Month: September 2024

Movie Reviews by Sasikanth Paturi

Here’s a list of all the movie reviews, categorized by language 🙂

English

Hindi

Telugu

Devara: Part 1 | Movie Review

Devara

After delivering four consecutive hits, Koratala Siva directed the ill-fated Acharya. Meanwhile, NTR Jr. returns to a solo film after six years, following his collaboration with Rajamouli, and confronts the long-held belief in a post-movie curse. Does their combination after Janatha Garage work its magic again? Let’s find out!

Siva’s strength has always been his writing — creating strong protagonists and embedding meaningful messages in his films. However, with Devara, it seems he’s abandoned his usual logic, delivering a routine story presented in a conventional way. While the protagonist remains powerful, everything else falls apart.

The first half focuses on Devara (NTR Jr.). Alongside the chiefs of neighboring villages, he loots ships carrying weapons for Muruga (Murali Sharma), with Bhaira (Saif Ali Khan) being one of the chiefs. Everything seems fine until Devara realizes their actions aren’t benefiting the villages (or the country), prompting him to stop. This decision sparks conflict, and Devara instills fear in his opponents before going into exile.

Fast forward 12 years, and the shadow of fear still looms over everyone. Bhaira now commands an army, determined to eliminate Devara upon his return, while Vara (NTR Jr.), Devara’s son, remains a timid soul, eager to avoid conflict. With a desire to draw Devara out of hiding, Bhaira orchestrates a ship looting and deceives Vara into joining his crew. Will Devara allow this to happen? Will he be able to save his son or will he kill him for venturing into the sea? It wraps up with a seemingly predictable twist, but there’s more to it and we’ll have to wait for part 2 to see where it leads.

Old wine in a new bottle, right? While it’s a routine story, Siva clearly tried to present it differently in the first half. Unfortunately, it falls flat due to a mediocre screenplay and sloppy writing. There’s no clear reason why Devara is considered unbeatable — it feels like Siva simply built the plot around NTR’s image. The entire ship episode and the Ayudha Pooja sequences come off as cringeworthy.

However, the second half is a significant improvement. The screenplay is tighter, and while not all new characters add value, they at least bring some variety. It’s a relief to see moments that move beyond the constant violence, with more purposeful action and a clearer sense of direction than the first half. Overall, it just felt like he made the movie to cater to NTR’s star power.

NTR as Devara is a mixed bag, with his character poorly written. He appears fierce without clear motivation, and his sudden change of heart feels forced. Though he tries to breathe life into the role, his efforts only skim the surface. He’s much better as Vara, where he shines in better-scripted scenes, but I’d still argue he’s been underutilized.

Janhvi’s debut in Telugu films is brief, as she appears for barely 15 minutes. She plays the typical village belle, and while her performance is decent, it feels like a missed opportunity for deeper character development.

Saif Ali Khan delivers a strong performance, but his character is also weakly written. It’s puzzling to see such a talented actor like Shine Tom Chacko wasted. Srikanth and Prakash Raj are decent, but the rest of the cast is alright.

I expected Anirudh’s music to be a major asset, but it turned out to be a disappointment. While the Fear song is catchy, it didn’t fit the movie, and the background score was poorly mixed. Editing by Sreekar Prasad could have been much sharper, especially in the first half — scenes like the 10-minute ship loot could’ve been trimmed to avoid unnecessary cringe. Rathnavelu’s cinematography is solid, effectively showcasing Sabu Cyril’s production design, but at times, it was obvious we were looking at a set.

Is it worth your time and money?: Whether Devara is worth your time and money depends on your expectations. If you’re a fan of NTR Jr. and enjoy action-packed, larger-than-life dramas with star power, it might be an entertaining watch. However, if you’re looking for a fresh, well-crafted story with strong writing and character development, you may leave feeling underwhelmed.

Worth mention: NTR’s screen presence. 
 
Acting: 8/10

Story-Screenplay-Direction: 6/10
Technical Aspects: 6.5/10

Verdict: 7/10

I know I’ve complained quite a bit, but I’m giving it a 7 because, despite my disappointment with the overall package and its wasted potential, it wasn’t a truly bad film.

PS: Daavudi song isn’t there is the movie. 

Restaurant Reviews by Sasikanth Paturi

Here’s a list of all the restaurant reviews! 🙂

London

Hyderabad 

RoW

Dishoom Canary Wharf | Restaurant Review

Place: Dishoom Canary Wharf
Location: 13 Water St, Food Wharf
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner (with wifey and our lil one)
On: Sunday, 18 August 2024

After a lovely summer day at Greenwich Park, we passed through Canary Wharf and decided to try Dishoom. Wifey had been to this location before and had great things to say, but I was a bit apprehensive, as I’ve always felt Dishoom is somewhat overhyped. To our surprise, we were seated in about ten minutes, despite expecting a long wait.

