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If food be the music...
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In the Aasma group, the young men prefer Chinese and are non-vegetarians, the young ladies are sticklers for vegetarian fare.
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IN FINE COMPANY: The Asma group enjoys the fare on offer at Ambassador Hotel's Larry's China restaurant in New Delhi. Photo : R.V. Moorthy.
CROONING THE latest pop numbers before an applauding audience, signing autographs for crowding fans, giving the right sound bytes for a Press meet, rehearsing for the next show, and catching the evening flight to another destination for another programme. Life has been hectic for Channel V's Aasma group since it was formed 11 months ago but not so busy as to keep them from appreciating the fine flavours of good food.
In New Delhi for a jam-packed high-voltage concert at Lady Irwin College, the Aasma quartet is in high spirits. A quiet luncheon at Ambassador Hotel's Larry's China is the right place to unwind. "The crowd at Lady Irwin was really enthusiastic. We sang all the latest numbers, plus some Punjabi pop. There is a great demand for Punjabi pop these days," says Jimmy Felix, who plays the guitar and keyboards and also lends his voice to all the numbers. Jimmy hails from Kerala, though he spent his growing years in Jaipur. "My mom is from Allepey, while my dad is from Chenganur. I know a smattering of Malayalam. When I go to Kerala and try speaking Malayalam, people laugh at my accent," he says. Sangeet Haldipur, who plays the keyboards and piano, is a Saraswat from Maharashtra. Both the girls, Neeti Mohan and Vasudha Sharma, belong to Delhi.
While the young men prefer Chinese and are non-vegetarians, the young ladies are sticklers for vegetarian fare. "Vasudha's favourite food is Dal Makhani and Naan, while Neeti loves South Indian," says Sangeet. Sipping a tall glass of fruit punch, Jimmy pours over the menu with Sangeet, who sticks to sweet lime soda. They have to order for Neeti, who is hurrying to reach the hotel from her home in Rohini. Vasudha, busy cramming for her correspondence examinations, has already excused herself from the luncheon meet. For starters they order Dry Chilli Chicken, Lotus Stem with Sesame and Honey and Crispy Fried Noodles. "We are all food lovers. We love to eat all kinds of food, but are undergoing a training regimen under which we are not allowed milk, eggs or butter. We have a cook in our apartment in Mumbai who dishes up food with the barest amount of olive oil. We eat rotis made of bajra and jowar. Sangeet lost nine kilos in the first few months," says Jimmy, his purple and black striped shirt and hep jeans proclaiming his penchant for dressing fashionably. "We are not allowed to drink colas either. They provide useless calories," adds Sangeet.
An attendant brings in Kimchi salad, sliced cabbage seasoned with vinegar and spices. The Crispy Noodle Salad has both the young men giving a slight gasp with its pungency. "Umm... it's quite spicy, but very nice," says Sangeet who prefers spicy food. Crisply fried noodles are combined with shredded cabbage, chilly oil, vinegar, salt and pepper - the attendant proffers in explanation.
"We are all undergoing training in Hindustani classical music. We do riyaaz everyday, sometimes alone or together. We also go for dancing classes for two hours every afternoon. The gym is a must for workouts every day," says Jimmy. With their days packed with activity, the quartet is allowed to eat out once in a while on special occasions, like birthdays. But they have become careful of what they eat. The Lotus Stem dish arrives. It has been ordered with Neeti in mind, but the crisply fried, diced lotus stems, with a dash of garlic and red chilli paste and tossed in oil with a generous flavouring of honey and sesame, is too scrumptious for them to resist. Accepting a second helping of the dish, Jimmy continues, "We give four to five shows a month. We just got back from a performance in Malaysia and Dubai. It was really great. We sang for some corporate bigwigs, and they requested for old numbers."
Neeti arrives, apologetic for the delay. After she partakes of the starters, the main dishes arrive - Vegetable Fried Rice and Green Vegetables in Lemon and Coriander Sauce for Neeti, while the boys have chosen Chicken Fried Rice, Chicken in Special Garlic Sauce and Spare Ribs.
"We plan to go international in the near future," says Neeti. "I am sure we can make it to the international scene and target the crowd there. Look at the way Punjabi pop has made it to the international charts." With the lunch well settled, it is time for dessert. Mango pieces in ice-cream for the boys while Neeti settles for Chocolate Bull's Eye. "I am crazy about chocolate. Dinner will comprise only salad to make up for this extravaganza," she says, shaking her head of pretty curls wryly.
RANJANA NARAYAN
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