Rani Mukerji is definitely one of the best actors of this age and has enough talent to carry a movie on her shoulders. However, even she can’t do much when the script is meek and too predictable.
After four years of hiatus, director Pradeep Sarkar is back with another female oriented movie. Parineeta was a path breaking debut for both Vidya and Pradeep. While Vidya proved her mettle with every film thereafter, he failed to make an impact. And now, he’s back with his fourth feature Mardaani which has its heart at the right place, but unfortunately lacks the punch.
Inspector Shivani (Rani) plays a blatant crime branch cop trying to nab a child sex trafficking racket in this two-hour crime drama. While Rani does justice to her role, the circumstances in which she does them seem too contrived. Emotions seem muted, therefore episodes which are supposed to make your tummy churn seem like run of the mill stuff. And though the scenes between Rani and her antagonist are well conceived, it all results in a boring climax face off. While screenplay is pretty decent, the direction is pretty mediocre.
If it weren’t for Rani, a movie like this would/could have gone totally unnoticed. While she brings charm and adds flare to the film, the weak script fails her. However, she needs to be commended for her effort. Tahir Bhasin is very good as her counterpart and has a bright future. The rest of the cast is alright.
Music and background score by Salim-Sulaiman is pretty decent. Editing by Sanjib Dutta is neat and cinematography by Artur Zurawski is very good.
Is it worth your time and money??:It’s not a bad film, no. Nevertheless it could have been so much better. But for Rani, there is nothing special the movie has to offer. Watch it only for her.
Place: Reshmi’s Classic Restaurant Location: Opp. Nanking, Parklane, Secunderabad Cuisine: Indian Meal: Dinner (with amma and dad)
I’ve been to Reshmi’s a couple of times in the past, and thought it was alright. But recently, I’ve been hearing a lot about this place, stating them to be the best North Indian food serving restaurant in town. A little curious as to what I missed, I visited the restaurant few days go with amma and dad. Ambiance of the place remained the same as I remember, decent. We sat at a table on the far end, facing the road.
I had already gone through their menu and decided on what to order – Smoked Paneer, Lasooni Tadka Palak and their Kofta Biryani. Dad wanted to have starters, so we asked for Shanghai Rolls, which were unavailable. So we asked for Veg. Bullets (I know that their Stuffed Mushrooms are pretty good, but since dad doesn’t eat mushrooms, had to order an alternative). For roti, we ordered a Butter Naan, Pudina Paratha and Tandoori Roti.
Accompaniments
We were told that the starters would take around ten minutes. In the mean time, the accompaniments were served.
Veg. Bullets
Ten became twenty and finally the Veg. Bullets were served, and they didn’t look appetizing (because of their shape). On taste front, they were a little undercooked (I could taste the dough) and weren’t great. Not a good start to the meal.
Smoked PaneerLasooni Tadka Palak
Even before we finished the bullets, the main course was served. The Smoked Paneer, served in a kadai, tasted yum. The gravy was creamy and the paneer pieces were amazingly soft. The Lasooni Tadka Palak was also delicious, but on the downside, it was oozing oil which was quite a turn off.
Naan and Paratha
The Butter Naan had layers and was very good. The Pudina Paratha was soft and equally good. The Roti on the other hand could have been better.
Kofta Biryani
I was pretty excited to taste the Kofta Biryani which was served next. While the rice was good and flavourful, to my surprise (and disappointment), there were no koftas in the biryani. Instead, they had a few hard Manchurian balls. While I do like Manchuria along with biryani, these didn’t taste great for they were pretty hard (and didn’t seem fresh). And moreover, they weren’t koftas!
Overall, a decent meal, but nothing extraordinary. Yes, the place did serve some authentic North Indian food, most of which was yum, but I wouldn’t call it the best in town. The service was pretty good, and everything was priced reasonably. However, I thought the quantity of the curries could have been better. And the Manchuria instead of Kofta was a huge disappointment (did they think no one would notice??)
