Author: aninditaroy444

I scream, you scream, we all scream for icecream. Its creamy, its sweet and its cold perfect for the humid hot Indian climate and the unmistakable Indian sweet tooth. In Kolkata you can taste the home grown as well as the international brands without much of a pocket pinch.

KWALITY- Very convenient and pocket friendly. There’s Kwality Walls and Magnum (also distributed through them) for the more quality conscious. The taste has been intact from time immemorial. Very dependable brand.

SCOOP-Now located in the New Empire building near New Market, it is the boutique brand that pioneered icecream sundaes in Kolkata back in the ‘90s. It was located at Outram Ghat then, overlooking the Ganges. It’s icecream dish “As You Like It” comprising of five select scoops was my favorite. I have gotten over many bad days over this bowl of happiness. Too bad it’s discontinued now. A honorable destination for icecream in the heart of Kolkata.

AMUL ICECREAM PARLOR– Located at Rashbehari Connector, Amul is just Amul-unique in its utterly butterly delicious taste. It was previously located in City Center I. It is a brand I grew up with, a brand I have a lot of respect for. The taste is old-school, you would not regret it.

FABELLE CHOCOLATE BOUTIQUE-ITC SONAR-An upscale brand targeted towards corporate gifting and royal indulgences of the rich and famous. Needless mark-ups, I would say.

NATURAL’S- A Mumbai based brand that has forayed into Kolkata and has grabbed the market-share of Eastern India. Based at Park Street near the Park Plaza, the location is cumbersome for car parking. Try the Cocunut Icecream and other fruit based icecream – it is refreshing and soothing, only if you do not mind the calories.

HAAGEN DAZS– A US based brand that has set up shop in Kolkata at Quest Mall. The taste of the icecream is overpowering and addictive and you may end up saving more stomach space for the creamy delight than the regular meal. Try the Belgian Chocolate-the taste is truly international if not pure Swiss. A high-end brand meant for the true-blue icecream addicts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are craving for dimsum ala the ChinaTown of Boston, New York or San Francisco, do not let logistics stop you from having your dimsum fix. You can get great dimsum right here in Kolkata without much of an ado.

MASTER DIMSUM – Tucked in a corner opposite Vivekananda Park, this tiny outlet has passable fare suited for the everyday pockets. If you are a dimsum freak like me, opt for the wholesome dimsum box and be happy with having your dimsum standing, ‘cause there ain’t any place to sit.

THE WALL- Situated in Sarat Banerjee Road off Southern Avenue, this place has god-awesome dimsum dishes but mostly ala carte. It is advisable to go in a group so that you can try most of the available fare.

MAINLAND CHINA-It has become a national chain. The one in South City Mall has excellent choices in dimsum and the quality is ever dependable and one of the best. Make prior reservation before you visit them.

YAUTCHA- The “Maharaja” of dimsum is located right here at Quest Mall. There’s the Regular Steamed Non-Veg Dimsum Basket for the carnivorous dimsum aficionados like me, and the taste and feeling of fullness after the meal is unmatched. Meant for HNIs with deep pockets, this can be a occasional treat for the taste buds of the hoi polloi, moi included.

