Bigg Boss 14 contestant Kavita Kaushik says Salman Khan’s family loved FIR: ‘Salim uncle had invited me over for lunch’

Bigg Boss 14 wild card contestant Kavita Kaushik spoke to Hindustan Times about how she will deal with controversies, how her husband Ronit Biswas encouraged her to take up the show, and her equation with host Salman Khan and his family.

Kavita Kaushik is one of the three wild card contestants on Bigg Boss 14.

After turning down previous seasons of Bigg Boss, actor KAVITA  KAUSHIK finally decided to take up the popular show this year. She entered with a bang on Sunday night, along with fellow wild card contestants Naina Singh and SHARDUL PANDIT.

Before enteringBigg Boss 14, the Kavita spoke to Hindustan Times about what she will bring to the table, how she will deal with controversies, how her husband Ronit Biswas encouraged her to take up the show, and her equation with host Salman Khan and his family. Excerpts:

Q. What made you take up Bigg Boss 14?

A. 2020! The very fact that the whole country has become the Bigg Boss house where we are all locked in. We are cooking ourselves and doing the household chores. There is also social media, which has its good, but there is also invasion of space and privacy. It has become a place where if you voice an opinion, there are all kinds of reactions, good and bad. Some people try to pull you down by saying the nastiest of things. If a woman is talking about unity, love, peace and harmony in the country, a troll army comes out, trying to attack and character-assassinate her. We are anyway fighting these social media trolls. I think Bigg Boss is way more saintly than that. At least, in Bigg Boss, we can put our point forward inside the house or fight it out. How are you going to fight these faceless trolls? All these things made me say yes to the show this time.

Q. What is your survival strategy?

A. I don’t believe in over-planning. I know my weaknesses. I am not that smart or calculative. I am not even that groomed. The other girls who are my contemporaries or even those who came after me, are better-groomed and smarter, they know how to place themselves. I am very desi, I am a gaon ki ladki (village girl). I will be myself and show my real personality. How to survive is not in my hands. It is in the hands of the channel and the audience. Even surviving in life is not in your hands. You never know, you can get a heart attack at any time! It is not in my nature to plan too much ahead. The only thing on my mind is, I am going to have fun. I am not desperate to be in the house, I am going for fun. I have a wonderful life outside. It is my cocoon, but touchwood, it is a safe haven. Toh aisa nahi hai ki jo bhi ho jaaye, mar mar ke rehna hai (So it is not like whatever happens, I will go through hell just to stay inside). I know it is a game, I am going to play well. I will try to ensure that people get entertained by the way I am. Even if I fight, it should be interesting and fun, not dirty and full of cuss words. This is my thinking. How I will survive will be decided by the channel and the audience who will vote. My job is to have fun and be happy.

Q. From what you have seen, whom do you view as your biggest competitor?

A. This is not my strategy. I am not going in thinking that someone is my competitor. I am smart enough to know that how it appears from the outside is deceptive. The vibe and energy inside is completely different. I have also watched many seasons of Bigg Boss, so I know that your competition can change overnight. It is very silly to form preconceived notions and go into the house with a set frame of mind. I have been rigid in the past and said no to the show for so many years. I don’t want to be rigid anymore. I want to go in with a clean slate and see what is thrown at me.

Q. What aspect of your personality do you hope your fans can see, through the show?

A. I want to come across as real and entertaining, show my cooking talent. I want to surprise myself as well. I believe that as a human, there are many emotions other than anger and fighting. I plan to show the other emotions also because we have seen fights and it is fun for everyone to see, but if there is fighting all the time, it gets very boring. I hope the kind of person, the kind of roles I have done, I have always been called someone who has a lot of variety to her, so I hope that I can provide that variety to the show as well.

Q. How do you think your no-nonsense attitude will be perceived by other contestants? Do you think it will lead to clashes?

A. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. I don’t like fighting. I think violence is the biggest form of weakness. I know this now but there was a time when I used to be very angry and the smallest of things would set me off. But I realised that is my weakness and I worked on it. I did a lot of yoga, read scriptures etc. I have worked on myself for my own betterment. I have learned from my mistakes and I am very happy with the kind of person that I am becoming in life. I hope that I add joy to the house. I am not thinking about who is my competition or how someone will take my strong nature. If there is someone strong inside, I think they will appreciate the strength that I bring in and not get insecure. I feel that Rubina Dilaik is really good. If you ask me who I like, I like Rubina because she is showing strength. Why is it necessary that two strong people have to clash? They can complement each other too!

