Shaadi ke side effects: a review

Vidya Balan and Farhan Akthar's names are enough to draw the audience to the theaters. The promos, anyways, are attractive. But this movie, like all sequels, fails to be as engaging as the original. Brilliant acting doesn't hold up due to lack of a strong script.
If you put these negatives aside, the movie is thoroughly entertaining, especially in the first half. It has an excellent build-up, pacy narration, a vibrant, energetic and heart-throbbing beginning. As a sequel to Pyar Ke Side Effects, Trisha (Vidya Balan) and Siddharth (Farhan Akhtar), a married couple, demonstrate in the beginning of the movie how the spark of romance in one's married life can be kept alive.
Everything goes well till an unplanned child happens. How priorities change, how one feels stifled with added responsibilities and grapples with these form the crux of the movie. The story, narrated more from the male perspective, speaks of how Siddharth who in trying to adjust to parenthood, finds an escape in his own way, eventually (and predictably) ends up  returning to his family.The great acting of Farhan and Vidya and the wonderfully conversational dialogs written for them make the two characters so identifiable!
What started as a super exciting ride, a build up, the beautiful chemistry between the lead pair, kind of fizzles out in the second half, where it adapts a slightly preachy tone...not enough to bore you but somehow the energy of the first half is greatly toned down. Also the way the movie ends, we are left confused as to what was the message in the movie? Who is right and who is wrong? Is it okay to break trust in a relationship?

The pluses: Great chemistry between the lead pair, great energy, a good & vibrant story, optimal use of the cast, great acting,  no unnecessary songs to distract you.
Ignore the tepid ending and it is worth a watch. You will not be let down nor bored. But that's about it.
My rating: 3.5/5
Go watch!

Sigree at Begumpet

Sigree, though almost next door, was never visited since it started three years back. But then repeat recommendations made me curios and I visited them yesterday. It being a Valentine's day, the prices were jacked up a bit. The weekend fare of 450/- was charged for veg buffet and slightly higher for the non-veg one.
We made a reservation, just in case, and went there around 12.30 pm and found ourselves the first ones to visit. From the word 'go' I found superb service. Seated promptly and glasses filled, we were asked for a choice of mocktail/cocktail. We were served strawberry and peach mocktail each and found it quite decent in taste.

Strawberry drink

We started with tomato shorba which was served warm but then our request to heat it up was promptly attended to. Nicely balanced in taste. The starters were served on the table. We started with Veg Sheekh Kabab, followed by Dilli Tikki, Pepper Paneer, Tandoori Gobi and Pani Puri. There were more in the non-veg section. Veg sheekh kabab was good but could have been softer. Same applies to Dilli Tikki. It was served with curd and theekha chutney smeared on top.Paneer was outstanding as it was a melt-in-the mouth experience. Very succulent. The Gobi served was very bland. Looked like it was just pushed into the tandoor and served without bothering with the marination or spices. It was well-cooked but then no taste at all. The pani puris were ok. All the three dips, raw papaya chutney, pickle and mint chutney were great. Loved the sweet-sour raw papaya chutney the most!

The starters

When we expressed our disappointment with the Gobi, we were offered a marinated version of the same. The marinated Gobi was tawa-fried and was simply awesome!
I being a salad & starter person went looking to fill my plate with salads but found nothing but sprouts and some sliced vegetables. Utterly disappointed, I returned to my place, called the captain and gave him feedback about the lack of a salad section. To my utter surprise, he whipped up two salads just for us. Being a strictly Indian restaurant, they don't serve dishes with mayonnaise. Hence prepared them in a cream base. Both the salads were yummylicious!
In the main course, were Bhindi-do-Pyaza, Dal makhani, Palak paneer and a Ajwaini vegetable. The nan stands out with its amazing softness. The veg biryani and the curries were ok though not outstandingly tasty. But then I didn't care anymore as I got what I went for.

There was a huge array of  desserts, all of which were delicious.There was kheer made of very thick milk, not too sweetened, two ice creams (didn't touch them), shahi tukda, malpua, caramel custard, bread sandwiched with cream and butter (forget the name of the dessert-this was the only disappointing item in the dessert section as it was a tad hard)
The cutlery was a little heavy and kept slipping from fingers. Threw them away to eat with hand. The seating was a little uncomfortable as the sunk-in cushion made it difficult to get up every time. The ambiance was decent and the place well-lit. Excellently maintained washrooms.
What will make me go back to the restaurant? The service, for sure. The prompt attention and care. The tiniest trace of discontent attended to and rectified promptly.
I think it is sometimes the fault of the customer when she doesn't raise her voice and asks for her dish to be re-done. It is otherwise tough to cater to palates which have tastes so varied.
I left the restaurant with a satisfied smile on my face and wowed to return to the place which cares for its clientele so well. Thanks vastly to Mr. Chandra.

