Author: aninditaroy444

SAAND KI AANKH:This is an inspiring feminist drama of two sexagenarian sharp shooters Chandro and Prakashi Tomar. Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu are impressive as the “shooter dadis”. The prosthetic makeup is not as good and in some scenes,they look unconvincing as 60 year olds. Prakash Jha is effortless as the patriarch, Ratan Singh Tomar. The songs and the music are really good. Set in Johri village in Baghpat of Uttar Pradesh, the movie has the characters talking in an Haryanvi dialect which is difficult to follow. This feel-good tale of women empowerment is enjoyable and awe-inducing.

TRAVEL TO MYSORE AND COORG VIA BANGALORE

Dates: Oct 4, 2019 to Oct 10, 2019

Airlines: Indigo

Journey: CCU-BLR-CCU

Travel Agent: ACE CONSORTIUM at Ekdalia

Hotel: The President (Mysore), Madikeri Heritage (Coorg)

Climate: Mild

Rainfall: Moderate

Itinerary:

Oct 4     Journey from Kolkata to Bangalore

Journey from Bangalore to Mysore

               Mysore Palace

Oct 5     Journey from Mysore to Coorg

               Bylakuppe (Namdroling Monastery)

               Cauvery Nisargadhama

               Dubare Elephant Camp

Oct 6     Abbey Falls

               Madikeri Fort

               Omkareshwara Temple

               Raja’s Seat

Oct 7     Bhagamandala

               Talacauvery

Oct 8     Journey from Coorg to Mysore

Brindavan Gardens

Tipu Sultan’s Palace

Oct 9     Mysore Palace

Lalitha Mahal

               Jaganmohan Palace

               Melody World Wax Museum

               Chamundi Hills & Chamundeshwari Temple

Oct 10   Journey from Mysore to Bangalore

               Journey from Bangalore to Kolkata

Travelogue

The roads from Bangalore to Mysore are spectacular-smooth and picturesque. We reached Mysore in the evening and the lights were on at 7 pm. I have never viewed anything so regal and majestic as the Mysore Palace which when lit, basked in its glory. We were fortunate to visit Mysore during Navratri because the Palace is lit up only during this time. The Namdroling Monastery was a magnificent structure and the surroundings were very serene and calm. It is great as a meditation spot. Cauvery Nisargadhama had a scary bridge which swung in the wind. I could not overcome my fear and go to the other side. There were lots of greenery all around. In the Dubare Elephant camp, again there was a fearsome boat ride which could take us closer to the elephants but we chose not to take it. The Abbey Falls hike was a bit too much for us and so we stopped midway and viewed the Falls from afar. Raja’s Seat was a well-manicured garden with some stone animal sculptures. We did not get down at Omkareshwara Temple. Madikeri Fort was in ruins. We enjoyed the viewpoints at Bhagamandala and Talacauvery. Brindavan Gardens was breathtaking in its size and magnificence. We could not cover it in its entirety. Tipu Sultan’s Palace was dilapidated. There was a museum adjoining Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace and it was quite wellstocked with original weapons. The following day we had lunch at the well-decorated Lalitha Mahal. There was also a short horse-cart ride which we enjoyed thoroughly. We stopped at the Melody Wax Museum but the museum fell short of our expectations. We visited the Chamundi Hills and Chamundeshwari Temple stood tall in its ethereal charm. Jaganmohan Palace was closed when we visited it but still could feel the ethnic grandeur. The star attraction of this trip was the Mysore Palace which was grandiose, gorgeous and outstanding. The Hotel President was a very good hotel. Their President Special Ice Cream is to die for. Madikeri Heritage was strictly okay but it included dinner in the room tariff and that’s why it earned brownie points. Barring a little rainfall in Coorg, the weather was mostly in our favor. Special mention must be made of Vasu, our driver, who drove us for the round-trip from and to Bangalore and pepped up our journey with beautiful anecdotes and insights of a localite.

Cafe Ekante is located at Eco Park at Rajarhat. The winning combination of lushing greenery, a pristine lake, enchanting cottages and mouthwatering food can never go wrong. We took a short buggy ride from the parking lot across the bridge to reach the cafe. The decor of the cafe is ethnic Bengali and the staff is also dressed accordingly. We ordered Cold drinks, Fresh Lime Soda, Fried Bekti, Dukbungalow Chicken, Kacha Lanka Diye Chicken and Butter Naan. The Bekti was fried to perfection-it was the best fish fry I ever had. The chicken main courses were equally exquisite and the naans were great to taste. For desserts, we had Baked Mihidana and Nolen Gurer Icecream and they both were utterly delicious. Earlier this year I had visited Cafe Ekante on Poila Boisakh and had found a sumptuous spread. So, I can safely say that this cafe is consistently good. Would love to come back for more. Image Courtesy: Google

