Saturday, July 27, 2019

Bon Appetit with Curious Appetite!

India is a country with great obsession for cricket, films and food. We may be divided by languages and states, but we all share a common love for food. Being a film fanatic and a food lover, I have always been fascinated by the drool-worthy food that our cinema brings to the big screen. From the mouth-watering dabbas in ‘Stanley ka Dabba’ to the delectably described bourguignon in ‘Julie and Julia’, the glimpses of food from across the world gives foodies like me a major high! Though shows like MasterChef Australia enjoy immense patronage in India, a food-loving country such as ours needs frequent doses of food-porn!

So, when you are in the middle of a never-ending meeting or stuck in the traffic, even a glimpse of delicious food can satiate you. This is when I stumbled upon a great food blog, curated by a dear friend of mine – Curious Appetite! Curious Appetite gives a peek into finger-licking good food, that gives you an instant rush! While I loved all of their posts, listing a few favourites here:

Eat like a King when served like a King: Bored of the usual fare at home or the typical menu at most restaurants? A sumptuous and lavish Thali is the answer! Just like Jodhaa’s rich and extravagant Thali for Akbar (Jodhaa Akbar – 2008), this Thali from Curious Appetite got me all drooling! Continue reading while I run to Ardor 2.1 for this Thali - RIGHT NOW!



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Saw a lot promotion for this place all over the social Media so decided to head to Ardor 2.1 at CP . . We went to try the Modiji ki 56” ki thali aka Khalibali Bahubali Thali . . They claim it to be India’s largest thali that weighs approximately 8.5kg Net . . This thali can be shared with 4 persons, incase it is more than 4 then the per person charge is linearly proportional to the total price of Thali . You can refill the curries , drinks , breads and sweets but not the appetisers . . They will make you wait 30-40 minutes for this thali claiming that it is prepared from the scratch basis every order they receive. This was something which I found it hard to believe though. . The presentation of thali is totally instagram worthy but The taste and quality was totally average. It didn’t meet the expectations and the hype that was created around this place . . Even the service was not upto the mark . It was quite slow , the staff had to be reminded time and again for everything. . Would definitely appreciate them for the unique and new concept of thalis that they have come up with. Kudos !! You can also try their election special thali which comes in the shape of India ‘s Map with dishes from different states . However it didn’t live up to it’s aura that was created around it . . Also they didn’t even accept the confirmed booking from eazydiner and made us wait for the table @eazydinerdelhi . . Ratings 🌟🌟 . . What has been your experience? Share in the comments below . . Stay curious!! . . #food #foodblogger #indianfoodbloggers #bloggersofindia #foodiesofinstagram #eatgram #forthegram #foodporn #foodphotography #foodie #foodgasm #likeforlikes #followforfollowback #ardor2.1 #cp #delhifood #delhi #thali #indianthali #modijikithali #bahubali #khalibali #eazydiner #curiousappetite
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Easy on the pockets and pleasing for the tummy: Not every delicious meal you eat out must pinch your pockets. Like DJ (Aamir Khan) relishes food at his mother’s Dhaaba (Rang De Basanti - 2004) and says – Dhabe mein maa ke haath ka khana milta hai! And this post of garma-garam Amristari Kulcha with dollops of butter, served with Dhaba-style Chhole and Pyaaz ki Chutney can make anyone salivate and run to the nearest dhaba! I think I have got your weekend plans sorted – head to a dhaba and relish such kulchas!



Khata Rahe Mera Dil: If the South is synonymous with Idli-Sambaar, Chole Bhature can be declared the staple diet of the North! Making us drool every Sunday, Curious Appetite brings to us handpicked restaurants and eateries that serve delicious Chole Bhature, turning our Sundays #TemptingSundays. Like Chef Roshan Kalra (Saif Ali Khan in Chef - 2017) says, “World ke Best Chhole Bhature Dilli mein milte hai”, I am craving for this Dilli-wali delightful spread of tangy chhole and crispy bhature from Billi Di Hatti.

