This weekend, explore Chef Ranveer Brar's first food adventures, dive into the old city of Jerusalem, and more

A culinary legend, Chef Ranveer Brar's journey began when he ran away from home to the streets of Lucknow at the age of 17 to pursue his passion for food. But things changed and by the time he turned 25, Ranveer became the youngest executive chef to have ever worked with a five-star hotel in India. Today, he is a chef, television host, MasterChef India judge, and a food stylist. In a conversation with YourStory Weekender, Chef Ranveer Brar talks about his love for food, his life, and his duties as a chef beyond the kitchen.

Actor Prashantt Guptha on kicking up the perfect storm

While most people would have done so early in life, Prashantt Guptha refused to let go of his aspirations until he got his first break. Traversing between New York and Mumbai, he has worked in movies like Neerja, Issaq and Identity Card. Prashantt was also seen in the recently released thriller The Tashkent Files which revolves around the death of India’s second Prime Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri.

Exploring the 3,000-year-old city of Jerusalem - history in motion

An hour’s drive from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem is an old, sombre, sepia-tinted land that takes you back to about a dozen historical empires and several hundred years. Eminent travellers, including the great Mark Twain, have fawned over its ‘beauty’. After all, it is a strikingly beautiful city. But it might be a disservice to call it just that. Because much Jerusalem cannot - and should not - be contained in a single word or phrase. Join our writer as she takes you through this land and its rich heritage and culture.

Art, gadgets and The Godfather: Up, close and personal with Naveen Tewari

YSWeekender caught up with Naveen Tewari, Co-Founder and CEO of India’s first homegrown startup unicorn, InMobi – a global technology company that provides enterprise platforms for marketers.

Mickey Mehta on health, yoga, and 'Mickeymising' fitness

While the world celebrated International Yoga Day with much fanfare across and euphoria, we caught up with holistic trainer Mickey Mehta. An advocate of yoga and equipment-free workouts, Mickey is also credited with introducing the concept of ‘Learn Swimming in 24 hours’, which put him in the Limca Book of World Records. He spoke about his fitness journey, the essence of yoga holistic living, and more. 

Time to experience the magic of monsoon with a million fireflies

Did you know that as the monsoon months approach, male fireflies wake up from their summer slumber and call out to their female counterparts with a unique mating call? This call lies in the colours of orange, green, and yellow that they emit in the night during these months. At Purushwadi, a village that is a four-hour drive from Mumbai, community-based rural tourism enterprise Grassroutes hosts a Fireflies Festival here every year. 

What are you reading? Check out the hottest books of the year

We are only halfway through 2019, and Amazon is ready with its Best Books of the Year so far. Would you like to read a unique love story set in the sparkling theatre world of 1940s New York or a memoir written by food writer and restaurant critic Ruth Reichl, who entered the high-stakes world of magazines, as editor-in-chief of Gourmet? Get ready to enjoy a wide variety of themes in books this summer!

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