Long weekend without a peep at the movies!

I am in for a long weekend (mega excited I am, as usual!) considering that my office is closed on Monday, 18 May (Victoria Day, in Canada). However, the sad thing is that there is hardly anything left to watch @ the movies this weekend (whatever is left is dull, drab and uninteresting!), so here I am trying desperately to figure out how to spend 3 days fruitfully!

Well, for starters, I have a huge set of relatives visiting and I am planning to take all of them out for dinner tomorrow (reason for another post on this blog :-)). That should take care of the evening and throughout the morning, I think I will be reading newspaper and checking emails. I have a trip planned to Ponnani (Malappuram District in Kerala) on Sunday to visit my grandma's family home. The trip has stopovers at Kodungallor, Guruvayoor, Thriprayaar and Irinjalakkuda- its a holy trip cum family trip rolled into one. That should take care of my Sunday and the resulting fatigue should take care of my Monday morning as well.

2 of my friends have recently had babies and an ex team member has shifted to his new house. I am trying to be social this weekend and am planning to pay them a visit. I am also looking at changing my glasses (a long pending request from one of my team members) and there is every chance of me dropping into Titan Eye + to do the needful!

On second thoughts, not really a bad plan to spend a long weekend. I still am not sure how much of this is going to turn into reality but I am keeping my fingers crossed and looking forward to the long weekend- at least, I don't need to be at work for 3 days :-)

Honest Mumbling # 1

Ever since I read Jam's Honest Mumblings about himself (he has even asked me to come up with my set of Honest Mumblings!), I was thinking about 10 truths about myself which very few knew. I thought and thought and thought and finally decided that I was not going to give all of them away together! (Jams is bold, I am not even half as!)

So fellas, here I start mumbling (and not rambling, for a change) about the first honest truth about myself which very few know (or so I believe) and that I would say is the immense love I have for myself. When I say I love myself the most, it is not the kind of love that people would associate with Narcissus. It is not my physicality that I am in love with (If you have seen me, you will agree with me that anybody would find it difficult to fall in love with my physicality).

It is the personality or should I say the soul within that I am absolutely in love with, so much so that I feel I am a complete person myself and that I don't need any emotional support from anyone whatsoever. I am not sure what is it that exactly made me up the way I am. I have had a normal upper middle class upbringing and save the issues that any normal Tam Brahm family would encounter, I have had a good growing up period. I have not been abused as a kid or a teenager and I would not allow anyone to abuse me now (I am too big for that, you know). I have read the kind of books that any normal person would read and seen and liked the kind of movies that most people like and relate to (I set my standards slightly high here though). I am actively interested in politics (as in reading and analyzing and not joining), fairly knowledgeable about sports, try to keep myself updated with the happenings in the business world and so on and so forth.

But, the ultimate truth is that I am totally, absolutely, completely and unconditionally in love with myself. I want to get up at a time that I want to, wear whatever I want to wear, eat whatever I want to eat and do things exactly at the time at which I feel like doing them! I am quite unreasonable when things do not happen exactly the way I want them to or people do not behave the way I want them to.

I have a passion for anything that is expensive or unique. I am hugely passionate about movies, music, food and books and want to experience the best in each of this. I am crazy about traveling and would want to see the entire world if my purse is heavy enough. I don't leave out a single opportunity to travel. I am an extremely city person and I like to be in the midst of crowds. Weather, Noise and Pollution bothers me very little and I am an extremely public transport friendly person.

I know all these would not sound sinful to anyone but probably it is my absolute wish to have everything falling into place at the time I want them to, that creates the issue. All these points justify my looks and my attitude- I am overweight to the extent of being obese, a completely careless dresser (though I always look good to myself), happily unmarried (though I am nearing 30) and do not hold a driving license (I drive gearless 2 wheelers and thats it)

And if you want to know how big a lover of myself I am, count the number of "I" in this post :-)

Mahabore Branches out!

Most of the readers of this blog will know Jams, my intelligent cousin and blogging guru. Well, Jams has decided to keep blogspot exclusively for movies and started out on Wordpress recently wherein he writes about everything other than movies.

So, it is Double Dhamaka for all his readers! Dont miss his posts on either of the blogs...

Padma Cinema Reloaded...

This evening I sat comfortably at the renovated Padma Cinema (MG Road, Ernakulam) watching Passenger, thus fulfilling a long pending wish of mine- catching a movie at Padma Cinema after the renovation was complete.