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#TemptingSundays #post2 Food that takes you to your own little bubble of Nostalgia . We celebrated India’s thrilling victory over Afghanistan by going to this famous age old food joint serving chole Bhature cum poori chole . ▶️Just can’t forget the aroma of Bhature served with achar and onion salad . ▶️ This place is a must visit for people who are health conscious yet crave to have Bhatura’s because these Bhatura are so light . . ▶️A big glass of lassi with malai on top to cool you down in this scorching heat is a highlight of this place. . Ratings-4.5 . #Staycurious Keep Following @curiousapetite50 . FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK #foodie #delhifood #delhieats #sodelhi #billedihatti #delhifood #foodgasm #foodporn #foodelhi #delhieats #indianfood_lovers #indianfoodbloggers #billedihatti #sodelhi #eatgram #foodphotography #foodiesofdelhi #likeforlikes #followusonfacebook #curiousappetite
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Comfort Food Craves: There are days when we treat our tummies to a rich and lavish spread at restaurants. But some days, we crave for our comfort food like the humble kadi - chawal or the evergreen combo of naan with dal makhni. Curious Appetite gets us glimpses of such food as well, such as this heavenly spread from Empress Delhi or the crispy fritters from Bahadurgarh!



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Have you tried these yummy crispy stuffed pakodas at Standard Sweets Bahadurgarh. 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻 Our All time favourites are the Palak , Aloo and Paneer !! 😋😋. Ps : What Murthal is for paranthas , Bahadurgarh is for pakodas 😋😋 Comment below with your favourite places to have pakodas! Don’t forget to tag your foodie partners here ! Stay curious ! Keep Following us for food updates 🤩 #foodblogger #foodphotography #foodie #foodiesofinstagram #foodporn #instafood #foodgasm #indianfoodblogger #foodbloggersofinstagram #discoverdelhi #pakoda #pakodas #bahadurgarh #standardsweets #snack #pakodalovers #likeforlikes #followbackinstantly #followforfollowback #follow4followback #followusnow #followusforupdates #foodtalkindia #indianfood #delhifoodbloggers #delhifood #delhistreetfood
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Delish Desserts: It wouldn’t be wrong to declare that a majority of us Indians have a sweet tooth. People like us don’t say cheese when we click pictures. We say sweets! (Bad joke, I Know!) But Curious Appetite has an eye for some of the most yummilicious desserts and shakes, and they regularly post tons of pictures and videos on their account! Check out these lick-worthy, chocolate-laden ice creams! Slurping at these pics right now!

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Chocolate is nature’s way of making up for weekdays!! . . This legendary dessert 🍨Missippi Mudpie at Big Chills is a complete soul food for all the chocolate lovers !! . . It is loaded with super rich and thick dark chocolate ice cream with a perfect bottom layer of peanut butter. To add to it ‘s heavenly feel it is layered with the perfect melted chocolate . Every bite of this will make you fall in love in with it all over again ! . This is what we need for perfect sweet endings 🍫💖 . This is definitely in our list of all time favourites 💕 . Don’t forget to follow @curiousappetite50 for food updates!! . Tap on post the to show your love for desserts ! . Tag your favourite places for desserts in comments below ! . Stay curious!! #missipimudpie #photooftheday #instafoodgram #dessert #dessertlover #foodgasm #foodporn #foodlover #foodisbliss #foodislife #foodislove #foodgram #foodblogger #indianfoodbloggers #delhifoodbloggers #discoverdelhi #desserttable #picoftheday #postoftheday #instadessert #staycurious
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Judgementall Hai Kya - Movie Review

There are some movies where it is easier to form an opinion, while there are some where the audience needs time to process what they have seen. Director Prakash Kovelamudi’s ‘Judgemental Hai Kya’ falls in the latter category and leaves its shaken audiences to ponder over the last two hours they spent amidst quirks, chills and thrills.