The Beanshot Cafe is located at C-16 Baishnabghata Patuli Township Phone +91 9875553938. Home of the Illegal Colossal Foot-High burger, this is a very small cafe with average food. The crowd is queer and the ambiance is very cheap. The cafe failed to live up to its expectations. I ordered a cold coffee which was ho-hum, garlic prawns that were barely edible, a fajita omelette which was too well-done and sundae overload that was also mediocre. In the menu I saw “selfie cappuccino” and “selfie ice-cream” mentioned and these seemed interesting. The staff just moved around without taking much interest in anything. Food is priced high compared to the quality and ambiance. There is no washroom. I wonder if gulping down normal sized portions is so tough, then how disgusting the illegal burgers might taste. Not recommended. Image Courtesy: Google

Fat Belly, is fast food joint originally from Guwahati. It is located at P468/A Lake Terrace Road Kolkata 700029 Phone: 080177 70304. I went there with high hope. The restaurant was small and fairly crowded for a weekday evening. The tables were set close together and there was very little privacy. The staff was very attentive and cordial-they were all from the Northeast. The decor was nice and the seating was comfortable. I ordered the Cheesy Peshawari Chicken Momo which was good. But with cheese, everything tastes heavenly. There was a Momo Soup served alongside which tasted evil. I also ordered the Fried Rice/Chilly Chicken/Cold Drinks combo which was, let’s just say, edible. Sprite was served as opposed to Coke much to my chagrin. I asked about desserts but they were not available. There were a few girls next door who were toying with the idea of ordering vodka momos and whether they will become high on having them. Kids!!!The pocket pinch was really low but I am not recommending this joint. Image Courtesy: Google

The Chaiwala, located at P459B Hemanta Mukherjee Sarani Kolkata 700029 Ph: 033 2465 4425 is a cosy joint serving both veg and non-veg food along with awesome tea and coffee. On the ground floor there are about 6 seats -we didn’t venture into the first floor. The ambiance is typical of a South Calcutta cafe. Service was not top-class with the waiters hiding behind a door. But the food was god-awesome. I had the Shrimp Risotto which was perfectly done. The cold coffee was superb too. My friend had the lemon iced tea and the cheese, mushroom and onion sandwich and reported them as very tasty. Unlike other restaurants, we were not rushed at all and we chomped away gleefully at our own sweet pace. For desserts, my friend settled for the Berry Float and sang paeans about it. I ordered the Choco Walnut Pot Cake which came from the kitchen freshly baked and it was so huge, I had to doggy-bag it. The bill was quite low and came as a sweet surprise. The only grouse is that the washroom is not of a good standard. Definitely worth a visit and more. Image courtesy: Google

MITIN MASHI: This offering from Arindam Sil is a simple whodunit involving the kidnapping of a Parsi child in Calcutta. Earnest performances, sleek editing, good cinematography, good music are the plusses of this movie. Koel, though unconvincing in the fight sequences, pull the movie well. Riya and Subhrajit support her well as assistants. Vinay Pathak is brilliant as the Parsi businessman but it is difficult to digest June Malia’s screaming and overacting. The plot is too simplistic but the director ties up the loose ends and puts forward a coherent script. Good for an one-time watch.

HOUSEFULL 4: This movie is the biggest block-disaster this Diwali. There’s no story whatsoever. The proceedings are very confusing and regressive. The three girls, who can be interchanged pretty much, serve as eyecandy but that cannot save the movie from being a colossal calamity. Music is average. Popular songs are parodied without much success. One of the songs has British royalty-lookalikes shaking a leg or two.Akhshay Kumar, Bobby Deol, Riteish Deshmukh just play along.Yesteryear’s Ranjeet, Chunky Pandey, Johnny Lever (also his daughter Jamie Lever) appear in the ensemble cast. Rana Daggubati appears as the villain Gama. Nawaduddin Siddiqui shows up in a special appearance. I did not find much comedy in the entire chain of events. This movie is utter trash, so avoid it like the plague.

THE SKY IS PINK:This movie, based on a true story, tugs at your heartstrings. The story is narrated by Aisha, who dies at the age of 18 from pulmonary fibrosis, an aftermath of chemotherapy for her immunodeficiency. The parents, Aditi and Niren try their level best to fill Aisha’s life with love, happiness and laughter and make her living years well-lived. The movie is soul-stirring and does not resort to melodrama. The film documents the valiant and earnest attempts of the parents to battle against something as inevitable as death. Farhan Akhtar gives a restrained performance. Priyanka Chopra is brilliant-the movie is watchable just for her acting prowess. Zaira Wasim gives a mature performance that belies her young age. Too bad, she has retired from acting already. The songs,penned by Gulzar, are noteworthy. A poignant tale of parenthood and togetherness, the movie puts an important message of family coming first. A must watch.

WAR: This movie is all about high-octane action sequences, car and bike chases, display of brawn, rippling muscles and chiseled torsos. Borrowing heavily from Hollywood action movies, this movie pulls no new stunt and is predictable. Hrithik and Tiger fans wont be disappointed but both the heroes dont have to do any acting, they just pose and strut their stuff. Vaani Kapoor is merely a prop. There is no logic to the mindless action and mayhem. The movie lacks soul and substance. Music is good but is limited to two songs. Some of the action sequences are choreographed to opera music and are in slow motion. If you an actionbuff, you’ll probably like this caper or else it’s just a timepass movie for those who have the time.