Boy, if I say I was impressed, that would be an understatement. I should say I was mighty impressed for Padma Cinema today is the best theatre in the city! Plush, wide and comfortable seats with lots of leg room (even for a 189 cm tall me!) and with each row arranged at a level higher to the previous, it is a comfortable experience watching a movie @ Padma.

Add to it the excellent sound system and the temperature which is maintained at a comfortable level, I can easily count Padma as one of the best screens I have ever visited. Small LED lamps lead you to the exit even when the auditorium is dark, the toilets are neat (which is quite a rarity at a theatre in Kochi!), the snack shop is well stocked, the parking area is fairly adequate (for a theatre that can seat 600) and they even have a restaurant that serves Chinese, Continental, North Indian and South Indian food.

I did not get a chance to taste the food and snacks on offer but I have no regrets today since I have made up my mind to watch as many movies as possible at Padma. Even if the movie is bad, I am sure the experience of watching it at Padma Cinema would be good :-)

PS: Click here if you want to know whats showing at Padma

Grab a quick bite @ Thali

Thali Restaurant located on Sahodaran Ayyappan Road, Elamkulam, Kochi has been attracting me for quite sometime now. Frankly, ever since it opened which was more than an year ago! After having seen a fabulous movie, me and my friend thought today was a good day to check out the restaurant.

So, there we were, M and I, at Thali Restaurant at 8.30 PM tonight ordering Biriyanis. The Muslim restaurant (why do you think we ordered biriyanis?) has quite a well stacked Menu that has Puttu, Parotta, Pathiri, Appam, Chappathi, Biriyani, Fried Rice, Noodles, Juices and Shakes along with a variety of vegetarian and non vegetarian side dishes. It caters to a lot of take away orders as was evident during the time we spent at the restaurant. The biriyanis were quite good and had more of egg and chicken than rice which was kinda filling. The open juice counter serves quite a variety of fruit juices and the Mango juice we had was fabulous!

The one thing that strikes you about the restaurant is its quick service. So, if you are in a hurry and want to grab something quickly, you know where to go! On the flip side are the non- functioning AC Dining Area, the level of cleanliness (I would give it only average marks) and the slightly high prices (when compared to the ambience and quantity of food). That said, Thali Restaurant is worth a visit!

To the Right Destination!

I generally dont write about a movie the same day I watch it. The reason is that I generally go out for shows that start at 6 PM or 9 PM and by the time I am back home after the movie, it gets late to start writing about it. But today I could not hold myself back after having seen a movie as taut, well written and superbly directed as Passenger.

Written and directed by debutant Ranjith Sankar, Passenger tells the story of 2 strangers who meet aboard a passenger train plying between Ernakulam and Guruvayoor. The one chance meeting leads to many exciting things that happen in their lives over the course of a day and ever since they meet, we, the audience are transported to their world and you literally remain seated at the edge of your seat anxiously waiting for the events to unfold.

It is after a very long time that someone in Malayalam filmdom has come up with a theme that can happen with anyone and given real shades to characters to the extent that you feel they are one among you. 100 marks to Ranjith Sankar for that. You end up sincerely wishing that the veteran writers and directors of Malayalam learn a lesson or two from this talented youngster. Rajamani scores with his BGM and P Sukumar's camera work is fabulous. Editing is crisp and adds value to the script. There is not even a single shot that is out of place.

Sreenivasan surprises you once again with his realistic portrayal of Sathyanathan. Mamta Mohandas is a revelation playing Anuradha, the television journalist. Dilip suitably underplays Adv. Nandan Menon, possibly his best performance since Chandupottu. Nedumudi Venu scores yet again after Bhagyadevatha. Lakshmi Sarma, Valsala Menon, Sivaji Guruvayoor, Kochupreman, Harisree Ashokan, Anoop Chandran, T P Madhavan and Madhu are all aptly cast. Jagathy Sreekumar is adequately menacing as the evil Home Minister Thomas Chacko.

The best things about Passenger is its realistic storyline with a simple and straight forward treatment. The situations are identifiable and relatable and through his script, Ranjith Sankar puts forward a message or two that many of us forget in our fast lives today. Watch "Passenger" with the whole family at a theatre near you. Efforts like these are rare these days and they need to be encouraged for the bright future of Malayalam Cinema!

Guests@Home...

