Author: Akhil Nanda

I am Still Trying To Write ...

Documentary Movies To Stream!!

Jiro Dreams Of Sushi! 

A Documentary that I had a heard a lot about and while reading the “The Ride Of a Lifetime” I wanted to watch it as soon as possible. While browsing what to watch next on Netflix, I found Jiro Dreams of Sushi A Documentary on Jiro Ono who is the owner of Sukiyabashi Jiro, a Japanese sushi restaurant in Ginza, Chūō, Tokyo, Japan and who has been running the sushi restaurant for the last fifty years, Today he is ninety-five years old.

The documentary is about how he strives to perfect the sushi and how considerate towards their guest, Right from observing the clients whether they are right-handed to left-handed and accordingly they were served and how his dreams were also about perfecting the sushi.

It’s The World’s Best sushi place & Worlds Most expensive restaurant each plate of sushi cost 30,000 Yen ($300) and you require a reservation at two months in advance with three Michelin stars and has served the All the dignitaries from around the world at his restaurant.

One of the key learning – Octopus are massaged for forty- Fifty minutes to give the soft texture & Best Tuna & Shrimps are sourced from Tsukiji Market.

As this documentary was made in 2011 by David Gelb. You might not know by the name. But must have watched or heard about the Chef ’s Table & Street Food Series on Netflix. He is the creator behind these two successful series. Also since it’s been nearly a decade there has a lot happened in those years and have shared the insights as Trivia below.

Trivia :

    • Tsukiji Market Which is the largest Fishmarket in the world and is known for the TUNA Auction that happens at 5 am to 6:30 am and can be viewed by the tourist. The Tsukiji market has now been relocated to Toyusu and is known as The Toyosu Fish Market.
    • Also, The auction is held on Green floor as Tuna is determined by the red stains and Red stands out on Green Backdrop.
    • Sukiyabashi Jiro in Tokyo is now open reservations only from regulars, people with “special connections,” or those who use a luxury-hotel concierge
    • Restaurant has also lost it’s Michelin Stars.
    • Jiro Ono is the Worlds oldest chef alive at 95. 

American Factory

A Story about a  Chinese Billionaire opening up a Factory in The United States of America and the conflicts between the American labourers & Chinese working styles are highlighted in this documentary. This is an interesting documentary to understanding the challenges the two nations face & the difference in working styles.

The Game Changer

The lifestyle of going green & vegan is one of the biggest changes today and with the situation, we are all in this is the biggest game-changer. And the ninety-minute documentary-style film worth watching on the streaming platform for both the ones against going green in their diets and ones thinking about changing their diets and for the ones who have always followed this diet. It’s truly one of the biggest Game changers – The Food we are consuming today and the food we should be consuming now.

McQueen

Why some designers are considered the well-known one in the industry and how they establish themselves with the competitions in the very competitive fashion industry. Alexander McQueen is a documentary about his early & fast success in the fashion industry and The eccentric styling & fashion showcases he displayed in his period has been one of the influential and aspirational designers to collaborate with and own.

Untouchables – Harvey Weinstein

A Hollywood Mogul who exploited his power by taking advantages of an aspiring actress who wanted to make it big in the industry. This story is about how he was finally caught after being, The Monster for three decades who successfully owned & managed one of the most successful studios of “Hollywood” Miramax named after his parents and a studio who had quite a few Academy Awards for the films he produced with his brother Bob. This is about the #Metoo movement that was a revolution that started for everybody to speak up, the one’s who was once a victim of harassment not just in Hollywood industry, But in the other industries.

 

Snow by Orhan Pamuk- personal Book Review

Yes, I was looking to read something different, And Have been wanting to read a book by the Turkish Novelist Orhan Pamuk, But did not know which one to read. His works include the “My name is Red”, ” The Museum of innocence” and a few others. Fortunately, I have been borrowing books from a friend, And They had Snow and I choose to start reading Orhan Pamuk books. Two things that got me interested in this book is the written description and reading the blurb, This sounded exactly like a mirror image of Turkey, It’s culture and Turks. And since I visited turkey about a decade ago. A Lot of the writing and descriptions were accurate. 
The Story of “Snow“is about Ka who is a poet,Intellectual from Istanbul who visits Ka on the context of understanding Why Suicide is on the rise. By representing a Print newspaper. But as the story unfolds you realise it’s more than a suicide… It’s about the politics within. The difference between the open mindset and the Conservative culture. To be vocal about issues that are a cause of concern. 
Snow, Is an intellectual and digging in deep into a writer and poets mind and A Turkish Author while living in turkey he has expressed in his writing about turkey so accurately it is very fascinating. This is surely one of the best books I have read this year already. And having read Orhan Pamuk & Elif Shafak both Turkish authors. You realise how different both of their writing style is, But both have portrayed Turkey Beautifully … 