The restaurant is expansive, featuring two floors of seating overlooking the water. It boasts a warm, fine dining ambiance designed to evoke Bombay. We were seated on the ground floor, right in the center. I asked if we could sit on one of the sofas, but they informed us the table was reserved (though no one showed up the entire time we were there). I’m not sure if it was intentional, but there were many waiters moving around, and we couldn’t quite tell who was responsible for our table.

Wifey noted that the waiters usually ask if it’s your first time at Dishoom and provide an overview of the menu. I saw this happening at the next table, but not at ours. We went straight to ordering: we started with a Bun Maska Chai for Wifey, a portion of Okra Fries, and Grilled Malai Mushrooms, along with a Virgin Piña Colada for myself.

Hyderabad, the city we’re from, is famous for its Bun Maska Chai, so I was eager to try this one. The bun was soft with just the right amount of butter, though I found it a bit dry. The chai didn’t suit my taste, but wifey enjoyed it.

The service was quick, and the Piña Colada arrived shortly after — it was quite decent.

Wifey recommended the Okra Fries. The okra was fried to perfection and tasted great, though I thought it had a bit too much chaat masala. I was also unimpressed with the portion size.

Next came the mushrooms, which tasted good. I would have preferred a bit more malai, as some pieces were a little too dry, but overall, it was the best dish of the evening so far.

At this point, we weren’t very hungry, so we decided to order just two main courses: a portion of Paneer Tikka from the children’s menu for the lil one, and an Awadhi Jackfruit Biryani.

The Paneer Tikka, served with potatoes, slaw, and a glass of fruit juice, looked promising. However, it was very dry, and none of the condiments added enough moisture. The lil one had a couple of paneer pieces and called it a day!

We received a portion of fryums, though I wasn’t sure what they accompanied. I initially thought they were part of the biryani, but I noticed the table next to us ordered the same biryani and didn’t get any. We’re not ones to say no to fryums, so we enjoyed them anyway!

This was our first time trying Jackfruit Biryani, and it turned out to be really good. The jackfruit pieces were juicy, and the rice was perfectly cooked with a lovely flavor. A slight sweetness from the raisins and jackfruit added to the dish, which I really liked. While it was served with raita, I would have preferred a subtle gravy as an accompaniment.

Overall, it was a decent meal. While the mushrooms and biryani were good, the other dishes were forgettable. Additionally, the service felt chaotic at best, and it didn’t have the refined atmosphere of a fine dining restaurant. In summary, I still believe Dishoom is overhyped, especially considering there are many other restaurants in London offering better-tasting food. For one, I’d recommend Farzi London.

Food: 7/10
Service: 5/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Meal for 3: £63

Verdict: 7/10

Saravana Bhavan – Harrow | Restaurant Review

Place: Saravana Bhavan
Location: 403 Alexandra Ave, Rayners Lane
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner (with wifey and our lil one)
On: Friday, 13 September 2024

Saravana Bhavan in Rayners Lane is a restaurant we visit quite often, and I’m surprised I haven’t written a review for it until now! On weekday evenings, we usually face a toss-up between this place, A2B, or MTR for dinner. Last weekend, on Friday, we found the restaurant packed around 7:00 PM. The waiting area was well managed, and it took about 15 minutes before we settled into our booth.

Saravana Bhavan offers the same menu across all their London branches, though prices vary. I typically choose the North Indian Thali, but this time wifey decided to try it while I ordered a Channa Batura. Our lil one, being five and having her unique tastes, wanted a Butter Naan with Mushroom-65 — a quirky combination, but we went with it.

Saravana Bhavan - Harrow | Channa Batura

The Channa Batura arrived first, in about ten minutes. It differs from the Chole Batura found in North Indian restaurants; the batura isn’t as puffy, and the channa has a distinct South Indian flavor that’s absolutely delicious. My only qualm is that the quantity of channa isn’t quite enough for two baturas, especially for someone like me who likes more curry with each bite.

We were informed that the mushroom and naan would take a while, so our lil one finished one of the baturas.

Saravana Bhavan - Harrow | North Indian Thali

The soup and spring roll for the Thali came shortly after. The soup was a vegetable broth with nice spice, while the spring rolls were crunchy and quite decent.