After a significant period of time, there is lots of activity and crowds on the home front with my maternal uncle and his family along with grandma visiting us during the course of the week. We have trips to temples and visits to relatives homes planned and looks like next weekend is going to be busy with all this! I am not wasting time and am off to catch "Passenger" this evening. Not sure when I will be able to post a review on that one but till the time I log in next time, its bye to all on the blogosphere :-)

Maya Ravan- the right mix of everything!

People who know me well would know how big a fan I have always been of Sobhana. I have been watching her act ever since I can remember and have been following her career very religiously for the past decade or so. The first time I read about Maya Ravan was when it premiered in Mumbai more than an year back. A broadway musical style interpretation of the character of Ravana from the Ramayan, what attracted me most to Maya Ravan was the plethora of stars who had lent their voice to this ballet.

When JTPAC was inaugurated and when I came to know that Maya Ravan was coming to Kochi, I was ecstasic to say the least! Come 9 May and here I was with my sister and 2 of my colleagues in tow at the JTPAC to enjoy Maya Ravan first hand! The show started with the titles projected on the white screen and soon after Sobhana came in and did a small bharatanatyam piece. It was later followed by a quick intro into the life of Rama with the major turning points in his life being explained through the medium of Bharatanatyam. The ballet started with Mandhara poisoning Kaikeyi (Revathy in form) about Rama succeeding the throne of Ayodhya. The actress- dancer who has also been creditted with concept, choreography, costume designing and direction had interpreted the character of Ravana very differently from what I have heard (my knowledge of Ramayana is courtesy Ramanand Sagar and Doordarshan).

Apparently, Mandhara was Ravana's spy and Ravana had wanted Rama to be exiled since he wanted to capture Seetha who was not given to him in marriage for the simple fact that he was a Rakshasa! He, apparently had even passed the test of lifting Shiva's bow but had aimed at Parasurama instead of the bird :-) I am not sure whether Kamba Ramayanam, Valmiki Ramayanam or Ramacharitamanas says this but all this was knowledge to me. Apparently, Ravana was even sure of losing the battle to Rama as he discloses to Mandodari the night before his death!

In spite of the liberties that Sobhana has taken with the narration, Maya Ravan is definitely an enjoyable experience for a wide variety of reasons- first and foremost it is the wonderful artistes who lend voice to the various characters- Milind Soman (Rama), Rohini (Sita), the wonderful Nasseruddin Shah (Ravana), the hugely talented Tabu (Mandodari), Sameer Soni (Lakshmana), Jackie Shroff (Dasharatha), in top form Mohanlal (Hanuman) and finally the best of it all, Suhasini Maniratnam who is superb as Soorpanakha!

Second in my list is the costumes. Sobhana defies convention in all ways possible and her selection of colors and styling of costumes is commendable. Special mention requires to be made about the various head gears that she wears as Ravana. The bright colored costumes are alluring and they do not hinder the dancers in any way while performing the natyam.

Third comes Ganesh- Kumaresh's music and the fabulous selection of songs. Sobhana has used popular film songs at every juncture possible- Narumukhiye (Iruvar), Chentharmizhi (Perumazhakkalam) and Chinnamma Chilakamma (Meenaxi- Tale of 3 cities) have been aptly placed but the real winner is the rock and roll song that she uses to introduce the vanara sena. The choreography is funny and evokes a few laughs in an otherwise serious drama.

Sound and Lighting is fabulous to say the least. The Sound Engineers do a brilliant job with blending the sound and not even for once you feel things go out of place. Lighting is a tough job when it comes to attempts like this but even during sequences where you have 2 dozen dancers on stage, the lighting team made sure that they give prominence to all the dancers!

Sobhana is well known for her mastery over various dance forms and this is evident in the choreography- she blends Bharatanatyam extremely well with contemporary dance, dappankoothu and rock n roll. Abhinaya has been kept simple and with the dubbed voices in English, Sobhana makes sure that the message is driven across to even people who have very little knowledge of classical dances! The gruelling rehearsals that the team has gone through is very evident. They occupy their space on the stage swiftly and by the time you bat an eyelid, the dancers are back on stage for the next sequence after a quick costume change!

Maya Ravan is predominantly for a Western Audience- the dialogues in chaste and modern English do not sound as if they are from a classic. Here the characters speak more contemporary and common place language which helps even an audience alien to Ramayana to understand and appreciate the characters better!