2020 Lockdown Itinerary!

More than halfway through 2020. I ended up reading about a dozen books, Losing track of time. It hardly made me realise it’s been five months, I haven’t travelled anywhere at all. Not even Mumbai which is the closest Metro city from my hometown Nashik.

This also made me question am I liking it to be in one place, without moving at all.

Well, To be honest. It’s a first for me and while I couldn’t travel physically anywhere. Not even to a restaurant or cafe.

I have been having the best of food cuisines right from Thai, Chinese, and Italian pizzas to freshly baked desserts and cakes at home. This doesn’t mean I don’t miss going out.

I Sure do because, when we go out, We go for the experience of going somewhere, Trying something new, different or sometimes just for the ambience and service of being served, rather than helping ourselves. You also go for the occasional noise that’s part of the environment. People chit-chatting having conversations, to you finding the solution and clearing your doubts from not knowing what to order, to going with the suggestion by the waiter serving you to missing out a menu option, that the order table guest has just ordered.

As far as travelling goes as a tourist- The Books have been helping me by taking me to America by going on a history tour by having a well-researched guide (Bill Bryson) To telling me about Indian history by making me meet Historians such as William Dalrymple. Reading makes me feel sometimes “Lost in Japan” by either overhearing a mysterious case “Under The Midnight Sun” or giving it a realism-magical sense of the place by letting me know about “Kafka on The Shores” To making me Revisit Turkey But this time also making me experiencing the “Snow” by a local Orhan Pamuk and taking me to a lesser-known city in the country Kars.

Reading made me understand a doctor’s life by sharing the concept of “Being Mortal” to making me meet some interesting personalities, Michelle Obama & Robert Iger.

All these experiences while sipping coffee and hopping around the different corners of my home, enjoying the weather and trying to do my best while sitting at home.

But, Yes Travelling physically cannot be replaced by reading books. But, reading can comfort you in planning out your next travel journey.

Some More of my Writing Part -2

Indian Matchmaking! Now Streaming

It’s Funny! How many things I have done related to weddings, Right from a  show on a popular television channel that highlighted a designer doing a makeover for the bride for their wedding to ending up in Wedding planning with a destination wedding planning organisation to being one of the contenders for the series on the streaming platform. And over the years, working with so many different aspects of weddings & relationship, there are quite a few things I learnt, and quite a few questions to those who answer aren’t justified. 
While working on the makeover for the bride about five years ago, I realised girls and women are now taking their time to settle down, They are more confident and independent. 
While working with wedding planners – I Realised marriage is more of a “Show Business” 
And while auditioning for “India Matchmaking” It was the first time  I got the answer to some of the question, which I always looked for. 
“Why do people get married” – A Question which is never asked by the boy & girl who would be spending their life together. 
What do I really look in a partner – The Answer to this question is always looking at a friends/ role model’s marriage and answering those points without looking into what the person is actually looking for?
Why haven’t you found anybody yet and why arranged marriage? – Maybe it truly is the fault in my stars. 
And lastly, when the series streamed and I watched the complete series, none of the genders knew exactly what they were looking for in each other? 
While the fascination for the west and international audience on the concept of “Arrange Marriage/ Matchmaking”  questioned them about the Indian culture of marriage in many ways, Why is our media shying away from admitting who we are actually? 
Why is marriage so important? Today thank god. Marriage by some isn’t prioritised like a Goal or landmark. While for the others their only “Goal” is to be married not because they are “ready”, not because they have “connected” but rather because of the peer & family pressure that forces them not to question what marriage is? Why some question it too much and have high expectations, others just follow the checklist one should follow in a regular “Life”