MOMOLICIOUS: Being a Bengali, we are genuinely in love with momos, be it any shape or size. I chanced upon Dumplicious on Southern Avenue quite a few times but until I saw it on Instagram, I did not find it legit. So today, determined and in a major “I always get my momo” mood I trekked to Dumplicious only to be told that their roof has caved in and they are closed at least for two hours. Unhindered, I decided to rest my case at Momolicious. Tucked in a dirt lane opposite South City Mall, I was impressed by the pretty pink decor. Since it was way past lunchtime, I decided to go for three varieties Afghani Momo, Handi Momo and Korean Momo. After a wait time of 20 minutes, I took a peek into the kitchen and I found that the girl who waited on me, was making the momos. I savored the Afghani Momos, which were drenched in cheese, with a pinch of guilt. The juicy and creamy chicken filling was sumptuous. The Handi Momos came in a plastic Handi and tasted like Mutton korma. The Korean momo was garnished with oyster or hoisin sauce (I am not too sure) and was bland and unappetising. I could eat only one piece of the Korean momo because maybe I was full or it didn’t tickle my tastebuds. Consider visiting this place if you care two hoots about calories and would not mind having a dine-in experience at a momo joint.

WOODBRIDGE SHOHORE EKENBABU: This is an audio play available free on Youtube. While I appreciate the enterprise, I see no point in rendering a monotonous drivel with no background score and voice modulation. The pitch and the tone remains the same throughout the running time of 1 hour 20 minutes. It is most unlikely that the narrative follows a proper screenplay. The intent is to cash in on the viewership of Eken babu admirers. Clearly, the makers did not have the budget to shoot in Woodbridge. Give it an ear if you are a diehard fan of Eken babu or if you suffer from major FOMO.

EPIC: Elvis Presley In Concert- This movie is a collage of Elvis Presley concerts in the US from the 1950’s to the 70’s. The editing is crisp and so the movie does not bore you. If you have an ear for music specifically, rock ‘n roll or rhythm and blues you will probably like this movie. The movie also hints at Elvis’ womanizer trait. With Michael Jackson’s biopic “Michael” releasing in a few weeks, looks like 2026 is a great year for the musically inclined.

VIJAYNAGARER HIREY (The diamond of Vijaynagar): A well-made movie albeit formulaic with the usual dose of history, mystery, a riddle and a treasure-hunt. Based on the prolific Bengali writer Sunil Gangopadhyay’s works, the editing is crisp and the movie with a running time of 1 hr 50 mins doesn’t bog you down. Set in Hampi, Karnataka the cinematography is major eye-candy. It is surprising how Kakababu with an injured leg could beat an army of hooligans so effectively. Prosenjit is superb as Kakababu and Aryann Bhowmik (playing Sontu) complements him well. One cannot help but wonder what the hullabaloo was over something that looked more like a paperweight than a diamond. As you move out of the theatre, the Kakababu theme song stays with you. This movie is a nice one time watch and is suited for family audiences.

ROYAL BENGAL ROWHOSHYO Web Series: Seven episodes of this web series are playing on Hoichoi. I do not know what is the big deal of recreating the same story after fourteen years with a different set of actors. This web series is a copy-paste job without an iota of originality or creativity. The original music by Satyajit Ray which is used in Feluda movies is usually a character by itself. The music here is too feeble to make an impact. The theme song is taken from Srijit Mukherji’s Darjeeling Jawmjawmat and it retains the energy and liveliness of the original. Dialogues and scenes are duplicated frame by frame. It is plain tiring to watch the cloned audio and images without any freshness. Navigation is a nightmare-on clicking Royal Bengal Rowhoshyo on Hoichoi, it points to Darjeeling Jawmjawmat; On clicking “Next Episode” it points to the first episode. Do yourself a favor and watch the original big-screen version which is also streaming on Hotstar.