THUGS OF HINDOSTAN: TWO THUMBS UP

Set in 1795, a few years after the British set up crown rule in erstwhile Hindostan, the movie depicts the conversion of a few Thugis (conmen) in overturning John(read: Robert) Clive’s India and its robust East India Company. The movie is pure fictional because such minor uprisings of the 18^th century are largely undocumented, the first well-known rebellion being the Sepoy Mutiny of 1857. This movie is a magnum opus where lavish sets are mounted and a lot of special effects are ingested into the visuals. But some of the CGI is very patchy what with eagles flying in every frame and the sun going down too fast like an iron ball sinking in water and what not. The action sequences are well crafted but the same technique of showing flying men and Spiderman-esque movements might seem repetitive. Fatima Sana Shaikh takes her craft seriously and is a delight to watch. The septuagenarian Amitabh Bachchan look fetching and his trademark baritone and towering presence as Khudabaksh Azaad fill every frame with valour and dignity. His brooding looks and quick blink of the eye manifest in his forever young “Angry Young Man” persona. Perfectionist Aamir is wonderful as the wayward “Firangi Mallar” and exudes charisma and spiritedness and is fearless in every frame opposite the formidable Bachchan. Ronit Roy, as the father of Fatima, Mirza Baig is superb in the opening act and sets the context of the movie. Ila Arun is fab in a brief role. Lloyd Owen as John Clive is strictly okay. Shanichar played by Md. Ayubb stands out as the Firangi’s sidekick and has a Deepak Dobriyal hangover. Ab-licious Katrina Kaif looks fetching but is wasted in two song-and-dance numbers. Prabhudeva’s choreography is not that good for “Suraiyya” number -Katrina’s gyrations are too fast and lacks grace. The Aamir-Amitabh chemistry comes alive in the “Vashmalle” song. The background score is superb, the lyrics by Amitabh Bhattacharya are catchy but they do not reflect the period feel of the movie. The songs, somehow, resonate in your heart long after you have left the theatre. There is a brief mention of Badabazaar in Kolkata and the fight is over the estate of Durgpur (In Bahubali it was Mahismati). Firangi Mallar is from Awaad and the visages shown in the movie like Dusshera, human pyramids ala Dahi Handi festival during Janmasthami clearly have Maharashtrian influences. The movie is influenced by Lagaan, Pirates of the Caribbean and even Bahubali (while depicting how Indians hit on each other in ancient days). The climax is light-hearted and funny and thankfully there is no item song with the main protagonists during the end credit lending some dignity and sanity in an otherwise “busy” screenplay cluttered with action, music, melodrama, romance and what not. Watch this movie to see the grandeur of a 300 crore YRF movie, the superlative chemistry between Amitabh and Aamir and the excellent performances of the rest of the cast and how the call of the motherland and the yearning for freedom supersedes all.

Places Covered: Shillong, Cherrapunjee, Guwahati

Time: Oct 15-Oct 21, 2018

Climate: Medium cold in Cherrapunjee and Shillong, hot in Guwahati

Rainfall: NIL, not even in Cherrapunjee

Travel Agency: ACE Consortium, 9/19, Ekdalia Rd, Ekdalia, Ballygunge, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019  Ph: 033 2440 3403

Flight: CCU-GAU-CCU Indigo

Hotel: High Winds (Shillong)

            Four Season Eco Resort (Cherrapunjee)

            Onyx Garden (Guwahati)

Car: Standard AC Swift Dezire Roundtrip from GAU to Shillong to Cherrapunjee to GAU

Trip Itinerary:

DAY 0

Umiam Lake (Bada Pani)