Saravana Bhavan - Harrow | North Indian Thali

Next came the Thali, which included Paneer Butter Masala, Channa Masala, Aloo Palak, and Kala Channa, accompanied by two chapathis, a bowl of biryani, Gulab Jamun, raita, salad, and papad (very similar to what Arya Bhavan offers, but at a lower price). The PBM had a lovely flavor, while the Channa Masala was milder than the one served with the Channa Batura. The other curries were decent, and the biryani was good as well.

Saravana Bhavan - Harrow | Butter Naan

The Butter Naan was soft and perfectly cooked, pairing wonderfully with the curries in the Thali.

Saravana Bhavan - Harrow | Mushroom-65

The Mushroom-65 arrived shortly after, and it was quite good. Deep-fried mushrooms tossed in spicy masala — what’s not to like?

Saravana Bhavan - Harrow | Cashew Pulao

Still feeling a bit hungry, we decided to order the Cashew Pulao. It arrived quickly and, in my opinion, was the best dish of the evening. The rice was perfectly seasoned and filled with just the right amount of cashews, making it incredibly flavorful. It even reminded me of my childhood favorite, Ghee Rice from Shanbhag in India.

Overall, it was a very good meal. Wifey prefers Saravana Bhavan over A2B, but I’m not particularly keen, as our previous experiences haven’t met my expectations. However, I must say that today was the best meal we’ve had during all our visits. The service is usually quick and friendly, and the prices are affordable. As the largest Indian restaurant chain in the world, franchises can make it challenging to maintain consistent taste, but this branch in Rayners Lane typically doesn’t disappoint.

Food: 9/10
Service: 8.5/10
Ambiance: 8/10
Meal for 3: £33.15

Verdict: 8.5/10

Arya Bhavan – Wembley | Restaurant Review

Place: Arya Bhavan
Location: 22 Ealing Rd, Wembley
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner (with wifey and our lil one)
On: Thursday, 5 September 2024

We were in Wembley shopping for Vinayaka Chavithi (Ganesh Chaturthi) and, as it got late, decided to try the new restaurant that replaced Saravana Bhavan.. Though it had a similar layout, the décor had been refreshed, and the tables were spaced out more generously. We found a cozy sofa at one end of the restaurant, settled in, and got ready to order.

It took a while for the waiter to attend to our table, but when she finally did, we ordered an Idli Vada for the wifey, a Ghee Uthapam for the lil one, and a North Indian Thali for myself.

Arya Bhavan Wembley - Idli Vada

The Idli Vada was served in about five minutes, accompanied by three types of chutneys, podi, and sambar. The idli looked decent and tasted good, but we were surprised by the tiny portions of chutney — they weren’t even a spoonful. The vada, unfortunately, wasn’t freshly made; it was microwaved from earlier in the day, and we could clearly taste the oil. Thankfully, they refilled the chutneys, but we had to keep reminding them.

Arya Bhavan Wembley - Ghee Uthapam

The Ghee Uthappam arrived next, and it was quite enjoyable. They also served a sweetcorn soup that came with my Thali, which was decent.

Arya Bhavan Wembley - North Indian Thali

The Thali included Paneer Butter Masala, Aloo Palak, mixed vegetable curry, yellow dal, a small spring roll, three chapatis, a bowl of biryani, a Gulab Jamun, raita, pickle, and papad. The curries were decent overall, but nothing really stood out; I’d say the PBM was the best of the bunch. The chapatis were soft at first but quickly turned kadak. The biryani was extremely spicy and not particularly impressive.

Wifey was still a bit hungry after her Idli, so we decided to order the AB Special Dum Biryani, hoping it would offer something different from what was served with the Thali.

Arya Bhavan Wembley - Special Biryani

To our utter disappointment, it turned out to be the same biryani, just tossed with some mushrooms and paneer. It felt like we were eating the same rice with a few added mushroom and paneer pieces — a big letdown!

Overall, it was a mediocre meal. We came in expecting something similar to Saravana Bhavan, if not better, but it fell far short of those standards. To make matters worse, the service was incredibly slow; we had to keep turning around to get their attention, as they seemed least interested. Additionally, the prices were a wee bit higher than those at the predecessor. I’m not sure if we’ll return, especially with so many better options on Ealing Road.

Food: 7/10
Service: 6/10
Ambiance: 8.5/10
Meal for 3: £41.14

Verdict: 6/10

PS: It turns out that Saravana Bhavan was replaced overnight by the franchise owners without any prior notice, and as a result, they are pursuing a court case over this sudden change.