| Movie & Restaurant Reviews by Sasikanth Paturi

Filmy Tadka | Restaurant Review

Place: Filmy Tadka
Location: Opposite Reliance Fresh, Shivam Road
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Lunch (with family)

Was meeting my relatives and decided to eat out rather than cooking something at home. After doing a bit of research on Zomato, zeroed in on this small Indian joint on Shivam Road. Finding it was a challenge for the place didn’t look like a restaurant from outside. Once in, we realized that the place was named Filmy Tadka because of its filmy décor. It had partitions which looked like film reels and a few filmy posters on the walls.

It’s a small restaurant with around 10 tables, most of which were empty when we walked in. But there was one huge gathering which was making more noise than we could handle. Anyway, we looked at the menu and asked for 3 South Indian Thali, a North Indian Thali for myself and Sambar Rice for amma. The South Indian Thali wasn’t available so we all went for North Indian Thali. We also ordered for a Paneer Mali Tikka for starter.

Filmy Tadka Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi — Tomato Soup

The soup (part of the Thali) was served in about 10 minutes. It was thick, creamy and pretty yum. The waiter was kind enough to serve an extra bowl of soup for amma as well (though she didn’t order Thali).

I ordered for the Paneer Malai Tikka because the description was quite tempting. However, it didn’t really live up to my expectations. Not that it was bad; the paneer was pretty fresh and well marinated, but it lacked that punch I was looking for.

The Thali was served with 2 pieces of roti, Dal, Mixed Vegetable curry, Paneer curry, a bowl of Pulav, white rice, sweet and papad. The roti was soft and both the curries were yum. The paneer curry was actually delicious. Dal derves a mention. We were offered extra roti, and I asked for the same.

The rice (both pulav and white rice) were very cold and we asked them to reheat and serve; and they did so without any row. We were actually under the impression that curries were limited, but they served us more when asked for. The sweet was decent.

Overall, a good meal. There were a few hiccups with respect to the service. There were just two guys managing all the tables and it got difficult as crowd started coming in; we had to constantly keep calling for the waiter before the guy would respond. The ambiance didn’t impress, mainly because of the huge (loud) gathering. That apart, the food turned out to be very good. Give it a shot if you’re in the surrounding area; I’m guessing you won’t be disappointed with the food.

PS: I observed that they’ve changed their menu recently. I hope food and taste are still the same.

Food: 8.5/10
Service: 7/10
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Meal for 5: Rs. 1350/-

Verdict: 8/10

The Big Mouth | Restaurant Review

Place: The Big Mouth
Location: Next to Ram Ki Bandi, Road No. 2, Banjara Hills
Cuisine: Fast Food
Meal: Take away

Having read a few good reviews about this place, dropped in one night to get some food for myself, amma and dad. The Big Mouth is a small kiosk next to a couple of other food joints including Ram Ki Bandi. There was one guy managing the place, and he was attending to another order when I reached.

I had to wait for about 10 minutes before he could take my order, and I asked for Couch Potato and Mushroom Italiano sandwiches, Chilli Cheese Burger, and a portion of Pav Bhaji. The guy started making the sandwiches one after the other, and so it took a while for my order to get ready.

The sandwiches had gone cold by the time I reached home and I had to grill them for a couple of minutes before biting in. The sandwiches were stuffed adequately, and amma loved the Couch Potato sandwich. The Mushroom Italiano sandwich was equally yum, with butter oozing in every bite; one of the best sandwiches I’ve had in Hyderabad.

After biting into some yummy sandwiches, it was time for the Burger, which was quite small in size. It was stuffed with cheese, veggies and a thick patty, but overall, wasn’t really palatable. The bun wasn’t fresh, and the patty too didn’t taste good. Kinda disappointing.

Pav Bhaji was probably an odd choice/order, but I opted for it wanting to taste most of their offerings. This was a major let down as the bhaji was very thin and lacked the punch. The Pav again wasn’t fresh.

Overall, a mixed meal. While the sandwiches were really yum, rest of the meal wasn’t up to the mark. The fact that I had to wait for about 30 minutes, standing, to get my food wasn’t a good experience either; they definitely need more people to manage the store. I might come back for the sandwiches, but then again, for 70 bucks, I could eat something more and fulfilling, can’t I?

Food: 7.5/10
Service: 6/10
Ambiance: N/A
Meal for 3: Rs. 435/-

Verdict: 7/10

Temper | Movie Review

Temper

After a disastrous Rabhasa, NTR needed something special for his career to stay alive. And thankfully for him, Temper keeps the ship sailing for a little longer.