Bottom line, give it a shot if you haven’t yet for it’s a decent place, but don’t expect anything extraordinary.
Place: Delhi-39 Location: Near Gachibowli Flyover Cuisine: Indian Meal: Lunch (with friends)
A couple of weeks ago, we headed out for lunch towards Gachibowli and decided to stop at 13 Dhaba. At around 12:30, the dhaba wasn’t open yet, so instead dropped into Delhi-39 across the road. Walking in, the place looked pretty shabby, but a friend who had tried this place in the past spoke well about their food, so decided to stay. The A/C was turned on, and we settled.
After extensive thought, we ended up ordering Delhi-39 special subji, Malai Kofta, Dal Tadka along with some Roti, Masala Kulcha, Laccha Parothas and a Delhi-39 Special Naan.
Delhi-39 SpecialDal Tadka and Malai Kofta
It took a while for the food to be served (around 15 minutes), but it sure did look yum when served. The Delhi-39 special curry turned out to be paneer masala in a rich creamy gravy. The paneer was very fresh, and the gravy was finger licking good. It was one of the best panner subji I’ve had in recent times. The Malai Kofta too was excellent, with rich gravy and soft kofta balls. The Dal was decent.
Masala Kulcha and Laccha Parotha
The Masala Kulcha was perfect. I expected the maida Parothas, but they were instead made with wheat flour and tasted great. But for the tandoori roti (which was very dry), everything turned out to be soft and yum.
Overall, an excellent meal. The ambiance might paint a bad picture, but the food totally made up for it. The service was decent, and the pricing too was nominal. I’d gladly give this place another try instead of the hyped dhaba across the road. Go hog!
I never imagined a day where I’d buy ticket in black to watch Sharwanand’s movie. I don’t think even he would have dreamt of this day (let’s be honest) where he would come across Housefull boards all over. But, here it is…
Having enjoyed a couple of Sujeeth’s short films in the past, I was eager to watch this film. Run Raja Run tells the story of Raja, a happy-go-lucky dumb guy who falls in love with police commissioner’s daughter. Add to this a parallel story of major kidnaps happening in the city. Instead of making a pure comic thriller in a subtle manner, Sujeeth chose to add all the regular masala required for a Telugu commercial film. While this hampers the pace of the film on most occasions (unnecessary songs, comedy tracks), he stills manages to hold the film together. The first half was pure fun and thoroughly enjoyable. However, the second half could have been handled better. The fierce commissioner turns out to be a joker in the latter half thanks to some uncanny characterization, and this to be a major flaw of the movie. That apart, the direction is pretty neat in general. The screenplay though could have been better, especially towards the climax.
Sharwanand is very good in the lead role. You needed someone who could ooze out innocence for this role, and he happened to be the perfect fit. His comic timing turned out to be bang on. Seerath Kapoor is cute as the leading lady. Sampath Raj had an important role to play and he does justice to an extent (but for the latter half where he loses it because of the characterization). Adivi Sesh is decent, while rest of the cast is alright. Vidyullekha Raman was trying too hard to ape Urvashi.
Music by Ghibran is alright. While a couple of songs are hummable, most of them act like speed-breakers to the film’s pace. Editing by Madhu is neat while cinematography by Madhi is of top-notch quality. The entire film is very colorful and has a jolly feel to it.
Is it worth your time and money??:While it could have been better, Run Raja Run is still a good film. After Oohalu Gusagusalade, it’s another must watch small film.
Worth mention:The first kidnap, and most of the dialogues.
Place: A’la Liberty Location: Road No. 12, Banjara Hills Cuisine: Buffet Meal: Lunch (with amma and dad)
On a Sunday afternoon, I finally dropped in to A’la Liberty for their buffet lunch. To make sure we didn’t have to wait, I called in early and reserved a table for 2:00 PM. When we walked in, we were directed to a table which was still being cleaned up. Eventually, we were put across another one right next to the buffet spread. Ambiance wise, I thought the place was too crowded in every sense. Apart from being packed, the tables were placed very close to each other, to an extent that I had to couch every time someone from the next table had to get up. Unimpressed by the ambiance, I was hoping the food and service to make it up.
