Mumbai Masala: Unparalleled Icon Of Parallel Cinema

The demise of Shyam Benegal was indeed a big loss to the parallel cinema movement, which had its roots in Mumbai. At a time when mainstream Hindi cinema was becoming increasingly crass and mindless and directors like Kumar Shahani were making extremely abstract films, Benegal promoted a genre that was meaningful and relevant. His films Ankur, Nishant, Manthan, Kalyug, etc, were audio-visual delights, which appealed to the eyes and intellect alike.

Missing The Taste Of China

Kamling was easily one of the better Chinese restaurants of Mumbai. Situated on Veer Nariman Road within walking distance of Marine Drive, it was a favourite haunt of lovers of authentic Chinese food. The interiors were modest; but that was more than made up by the roast pork, crabs and lobsters. The place is now occupied by Foo offering pan Asian cuisine. Honestly, there is absolutely nothing great about this place. The service is just about OK. Incidentally, Foo means good fortune in Chinese.

A Reason To Rejoice In Malad

Residents of Malad have reasons to rejoice. They can now have delicious south Indian dishes and pav bhaji without depending on food delivery apps. Chirag Joshi, a Gujarati, has opened IDF on SV Road near Saraf College in Malad (West). The acronym does not stand for Israeli Defense Forces, but Idli Dosa Fusion! We checked out the joint recently and stepped out on the pavement fully satisfied with what we ate. For starters we had coin idlis covered with fresh red chilly and urad dal powder mixed with sesame oil. It is served 10 pieces a plate and was simply yummy. We followed it up with pav bhaji and ghee dosa. The pavs were fresh from the bakery and were suitably toasted in Amul ghee. The bhaji was amazingly tasty with the right amount of masala and a large dollop of Amul butter smiling at you from the centre of the plate. The sada dosa was a tad small and thick and somewhat reddish in colour; probably because of the red rice. But the combo was great. The hot filter coffee had authentic taste and aroma and reminded us of the coffee estates of Chikmagalur.

Tailpiece

Notice in a men’s loo: Come closer and enjoy the comfort of a dry floor. (Compiled by S Balakrishnan)