My Rating:
Food: 4/5
Ambiance: 3.5/5
Service: 5/5
VFM: 3.5/5  ( at 450/- for a vegetarian buffet, felt it was slightly expensive)

Samrudhi: telugu vaari bhojanam

Have had so many food experiences in Hyderabad, good, bad and indifferent. I don't eat out often but when I do, I wish to eat healthy. And if the kitchen can dole out food that is as close to home-cooked as possible and relatively oil-free, that's a bonus. Tall order? Perhaps, but then why should eating out mean unhealthy eating?
We have, unfortunately, very few restaurants serve clients as they would want their family to eat. Or are passionate about serving food. I would now like to name Samrudhi along with Tabula Rasa, Kathmandu Momos and Mama Mia for whom serving good food is the driving motto of the business.
I tasted the vegetarian thali at Samrudhi last week. It had rice, pulihara, two dry curries, third curry with gravy, pickle, sambar, rasam, perugu mirapakayi, gongura pachadi, podi, pappu.
The cabbage fry, made simply by adding coconut was very tasty...better than home-cooked! Bangaladumpa vepudu was crisply fried. The third was cauliflower curry made in light gravy-style. The sambar was nicely balanced with pulses, spices and veggies.
All food is slightly spicy as Telugu food is meant to be. Everything  cooked to perfection ...neither under-cooked nor overcooked. It was so relieving to have Telugu food in a Telugu restaurant and have none of those masala gravy type of dishes. Even the rice served consisted of perfect long grains. I, who am a small eater, had three servings of it! I was amazed when I heard the process that went into selecting this particular grain. In keeping with the Telugu cuisine, the lunch ended with two sweets, the madatha kaja and semiya payasam. The madatha kaja was crisp but what stole the show was the semiya payasam. Not too sweet, not watery, nor too rich with badams/pistas, had good amount of milk, the semiya not swollen due to over cooking. Just perfect! For me, this is a true Telugu home-cooked meal experience with all this fare served with dollops of ghee.
What I liked about the waiters was when I said, 'koncham', they understood and served only koncham instead of dumping loads of rice onto the plate and eventually have it wasted.

My experience is based on this thali offering before the restaurant was thrown open and therefore to be considered as representative of the veg thali. Apart from the marvelous quality of food offered, other things may slightly differ. One, I am told that rotis were also being considered to be a part of the thali (and hence the cauliflower gravy curry). Second, the quantities were a bit too much. They can halve the offerings in the seven bowls.
What was missing was a 'roti pachadi' meaning some vegetable that is ground and made pachadi of, like beerakayi, kobbarikayi, tomato etc.
Also because the cuisine is Andhra/Telugu, some Telugu flavor in the decor, perhaps. Though the interiors are well done, they seem to lack a personality. But then I am nitpicking a new entry in the market... The name of the restaurant, Samrudhi, and the way the logo is designed, do reflect what to look for in their food. Happened to step into the kitchen, that too just AFTER the food was cooked and served, and found it so clean!
It may have just started but surely has set itself on the right path with a passionate restaurateur.  How do I know with a single experience? I know because I happened to be the last one to leave and was shown a sample of food which he refused to serve only because he wasn't satisfied with its taste. It was something as trivial as a papad... but then that's dedication!

Nenokkadine

Perhaps a bit too late to write a review about a movie released a week ago. But I had to.
Quality of Telugu movies has been so rapidly disintegrating that I was at the point of giving up on them. 'Nayak' was the last straw. A couple of movies before that, in which Mahesh babu acted, were also unabashedly brainless mass entertainers. Creativity has gone for a toss. All that producers are interested in, is whether they get profits.
In such scenario, Nenokkadine comes as a breather.What inspired me to watch the movie? One, I heard that it was different. Yeah, 'different' has also come to mean same old wine in new bottles. So I waited, watched and read reviews which said that it was a psycho-thriller. The fact that Brahmanandam was missing gave me a good reason to watch the movie.
Ok now for the movie itself. It is a never-before attempted venture by Mahesh babu who had comfortably slid into action movies after his 'Pokiri' was declared a huge hit. This movie is about how psychology  plays in one's life, blurring the line between reality and imagination. Mahesh babu grows up holding a revenge against three people who murder his parents right in front of his eyes. He is haunted by those memories and keeps planning their murder. The story keeps alternating between reality and imagination till all the three villains are killed. The message that a closure is needed to come to terms with life is sent across.There is a plot and it is good. Mahesh babu, as usual, gives a credible performance, handling action, emotion and romance with ease, added to which are his superb dancing skills.
Ok, now for the loopholes. While the plot was great, the director couldn't resist an item song, some humor (in the garb of the taxi driver), song and dance with the heroine. If the movie is for the intellectual audience, they don't need all these masala factors which distract them from the story. Sprucing these unnecessary details would have kept the script on leash. The heroine's role was not necessary at all. If she was there to act as an emotional anchor, she should have downplayed her role to act more sober and strong instead of breaking into sensual dances at the drop of a hat. Not to speak of her looks! Tall and broad-built, she doesn't really charm you. Also not much logic is involved in having a sardar taxi driver speak Telugu in London, either. How romance blossoms suddenly between the lead pair is also puzzling.
The movie may not come across as one of greatest must-watch ones but somewhere it rekindles a hope that there is creativity left in Telugu movies. Thanks for drawing me back to the theater.

