange their mental asylum inmates post 1947 on religious basis. As this news breaks inside a mental-asylum in Lahore, what follows is funny, farcical, satirical and absurd. Join director Mohit Sharma, who also single handedly depicts the roller coaster of emotions in this funny yet dark spectacle on stage.

Television:

Sony Max

Movie buffs who have been disheartened by the constant rains disrupting their theater plans can now enjoy a new movie every weekend on Sony Max! Catch its latest in the series of world television premieres, Mr X. You can check out this Emraan Hashmi starrer 3D science fiction vigilante thriller film on Saturday, 27 June at 8 pm with a repeat telecast on Sunday, 28 June at 1 pm.

For passionate dance lovers across the world, this week brings a sense of loss. On 25 June 2009 the world lost one of its brightest stars, Michael Jackson, and we continue to weep for him, and miss his legendary performances. Though his last performance in India goes way back in 1999, Michael still enjoys a fan following of billions in this nation, including some of our favourite Bollywood actors. From tributes, to mentions in interviews to collection of his memorabilia, our B?town MJ fans stop at nothing to show their love for the King of Pop. Here?s a list of Bollywood actors who go gaga over Michael Jackson

Prabhu Deva:

This actor choreographer, director and performer has time and again proven his love for Michael Jackson. His interpretations of MJ?s dance moves, especially the pelvic moves are what has earned him the title of Indian Michael Jackson. Right from the chart bursting performance to the song ?Muqabala? to his tribute to the King of Pop at IIFA Awards 2012, Prabhu Deva is our number one fan choice of Micheal Jackson in Bollywood with his perfect moonwalk.

Shahid Kapoor:

Shahid Kapoor has been known to be a dire fan of the King of Pop, going so far as to give him a tribute in Filmfare Awards 2010. He not only danced on Michael?s numbers but whoever saw that performance live could swear they couldn?t differentiate between Shahid?s performance and MJ?s shadow in the background. If you haven?t already seen it, here?s a YouTube link to it.

Hrithik Roshan:

There?s no two question about the fact that Hrithik is one of the best dancers in our country, and like any other passionate dancer of this era, he was also inspired by MJ when he was a kid. His honest feelings for the ?dangerous? man came forth when he participated in the tribute video after Michael Jackson passed away in June 2009. His ?Bang Bang? performance clearly reflected MJ?s influences, with Hrithik adding his own deadly style to the mix.

Tiger Shroff:

Tiger Shroff, the new kid on the block, gave a fantastic first performance in his debut film that took no time in getting his name enlisted amongst the top dancers in Bollywood. This man with smooth dance moves was apparently born with two left feet. Something hard to believe, if one sees his recent tribute to MJ, which he uploaded on YouTube.

Remo D'souza:

This popular film choreographer and dance mentor who specialises in hip hop is very vocal about his patronage to Michael Jackson. Remember those MJ bands? They became a prestigious badge of excellence in one of India?s biggest dance reality shows, ?Dance India Dance?, all thanks to him. Remo's rendition of MJs popular numbers with his Rangeele's in ?Dance India Dance? finale in 2011 was quite the spectacle.

Surya:

Well, he isn?t from Bollywood, but this southern superstar is a diehard Michael Jackson fan. His fan following, which is already in millions, probably tripled over his kickass tribute to Michael Jackson in his movie ?Mass?. While Surya did an amazing job at dancing to the ?Smooth Criminal?s? beats, it was apparently the movie?s music composer Yuvan Shankar Raja?s wish to pay his tribute to MJ that led to the songs inception.