Q. Which former Bigg Boss contestant’s game do you really admire?

A. I think Shehnaaz Gill played very smartly and nicely. She knew that she was charming and she used her charm very well throughout the show to get into the hearts of the audience. I think we can all learn from her. She has so much charm that even after she got pulled up by Salman a few times, we still eventually liked her. That gameplan of knowing your plus points is very important..

 Bigg Boss contestants often have personal lives and controversies raked up on national television. Are you concerned about that?

A. No, yaar. We are living in a world where people are anyway digging up stuff, making videos and talking sh*t about people. They are saying things which are not even true, so let them. If a controversy or something true comes out, I have nothing to hide. I am not scared or answerable to anyone. I know my husband is my best friend, I know he is my backbone. I don’t give a damn about anyone else. Talk about any of my controversies, I will just say, ‘Yes, I did it. So? Big deal!’

Q. Was your husband the one who encouraged you to take up Bigg Boss 14?

A. Actually, he did. We discussed it this year and he likes the show. I am very rigid but he is more calm. I have become a better person, being with him. I have become calmer and more clear about things. My raw energies were going here and there. He has really channelised my energy with his love. He told me that it will be fun. This is the number one show and he made me realise that it opens so many different avenues. I have been working for 18 years and when you have a career that goes on for so long, you sometimes need a project that gives you another boost and creates a good buzz for your career again. He explained these things to me. And let me tell you, like a little child, he is so excited for me to win the trophy. He has told me, ‘Please win the trophy. I will do whatever you say, I will roll out a red carpet for you, I will take you wherever you want. I just want to see you win.’ He comes from a very humble background and the win will make him the happiest man on earth. I really want to do this for him and of course, for myself, but it will be the best day of his life.

Q. It has been reported that you share a close rapport with Salman Khan. Is this true?

A. I wouldn’t call it a close rapport, no. Salman and his family including Sohail Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Salim (Khan) uncle and Helen aunty have seen FIR. Salim uncle had invited me over for lunch and he told me, ‘We really enjoy your show.’ They have been very gracious to me by hosting a feast for me just because they liked the show. I just have that little equation, you may say. I am very thankful for this gracious gesture which made a simple artist feel like a queen. Other than that, there is no friendship or anything. I wish there was, but there isn’t.

 

Coriander Usually Takes 3 Weeks to Sprout. This Hack Grows Fresh Leaves in 5 Days

Coriander, or cilantro, is widely consumed in India and is probably a part of most meals of the day. Coriander leaves are commonly sprinkled over the cooked food as a garnish adding aroma and a tinge of flavour.

But the herb has more than high aesthetic value. It has more nutrition than you may imagine. Rich in protein, vitamin C and Vitamin K, the herb is also a good source of dietary fibres, potassium, manganese, calcium among other minerals.

Finding the herb in the market is easy, and it is commonly believed that growing it at home is a long and tiring process. It usually takes three weeks for the seeds to germinate and you start seeing tiny leaves sprouting from the soil.

But what if you could grow coriander without seeds and probably harvest it within a week? All you need is to find a fresh bunch of coriander from the market.

Mona Chopra from Ludhiana says it is not rocket science to achieve the feat and grow a much quicker source of fresh coriander leaves.

Here’s how.

“The first and most important element to ensure success is the coriander bought from the market is fresh. Make sure the roots are tender and fresh,” says Mona.

The expert says that the roots can be touched or slightly bent to check for tenderness or dryness. “Often the roots have soil in them, and that could also indicate if the harvest is fresh,” Mona said.

The second step is to cut the coriander stem halfway. “The plant should get cut at least two to three inches above the roots or at the lower part of the shoots,” Mona said.

Once the roots are separated, they can directly get put in water or in the soil where one wishes to grow them.

“The coriander does not require a big pot or a thick layer of soil for its roots. A small 5-6 inches pot or a flatbed is an ideal place to grow the herbs,” Mona said.

However, the flatbed prepared for the plant should have loose soil with organic manure or vermicompost. “Kitchen wet waste is the best to enrich the nutrition value of the soil. That’s what I do,” Mona says.