Rotis: a vegetarian fare

When you hear good reviews of a vegetarian restaurant, you feel optimistic. That's because the review is based purely on vegetarian options. After hearing good reviews of this place, we decided to drop in on their buffet one weekend. Rotis is a few meters from Cyber Towers and is opposite Cyber Pearl at Hi-Tech city.
We happened to meet the manager, Balaji, whom I knew from interaction in his previous work place. From the minute we stepped in till the end of the meal, we were looked after so exceedingly well that it was sheer delight to eat there that day.
The meal started with options of two soups: the Talumein soup and the pumpkin soup. Talumein was ordinary but the Pumpkin soup was very good. Not sweet, rightly spiced and served hot.
We had four entrees: the veg Manchurian, the banana pakoda, the buttered potato and sheek kabab. The veg Manchurian is like what we get regularly in any restaurant but minus the oil. The banana pakoda was raw banana slices deep fried after being dipped in besan batter. But what was really good was the buttered potato. Looked simple but was well cooked fried potato pieces, mildly spiced. The sheek kabab consisted of  vegetables boiled, rolled in khukhus and grilled. Chat section had papdi chat and pani puris, both of which were very well prepared.
The other items in the buffet were:

• Salads: pasta salad (very tasty), the sprouts and the usual green salad
• Chinese : chilly garlic noodles, diced vegetables in hot garlic sauce
• Continental : Penne pasta
• Indian : Veg Biryan, Paneer lazzeez, Dal makhani, Soya bean masala, Methi goti, Chamagadda Pulusu, Cabbage porial. 

        Of these the Paneer Lazeez stood out with its mildly spiced creamy gravy with very soft and long   paneer pieces in it. The biryani was tasty too. It contained no vegetables in it though.   

• Desserts : Coco Banana (looked like a thin kheer with bananas in coconut milk... didn't taste it), brownies (didn't like...too dry) carrot halwa, lavang latha, two types of ice cream

The highlight of the entire meal was their starters. Awesome is the word for it. They kept coming and were so varied and all so delightfully tasty.The food was not oily and was mildly spiced. Being a salad-soup-starters person, I was pleased with the starters but slightly disappointed with the few salads on offer. 
The 5 desserts are ok by me especially because each one was so different from the other. And because of the Navarathri, they had more of the traditional Indian sweets. I am glad because I am tired of having the same old array of cakes, cheese cakes, souffles', mousse etc whenever I eat at a buffet. The gajar halwa was delectable. For the first time found lavang latha in a buffet. Brought back memories of these being cooked at home. These were superbly crisp and very well prepared too.
What stands out is the service. Not only were the waiters' service great but Balaji took care of the littlest detail! The buffet for a Saturday was 315 per head and the total with taxes came to Rs.795 for two.
My rating: 
Food: 3.5/5
Ambiance 4/5
Service 5/5
VFM 4.5/5
This buffet may not be the most outstanding buffets you have attended but will surely stand among your favorite ones once you dine here.

Street Food: Somajiguda

Friendships from school last forever. When my school friend came down to Hyderabad, I went to meet her at Somajiguda where she had put up.
We caught up with all those memories, our town, teachers, picnics, games and what not. In the evening, we wanted to go out to get some hot samosas and have it with hot chai. This craving grew with the darkening skies. But then copious rain had us imprisoned at home.We waited and waited. The more we waited, the stronger was the craving.We were told that some superb samosas were available at a small shop opposite BP petrol pump. As soon as we saw the rain slow down a bit, we ran out like liberated school kids. The streets were jam-packed with people returning from office. Looked like everyone was waiting for the rain to stop. The slight drizzle didn't deter us as we plodded on through the heavy traffic towards that hot samosa.
We had walked about 150 meters or so when the local people and the police stopped us from going further. They said a building was on fire because of a short circuit. We hurriedly stepped back, disappointed. But sometimes the wrong train takes you to the right destination, I guess :) As we were returning and just crossed a building called Fortune, which I learned housed the ADP, we saw a vendor with a 3x3 ft table selling momos. This small table had a banner reading Kathmandu Momos. He had both veg and chicken momos. When I ordered for a plate of veg momos, I was served them hot, despite the downpour earlier. The momos were simply superb. The skin was thin, the vegetables finely shredded, well cooked and slightly juicy as well. According to me, the perfect momos...served with an accompanying red chutney which I felt could be spicier but then it wasn't bland either. When I praised his momos, he replied, "try the chicken momos, they are tastier". Om Prakash, the owner, has been running this small stall for the last two and a half years. He serves 6 momos to a plate at Rs 40 a plate for chicken and Rs 30 a plate for the veg ones. The momos are small in size. He sets up the stall between 4 and 10 pm everyday. Got his mobile number to share with all interested. He can be reached on 08341149588. The landmark is the Yashoda hospital. This stall is diagonally opposite to it. By far, the best momos in town.