The movie opens in the twisted, wild world of Bobby Balliwala Grewal (Kangana Ranaut), an eccentric dubbing artist with a dark childhood, who is just released from a mental asylum. She dresses herself in quirky outfits, has a fetish for clicking herself in the avtars of the horror characters she dubs for and lives surrounded by paper puppets that she makes. Just like the colourfully tinted glasses on her windows, her life isn’t plain and two-toned. She suffers from a mental illness, which makes her hallucinate and imagine things which are not always real. The writer Kanika Dhillon brilliantly adds quirks and thrills by showing us the world through Bobby’s mind, blurring the lines between reality and hallucinations, keeping us constantly unsure. This works well for the movie since the audience can never really predict who is the culprit in the scheme of things.

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There are mysterious deaths that happen around Bobby, who has a knack for intuitively sensing anomalies around her. Her suspicion always points towards her tenant, Keshav (Rajkummar Rao), whom she constantly accuses of murders. But it’s never easy to prove – she also seems to harbour feelings for Keshav, snoops into her tenant’s house and joins him and his partner on their Lonavala holiday, uninvited. As I said, it takes time to process this movie because your perspective changes when you think in the hindsight. Was it really her lust for Keshav that made Bobby track him? Not really. She was probably investigating her suspicion. It is such nitty-gritties that make this movie an edgy experience. The second half is replete with bizarre things – adding further to the audience’s confusion of what is real and what isn’t. Interestingly, the writer links the whodunit to Ramayana, with Sita looking for Ravan. To be talking anymore about the plot would lead to spoilers but I would just say the second half could have been tighter. The movie slumps post interval. Again, in the hindsight, may be the writer drops the pace to let the audience experience angst and restlessness, just as Bobby experiences these on-screen. If that really was the writer’s intention, then she succeeds in making me shift in my seat uncomfortably. Yet, I would have preferred if she got to the point faster.

Before talking about the performances, a huge shout-out to the edgy camerawork by Pankaj Kumar, who makes sure his camera captures Kangana in all her quirks. The art design and costumes deserve a mention for creating an outlandish world and dressing the characters appropriately, especially Kangana – giving her a bizarre, ‘mental’ look. The background score by Daniel George adds to the suspense and thrills. But, such a difficult movie belongs to its writer-director/wife-husband duo, Kanika Dhillon and Prakash Kovelamudi. Choosing such a difficult narrative to tell a story through the lens of a mentally ill protagonist is commendable. But adding both humour and elements of a thriller to such a twisted tale deserves a bigger applause. Certain parts of it also felt inspired by Shriram Raghavan’s style of dark humour (probably that is why he gets a mention in the opening credits).

Apart from strong writing and direction, the movie also has a great cast to its advantage. Satish Kaushik and Brijendra Kala as the cops add a fun element to the murder investigation and bring to the table their great comic timing. Writer-actor Hussain Dalal as Bobby’s manager/probable boyfriend is a treat to watch – his banter with Kangana is especially funny. Rajkummar Rao is a great actor and does not disappoint this time either. While he plays a sane yet mysterious Keshav, unlike the eccentric Bobby, he shines in his scenes with Kangana. But, alas, the movie belongs to Kangana Ranaut. She is spectacular as the eccentric Bobby and gets to display her strong acting skills. She switches from sad to scared to happy to helpless – everything in a jiffy! Even her unfunny jokes have a tinge of unintended humour, which displays her impeccable comic timing. Just like her accusations on all and sundry in real life, Bobby passes accusations at the drop of the hat, mostly without any proof. It’s a very difficult character to play and Kangana floors us with her performance.

Judgemental Hai Kya is an exciting thriller and works for most parts of it. Whether I liked it? Yes. Would I recommend it? Most certainly. But would it appeal all kinds of audience? Not really. It is dark, it is edgy and it is unsettling. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea. Watch it for great performances and a whacky, weird and disturbing story-telling. If you are looking for a light-hearted movie, stay away from this.

My Rating – 3/5
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Monday, July 22, 2019

Kumbalangi Nights - Movie Review

One of the best ways to watch a movie is to watch it without knowing what to expect. And that is precisely what I did last weekend with debutante director’s Malayalam hit, ‘Kumbalangi Nights’.