The flatbed or pot should get exposed to direct or good amount of sunlight.

The home gardener from Ludhiana says once placed, the fresh shoots or leaves start growing in four to five days.

“The reason for leaves to grow faster is that rooting the plant directly in soil cuts down the germination and growing period of the plant from scratch. The process is replanting the fully grown plant,” Mona said.

Mona says that many people on her Facebook page express doubts about the life of the plant or how many harvests could get achieved from a single plant.

“I have a mint plant grown similarly. I planted it last summer, and I am still sourcing fresh leaves for over a year now.

5 lifestyle changes towards building immunity

New Delhi: The monsoon is here. As much as we enjoy the rain, it is also the time when the humidity levels in the atmosphere are their highest, resulting in poor digestion and reduced immunity. This makes us more vulnerable to diseases during the season.

Thus, it is important to eat foods which boost immunity and prevent us from contracting water borne diseases such as indigestion, diarrhoea, jaundice, etc. in order to keep us safe during this lockdown.Sheryl Salis, Registered Dietician, and Certified Diabetes Educator shares five easy steps towards eating healthy along with consuming proper nutrition, so you can enjoy the monsoon while keeping up with your fitness goals:

Make Healthier choices

Sip on warm Moringa Green Teas and Green Coffees

Nothing beats the feeling of drinking our favourite hot beverages during the monsoon. You can switch to healthier alternatives like superfood Moringa Green Tea which is a nutrition powerhouse, filled with minerals and vitamins like vitamin C. Superfoods like Moringa are infused with antioxidant properties that boost immunity as well as help regulate the metabolism. With numerous flavours available like honey, lemon, lemon grass and mint, it can bring relief from cold and phlegm which is a common occurrence during the monsoon.

While moringa green tea satiates the tea enthusiasts, coffee lovers can try out the healthier Green coffee which is a health booster and high in antioxidants. The unroasted cousin of coffee, the healthier version is loaded with immunity boosting properties and therefore has three times the antioxidant potential which is otherwise lost during the roasting process. It not only makes for a really healthy alternative but also tastes great.

Don’t forget your dose of proteins

For the best of immunity during this season, it is vital to consume a good quantity and quality of protein in our diet. A quarter of your meal should always include the right protein. Nowadays, instant-ready High Protein soups infused with superfoods like quinoa, amaranth and turmeric are available which are really nutritious and have up to 4x protein content v/s regular soups. It is a convenient and nourishing option to keep you warm and active while cleansing your body of bacteria and waste products. One of the best things about soups is that when you are hungry in the evenings, this plays out as a very good evening snack. For people also soaked in rain water, it helps achieve instant relief since its warm base clears up phlegm in the nasal cavities and general throat area.

Besides soups you can also include seasonal delicacies like bhutta which can be turned into spicy and tangy grilled corn for light snacking along with steamed muthiyas, boiled groundnuts and warm salads that are super healthy and provide instant respite to our monsoon snack cravings.

Consume select fruit, veggies and cooked foods

As our bodies find it harder to digest food during the monsoon, one should eat in moderation and eat only when hungry. Practice thorough washing of fruit and vegetables, particularly leafy vegetables and cauliflower with salt or baking soda. One can also opt for non-leafy vegetables such as snake gourd (pawal), bottle gourd (dudhi), apple gourd (tinda), bitter gourd (karela), cluster beans, French beans, etc. in their diet. However, avoid uncooked food, raw salads and sprouts. Steam those veggies and sprouts well before consuming them to avoid contracting water borne illnesses. Seasonal fruit like mangoes, bananas, apples, litchis, cherries and pomegranates should be eaten as the non-seasonal ones may be infested with disease inducing worms.

Maintain your salt and water levels

Salt is one of the ingredients that complete our food along with adding a dash of edge to our fancy dishes, but excess of it causes water retention and bloating in the body especially in monsoon. Thus, avoid excess salt in your diet while also going slow on pickles, papads, chutneys, especially packaged and canned foods. Maintain your hydration and proper flushing out of the toxins by drinking adequate amounts of boiled and filtered water within 24 hours.

