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Neeta Lal

Planet Hollywood, which offers an irresistible mix of good food and movie magic, will soon be launched in five Indian cities. Movie buffs can look forward to large dollops of Bollywood masala too.

Imagine digging into a Texas Tostados while Hollywood star Bruce Willis mixes you an exotic, multi-hued mocktail. Or Sylvester Stallone rustles up a sizzling, cheese-oozing mushroom burger. Or tosses your Asian Chicken Salad with aged Parmesan.

Better still, how about sinking your molars into Arnold Schwarzenegger's mom's sinful Apple Strudel and Banana Souffle? Or Demi Moore's knockout Chicken Crunch — tender strips of chicken breast with crisp tortilla chips and pico de gallo?

Indian gourmands rejoice! For all this and more will soon tickle your taste buds at Planet Hollywood — the cult American eatery launched by actors Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Willis and Moore — which is flagging off operations in India early next year.

Beginning with Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore (and two undisclosed locations for a later date), PH offers movie buffs its unique concept of `eatertainment' — dining with drinks and entertainment.

Hence, even as you sup, you may get to rub shoulders with Bollywood and Hollywood glitterati, some of who may mix your drinks, walk across to make small talk or provide live entertainment.

"Planet Hollywood will bring the excitement of Hollywood and fuse it with the power of Bollywood in a very special way. It is a recipe for success," says Robert Earl, Founder and Chairman of Planet Hollywood.

For starters, the chain will launch five restaurants in India all of which will, like the other 28 PH eateries worldwide, house an amazing display of movie memorabilia. Some great movie props have already been picked out for India, says Earl, from Hollywood blockbusters Terminator, Diehard, Rocky, Spiderman and Independence Day.

The interiors — ranging in size from 12,000 to 36,000 sq ft and seating 230-600 guests — will reflect various movie genres including action, horror and sci-fi. Guests can watch the latest movie trailers, movie clips, music videos, classic montages, satellite links and celebrity visits on state-of-the-art equipment. Taking the interactive experience to a new level, guests in India can catch the action at other PH locations such as New York, Las Vegas, Orlando, London and Paris via gigantic screens.

"PH isn't just about food, though that's a key component," says Siddarth Mobar, Founder President, Arch Millennium, the PH Franchisee for India. "It offers a combination of great food, customer service and interactive entertainment."

Mobar has already roped in Willis and Stallone to mix mocktails and salads for the Mumbai launch and is negotiating with Paris Hilton to endorse the restaurant's exclusive club in the city. Since each restaurant will also have a performance area, there will be some live action from the likes of Bruce Willis and his band, The Accelerators, Justin Timberlake and Britney Spears. This will be followed by performances from Bollywood stars Shah Rukh Khan, Rani Mukherji, Zayed Khan and Preity Zinta, to name a few.

And what's on the menu? A classic-inventive Californian menu with a range of unusual pastas, burgers, salads, smoked and grilled fish, and other meat and vegetarian offerings. The average cost of a meal (without alcohol) will be Rs 1,400. The choice: New York Cheesecake served with a blood-red strawberry sauce; Tomato and Mozzarella Caprese (vine-ripened tomatoes drizzled with fresh mozzarella, olive oil and aged balsamic vinegar); Chicken Potstickers (pan-seared dumplings served with ginger and mustard); Bruschetta (diced Roma tomatoes blended in olive oil, accompanied by garlic bread) and Texas Tostados (crispy mini tortillas topped with barbeque chicken, sautéed onions, Moterey Jack and sharp cheddar cheeses). Plus, of course, a slew of the glitterati's favourite food items cooked according to their own special recipes!

In other words, what you'll get is a quintessentially all-American experience — larger-than-life, celebrity-soaked and served up with generous lashings of chutzpah.

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