Veg Momos

After having these superbly succulent momos, we persisted in our pursuit of samosas. We finally found one Irani kind of a cafe opposite Mom & Me, beside Maa Hospital. We were told that there would be a fifteen minute wait. As we turned, we saw a golgappawala just outside the cafe! We ordered for three plates between the two of us and found to our surprise that they were super crisp and made with potato filling. Reminded me of my Orissa-wala golgappa: the taste and not the size though.We were so so happy at the second discovery of the day.
Once done we turned our attention back to the samosas getting made.We watched in fascination as the samosa dough was rolled into long oval shapes, piled and cut into half, Each of these halves picked up, stuffed with the potato mixture and tossed into the waiting hot oil. As we waited impatiently for the samosas to get fried, we found behind us a paan wala. 'Why not?" we thought and ordered two Meenakshi paans as well. While waiting for the paans to get made, I found the cigarette lighter dangling before my face. I tried to brush it away but found it refused to go."Cigarettes?" I asked my friend with a mischievous glint in the eye. The old man preparing the paans broke into a smile as he heard us.
We paid for the samosas after they got done. My friend was used to paying 3-5 rupees for samosas and when she heard these were priced at 8 Rs, she was amazed. I was equally amazed to see their size. Each one was the size of two samosas put together. Huge!
We carried back those piping hot samosas, had it with home-prepared khatta chutney, followed by garam chai. Eating one filled me up.The taste wasn't exactly great but then just the joy of eating a hot samosa is indescribable! Topped this experience with the well-made Paan.
For those 5 hours we spent together, we were a couple of giggling college girls having our day out. 

Phata Poster Nikla Hero

Watched this movie within the first week as I wasn't sure, with its B.O performance, how many theaters would screen it in its second week. Yet, there is hope as the movie has its bright spots. Plus the fact that Grand Masti would lose its steam by its third week and there are no major releases lined up.
What's the movie about? Shahid Kapoor, the hero, was born with the dream of becoming a hero in films. But his mother Padmini Kolhapuri wants him to join the police. The first part of the film is filled with Shahid's attempts to fail every police recruitment test that his mother forces him to attend. Shahid displays a hitherto unexplored, brilliant comic side to his acting. There are many moments, many well-written scenes which are hilarious and you would thoroughly enjoy watching them.
Shahid goes to Mumbai for another police recruitment test but ends up being mistaken to be a real police by the heroine, Ileana. Ileana, who plays a social worker, is always after the police urging them to punish the criminals.This leads to more comic moments. And when Padmini Kolhapuri thinks her son has become a Police Inspector, she lands up at Mumbai too as she wants to see her son work as an inspector.
The movie belongs entirely to Shahid Kapoor. He has excelled in all emotions. Apart from his superb comic timing, he displays a vulnerability for which Salman Khan used to be known for in the 80s. Watch him especially in the scene where amidst great trauma, he still thinks of Vinod Khanna as a film star and not a doctor. " Yeh Vinod Khanna doctor kab ban gaye?," he exclaims. Watch him in the 'Rang sharbaton ka' song and all subtle moods he displays in it. And, of course, he has always been a great dancer. He exploits this talent to add to the comedy when he breaks into an impromptu pole dance in the villains' club!
What the film fails to do is to maintain the tempo of a slick script and lapses into the predictable melodrama of the 70s- 80s era: son lives his mother's dream, mother has a heart attack, son has to collect money for mother's operation, talking into clever devices like a watch that doubles up as a walkie-talkie to hood wink the villain, mother and girl friend getting kidnapped...
Ileana predictably has nothing much to do except look pretty. Darshan Jariwala as the Police Commissioner complements the comic moments well. Padmini Kolhapuri has remained in the 70-80s melodramatic times.What's really watchable is Salman's Khan's teeny-weeny cameo performance. He is effortlessly brilliant in a self-depreciating role.
Phata Poster Nikla Hero has its brilliant moments. A tighter script would have seen it hit it off with the audience.
This movie is watchable.