MITIN EKTI KHUNIR SHONDHANE (Mitin In Search of a Killer): A tightly woven who-dunnit directed by Arindam Sil. Mitin Mashi was created by Suchitra Bhattacharya for young adults and the character is brought to life on-screen deftly by Koel Mallick. At times it may seem that the character of Koel is over-glorified (well being wife of the producer helps). Not only youngsters but adults will enjoy the layered story, peeling like an onion, with the right dose of glam and oomph. But the music however disappoints. Watch this movie if you are a fan of Koel’s muted acting and understated charm and if you are a sucker for sleuth stories.

THE EKEN:BENARAS E BIBHISHIKA: A compelling sleuth story by Sujan Dasgupta, with breathtaking cinematography capturing the vibrant backdrop of Benaras, brilliant comic relief, captivating music and excellent performance of the ensemble cast, elevate this movie into an enjoyable experience. Eken Babu’s irreverent faux pas are so very endearing. A far cry from the simplistic storytelling by Sonada (portrayed by Abir Chatterjee), this screenplay is layered with twists and turns, action and intrigue but still cannot a hold a candle to Ray’s classics like “Joy Baba Felunath” and “Sonar Kella”. The climax is abrupt and slightly put-on. But the movie is entertaining and is suited for family audiences. There is a hint of the next installment-hope it is bigger and better.

EMERGENCY: One would expect that this movie would dissect the events leading to the infamous Emergency in 1975 which is the darkest chapter in Indian democracy and its repercussions on the Indian diaspora but it turns out to be a cradle-to-grave biopic of the late Indian Prime Minister. The screenplay is pathetic and does not engage the audience. The acting of Kangana Ranaut and the ensemble cast comprising of Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Mahima Chaudhry, Satish Kaushik and Milind Soman is very average and it feels like they are merely going through the motions. The background score and the songs are atrocious and they fail to uplift the mood of the film. The movie is not a hagiography and depicts the character of Mrs G in a shade of grey. Sanjay Gandhi’s life is shown in great details and it might seem like it’s his biography. Kangana goes overboard in portraying the mannerisms of Mrs G with the quivering lips and the twitching of the chin. The audience needs to know a bit about Indian history in order to follow the proceedings. A bad directorial effort, this movie is utterly miss-able.

THE SABARMATI REPORT: Gripping, incisive tale of the Godhra incident in 2002 the movie scores because of an efficient screenplay and excellent performances of Vikrant Massey, Ms Khanna and Ms Dogre. Massey with his medium build and lanky figure represents the common man and his beyond-compare acting finesse carries the movie single-handedly from Ground Zero to an elevated experience. The movie depicts the horrifying incident of a train travelling from Ayodhya to Ahmedabad carrying mostly Carsevaks set on fire by the “other” community. The second half is a little sluggish and the climax is predictable. The movie is a dramatization of the Nanavati-Mehta report on the Godhra incident but as you walk away from the end credits you cannot shy away from the realization that this movie is majorly a propaganda vehicle of the current establishment.

JAMALAYE JIBONTO BHANU: A promising story put up on a grandiose setup and exciting premise, the movie cannot save its face thanks to an illogical script and lackluster comedy (supposed to be the USP of the movie). Humor-mongering is an art and only a talented few can create humor masterfully and effortlessly (God bless my friend Anuradha Mukherjee whose sense of humor I have always found killing!) Despite mastering the mannerisms and portraying the distinctive looks of “Dhakar Pola Bhanu” (thanks to prosthetic makeup), Saswata Chatterjee fails flat on his face to deliver thanks to a shoddy screenplay. The scene that resonates the most is the recreation of the iconic scene from “Shaare Chuattar” depicting the legendary exchanges between Suchitra Sen and Bhanu Bandopadhyay over his obsession for “Malpua” (essaying the 50’s Bengali man’s bonding tactics with the female gender). The movie lacks to elicit any laughter (not even a stifled chuckle) and the audience is relegated to tedium and unforeseen misery.