Best of Weekender: Meet Jagdish Chaturvedi of India’s first medical humour web series, find out how celebs act and react during a pandemic, and discover the delicious flavours of Malnad

The man behind the web series, Dr Jagdish Chaturvedi, also recently launched a WhatsApp video on coronavirus called “Main Corona Virus” which was very popular among his fans. And now, his web series is all set to highlight problems faced by medical students in India like workplace bullying, the need for medical entrepreneurship, and the balance of work, passion, and family life.

The six episodic web series features Bollywood actors Renuka Sahane, Parikshit Sahni, and Kurush Deboo (from Munna Bhai MBBS) and is streaming on the newly launched healthcare infotainment platform called “Hiiih”, which can be downloaded from Play Store and iOS.

Don’t miss an exclusive interaction with the doctor behind the first medical humour web series in the country.

As most of us are at home during the COVID-19 lockdown, why not take the time to explore various cuisines and learn about them. Don’t miss our food expert’s take on magnificent Malnad fare.

According to him, one of the finest culinary gems of Karnataka, featuring a robust mélange of Mangalorean and Kodava food, is the unique cuisine of Malnad. It is characterised by the use of fresh vegetables, rich aromatic spices, freshly ground masalas, and unusual local ingredients.

Whether it is the classic Malnad-style Koli Saaru served with soft rice dumplings, healthy mutton ribs simmered in a delicious blend of herbs and spices or Akki rotti, there is much to discover and savour about Malnad cuisine.

Chef Devwrat Jategaonkar is best known for the margarine sculpture he carved of the Shiva Trimurti, which went on to find a place in the Guinness Book of World Records. The sculpture was done in 10 days at the Domestic Airport, Mumbai.

Devwrat is an Executive Chef with Travel Food Services at the domestic airport in Santa Cruz, and he previously worked at the Radisson Blu, Alibaug. He has always been interested in food carving and when he got a chance to compete for the Guinness title, he and his team worked tirelessly to create the sculpture, which collapsed three times and had to be redone over and over.

After winning a world record, Devwrat has learnt to believe in his ideas. Do not give up, says the talented chef. ‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams’.

When reports started emerging from Wuhan, China, about the deadly novel coronavirus or COVID-19, panic ensued among the public and soon it became a pandemic. No one was spared, and recently many actors, athletes, politicians, and other celebrities have been infected by the virus, and have also gone public with their diagnosis.

Actor Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson, British actor Idris Elba, Game of Thrones actor Kristofer Hivju, and B-town celebrity Kanika Kapoor are some of the few who have contracted the deadly coronavirus.

Read all about the prominent celebrities from different walks of life who have announced that they have been tested positive for coronavirus.

So, what were celebrities doing during the Janata Curfew and during these days of lockdown? Actors like Janhvi Kapoor and Salman Khan turned to sketching and painting, Vicky Kaushal and Shilpa Shetty engaged in a series of home fitness routines, Deepika Padukone cleaned out her closet, Katrina Kaif played her guitar, and Saif Ali Khan did some gardening with his son.

Check out their posts on social media on how they spend their time in many useful ways during these days of social distancing.

From singers like Alicia Keys, Shawn Mendes, and Justin Bieber to actresses like Julia Roberts and Julianne Moore, and models like Bella Hadid, celebrities are trying to reduce the anxiety surrounding COVID-19 with their powerful videos and messages of hope.

A number of celebrities are doing their bit to encourage their fans to socially distance themselves and follow government protocol.

Don’t miss reading their many messages to their fans on how to stay strong and stay safe at home.

Athletes, billionaires, singers, and actors and a host of the world’s leading celebrities have come together to provide relief to the victims of the disease and to help those who need the most support.

Many of them have opened their hearts and their pockets to support the relief measures for coronavirus victims. Some of these celebrities include Bill Gates and his wife Melinda Gates, who have donated $100 million through the ‘Gates Foundation’ to those countries hit hardest by the coronavirus. Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace and her daughter Allegra donated 200,000 Euros to a hospital in Milan, to help provide relief to those victims suffering from COVID-19.

Read all about the generous contributions of celebrities during this pandemic.

Stress is an imbalance of homeostasis in your body, that puts extra demand on major systems of your body, especially the HPA axis to the Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal axis and your nervous system. Your body is programmed in a way that you physiologically respond to a stressful situation but then it is meant to also shut off. When it does not shut off the process, you stay in a high stress, impacting multiple systems in your body and making it more challenging for you to cope with further stress.

So, how do you keep stress and anxiety at bay? Our nutritionist has several suggestions to offer. Start by ensuring every meal has components for blood sugar balance, and these include healthy fats, clean proteins, ample fibre, and potent phytonutrients. Load up on orange coloured fruits and vegetables that are rich in beta carotene for immune support. Avoid diets that are either too high or too low in protein and devoid of everything else.

Don’t miss reading all our nutritionist’s tips on how to handle stress as you spend time at home during the lockdown in our country.

Actors, playwrights, theatre institutes, and lovers of the craft from all over the globe have celebrated ‘World Theatre Day’, ever since it was established in 1962.

Theatre is what makes us human as it helps us to express our deep-seated emotions through the portrayal of numerous characters on stage. It makes us understand, empathise, and reflect on the deeper issues of life.

From Lee Strasberg to Konstantin Stanislavski to Laurence Olivier to Naseeruddin Shah, read all about the most famous theatre actors who should be remembered every year because of their brilliance on the stage.

Albert Uderzo the co-creator and illustrator behind the much-loved comic series Asterix and Obelix died recently at the age of 92, of a heart attack.

The popular French comic that first emerged in 1959, was written by Rene Goscinny and follows the adventures of Gaulish warriors who try to overthrow the Roman empire during the time of Julius Caesar.

Protagonist Asterix is a man of tiny stature, who is extremely witty and cunning and is often called upon to represent his troops when it comes to battle. Obelix, his best friend, who is three times his size, is a menhir sculptor with superhuman strength who tags along and helps him during these quests, both in their village as well in other exotic parts of the world.

Don’t miss our tribute to the achievements of this great artist and script-writer who will be deeply missed by his fans.

Do you believe that staying healthy is the secret to perfect happiness? Are Abdul Kalam, Robin Sharma, Amish Tripathi, and Chetan Bhagat your favourite authors? Do you love travelling to places of historical significance? If so, meet Madhuri Vardhinedi, who founded Ennoble Technologies, an IT company in 2016.

Learning and exploring new things is always on the table for this entrepreneur-turned-writer. She also helped in translating the book, Amaravathi, from Telugu to English. As for her motto, ‘Dream big and work towards manifesting your dreams’ is her mantra for achieving your highest goals in life.

Read all about her greatest loves, regrets, heroes, and much more in her responses to our Proust questionnaire.