The biggest contribution Sobhana has made to Indian classical dance lies in her efforts to make the medium more acceptable to the general public and her experience with films have come in very handy here! The queen of arts, Padmashree Sobhana, reveals another aspect of her talented persona with Maya Ravan which she has scripted, directed, choreographed and designed. The actress is all over the place and scores high on all departments. Do watch Maya Ravan next time you get a chance- efforts like these need to be appreciated!

Wedding at Dwarakapuri!

Before you are surprised, let me tell you that I had not made any trips to Uttar Pradesh or Uttaranchal or Uttarakhand. The Dwarakapuri referred to here is the air conditioned auditorium at ISKCON, Bangalore where I had the good fortune to attend a very close friend's wedding.

S has always been my favorite ever since I met him. He was the one who taught me the A, B, C, D of auditing. It is another thing that my knowledge of auditing has not proceeded much beyond that but that had more to do with myself. S has always come across as a hard working and pleasant individual who is now a successful CA working with the Internal Audit department of an MNC in the city of Bengaluru. He is globe trotting (literally) and has visited countries ranging from Argentina to Japan as part of his assignments (one lucky boy, he is!)

Well, the boy turned luckier (though he was my first audit senior, I have the right to refer to him as "boy", he is 2 months younger to me in age and if he can still be called boy, so can I!) on 1 May when he entered into wedlock with A. They looked fabulous together and the wedding had all festivities associated with the typical Tam- Brahm wedding :-)

Dwarakapuri was the perfect venue- an air conditioned auditorium maintained very neatly with good chairs and seating arrangements. The welcome drink they served (lime, ginger, pudina juice) was awesome! The kathirmandapam was decorated very tastefully and Gopala Vadhyaar was in full control of the situation.

To add to my happiness, I met A, K, B, M and VK after such a long time! Had a good time chatting with all of them and reminiscing old times...A is expecting a baby next month. K is expecting his wife, M to be back from Muscat by end of this month. B is her usual busy- B self. M & A are happy with their respective jobs. VK had his wife and cute little kid with him and they made for a wonderful, happy family together :-)

After the thalikettu and wishing the bride and groom, we proceeded to the Dining Hall since all of us had to get back to work. I was informed earlier that the lunch at ISKCON would be the typical satwik lunch (onions, garlic- strict no- no) but never had I imagined that it would be this tasty!

We were served chana dal kheer first and it tasted yum! Chithranna followed and then it was time for hot, fluffy puris with a fabulous sabji. Rice followed with the usual Sambhar- rasam. The cucumber kichady, pineapple pachady, Avial, beans thoran and corn thoran (absolutely marvellous) made for good accompaniments. The large appalam with banana chips, sharkaravaratti uppery and the hot mango pickle added to the taste. With truly authentic obittu and palpayasam, I was filled up to the brink. The true hero, however was the hot, fresh and the rightly spicy parippu vada. It was the best that I have ever had in my life :-) I washed down all the food I had with fresh and tasty buttermilk and it was a struggle getting up from the chair!

Truly, one of the best wedding lunches I have ever had with the cleanliness of the dining hall and the prompt service adding much more to the taste of the food! This is one wedding function that will remain etched out in the memories of all those who attended the function for a very long period of time. All the best to S & A for a very happy and prosperous married life :-)

IPL 2 getting better...

Ever since IPL 2 was announced, it was in the news for all the wrong reasons. The stalemate between Modi and the government continued for quite sometime over providing security to the matches in India and finally ended up with the venue being shifted to South Africa. The moneybags who had invested heavily in IPL were not happy, nor was Mr. Modi but the rest of the country was very sure that elections were more important!

Then there was the very famous duel between SET and BCCI over telecast rights. It grabbed headlines for quite a period of time and then finally ended in favour of SET. The cricket crazy nation heaved a sigh of relief, so did Ms. Mandira Bedi who could showcase her new hair style and off shouldered western wear over Extra Innings (I think I missed out on a couple of a's) on Sony Max.

The next issue involved one of the most high profile teams- Kolkata Knight Riders- SRK, Dada and Buchanan- 3 hot heads who were always in the news! Buchanan's theory of having multiple captains received a lot of flak, especially from SM Gavaskar and SRK didn't take it too kindly! The fact that Dada was given a backseat in the team did not go down very well with the babumashais in Kolkata either. The media savvy actor turned businessman that SRK has always been, he worked overtime with the media and managed to clear the air, albeit with great difficulty!