Revisit those ‘Dadi ke nuskhe’ monsoon home remedies

Every household has their own version of home remedies to cure common cold, indigestion, etc. that are passed down from generation to generation. Home remedies like ‘kadhas’ and other traditional tonics can be consumed regularly to always stay on your A-game. Concoctions prepared out of ingredients like virgin coconut oil (10 ml), garlic (2-3 freshly chopped cloves), fennel (2-3 teaspoons), ginger (1-2 inch), cloves (3 -4), cumin seeds (2-3 teaspoons), and turmeric (4 pinches) can be consumed frequently since they are anti-viral in nature that help in boosting our body’s immune system functioning.

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Coronavirus Treatment: Swedish Firm Claims Their Mouth Spray, ColdZyme Could Deactivate COVID In The Mouth By 98.3%

01/6Could a mouth spray kill COVID-19 causing virus?

With no available cure or treatment in place, and a vaccine still far from being available for public use, doctors are experimenting with a lot of different therapies and repurposing some drugs (such as dexamethasone, favipiravir and hydroxychloroquine) to treat COVID+ patients.

In a new study, experts are now researching on the idea whether the novel coronavirus infection could be suspended through primary infection sites, such as the mouth or the nose, by administrating drugs to stop the attack.

02/6Swedish life-sciences firm claims their common-cold fighting spray could work

Making a revolutionary claim, Swedish scientists say that one of their homegrown drugs, used to beat common cold can effectively root out 98.3% of COVID-19 causing viruses.

The announcement was made by a Swedish life sciences firm, Enzymatica, who claimed that a mouth spray manufactured by the company, ColdZyme carries the potential of killing the deadly SARS-COV2 virus by a big percentage. The global infection toll for COVID-19 pandemic stands at 14.8 million, with over 6,00,000 reported fatalities.

The news comes after the pharma company conducted pre-clinical trials of the medicine and found positive results against the disease. Sweden currently has over 78,000 active cases and nearly 5000 people have lost their lives.

03/6The study

The company conducted several rounds of in-vitro trials wherein it was observed that the medicine, ColdZyme, used in the treatment of the common cold (caused by another type of virus) was able to disinfect the SARS-COV-2 virus and also provide protection against several kinds of other viruses known to infect humans.

The anti-cold spray works by directly injecting the solution into the mouth and thereby focus on surface and local level virus contamination. The mouth administrated spray is made out of a composition of glycerol and Atlantic cod trypsin and builds a 'barrier' of sorts, preventing any bacteria or virus from entering, and lowering their power.

04/6Mouth injection could deliver fast results, say experts

In a statement, officials from the company said that the spray was also fast-acting, and hence could effectively root out the deadly virus, probably faster than any test or other form of treatment.

"A virucidal efficacy suspension test was conducted using ColdZyme against SARS-CoV-2. ColdZyme deactivated SARS-CoV-2 by 98.3% (1.76 log10) in 20 minutes"

The company's claim of a mouth injection, experts say, could be helpful in stopping and preventing mild to moderate level COVID-19 infections, considering the fact that SARS-COV-2 can stem off in the mouth and nasal cavities and start replicating in the throat, before attacking other vital organs in the body. The product under testing could work by decreasing the viral load of the active virus, and thereby, stopping any attack.

05/6Does it have any side-effects?

It was also observed that the commonly used drug did not produce any sort of harmful side-effects or toxicity in the host body.

"Furthermore, no cytotoxicity was detected for ColdZyme at any dilution tested. The study was conducted by the US company Microbac Laboratories Inc - an independent accredited and certified laboratory,”

06/6Could it help fight the pandemic?

The company is very hopeful that their product meets all safety requirement and can emerge as a life-saving drug against the pandemic. Swedish officials are also asserting that since the mouth spray is a very commonly used product, there won't be many dangers if the product moves onto clinical trials fast. They also said that the common cold medicine could be helpful in rooting out other types of coronaviruses if brought into use.

"Even if the current in vitro results cannot be directly translated into clinical efficacy, it is very interesting that ColdZyme is able to effectively deactivate SARS-CoV-2 in vitro since it constitutes a proof-of-principle that can be taken further into clinical studies. Thus, the results indicate that ColdZyme can offer a protective barrier against SARS-CoV-2," a briefing by Claus Egstrand, Enzymatica’s Chief Operating Officer read.

