Pick your favourites

Sana Khan
Favourite TV show: FRIENDS

One should I would recommend is Friends. One of the biggest reasons why it resonated with the youth was because the characters were real.  The show wasn’t overtly sentimental or over the top. These were real stories that had a very human element to it. I have grown up watching this show. It remains on my watch list ever since. It is one of those shows which never fails to perk up your mood when you are low.

Sana Khan is an actress

2BLU
Favourite performance: Deep Purple concert
On May 3, 2002, Deep Purple performed in Mumbai. I had watched them live the previous year but this show felt more intimate since I was in the front row. Every high note Ian Gillan sang felt like my own.  Ian Gillan doesn’t even know that I exist but he will have my gratitude till my last breath for inspiring me to be the man I always try to be. His words gave me hope. The performance was spellbinding — stellar would be an understatement.

2Blu aka Tirthankar Poddar is a musician

Jayadeep Mukherjee
Favourite restaurant: Din Tai Fung, Singapore

The first restaurant that comes to mind, is the Michelin star awarded Din Tai Fung in Singapore. I have had several meals in their restaurants in Singapore and very recently in Dubai. Each one as spectacular as the other. The magic of Din Tai Fung is in the unbelievable simplicity in their dishes. Their steamed dumplings, especially the pork and truffle dumplings are my all-time favourite. No one dish in this restaurant disappoints and that to me is epic!

Jaydeep Mukherjee is the executive chef at Indigo Deli, Mumbai

Fahad Samar
Favourite book: Midnight’s Children

I think this classic book is a work of art. A wonderful Italian writer called Italo Calvino says that a classic is a novel that never stops saying to you what it has to say; and Midnight’s Children lives up to this line of thought. Every time I read it, it gives me a new perspective to the story. I have read the book four times, and yet each time there is something extraordinary that comes out of it. Most importantly, the book is still relevant in today’s time — not just for Mumbai, but also for the world in general.

Farhad Samar is a filmmaker and author

Arun Daga
Favourite album: Barfi

One of my favourite albums in recent years is Barfi, composed by Pritamda. The whole album had a rustic feel be it compositions, singing or writing. Phir Le Aaya was at its best, powerfully written by Sayeed Quadri and Arijit Singh rendering it beautifully. Aashiyan written by Swanand Kirkire and sung by Shreya Ghoshal and Nikhil Paul George is superb. Kyon sung by Papon left me speechless. In totality, I think each track from the album was above par.

Arun Daga is a musician

Gurmeet Choudhary
Favourite film: Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge

I love Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. I believe the film has grown popular with every passing year and the scenes remain as fresh as it was the day it released. The dialogues in the film still make me swoon. I love how Kajol looked in the film —  I think no actress other than her could have played the role the way she did. The screenplay and direction is seamless, so much so that I wouldn’t mind watching the film again and again. DDLJ is a film I would even like to show my kids!

Gurmeet is an actor

— Complied by Aarti Bhanushali and Julie Sam