Vakkantham Vamsi, who has scripted some duds for NTR in the past (Ashok and Oosaravelli) tries to convey a message through Temper. Puri narrates this story of a corrupt police office in his trademark style, and one can’t miss the similarities to Pokiri and Businessman. The entire first half is stylish, and though not believable, is watchable. The second half forms the crux where the transformation happens. This half happens to be more engaging than the first half, however, the screenplay seemed shabby and rushed through (I hear climax was cut short by 30%, that might be the reason). A little more care on characterization front would have worked wonders.

NTR has put in his heart and soul into the movie and it shows on-screen. His performance in the second half is very good. His dance moves also deserve a special mention. Kajal looks glamorous in her glam-doll role. Prakash Raj is at his best. The surprise package turns out to be Posani, who performs well in a meaty role.

Music by Anoop Rubens is alright. It’s nice to see him finally move away from Manam tunes. Background score by Mani Sharma is pretty good. Cinematography by Shyam K Naidu is spotless. Editing by S R Sekhar is good for the movie never seemed boring, but it also seemed like there were too many cuts made, which kinda ruined the screenplay.

Is it worth your time and money??: I think it is. Plus points are NTR, direction in parts, and length. On the downside, the screenplay in the latter half could have been better. Give it a watch.

Worth mention: NTR’s dance moves.

Acting: 8.5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 7.5/10
Technical Aspects: 8/10

Verdict: 7.5/10

Wich Please | Restaurant Review

Place: Wich Please
Location: Next to Domino’s, Gachibowli
Cuisine: Fast food
Meal: Snack

Wanting to explore, decided to visit this town near Hyderabad, a town which came into existence only in last few years, a town I know nothing about: Gachibowli. Once in the town, I looked for a place I can hog at on Zomato, and zeroed in on the second highest rated place, Wich Please. This joint happens to be a small stall next to Domino’s store. I observed that the place had no stools or chairs around for people to sit on while eating. It might be a small kiosk, but that’s something you’d expect as a bare minimum.

Anyway, after some thinking, decided to have the Special Mayo Wich. The description read: finely diced veggies in mayonnaise and cheese. Sound yummy right?

And I observed the guy make the ‘wich’. On a loaf of Spencer’s bread, he put some coleslaw, and sprinkled some masala powder. Next, he took one more slice, added more coleslaw and placed it on the first loaf. He then covered it with another slice, and started toasting it. A little surprised, I asked him where the cheese was and I was told it’s mixed in the mixture. Where??

I had expected something extraordinarily good, but to my utter disappointment, I was served a triple deck coleslaw toast. Hoping that it would taste good, I took my first bite standing on the main road, and my feeling was ‘what the heck is this!’. The coleslaw was cold, and tasted really weird. When I told the guy that the stuffing was cold, his reply was ‘Is it? How can that be?’. The bread wasn’t toasted properly either and barely had any butter. And forget the cheese.

For a place with a tagline ‘why you eat no sandwich!’, it served one of the saddest sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve just tasted one of their many offerings, but that’s given me an insight on what’s in store. Obviously I wouldn’t have any more of their sandwiches.

I can’t believe that I actually went searching for this place! And I can’t believe I shelled out 80 bucks for some coleslaw between slices of bread!

Food: 6/10
Service: N/A
Ambiance: N/A
Meal for 1: Rs. 80/-

Verdict: 5/10

Bikanerwala | Restaurant Review

Place: Bikanerwala
Location: Road No. 1, Banjara Hills
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner

Me and a friend dropped into Bikanerwala wanting to have a light meal. Instead of walking up to the restaurant on the first floor, we decided to order at the food-court. I’ve never enjoyed the ambiance in the food-court section here, for it’s always crowded, and therefore, loud. My friend ordered Dahi Puri, while I opted for the North Indian Thali.

The food was ready soon, and we were busy hogging.

Th thali came with a Paratha, Mixed Vegetable Curry, Paneer Butter Masala, Dal Makhni, Rice, Boondi Raitha and a sweet. On first sight, the quantity looked less, and I was apprehensive if this would fill my tummy. The Mixed Vegetable Curry was perfectly cooked and was one of the best I’ve had. The PBM was creamy and perfect. As expected, the paneer was fresh and melt in my mouth. The dal had too much masala, but was yum. All of them were made with shuddh ghee, and I could taste it in every bite. The parata was also baked in ghee, and so turned out to be super heavy.

The sweet turned out to be excellent.

Overall, an excellent meal. What I thought wouldn’t fill my tummy actually got me stuffed thanks to the ghee used. However, at 300 bucks, I think it’s quite an expensive affair.