Once we were seated, even before we had settled in, the waiters started serving a couple of starters into one of our plates. This was very odd for the food left on the servers dish after serving the adjacent table was being dumped into my dad’s plate while the other two plates on the table were left empty. So while dad started his meal, me and amma were left waiting.
Sweet Corn Soup
While hoping for the starters, we were served instead with two bowls of Sweet Corn Soup (while there were three people at the table). Argh! The soup tasted pretty bland and was forgettable. It’s another story on the number of times I had to ask the waiter for a pepper shaker before I was handed one.
Starters
Finally, after almost 15 minutes since my dad was served, I had the some starters on my plate. They had Dragon Rolls, Yogurt Paneer, Beetroot Chop and Pudina Aloo. The rolls were crispy and pretty good while the baby potatoes were average. The Beetroot Chop was the best of the lot, crunchy with a nice flavor. The paneer was also pretty good, for it was very fresh and had a tangy taste. Decent starters, but nothing out of the world. I was told that their starters are the best part of the meal, but I wasn’t really impressed.
Pani PuriDahi Papdi
After finishing with the starters, I walked towards the spread to check out whats on offering. While they had covered most cuisines, it wasn’t exorbitant either. I started with some Pani Puri and Dahi Papdi, and both of them turned out to be good. I actually loved the Dahi Papdi.
Mini PizzaItalian offerings
On Italian front, apart from the Mini Pizza, they had Baked Vegetables and a live pasta counter. First serving of the pizza was thick and soggy while the second turned out to be good. I asked for some pasta in white sauce, which turned out to be alright. I thought the sauce was too thin, and adding a couple of vegetables could have made it better. There was very little of the Baked Vegetables left in the bowl on the spread, most of it dry. I was apprehensive of its taste, but it turned out to be delicious, way better than the pizza or the pasta.
Chinese offerings
Next I headed out to try their Chinese offerings – Noodles, Fried Rice and Dumplings in Manchurian sauce. But for the Manchurian sauce being a little sour, the rest tasted decent.
Indian offerings
Heading towards the Indian section, they had Paneer Makhni, Nargisi Kofta, Veg. CHatpat, Jaipuri Bhendi and Dal Makhni. They also had Kadi Pakodi which I didn’t taste. All the curries tasted good along with the Butter Naan and Kulcha served along. The kofta was the best of the lot, with the gravy being thick, creamy and yummy. The paneer also tasted very good.
I had a taste of the Biryani which like in any other buffet turned out to be mediocre.
Desserts
For desserts, they had Badam Moong Dal Halwa, Angoori Gulab Jamoon, Mango Malai Marvel, Blueberry Cheesecake, Truffle Pudding and Cupcakes on offer apart from cut fruits and four flavors of ice-creams. But for the cup cakes, everything else turned out t be delicious. I loved the Mango Custard and the Cheesecake the best (though it wasn’t the best cheesecake, it tasted yum).
Overall, an average meal. While most of the food was good, I thought there was still scope for improvement. However, I was very very unhappy with the service and ambiance of the place. I do understand that the place is packed on most occasions and it gets difficult to manage, but lack of basic courtesy by servers and stewards is unacceptable. Apart from the dumping of food on one of the three plates at the table, when I asked a waiter to get me some Naan, I was indifferently asked to instruct the waiter at my table instead. How was I supposed to keep tabs on who was responsible for my table when there were at least five people attending to us in the hour we sat there?
And add to that a fish market kinda ambiance. There were quite a few customers standing and eating their food at the buffet itself instead of moving to their tables. This continued for really long, to a point where I had someone standing over my head and eating desserts (for I was seated right next to the spread). Irritated, I had to complaint to the manager before he made them move to their tables.
Small details make a big difference, and such details were not attended to at A’la Liberty. The food wasn’t out of the world good wither for me to disregard the other major flaws. I doubt if I’d ever venture back to this place again (I’d rather prefer a more reasonable spread at Ohri’s Jiva Imperia).
Place: Hello Curry
Location: Behind Wingster, Ayyappa Society
Cuisine: Indian
Meal: Take-away
Hello Curry, a takeaway joint which became prominent not exactly because of its food, but its packing. I called them a couple of times in the past, but they don’t deliver beyond Hitech City area, so. I was passing by Ayyappa Society the other day, and decided to pick something up instead. The place was really difficult to find for they don’t have any board or anything; it’s a small shed right behind Wingster. It seemed like they were actually surprised to see a customer walk in.
I was handed a paper menu, and I ordered a small portion of Paneer Makhni. I had to stand there in the sun for about 10 minutes before I was handed a bag with a really tiny box for which I paid 100 bucks (it was 93, but the guy at the store didn’t have change).
Hello Curry PackageRoyal Paneer Makhni
Ok, the box did look good, and on opening it, I found a small sealed cup. You have to agree that the packing was in fact worth the buzz. However, on taste front, I wasn’t really happy. The paneer was fresh and really soft, but the makhni gravy turned out to be very bland for it lacked salt and had no flavour.
When I was handed out a really tiny box, I started to feel like it was a bad decision spending so much for such box. But the quantity wasn’t so bad after all. However, the taste wasn’t great, and that’s what finally matters. You might have the best packing in town, but that’s not what I am gonna eat. And also, it would be nice to offer a customer at least a seat to sit in when he comes to order, or have a policy not to accept in-store orders.
Place: Dwaraka Location: Adj. Nims, Panjagutta Cuisine: Indian Meal: Dinner
After a movie, I walked in to Dwaraka at Panjagutta hoping to hog on Handi Biryani. It was really a courageous decision on my part to try Dwaraka again after my recent experience at Lakdikapul. Anyhow, hoping for the better, here I was. The ambiance is almost exactly the same as their main branch, and I got comfortable at a table near the entrance.
To my disappointment, even these guys didn’t have the original Handi Biryani. What more, they didn’t even have the Paneer Handi Biryani (apparently they have it only at Dwaraka Lakdikapul). So I ended up ordering a Kaju Biryani.
Kaju Biryani
The Biryani was served in about ten minutes. On first look, it didn’t really look that appetizing, but it actually turned out to be pretty tasty. Full of cashew nuts, the rice had nice flavor, and tasted yum along with the gravy served along. Not an excellent biryani, but it wasn’t bad either.
So after my terrible experience at the main branch, this outing turned out to be good. I’d like to try their reasonably priced combos next time around. Overall, a decent experience. Service was pretty good as well. Give it a try.
Place: 13 Dhaba Location: Under Gachibowli flyover Cuisine: Indian Meal: Lunch (with friends)
Long ago, a friend of mine who works for Synopsys told me about this guy serving awesome parathas in his office cafeteria. He’s now moved out and we have 13 Dhaba. I’ve been wanting to try this place for a long time now to find out if it’s worth the buzz. Was in the vicinity few days ago, and finally dropped in with a couple of friends. Located in a small shop next to a Dry Cleaners, there is no ambiance as such. It’s a self-service restaurant and has a couple of cement slabs in front of the shop, giving it posh bandi type atmosphere. We walked in around 2:00 PM when the place was pretty crowded. There was a small queue we had to stand in before we got to order.
I ordered for Gobi Paratha and Aloo Paratha, while my friends asked for Poori Subzi and Kadi Chawal and another Aloo Paratha. We also ordered a Lassi each. We managed to find ourselves some place to sit before our order was ready in about 10 minutes.