Unaware of what ‘Kumbalangi’ means or the plot of the movie, I let the movie unfold before me. Set in a quaint little town of Kumbalangi, we are introduced to four brothers living in a half-constructed building. The eldest, Saji (Soubin Shahir) runs a small laundry with his friend, Vijay, and leads a life unconnected with his brothers. Bonny (Sreenath Bhasi), the second amongst the four, is mute and prefers to spend his time away from his dysfunctional home, reserving his love and adulation only for the youngest among the four, Franky (Mathew Thomas). Franky studies on a scholarship in a boarding school and returns reluctantly to their nomadic household during his vacations. The third sibling, Bobby (Shane Nigam), is a jobless youth who falls for a tourist guide, Baby (Anna Ben). Baby lives in a household run by women, until her sister marries Shammi (Fahadh Faasil) who moves in with them as the society deems everyone needs a ‘man of the house’. While the brothers lead a nomadic existence, evident from their unkempt appearance and shabby house, Bobby’s love story brings them closer. This is where Kumbalangi Nights blooms and gives us a subtle peek into various social issues.

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The biggest strength of the movie is how it underplays serious issues, without overemphasizing or making a big deal out of them. Be it the difference in class between Bobby and Baby or the gaze of contempt that the society casts over a platonic relationship between Saji and Vijay’s wife, the writer Syam Pushkaran deals them with utmost delicacy. The transition of the four brothers from a ‘Satte Pe Satta’ style dysfunctional family to a loving brotherhood happens organically and does not seem forced. For instance, the movie begins with a reluctant Franky shown to be unexcited about returning home for the vacations. His lack of excitement is explained in the way he is welcomed – there are no warm hugs or his brothers waiting for his arrival. He barely smiles or shows his warmth to his emotionally estranged brothers. This behaviour changes when a foreigner, Nylah, moves into their home, as he misses having a female companion at home. His yearning for his mother’s love is satiated when Vijay’s wife moves in with her baby. See his child-like innocence on hearing her sing lullabies.

The writing and direction also deserve an applause for the subtly driving home the point of consent in a relationship. When Baby declines Bobby’s lustful advances during a movie, an angry Bobby walks out while the confident Baby stands her ground. As he walks off, we are shown on the screen – Arjun Reddy! A brilliant way of showing the contrast between an unconsented kiss on-screen and an off-screen couple defining what consent means. It is such subtleties that help this simple story make an effective ground for various social issues.

Among the performances, the one that stands out is the one I least talked about till now. Fahadh Faasil is spectacular as the slightly eccentric and immensely puzzling, Shammi. Even with a wide smile on his face, he creates an environment of tension and impending doom. The viewer anticipates something wrong to happen the moment he is on screen, but he keeps his eccentric ways in check, till it breaks loose in the end. Apart from producing the film, it is commendable that he took up such a complicated and unlikeable character. The rest of the cast is very good, especially Anna Ben as the spirited and independent, Baby. A special mention of the stunning camerawork by Shyju Khalid, for capturing Kerala in all its glory.

With a crisp run-time of 2 hours, Kumbalangi Nights is a delightful watch and definitely recommended for a light, yet riveting watch.

My Review – 3.5/5
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Wednesday, July 3, 2019

Falaknuma Das - Movie Review

Telugu Film Industry (TFI) has suddenly seen a spurt in small-ticket Indie movies. From Vishwak Sen’s Hangover style, ‘Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi’, to the latest ‘Mallesham’ (which I missed watching in the theatres), TFI seems to be experimenting with its content, which is a welcome change. After watching Falaknuma Das, I checked its Wikipedia page to be pleasantly surprised that it is apparently a remake of the critically acclaimed Malayalam hit, Angamaly Diaries (another movie on top of my watchlist). I am not sure how close is Falaknuma Das to its original, because I felt it was not sure of its intent and faltered in conveying the message.