PS: Kailash Parbat has similar thali priced lower, with more quantity.

Food: 9/10
Service: N/A
Ambiance: 7.5/10
Meal for 1: Rs. 300/-

Verdict: 8/10

Kailash Parbat | Restaurant Review

Place: Kailash Parbat
Location: Food-court, Forum Mall, Kukatpalli
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner

After watching a movie at PVR, amma, dad and me walked in to the humongous food-court in the Forum Mall. This place had quite a few options, and I decided to try Kailash Parbat which has been on my wish-list for a while now, while amma and dad ordered Dosas from some Dosa place.

Their menu had lot to offer, and after some thinking, I zeroed in on the Veg Combo Meal, which came with 2 Chapatis, 3 Curries, Dal, Pulav, Buttermilk and Gulab Jamoon.

It took about 15 minutes for my order to get ready. The thali meal was well presented, and had Chole, Paneer curry and Aloo Gobi has the three curries. The Dal tasted yum with subtle flavour, while Chole was spicy and good. The paneer gravy was mild and the paneer was very soft. Aloo Gobi was a little disappointing for the gobi wasn’t fresh. The chapatis were super soft and the pulav was flavourful. The Gulab Jamoon wasn’t too sweet, which is exactly what I wanted.

Overall, a pretty good meal. On the down side, I had to shell out about 270 bucks for this meal. Nevertheless, the meal is fulfilling and tasty, so you might give it a try on your next visit to the mall.

Food: 8.5/10
Service: N/A
Ambiance: N/A
Meal for 1: ~ Rs. 270/-

Verdict: 8/10

Shamitabh | Movie Review

shamitabh-poster

Both of R. Balki’s previous films (Cheeni Kum and Paa) have been different, and Shamitabh is no exception. However, this time, it gets too predictable and monotonous.

Shamitabh starts off with Dhanush accepting laurels for the performance in his début film, his speech being in Amitabh’s voice. Then we are told the story detailing a young dumb boy’s love for movies, his journey to Bollywood wanting to be an actor, and how he gets Amitabh’s voice. Balki showcases all of this in an entertaining manner. While the story seemed unrealistic, thanks to witty dialogues and perfect direction, you have a delightful first half. But come second half, the film seems like a bore, the flow goes for a toss, and the climax is clichéd. Wish Balki tried to do something different here (just like the ‘Piddly’ song).

Dhanush puts up an engaging performance as the dumb wannabe actor. His countenances when he makes it large, and his interactions with Bachchan are superb. Akshara has a meaty role and she does a good job. Her dialogue delivery was pretty good. The true star however, is not Amitabh Bachchan, but his voice. Not that Amitabh’s performance was bad, it was in fact splendid, but it’s his voice which adds life to this film.

Music by Ilayaraaja is a another asset to this film. It’s soothing and seemed just perfect. Cinematography by P C Sreeram is neat. Editing by Hemanti Sarkar could have been better; the second half seemed unnecessarily long, and could have done away with some cuts.

Is it worth your time and money??: Though the second half plays spoil sport, Shamitabh deserves a watch for the performances by all three leads.

Worth mention: Amitabh’s voice!

Acting: 9/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 7.5/10
Technical Aspects: 8.5/10

Verdict: 8/10

Jashn | Restaurant Review

Place: Jashn
Location: Ahuja Estates Lane, Next to Palace Heights, Abids
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Dinner (with amma and dad)

On Christmas, we headed out for a drive and decided to dine at Santosh Dhaba (Jaya International lane). But I realized that they opened a new restaurant next to the Santosh Dhaba Extension, and decided to try it instead. The place was packed with people waiting to get in to both Extension and Jashn. We had to wait for about 15 minutes before we were seated. On ambiance front, the place has good interiors (to give it the fine dine touch), but the tables were cramped next to each other. And there was the reverberating noise; it was like you were at a market rather than a restaurant.

Having walked in, we decided to sit through. But the surprise element was yet to be discovered – a look at their menu. They had more variety than what Santosh Dhaba offers (Italian, Chaat, etc.), but one look at the prices and you’d wonder if you walked into a star restaurant. Everything was overpriced, a Naan which would cost about 20 bucks at the Extension next door was 50! (and I’m guessing they came from the same kitchen). We somehow managed to ignore this and ordered Manchuria as starter, and Bulbul Kofta along with Roti, Aloo Paratha and Stuffed Kulcha for main course.

