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Eating Out

V. Krishnaswamy dines Jaspal Rana

Some soup or starters? "I want something light," he says. But when I cajole him, he agrees to dig into the delicate Reshmi Kebab. "I love red meat but of late I have had to cut down on it," he says. There’s yet another dietary fad: he has only one dish at any meal. "If it is chicken, then I eat just that. If it is mutton, I go only for mutton," he declares. But with Satanic flourish I tempt him out of this stern eating mode. We order Murgh Makhani. "Lots of gravy, please": that’s his small demand. And some Tandoori Broccoli, he adds, when I prod him to try a veggie dish as well. That settles it. But there’s more I need to ask. Why is dinner the favourite meal? "When I am shooting (be it for a competition or a practice session) I don’t like to eat heavy food. So breakfast is out. If I finish in time then I have a light lunch, otherwise nothing. So a heavy dinner is my scene," he explains. But how does he go through the rigours of the day with just a meal? "I’ve a lot to see me through," he says with a huge grin, pointing to his waist, which by the way is not as bad as he makes it out to be. And despite the care, Jaspal did enjoy the wholesome Punjabi spread. But I couldn’t tempt him into having the kheer. That’ll be for another day.

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