DAY 1

Dawki

Mawlyngong Village

DAY 2

Ward’s Lake

Don Bosco Museum

Lady Hydari Park

Durga Puja Mandap

DAY 3

Shillong View Point

Elephant Falls

Seven Sister Falls

Nohkahlikai Falls

 DAY 4

Eco Park

Alfresco Grand Brahmaputra Cruise

DAY 5

Kamakhya Temple

Sucreswar Temple

TRIP REVIEW

Firstly, Onyx Garden in Guwahati was the best hotel of the lot. Four Season Eco Resort in Cherrapunjee is a new facility-it does not have WIFI, is located in a desolate area but the service is very good. High Winds in Shillong had really bad service and should be avoided at all costs.  We had meals at Jiva Veg enroute Shillong, Center Point hotel in Guwahati, Orange Roots in Cherrapunjee amongst other places which were all good. The food was the worst at Mawlynong Village. We did not do any shopping at Police Bazaar at Shillong or Fancy Bazaar at Guwahati because honestly the Kolkata malls and markets are bigger and better. Amongst the attractions, I liked Don Bosco Museum the best especially the Skywalk-and I climbed seven stories to reach there. I could not view much at the Shillong View Point as everything was engulfed in clouds.  Umiam Lake was a vast man-made stretch of water and a nice place for a stopover on the way to Shillong from Guwahati. Dawki was serene, clean and very scenic and was worth the three hour long drive. Mawlynnong Village was no great shakes-just a bunch of touristy shops with very scarce amenities. I had to walk a stretch to get bottled water. Ward’s Lake was a patch of green with calm water and was unbelievably beautiful. Lady Hydari Park came a close second with ducks plying on water bodies and gorgeously landscaped expanses. Of the waterfalls, Elephant Falls and Nohkalikai Falls were less than what I expected them to be. The Seven Sisters Falls was so scanty and distant from the viewpoint that I needed binoculars to view them properly. I was caught by surprise when I chanced upon an unnamed waterfall enroute Cherrapunjee that I stopped the car for a while to soak in its magnificence and pristine beauty. The Eco Park at Cherrapunjee was a let-down while compared to the one that we have in Kolkata. The Alfresco Grand cruise on the river Brahmaputra was relaxing and refreshing after a tiring sprint all across the Guwahati-Shillong corridor. Kamakhya Temple, a much revered religious spot in Guwahati, was surprisingly methodical and free of money hungry priests. The lesser known Sucreswar Temple was a quiet zone, apt for a quick prayer and offerings. We also had a chance to stop by at the artistic Durga Puja Mandap near Polo Towers at Shillong. Shillong, with its scenic splendor and cool climate is a popular destination for Bengalis. All the local people speak Bengali and the Assamese script is the same as Bengali. The journeys across states are breathtaking and the roads are butter-smooth. Shillong was once named “Scotland of the East” by the British-so if you cannot make a jaunt to Scotland right away, consider making a trip to Shillong-the nearest airport, Guwahati is only an hour away from Kolkata. Bon voyage!

ANDHA DHUN

VICTORIA AND ABDUL

VEERE DI WEDDING

TUMHARI SULU

THAMMAR BOYFRIEND

TANU WEDS MANU RETURNS

TAMASHA

SUI DHAGA

SHUBH MANGAL SHABDHAN

SECRET SUPERSTAR

SANJU

SAMANTARAL

SACHIN A BILLION DREAMS

PK

PIKU

PARMANU

PADMAN

PADMAAVAT

OCTOBER

SONU KE TITU KI SWEETY

NILACHOLAY KIRITI

MS DHONI

JAGGA JASOOS

SPIDERMAN THE HOMECOMING

MOM

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE FALLOUT

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE ROGUE NATION

MEGHNAD BADH RAHASYA

MAMMA MIA

KIRITI ROY

RAID

HICHKI

PROJAPATI BISCUIT

BYOMKESH O AGNIBAAN

COCKPIT

YETI OBHIJAAN

HASEENA PARKAR

HAPPY PILL

RAAZI

HAAMI

GOLMAAL AGAIN

SATYAMEV JAYATE

GOLD

DRISHTIKONE

GUPTADHANER SANDHANE

ALINAGARER GOLOKDHADHA

GHARE O BAIRE

GENTLEMAN

DRISHYAM

DOLLY KI DOLI

DIL DHADAKNE DO

CHRISTOPHER ROBIN

BYOMKESH O CHIRIAKHANA

BYOMKESH BAKSHI

BYOMKESH GOWTRO

MISSING

BLACKMAIL

BIDAAY BYOMKESH

STREE

BATTI GUL METER CHALU

BAREILLY KI BARFI

BAJRANGI BHAIJAAN

BAHUBALI2 THE CONCLUSION

EK JE CHILO RAJA

BADHAI HO

KINGSMAN THE GOLDEN CIRCLE

BLADE RUNNER 2049

CHAWLOCHITRA CIRCUS

AMERICAN MADE

TIGER ZINDA HAIN

AMAZON OBHIJAAN

AHARE MON

ABCD2

THOR RAGNAROK

A BAD MOMS CHRISTMAS

The scent of an Indian flight attendant aka the air-hostess: Gliding through a moving aircraft on high heels,pandering to a demanding child,lifting heavy luggage and putting them on the overhead bin,catering to a physically challenged passenger,pacifying the all-equipped but nevertheless irate passenger, turning a blind eye to ogling passengers, slapping on the warpaint and doing the perfect hair every morning,dumbing down and cowering down everyday to serve food and beverages to the hoi polloi,coaxing crying women to tear off from their husbands/significant others into the aircraft-she always has a kind word for all and sundry.There’s something about her that makes even the gutsy, care-for-nothing-not-even-our-own-lives pilots to say “Baby be mine”.

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton