Petals!

Directed by Sachy, Anarkali  is a beautiful love story.  Not saying this because of the Prithvi-Priyal deep kiss. Nope.  While the duo were smooching away on screen of course (no decent flowers coming to cover the screen - where have the blasted flowers vanished to, they always popped up on time when I was a kid!!!) I was too busy covering my curious 9 year old son's eyes!  Anarkali Story Coming back to the movie, I watched  it because it is a classic love story about a young man from the Navy who falls in love with the daughter of his senior officer and he pays the price for one dangerous kiss with his life. His search for the girl he loves forms the crux of this love story.  His final attempt leads him to the beautiful island of Lakshadweep, where he works as a diving instructor. The island is known for being a place of goodness and simple living - where there are actually no crimes and therefore, the prison is close...

Can I share a secret with you? Something I never told you before? Don't laugh! I see a smile on your face but that's okay as long as you aren't laughing at me yet. The thing is I crave to munch on piping hot pazhamporis!  Okay, blame it on the Malayali genes that are so used to munching on banana fritters while it rains, or when it is a sunny day or a scorching one. We don't care about the weather.  We simply love biting into the juiciness of home-made pazhamporis, exactly the way our mothers make it at home. I crave for a world where I don’t have to feel apologetic about eating pazhamporis. Maybe I am not the only person who fears to talk about eating food openly, for the pure enjoyment of it. That doesn't always have to be equated with calories and nutrients.  So, what's your favourite food that you love to eat? Tell me about it!

Over the years, like many Indians, I too have read several books in English and Malayalam that reinterpret the Mahabharatha from a specific point of view, such as that of Draupadi. I was a teenager when I read Malayalam writer MT Vasudevan Nair’s classic ‘Randamoozham’ (Second Chance) which positions Bhima as the protagonist. It was mind-blowing brilliant and I was haunted by Bhima for years. Vikas Singh in his recently released novel, Bhima, states that he was inspired by MT’s ‘Randamoozham’ but felt that he had another ‘Bhima’ in his perspective. This is my book review for the #FestiveReading series that has been unveiled by Writersmelon . Visit here http://www.writersmelon.com  and you can also  follow them on Twitter @Writersmelon . So, what makes Vikas Singh’s ‘Bhima’ different? For one, Vikas Singh’s ‘Bhima’ is full of passion, action and humour. The first chapter catapults you into the fiery passionate love making between Bhima and Draupadi, afte...

When I first came to Delhi, I struggled to understand why people celebrate Diwali with the joyous fervor they do. Coming from Kochi, the significance of Diwali, in comparison, has been minimal.  The only time we in Kochi used to realize that it is Diwali is when popular sweetshops, particularly Bimbis located at MG Road, began to sell the 'North Indian mithai' items.  We would see a crowd in front of it. All of us would use the pretext of Diwali to persuade the elders to buy the 'North Indian mithai' and the glossy packets, with its delectable scent, would linger on days after Diwali. That, dear friend, is the closest that I came to understanding Diwali. Now that I am settled and living outside Kochi, I see the happiness and the amazing positive energy that makes Diwali something more than a festival.  I can see how it brings families together, colleagues together, friends and so on. People dress in their brightest and best clothes, vibra...

I like movies that show strong women.  I had great expectations from Aashiq Abu's latest Malayalam movie - Rani Padmini.  The two heroines Manju Warrier and Rima Kallingal demonstrate commendable chemistry despite a poorly paced script and badly written screenplay.  W hile Jinu Joseph is impressive as the racer, there is no chemistry with Manju Warrier. The vibes are sangfroid between the two actors.  The first half of the movie puts you on edge. You keep waiting for a spectacular story but the second half is where the story "begins."  The pace of the film is inconsistent. The 'Ant" story and also the 'paragliding' scenes were stretched to too slow. Then suddenly, the narrative becomes too pacy. Malayalam Movie Review: Rani Padmini Story The story goes like this: Padmini  (starring Manju Warrier)   is a Malayali girl married to a Delhi based racing car driver, whose name is Giri (starring Jinu Joseph). The couple lo...