Jashn Restaurant Review by Sasikanth Paturi — Veg. Manchuria

People at the adjacent table placed their order at the same time as us and their main course was served but our starter was yet to come; that’s how long it took for the Manchuria to be served. And after such a long wait, they turned out to be among the most terrible Manchuria I’ve ever had. Soggy and overcooked, they barely had any flavour. When we informed this to the steward, he just ignored us.

Thankfully, the main course didn’t take long to be served. The Kofta tasted decent, but was nothing spectacular. Roti and Aloo Paratha were alright. The Stuffed Kulcha, which is usually stuffed with cashew nuts, barely had any.

I wanted to order more, but decided against it given the mediocre food and service. Oh yea, the service – though there were waiters standing right next to our table, they wouldn’t hear us out cos it wasn’t their table (all that we had asked them was to get us a fork and some ketchup). In all, one of the most disappointing meals in recent times. Given that its’ from the house of Santosh Dhaba, it’s a bigger disappointment. Never ever coming back, and I suggest you stay away as well.

Food: 6.5/10
Service: 5/10
Ambiance: 6/10
Meal for 3: Rs. 720/-

Verdict: 5.5/10

Birdman | Movie Review

birdman-poster

Given that you have a bunch of Oscar nominated films releasing together, it’s tedious to keep track of the one which stands out. While all other nominees are either biographies or dramas, Birdman excels as a dark comedy with some spectacular performances.

It’s very difficult to write about director Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman. A Hollywood actor once famous for playing fictional ‘Birdman’ character is trying to establish himself on Broadway; but he is still haunted and tormented by the voice of Birdman, and the story showcases how this conflict affects his Broadway career. While González Iñárritu brings out the best from the entire cast, the screenplay is spectacular and makes the movie a treat to watch. The way the entire film flows seamlessly while giving an impression that it’s all a single shot is brilliantly done. This is how good it gets on script, screenplay and direction front.

Michael Keaton is superb as the struggling actor. He gets into the skin of the character, and his performance is the best I’ve seen this year (thus far). Edward Norton comes up with an equally spectacular act and actually outshines Keaton in some episodes. Emma Stone is perfect in her brief appearance, and so are Naomi Watts, Andrea Riseborough and Zach Galifianakis. The film is an absolute treat in terms of performances.

Music by Antonio Sánchez is haunting and very effective. Cinematography by Emmanuel Lubezki and editing by Douglas Crise and Stephen Mirrione are excellent. Again, the way the film flows as a single shot thanks to perfect screenplay, editing and cinematography is worth mention.

Is it worth your time and money?: While all the Oscar nominees are excellent films, Birdman happens to be the clear winner for me. It’s a perfect example of the script, director, actors and technical teams all coming together to churn out a work of art. Don’t miss it!!

Worth mention: The performances and the illusion that entire film is a single shot.

Acting: 9.5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 9.5/10
Technical Aspects: 9/10

Verdict: 9.5/10

The Theory of Everything | Movie Review

Theory of Everything Poster

It is not often that you have two biopics releasing together – both British (one about a mathematician and other a physicist), both nominated for the Oscars. While The Imitation Game is a dramatized thriller about Alan Turing and his achievements, The Theory of Everything is a drama about Stephen Hawking’s personal life.

Based upon the book written by Jane Wilde (Hawking’s first wife), the movie happens to be more about the couple’s relationship rather than the physicists achievements. It starts of with a young Hawking meeting Jane a little before he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease, and continues with their struggles as a married couple, while Hawking pursued research on quantum mechanics through deteriorating health conditions. While the love story is well picturized, director James Marsh could not maintain the same zeal for the rest of the story. Beyond a point, the relationship between the couple seemed artificial. The screenplay is neat, but only if the story had much more substance to offer. Even worse, it doesn’t even connect with you emotionally.

Eddie Redmayne is brilliant as Hawking. He resembles Hawking in looks, and portrays the medical condition to perfection. While he has not much to say, he conveys a lot through his facial expressions. Felicity Jones puts up an equally good performance as Jane. David Thewlis and Charlie Cox are good.

Music by Jóhann Jóhannsson is alright. Editing by Jinx Godfrey and cinematography by Benoit Delhomme are good. I actually liked the way the some scenes were presented in retro nostalgic frames.

Is it worth your time and money??: When you compare with the other British biopic, The Theory of Everything lacks enough substance to keep you engrossed for it’s more of a drama than a biopic. While worth a watch for the performances, it really has nothing new to offer.

Acting: 9.5/10
Story-Screenplay-Direction: 7/10
Technical Aspects: 8/10

Verdict: 7.5/10