Best of Weekender: From a candid chat with actor Swastika Mukherjee of Dil Bechara fame to a tête-à-tête with actor Kunal Kapoor

The year 2020 has been very eventful for Swastika Mukherjee as both Paatal Lok and Dil Bechara were released almost back to back on Amazon Prime Video and Disney+ Hotstar, respectively. Though the actor has been in the film industry for over two decades now, she shot to new heights of popularity with her latest releases.

Dil Bechara, a coming-of-age romance movie, is directed by Mukesh Chhabra, and is based on John Green’s book The Fault in our Stars. In the movie, Swastika plays the role of Kizie's mother. She is strict when needed, and yet consumed with great love, tenderness, and helplessness when it comes to her daughter, who is suffering from a terminal illness.

Don’t miss our interaction with Swastika, where she talks about her role in the film and web series, her journey in the film industry, and how she has evolved as an actor over the decades.

Bollywood actor Kunal Kapoor’s talent is not just limited to the screen. A trained pilot, a rally car driver, a director, and more recently, an entrepreneur — Kunal has many a feather in his cap. Some of his most popular roles include that of Aslam from Rang De Basanti, Imran from Aaja Nachle, and Aatif from Lamhaa.

Besides these, Kunal has also won the Special Jury Award at the Toronto International South Asian Film Awards for his role in Veeram. A tech-geek at heart, Kunal co-founded crowdfunding platform Ketto.org in 2012 to raise money for social and individual causes. In an interview with the actor, he opens up about his acting career, the turn towards entrepreneurship, and more.

Read our interview and watch our video on Kunal as he speaks about his acting career, turning to entrepreneurship with Ketto.org, and what lies ahead.

From Varanasi in India to Japan, Russia, Mexico, London, and Dubai, magic has taken Steven Frayne aka ‘Dynamo’ to places. And throughout this journey, the acclaimed British magician and illusionist has unfailingly charmed his audience with mystifying acts, such as walking on the River Thames, turning lottery tickets into money, and even levitating in front of James Corden.

Of course, there have been a few obstacles along the way. He was diagnosed with the Crohn's disease as a teenager, and was told he would “never be able to perform magic again”. But Dynamo has managed to navigate through these hurdles and found his way – glimpses of which are captured in the latest History Channel mini-series, Dynamo: Beyond Belief.

Find out more about the show and the British illusionist in our YSWeekender exclusive.

Anupam V Kapil is one of India’s leading astro-numerologists and psychics with over three decades of experience in the field.

A well-known face on Indian television channels, Anupam is widely sought by industrialists, politicians, film personalities, sports stars, and supermodels for his bold, detailed, and authentic predictions.

He has been consulted by political leaders, film personalities like Kareena Kapoor Khan and Preity Zinta, cricket superstars like Matthew Hayden, Sanath Jayasurya, Rahul Dravid, Kapil Dev, and even supermodels like Yana Gupta, Sheetal Mallar, and Aditi Govitrikar, to name a few.

Check out our interview with Anupam as he talks about the role of destiny and faith, the impact numbers have on our lives, the insightful predictions he has made, and his advice to citizens dealing with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Food fads are a part of the dietary world. What is considered as a great diet today is replaced tomorrow by something newer and better. When a food fad is trending, it will seem as if there is no other diet that is as magical or effective.

But when it comes to food fads, there are two things that you should always keep in mind, says our nutritionist. To begin with, check out whether the diet includes processed foods and secondly, if it will suit your life and schedule.

Don’t miss reading all about the food fads that you need to be careful about, and which ones are worth following for good health.

Is your favourite author Ray Kurzweil, who is an American inventor and futurist? Do you identify most with Chanakya, master strategist and economist? Is your favourite journey, the road to success?

If yes, meet Neelima Burra, Co-founder, Ganymede Business Ventures, who aims to position her company as the world’s largest ‘food on street’ service chain, striving to serve safe and tasty takeaway food at affordable prices in India.

As for her motto, ‘Make today better than yesterday’ and 'Set your goals and go beyond them every day,’ is the best way to make each day count, and lead you to great success.

Don’t miss Neelima ‘s responses to our Proust questionnaire, where she speaks about her greatest loves, journey, heroes, and much more.