S Sreesanth's injury, his treatment in Sydney, his trip to South Africa and the will he play or not? confusion coupled with whether or not Zinta and Wadia are together grabbed more attention than the "Kings" themselves. Sreesanth has started bowling and getting hit but only time can say what is happening between Zinta and Wadia!

After all this, when it started, it coincided with the first phase of General Elections in India and had lower TRP ratings when compared to last year. The new set of Airtel and Vodafone advertisements attracted better response and the underdressed cheer leaders and additional breaks were widely criticized!

However, things seemed to have changed significantly more than 3 weeks into IPL. Look at the score card these days- you are still confused as to who is going to take the cake. Deccan Chargers started well but are not fully consistent these days. Rajasthan Royals started really bad for the reigning champions but are improving. Mumbai is in the gain one, lose one track. Delhi is totally unpredictable. Bengaluru is gearing up after Dravid came back to India. The Kings of the North and the South are doing their best and struggling to be in the fray. The only consistent team so far has been Kolkata which has been, well, consistently losing matches!

Gilchirst and R P Singh have been the most consistent players this year. Sachin, Hayden, Yuvi, Dhoni, Malinga, Kumble, Ojha, the Pathan Brothers have all being doing quite well for themselves. Yuvi and Rohit have had hat tricks also so far in IPL 2 though we are yet to see the six sixers this time around!

So, who is going to lift the crown this year? Who is going to have the last laugh- Mallya, Zinta, Wadia, Ambani, GMR, Shetty- only time can tell? Well, my votes are with Deccan Chargers and Delhi Daredevils. I would want them to fight against each other in the grand finale and I dont care who among them will win since both of them are my favorites. Will it turn out that way? I am keeping my fingers crossed...

Confessions of a Shopaholic

I do know that this is the name of a recent chick flick that opened to poor box office results and terrible reviews all over the globe. The only reason why I chose this one as the title of this post was because I was going to make a confession about how big a shopaholic I have turned out to be these days.

When I boarded the train to Bangalore, I had decided to shop for some shirts. Not that good brands are not available in Kochi, the problem was with my "plus" size figure for which shirts were not available (It is another thing that I picked up a Stanza Linen Shirt from Reliance Trends 3 weeks back!). My hopes were with the "aLL" brand of Pantaloon meant for oversized people like me and after the heavy lunch, we decided to check out the Garuda Mall before stepping into Bangalore Central to grab a couple of aLL shirts.

The moment I saw the massive Garuda Mall on Magrath Road, I was kinda sure that I would not have to drop into Bangalore Central. It is definitely a shopper's paradise- especially when it comes to menswear- Allen Solly, Van Heusen, Louis Philippe, Marks & Spencer, Shoppers' Stop- you name it, they have it. If you are looking for branded casual wear, you have Levis, Nike, Pepe Jeans, Provogue and Puma. To add to all this, if you are a connossieur of Indian fabric, you can step into fabindia or Westside. Need I say more?

Ladies need not worry for they too have a number of stores to choose from and even kids will have a good time with the little game areas and good options to choose from at the food court. They also have a 4 screen INOX multiplex which is another sureshot reason to visit the mall.

A very tastefully done mall with lots of vacant space and excellent utilization of available space, Garuda Mall's architecture also needs to be commended for the abundant use of natural light. The common areas are bright and airy thanks to the glass panes all around and on the ceiling that let in a lot of natural light.

If you are a shopaholic like me, make sure you carry all your cards with you when you get into the mall. It is another thing that I ended up spending quite a significant part of my salary at the mall. Right now, I am trying to figure out ways to raise adequate funds to remit my credit card bills on time...

Punjabi Khana Bengaluru Mein...

People have different ways of defining a "Cosmopolitan City" but I consider Bengaluru as the ultimate Cosmo city mainly because of the variety of food that its restaurants serve- you have South Indian, Punjabi, Gujarathi, Andhra, Chettinad, Kerala, Chinese, Italian, the list goes on- and all of these restaurants serve authentic food rich in taste and aroma. I have been to quite a few of them considering the number of times I have visited the city.