The movie is set in the culturally-rich by-lanes of the old city in Hyderabad. Amidst the aromas of biriyanis and payas, a bunch of kids inspired by the local goon Shankar Anna, form their own ‘gang’. As a school-going Das (Vishwak Sen) proclaims to his friend,” Manani kotte poradu ee Falaknuma lo ne ledu”, a wrong sense of pride, valour and aggression sets in these young minds. They grow up to become small-time goons, often resorting to petty fights and brawls. As they age to their late twenties (the movie transitions between 1997 and 2009), over a couple of love affairs, they get embroiled in a gang war which implicates them in a murder. The rest of the story focusses on how they get out of this mess.

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From the trailer itself, it was clear that the movie aims at being real and true to the area it is set in – Falaknuma. The camerawork by Vidya Sagar Chinta succeeds in creating a haunting yet beautiful milieu, capturing the chaos and flavours of the old city, right from the montage shots in the opening credits. I really liked the way the festivities of Ganesh Chaturthi and Bonalu were shot, not to forget the drool-worthy shots of food from Shadaab to Ram Ki Bandi. The writing by Vishwak Sen also adds to the authenticity, with the usage of typical Hyderabadi language and accent. Though I felt the dialogues and diction of the actor playing Das’s mother were not authentic. But, nonetheless, it felt good to see an authentic Hyderabadi movie after a long time, the last of which I remember was Nagesh Kukunoor’s ‘Hyderabad Blues’ (Not considering sub-standard movies such as ‘Hyderabad Nawabs’ and ‘Angrez’). The music by Vivek Sagar, including a Hyderabadi rap, blends well with the theme and so does the wonderful art direction, creating authentic households of the old city.

While the movie is strong in terms of technical details, it did not connect with me emotionally. I go back to what I said initially – it was not sure of its intent and faltered in conveying the message. The movie begins with a tone of brawn winning over brain, where school-going kids take fancy to the rough and rugged goons. There are many children who take this route and turn into hyper-masculine men when they grow up, which is a fair depiction. But, the movie tends to oscillate between the story of a bunch of alcohol-loving vagabonds to a gang-war like story, including a murder. Also, the movie made me ponder over the age-old inconclusive ‘nature vs nurture’ debate. Do young minds get infatuated by brawn over brain and turn into toxic humans, who prefer their physical might over their intelligence? It is noteworthy how this has been subtly pushed into the narrative, by showing the transition of young kids into a brawling brood of men.

The romantic angles also do not add much weight, especially the one involving Saloni Mishra as Dr. Zoya. If Taxiwala showed us a much-contrived love story between a taxi driver and a medico, Falaknuma Das shows a smart doctor falling for a small-time goon. Even if they knew each other from their childhood, the equation seems forced and farcical. An interesting observation is that Das is ill-tempered, male-chauvinist and passes snide comments against his girlfriend, but he does not come across as a misogynist. With all the talk about toxic masculinity and misogyny lately, the one scene where he breaks-up with Sakhi (Harshita Gaur) shows his humane side too. As I said, the movie remains on the surface, oscillating between various themes, not helping the audience connect with the point it is trying to make.

As for the performances, director-actor Vishwak Sen gives a great performance as the Hyderabadi lad, trying to start a business while getting into brawls on the sly. His gang of friends have funny banter, but somehow the camaraderie does not liven the screens like it does in Pellichoopulu or Ee Nagaraniki Emaindi. There are few scenes of fun, especially the opening scene in a bar, where Sonu Shanawaz as Filament stands out. Among the rest of the cast, Uttej shows his experience as an actor and makes a mark. Director Tharun Bhascker Dhaasyam leaves an impactful impression as the upright cop. The girls do not get enough screen-time or material and their over-the-top make-up and appearance make them stand out amongst the other real-like characters.

Honestly, I had higher expectations from the film and it left me mildly disappointed. It is a great stride in TFI towards off-beat stories, but somewhere it falls short. Yet, for a young actor to turn director for such a risky film deserves an applause.

My Rating – 2.5/5
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