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Photo: Anu Pushkarna

old world charm Bina Kak enjoying her lunch

“Whenever I am tense, I rush to the kitchen!” You don’t expect such a quote from a seasoned politician. But then Bina Kak is not your every day leader, who loves to indulge in polemics.

A politician by choice and an actress by chance, she loves to entertain people, cook food for busting stress and charm with her eloquence in Hindustani.

Settling for a quiet lunch , Bina declares she can identify the recipe by tasting a dish. “I always emphasise the look of the food, because it’s the eyes that first taste a dish. Every year on January 2, I invite friends to my house in Jaipur for an ‘eat-out’ where I provide them with raw material and everybody prepares his or her favourite dish. As soon as one is through we take a break to eat it and move on,” says Bina who as the tourism minister of Rajasthan brought about several changes in Tourism Development Corporation of the State. “My speciality is jungle maas which takes a long time to cook. By the time it is done, most of the friends are through with eating!”

Starting with Greek farmhouse salad, Bina says she believes in simplicity. “For instance, I prepare jungle maas in the old world style when the game was cooked over slow fire and only pure ghee, chilli and salt were used with water. Similarly, I prepare yakhini pulao which has given way to yakhini biryani these days.”

Moving on to an assortment of Indian delicacies, Bina shares she accepted a role in Maine Pyar Kyun Kiya on Salman Khan’s insistence. “Though I had some theatre experience during college, I was apprehensive because I didn’t know how my constituency will react to it. Salman felt that it will add to my popularity.” He was right as she says the role was so cute that people queued up to watch the film.

One person who doubted her capacity to emote was director David Dhawan. “He kept on postponing my dates till Salman and Sohail intervened. But when I gave the first shot in one take, he felt relieved and then went on to increase my role.” Bina says she is a spontaneous actress. “I don’t care for the lights and camera! This is director’s job. I just say my lines.” Bina will now be seen in the much-delayed God Tussi Great Ho and Dulha Mil Gaya. “I will only do roles which go well with my real life image. Something like Nanhe Jaisalmer. I don’t want to shock my people by doing negative roles and yes, no dying of tresses!,” quips Bina appreciating palak nazakat.

On her support for Salman whose case she raised in the local Assembly as well, Bina says her concern was against the mafia operating in the region. “I wanted to know that poaching continues to happen in the region, but nobody notices. It is only when a celebrity gets caught suddenly you have a hue and cry. How did Salman and his friends from the film fraternity come to know of hunting unless there were conducted tours happening in the region?”

Methi gobhi ki sabzi is here, and Bina shares her cooking skills are now being appreciated in Bollywood. “My Kashmiri kofte reminds Anupam (Kher) of his mother and Binod Pradhan loves my pasta and peanut pulao.” Then Shashi Kapoor demands her pickle almost every time she takes a flight to Mumbai and she has impressed Salman’s family with her Mughlai preparations. “Salim sahib swears by my junglee gosht and Katrina loves my custard caramel.” Bina done, it’s time for gulab jamun to cast its spell.

ANUJ KUMAR

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