During my visit last weekend, we (me and my aunts- all equally mad about food!) decided to check out the Tandoor on MG Road (Next to Raheja Towers) which has been in the business for almost 4 decades and has been a favorite of foodies all over the city. The dining hall was tastefully arranged with an old world charm about it. Considering it was a Saturday afternoon, it was quite crowded but we landed ourselves a comfortable table right in the middle of the hall. The service was prompt and the heavy Menu Card was the kind that would make anybody's mouth water! The wines and spirits menu was equally comprehensive :-)

We decided to start with mocktails (Italian Smooch, Pina Colada and Mojito) and Lal Mirch Ka Paneer Tikka. Needless to say, the mocktails were exotic and tasty and provided great respite considering the sveltering heat outside. The tandoori starter was served with pudhina chutney, imli chutney, fresh onions in vinegar, green chillies, lime and tangy mango pickle. Yummm...

We gorged on the paneer tikkas- authentic cottage cheese with the right amount of spice. We decided to be true, blue Punjabis and placed the order of makai ki roti, sarson daa sag and mixed dal fry as main course. The rotis smelt of fresh corn flour and were thick, filling and tasty. Sarson da Saag was very homely with very little spice and had the fresh flavour of the mustard leaves. The king of the day was of course the dal fry- chana dal, moong dal and toor dal- all mixed in the right proportion with a tinge of ginger for seasoning- was gorgeous to say the least. We finished the food in no time and continued licking our fingers- that was the taste and aroma of the food!

How can anyone leave a Punjabi restaurant without gorging on the desserts? It was time for us to order forPerfect Harmony- Rice Kheer with one scoop each of Vanilla and Strawberry ice creams with the right amount of vermicelli thrown in- sweet and served cold- it tasted like manna from heaven!

Along with the bill, the restaurant also served us a variety of after mints- sugar coated saunf, imli ki goli and the like- which was exactly what the doctor ordered! The bill was slightly heavy on the purse but the satisfaction that a complete fooadholic derives out of devouring authentic Punjabi food scores much higher than the numbers on the bill :-)

Encounter with the Golden Dragon

It was only during my visit to the Mercy last Sunday that I realized that I have already gorged on the Chinese food at Golden Dragon not once, but thrice in the past! The only difference was that I had been to the branch at Vazhakkala, Kakkanad, Kochi instead of the first outlet at the Mercy, M G Road, Kochi.

That, obviously, does not make much of a difference. The moment you get into the Golden Dragon, you feel you have ended up somewhere in China. With lots of chimes, chinese decorative pieces and a predominant use of the red color in false ceilings, walls, curtains, table clothes and pretty much everything, you really get that feeling of being in China. To add to it, the waiters are from Nepal and the North East and the speakers continuously play Chinese Music!

The red colored Menu is quite elaborate and offers a wide variety of dishes in chicken, seafood, mutton, beef, pork, egg and veggies. The soups and starters section is also quite wide. All soups are good especially the Manchow and Hot and Sour! My personal favorites in the starters are the dragon rolls, spring rolls, fried wontons and dumplings. The Chinese chutney (should I call it something else?) that they serve with the starters is equally stunning.

With a wide variety of noodles and fried rice to choose from, a true connossieur of Chinese food will have a great time at the Golden Dragon. They even serve Chinese Chappathis that look appealing (haven't tasted them as yet!). There are quite a lot of side dishes to choose from- my personal advise is not to miss the Chilli Potato fry- it is awesome! So are the Hakka Noodles and the Broccoli Rice :-)

In all my 3 trips to the restaurant, I gorged so much on the main course that I had no space left for desserts. I have not been able to check out any of the desserts though I would say there is quite a variety to choose from. Do visit the Golden Dragon with family- it is definitely the best Chinese Restaurant in town!

Dinner at the Mercy...

I had heard lots of great things about the Chinese Restaurant (Golden Dragon) at the Mercy, MG Road, Kochi and that was the reason we chose to dine at the Mercy last Sunday after catching a movie. There we were at 9 PM- me, my mom, my sis and a cousin of mine- hungry, tired and excited about the Chinese food! Unfortunate we were, since the Golden Dragon was filled up and there were no tables available for the next 20 minutes. Cursing our luck, we opted for the Orion Restaurant at the same hotel and we realized few minutes later that our luck was not that bad!

The Orion Restaurant is located on the first floor of Hotel Mercy. The recently revamped hotel looked posh, stylish and comfortable and the restaurant which was located in a corner of the first floor looked neat and appealing. The ambience was good, styling was minimalistic and very pleasing. Circular tables with semi circular couches and chairs were arranged- they were plush and comfortable. Service was prompt and the menu boasted about a wide variety of food- both vegetarian and non- vegetarian. The restaurant also served wines and spirits.