Gobi Paratha
The Gobi Paratha was thick, full of butter and served with mixed vegetable pickle. While it tasted good, I thought the stuffing had too much masala (which kinda made it spicy). That apart, a decent paratha. Nothing out of the world though, yet..
Aloo Paratha
The Aloo Paratha was thicker and had more butter, and I thought this was the better of the two. The stuffing was sumptuous and tasted good. Again, nothing to rave about.
Kadi Chawal
I had a taste of the Kadi Chawal, which tasted alright. While the kadi was decent enough, I thought the pakoda was kinda hard. Not the best Kadi Chawal to be honest.
Poori Subzi
I didn’t have a taste of the Poori Subzi, but it did look good.
Lassi
The Lassi was thick and good. I would have preferred it to be more creamy though.
Overall, a decent meal. Yes, the parathas were good, but I didn’t really feel that this place was as awesome as people make it sound. The service was friendly, and the everything is reasonably priced, offering value for money. But at the same time, I don’t think you can eat such rich food everyday as well. I’d definitely go back to this place, but not anytime soon. And no, I didn’t really think it was worth all the hype and buzz.
Place: Moti Mahal Delux Tandoori Trail Location: Sun Tower, Hitech City Cuisine: Indian Meal: Lunch (with a friend)
My friend wanted to try Moti Mahal in Hitech City, which boasts to be the inventor of Butter Chicken, Tandoori Chicken and Dal Makhni. Forget the chicken, didn’t people eat Dal Makhni before 1920? Hmmm. Anyways, we walked in to the restaurant a little after noon to find the place pretty much packed. The ambiance was pretty decent, and we made ourselves comfortable at a table near the entrance.
A couple of heavy menus were handed to us soon, which indicated a wide range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian offerings. We ordered a Makhni Meal which included Paneer Tikka, Seekh Kebab, Paneer Makhni, Dal Makhni, Butter Naan, raita and soft drinks, and served two people.
Paneer Tikka and Seekh Kebab
The starters were served pretty soon, just a couple of kebabs and 4 pieces of tikka. The kebab was very dry and tasted alright, while the paneer turned out to be terrible. They weren’t marinated properly, and there seemed to be something wrong with the paneer .
Dal Makhni
Of the main course, the Dal Makhni turned out to be really good. It was creamy, full of flavour and delicious. It actually made me ponder if these guys are actually the inventors.
Paneer Makhni
On the other hand, the Paneer Makhni turned out to be bad. Again, the paneer was terrible, and it ruined the taste of the curry. The gravy too was pretty thin.
Makhni Naan
The Butter Naan was soft and very good.
Jeera Rice
We had quite a bit of Dal left, so we ended up ordering some Jeera Rice, which was palatable.
Phirni
We complained to the steward about the paneer, and the kitchen agreed that there was something wrong with it. To make it up, they served us complimentary Phirni, which was decent.
Overall, an average meal. The Dal Makhni, and to an extent the Jeera Rice made up for the mediocrity of rest of the meal. While quantity of starters was minimal, the main course was very sumptuous. Service was alright, and it was good to notice that they actually acted upon our feedback rather than just ignoring it. On price front, the restaurant might seem heavy on your pocket. Nevertheless, I’d give it another visit just for their Dal Makhni.
People have been raving about how good the shakes are at this new place in Manjeera mall. So finally, after a movie at Cinepolis last week, I got to try it myself. I asked the guy at the counter about their best offering, and he suggested Choco Brownie Crumble. I ordered for it with whipped cream (additional).
Choco Brownie Crumble
It took about 10 minutes for the shake to be made. It looked good but I was disappointed with the quantity served. On taste front, it was really thick (as it should have been), and was yum. The whipped cream was delicious, but the brownie could have been better.
A yummilicious shake, but I wasn’t really happy overall. I paid close to 200 bucks for the shake, and it really didn’t seem like value for money. Maybe it’s something you can afford once in a while, but definitely not worth on a daily basis.
