Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Harischandrachi Factory

This turned out to be a lovely movie. Phalke stumbled into a movie-tent and watched a silent English movie about 100 years ago and decided to make India's first motion picture. And the journey that followed was an inspiring, sensitive, humorous and passionate pursuit of one eccentric but visionary man's single-minded resolve.

What I liked about the movie:

1> It's made in Marathi. I wonder whether there was the temptation to go the more financially lucrative way of Hindi-cinema; but it wouldn't have been the same movie if it had.

2> For a story about success-against-all-odds, the movie is remarkably devoid of melodrama. And it doesn't lose its sense of humour.

3> Loved watching Mumbai in 1911. Although a lot of it is seen through pictures, people and dialogues (Dadar was a suburb on the outskirts back then!:)); but the movie hasn't done a bad job of portraying Mumbai through its sets [considering it would've had the budget of an indie Marathi movie].

4> The director has a gift of story-telling through his characters. Loved every single character in the movie - the eccentric protagonist; his immensely supportive wife; his mature little children; the nosy neighbouring kaku in Girgaum; the chai-walla turned movie-heroine Taramati; they all have their moments.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Melaka

We went to Melaka over the weekend. Our hotel was located right in the middle the UNESCO World Hertiage Site; the really old town, its shophouses, the remnants of the Dutch fortress and churches,and the rest; and we enjoyed walking around the town.
You know, sometime you visit a place & find it too touristy or too commercialised .... that happened to us in Melaka. But somehow the touristy culture has added to the atmosphere in Melaka. There's this whole "bag-packer in Asia" vibe to the old city - the kind of cafes & flea markets on Jonker Street; the sort of people you meet; I can't put my finger on it but I thought it was young & adventurous; and a far-cry from the sleepy old town I expected it to be! The Cafe Geographer on Jonker Street felt like Cafe Leopold in Mumbai.

Btw, Kabeer is totally enamoured by the trishaws in Melaka!!

Monday, May 17, 2010

Mumbai again

It seems like ever since I decided to lose weight the universe has been conspiring against me. I was in Mumbai on work last week and this was my lunch menu through out the trip:

Wednesday - Kombdi-wada from Gomantak
Thursday - Garlic Pepper Prawns from Mahesh Lunch Home
Friday - Keema Pav from Cafe Excelsior
Saturday - Crab Masala from Gajalee
Sunday - Brunch at Just Around the Corner

Dear Food-in-Mumbai, I love you very much; but now I'm stuffed!

PS: Had a lovely time with family over the weekend & watching Kabeer bond with his cousin was priceless!! :)