We started with Canadian Cheese soup and Fried Vegetables. The soup was awesome- more so for myself since I have always been a great fan of cheddar cheese. Grated cheese in cream with the right mix of seasonings served piping hot made for a good starter. The accompanying Fried Vegetables was chutpata with the right amount of spices.

Pudhina Paratha, Aloo Paratha, Vegetable Hakka Noodles and Schezwan Fried Rice with Paneer Butter Masala and Gobi Manchurian adorned our tables in a short while. Pudhina Paratha was surprisingly soft, fluffy and tasty. Noodles and Fried Rice were good and the curries were also equally appealing. What was particularly noticeable was the right amount of spice and oil- there was nothing in excess in any of the dishes!

After the tasty and sumptous meal, we decided to wash the food down with sweet lassy- the cold, creamy and tasty lassy was exactly what we wanted- my sister and cousin really enjoyed their milk shake and ice cream respectively. The bill was not very heavy on the purse. It was reasonable and good value for money! We left the hotel as happy souls with tummies fully loaded:-)

Did I tell you that the Hotel has ample parking space as well?

Love and Luck Lost and Found

Sathyan Anthicaud's "Bhagyadevatha" reaches its high point in the interval when Benny (Jayaram) learns that his wife, Daisy (Kanihaa) has won a fortune and is shocked and helpless at the same time since he had sent her home only the previous night after lot of drama and fighting. Thereafter, all the tricks that Benny adopts to win her back entertains the audience infinitely and it is to Sathyan's credit that he includes some simple yet poignant lessons of life in his narrative without getting too preachy or overboard!

Sathyan as a director has always had an amazing script sense but his own scripts (Rasathanthram, Vinodayathra and Innathe Chinthavishayam) had failed to excite. With Bhagyadevatha, you get the feeling that Sathyan has understood clearly what was lacking in his earlier scripts and has come up with a tight one with superbly penned dialogues. Sathyan's trusted lieutenants in the acting department- Innocent, Mamukkoya, Nedumudi Venu, KPAC Lalitha- outperform themselves and lend credibility to their characters. Jayaram, again, is in comfortable milieu and literally lives as Benny. However, one needs to point out that age is catching up with him and it is difficult to imagine Jayaram as a "suitable bachelor" anymore! Kanihaa essays the role of Daisy effectively and Narain plays his delightful cameo well.

Venu's camera captures the earthy beauty of Kuttanad very well. Rajagopal's editing is crisp. All other technical departments work fine with the exception of music. Ilaiyaraaja disappoints big time- none of the songs are catchy enough and the background music is also nothing much to write home about!

That said, Bhagyadevatha is a highly appealing film for all ages and promises to be another blockbuster for Jayaram after "Veruthe oru Bharya". Watch it with family- this is one of those rare scripts that can be filmed effectively only in Malayalam :-)

Sex, Drugs and MMS Clip

Anurag Kashyap has balls! How else would you describe someone who had the gall to come up with such a stylish, sleek and contemporary version of Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay's iconic "Devdas" where all characters have shades of grey, speak filthy language and are completely unapologetic about their way of life?

This stilted vision is for all to see in the manner in which Kashyap has moulded his characters, moved his narrative forward as well as the style of editing and photography that he adopts (Aarti Bajaj and Rajeev Ravi respectively are the technicians) in this movie. Music by Amit Trivedi is completely unconventional and totally different from what we have heard so far. The songs replace the background score and there are as many as 18 of them that play along with the movie. "Emosional Atyachaar", it seems, has become National Anthem of sorts!

And how can we forget the casting? Mahi Gill is the best thing to have happened to Bollywood since Kajol. Watch out for that sequence where she violently pumps water out of the hand pump. Its so graphic and explicit- a very bold way of expressing the trauma that the character is going through. Kalki Koechlin takes boldness one step further- she is particularly impressive in the sequences in Canada- where she confronts her father and also where she shouts to her mother that she is not out to suck every c**k that comes her way!

Thank God for someone like Abhay Deol who has the sense and courage to take up one unconventional role after another. The actor has taken giant strides in his half a dozen film old career and is definitely THE ACTOR to look out for!

If there is one thing that has been consistent about Anurag Kashyap, it has been his honesty and his strong refusal to bow down to the diktats of commercial cinema- It is good to see "Dev D" being accepted by all and sundry after debacles like "Black Friday", "Gulel" and "No Smoking". Three cheers to Anurag and his brand of cinema- both are here to stay!!!