Shilpa to launch range of ready meals

After films, TV shows, cricket and yoga it’s now time for chef Shilpa Shetty to dazzle. The actress has acquired a 33 per cent stake in a London based restaurant group to launch her own range of ready meals. Shilpa has acquired the stake in V8 Gourmet group, along with her entrepreneur fiancé Raj Kundra whom she’s rumoured to marry in November. Plans include launching a range of ready meals, pickles and chutneys, called ‘ Shilpa’s Gourmet Creations’.

“There has always been this preconceived notion of Indian food being very heavy and fattening. So, we are just bringing our philosophy of serving Indian food out there,” said Shilpa. “I’m excited to work with Shilpa because we both are going to lock ourselves in the kitchen,” said Head of Food and Business Development, V8 Gourmet Group, Andy Varma.

Apart from the condiments and popular curries, the range will also include a variety of dishes from different regions of India. All curries will have less than 10 per cent fat. And there will be some clever but simple cooking tips from Shilpa herself. “I like to try different things like chicken curry. I don’t use cream, I use milk instead,” she said.

The range is expected to hit the shelves in 2010. And if it can make one look as good as Shilpa, it’s bound to be quite a seller.

Salman Khan interested in buying IPL team

Bollywood action hero Salman Khan is the latest cine star to join the Indian Premier League (IPL) gravy train and has expressed interest in buying a team. Salman met IPL chairman and commissioner Lalit Modi here on Tuesday and was briefed about the nitty-grittes of buying an IPL franchise. The fourth season of the IPL in 2011 will see two new teams and they would be up for grabs through a bidding process later this year. Modi said Salman is interested in buying an IPL team.

“He has been interested to buy a team for quite some time,” Modi added. “Today we had a brief meeting and I explained him how to go about with the task. I can assure you that Salman is not the only star who is thinking to buy a team. I have had around 28 queries and the list will surely go up,” he said. IPL vice-president Niranjan Shah told IANS that Salman is a serious buyer and will bid for one of the two new teams.

“Salman is a serious buyer and is contemplating to buy an IPL team. He came along with couple of his friends and was briefed by Lalit on the procedure to buy IPL franchise,” said Shah. Shah went on to add that cities like Ahmedabad, Nagpur and Vishakhaptanam are in fray to be the hometown for new teams. “It will be an open tender process and the city that gets the highest bidder will be the new IPL team,” he said.

Bollywood stars like Shah Rukh Khan and Juhi Chawla are the co-owners of Kolkata Knight Riders while Preity Zinta is also a joint owner of Kings XI Punjab. Shilpa Shetty and her boyfriend Raj Kundra also bought some stakes in Rajasthan Royals.