The contestants of Miss World 2025 would watch an Indian Premier League (IPL) match at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad either on May 20 or 21. The image is used for representative purposes only.
| Photo Credit: PTI

With just a week to go for the opening ceremony of the 72nd Miss World pageant in Telangana, the State Tourism department has released an updated itinerary outlining the high-profile events planned across the State. 

An updated itinerary of 72nd Miss World pageant to be held across Telangana was released by the State Tourism department
| Photo Credit:
BY ARRANGEMENT

The revised schedule features a few key changes from the earlier version announced during a press conference on March 20, including a major addition: contestants from Group 1 would attend an Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 match at the stadium in Hyderabad either on May 20 or 21.

The IPL games scheduled at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Uppal include the Qualifier 1 on May 20 and the Eliminator on May 21. The Miss World contestants would witness one of these matches, adding a sporty twist to their cultural immersion.

Easter egg cookies
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

There’s a festive buzz in the air as you step into Urban Bar-B-Que on a Sunday afternoon. While an Easter bunny stares out of a watermelon carving, a live one in a costume distributes colourful Easter eggs to children, smiling ear to ear. As we settle down, it’s a platter of colourful, juicy and delicious kebabs, arranged in a live skewer at the table that grabs our attention.

Festive decor
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

In basil heaven

While meat lovers dive into grilled fish, prawns in gochujang sauce, and mutton keema kebabs, vegetarians relish succulent mushroom chimichurri and basil paneer tikka that is crisp and has flavours of fresh basil. A live counter doles out fluffy appam and stew and there is also roasted chicken with accompaniments like mashed potatoes and cranberry sauce to ring in the festive cheer. “Most of our festive buffets feature as many as 60 items. It is multi-cuisine starting with a welcome drink and served course by course. Vegetarian and non-vegetarian starters are served at the table. Buffet begins with two soups, salads, main course, and gravies,” explains A Swaminathan, F & B Manager. At the dessert counter, there are chocolate fountain and ice golas, and silky elaneer payasam, a big draw among children.

A live bunny cheering up children
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Season’s special

Be it Halloween, thanksgiving, Tamil New Year or Holi, the restaurant whips up a festive buffet spread with preparations now underway for the upcoming mango mania.

“As mangoes are in season, we want to offer mango treats to our diners. There will be a line up of mango cham cham, mango sandwiches, and traditional Malabar mango curry and more,” says Swaminathan adding that there’s a festive menu every two months as we being our meal with the spicy mutton bone soup that is light on the tummy.

Sous chef P Chandrahasan talks fondly of chicken cafreal. Chicken is marinated in a green cafreal masala that is aromatic, spicy, delicious and tangy all at once. “It’s a Goan dish and fresh coriander leaves give it a special edge. Our Kentucky fried egg is a play on devilled eggs,” he says as we try the beautifully-coloured butterfly pea fried rice. “We distil blue pea flowers and use the water to boil the rice to get the colour,” says Chandrahasan adding that his signature dishes are biryani varieties including the flavourful jackfruit biryani that is on the menu. While paneer nawabi is rich and creamy, the saiva kolaurundai kuzhambu is lip-smakcing curry that goes well with white rice.

Flavourful kebabs

While the Anglo-Indian beef curry and rose rasamalai flavoured with distilled rose petals are added particularly to the festive menu, the regular buffet menu has a limited number of items. However, kebabs are a constant. Also, the amchur pudina and grilled pineapple dips. Chef Jayakumar Bhuyan, barbecue in-charge, talks of the mutton sheek and chapli kebabs, his speciality.

A live counter doling out roasted chicken with cranberry sauce
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

“Made with beaten ground mutton, this simple and easy to make kebab tastes like it’s from an Afghani restaurant,” says Bhuyan, smiling as he talks of his another speciality, the juicy cilantro chicken. “We use a variety of sauces including barbecue, Cajun, oyster, and the Korean gochujang sauce to bring in the flavours. We source our meat fresh which gives the dish an edge,” explains Bhuyan. The chicken drumstick with peri peri sauce, is a case in point when it comes to packing a punch. So is honey-glazed pineapple.

Urban Bar-B-Que is located at Jenney’s Residency, Avinashi Road. The buffet costs ₹1000 approximately. Prices vary over the weekends. For reservations, call 9500529333.

Sony LIV unveils the teaser of its upcoming thriller KanKhajura, a haunting tale set in the still shadows of Goa. Where silence is deceiving, and what lies beneath is far more dangerous than what’s visible. The teaser offers a glimpse into a world where guilt clings, secrets simmer, and the past seeks revenge. A gripping Hindi adaptation of the critically acclaimed Israeli series Magpie, KanKhajura reinvents the original with an Indian soul and a raw, emotional intensity. When two estranged brothers are forced to confront their darkest past, the line between memory and reality blurs. What happens when your own memories become the prison you can never escape?

Roshan Mathew, who plays Ashu, shares, “What drew me to ‘KanKhajura’ was its emotional intensity and the stillness beneath the chaos. Ashu is a deeply layered character, fragile in moments, but with a quiet storm within. The story is heartwarming and haunting. Every relationship in the show is cracked in some way, and it’s how these characters act on those flaws that makes it so much fun to explore.”

Produced by Ajay Rai and directed by Chandan Arora, KanKhajura brings together a compelling ensemble cast including Mohit Raina, Roshan Mathew, Sarah Jane Dias, Mahesh Shetty, Ninad Kamat, Trinetra Haldar, Heeba Shah, and Usha Nadkarni. Based on the acclaimed Israeli series Magpie, the show has been reimagined under license from yes Studios by creators Adam Bizanski, Omri Shenhar, and Dana Eden, produced by Donna and Shula Productions, delivering a tale that explores fractured families, betrayal, and the thin, fragile line between guilt and survival.

KanKhajura, streaming on 30th May only on Sony LIV!