Top cigarette maker develops novel coronavirus vaccine, claims it is ready for human trials

The word's No. 2 cigarette company claims it has developed an experimental vaccine for the novel coronavirus that has shown promise in laboratory testing and is now ready to be experimented on humans

British American Tobacco says its vaccine for novel coronavirus is ready for human trials

• The experimental vaccine has been developed by a subsidiary of the company
• British American Tobacco is the world's No. 2 manufacturer of cigarettes

One of the world's top tobacco companies claims to have developed a vaccine for the novel coronavirus that, it says, is poised to be experimented on human beings. Yes, you read that right. London-based British American Tobacco said on Friday that its experimental vaccine for the novel coronavirus has shown promise in laboratory testing and is now ready to enter human trials.

British American Tobacco is the world's No. 2 manufacturer of cigarettes, the leading cause of lung cancer across the world. 

On Friday, British American Tobacco said its experimental vaccine "has been shown to produce a positive immune response" in pre-clinical testing. The vaccine is now poised to enter the first stage of human trials in the United States, the company said in a statement.

"We have committed funds to conduct these clinical trials, which could start as early as late June, pending the responses from relevant health bodies,"  adding that it is in touch with the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other government agencies across the world.

British American Tobacco's experimental vaccine is based on an artificially built fragment of the novel coronavirus, called an "antigen", which is inserted into tobacco plants for reproduction. 

The idea is that this antigen, which is essentially a component of the novel coronavirus, would generate an immune response from the body when administered to human beings. And, British American Tobacco claims its antigen-vaccine is now ready for to be tried on human's.

In the latest update on its novel coronavirus vaccine efforts, British American Tobacco said on Friday it is "pleased to report the potential vaccine has been shown to produce a positive immune response" in pre-clinical testing and "is now poised to progress to the next stage which will be Phase 1 human clinical trials pending [US] FDA authorisation".

Interestingly, British American Tobacco's experimental shot for the novel coronavirus does not find a mention on the World Health Organisation's Global database of covvaccine   candidates covid-19, the disease caused by the new virus. The database, which was last updated on May 11, however is not meant to be exhaustive and currently lists 110 potential vaccines.

Research into a vaccine for the novel coronavirus is happening at an unprecedented pace with scientists skipping or clubbing several stages of development. The expert view is that a novel coronavirus vaccine is still around two years away.

--Indian Railways cancels all trains till June-end, to only run Shramik, special trains--

• Indian Railways on Wednesday said that all passengers trains will remain suspended, except special trains
• Railways had suspended passenger train services since March 22 to mitigate the virus spread in the country

The INDIAN RAILWAY today suspended all the passengers trains, barring the Shramik Special services and 30 special trains, till further notice. Railways cancelled all tickets booked to travel on or before June 30, the railway ministry said. All tickets booked for these cancelled trains will be fully refunded, the national transporter added.

The railways had suspended passenger train services since March 22 to mitigate the virus spread in the country.

The Indian Railways "gradually" resumed passenger train services this week by introducing 30 special trains connecting Delhi and other major cities in India. These trains will run from New Delhi station to Dibrugarh, Agartala, Howrah, Patna, Bilaspur, Ranchi, Bhubaneswar, Secunderabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Madgaon, Mumbai Central, Ahmedabad and Jammu Tawi.

These trains have only air-conditioned coaches. The fares will be similar to Rajdhani Express fares, a railway ministry official said.

Passengers bought over 45,000 tickets on Monday when the Indian Railways started taking bookings for the special trains. All tickets for Mumbai Central-New Delhi special train till May 18 were sold out within few minutes.

The railways issued a timetable for trains to be run between May 12 and May 20. Passengers have to book tickets for special trains via Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation or irctc website or mobile app. The ticket booking counters at railway stations shall remain closed in the wake of novel coronavirus pandemic. No provision of tatkal or premium tatkal accommodation will be available.

Only passengers with valid confirmed tickets will be allowed to enter the railway stations. No platforms tickets will be issued. All the travellers must wear a face mask and undergo thorough screenings at the stations. Passengers need to install Aarogya Setu app to board the trains.

The passengers will go through a screening before boarding the train. You have to reach station at least 90 minutes prior to the scheduled journey to follow all these new norms. Only asymptomatic people or those who do not show any symptoms of coroanvirus will be allowed to travel.

Starting this month, Indian Railways arranged special trains for migrant labourers stranded in various states due to coronavirus lockdown. The transporter has run over 600 Shramik Special trains till now to ferry migrant workers.