Category: Movie

A Year Made In India -Chocolates #1


The Indian Chocolate and coffee experience this year has been a good surprise especially when you don’t have the options of going out at all. 
Amul chocolates :
Dark chocolates, it wasn’t easy to find good dark chocolates as such in India. 
And when you have run out of your Lindt dark chocolate stock, And aren’t going to be travelling until things settle,  imports to aren’t coming by easily. You have to look out for options. And Amul dark chocolate was the only option I had in my city. Yes, I have had mason & Co and Fidler & Frank in the past. two of the finest dark chocolates I have eaten. But unfortunately, they aren’t available in my city, and I am a little hesitant to order them online. Amul chocolate became my saviour. It’s got the perfect balance of sweetness and bitterness. And if you haven’t tried it yet. 
You are underestimating one of the best Indian Brands that have flavours like Mocha, Orange, Hazelnut and single-origin flavours from Venezuela, Peru, India 
₹100 onwards for each bar of chocolate 
All Things Chocolate:  I am not sure! How many of you have even heard about this? These chocolates were divine! The combination and the feel of the packaging make you wonder are these truly from & Made in India, Jaipur These chocolates were so good! That we made a special visit to the Clove store in Mumbai to pick them up. 
₹180 onwards for each bar of chocolate 
La folie: One of my favourite cafe in Mumbai, Bandra and when you hear they also have chocolate you want to try the dark chocolate. But with jaggery replaced instead of white sugar, this chocolate wasn’t tasting like chocolate though… ₹250 for each bar of chocolate 
Soklet Chocolates:   Hadn’t known about this brand at all until I visited foodhall in Mumbai last year and discovered and tried it recently  The mint Nibs with dark chocolate and was slightly disappointed with the taste as it was more like honey after taste. ₹200 onwards for each bar of chocolates 
Dider & Frank:   If there is one of gourmet make in India Chocolate who’s whole range I have tried is this one right from the coffee, Orange and Mint chocolate all are very very good!! ₹300 for each bar of chocolate 
Mason & Co:  Bassed in Auroville, Tamil Nadu.A Chocolate that’s I first noticed at a cafe in Mumbai, The Pantry and a few later noticed it again Blue Tokai it was a few months later did I finally try the 70% Dark Chocolate and it was good! This was the first time I tried a gourmet Indian dark chocolate that has flavours like Mint in Dark Chocolate, Espresso dark chocolate and Coconut Dark Chocolate. ₹295 for each bar of chocolate. 
Fabelle: ITC ( Indian Tobacco Company) It is difficult to associate a Cigarette brand and hotel chain with Chocolates especially when you think of chocolate it’s always Cadbury. But, if you haven’t tried the range of Fabelle chocolates from ITC you certainly have missed trying out one of the most underrated chocolates that just melt in your mouth. There are chocolate bars as well tin gift boxes available from Fabelle. ₹450 for each bar of chocolate. 
Smoor Chocolate: A Cafe Brand from Bangalore that is known not only for their cafe but their chocolates too. I tried the cranberry Dark Chocolate and instantly loved the taste of the chocolate. Smoor since the last time I tried has a range of things to offers. Dark thins, Brittles and a whole new range of dark chocolate additions. 
₹300 onwards for each bar of chocolate. 

How many have you tried? And which one is your favourite?

September Book Reviews!

Salivation Of A Saint By Keigo Higashino. 

My 3rd Book from Keigo Higashino, 2nd one of the year and two and half days of another page tuner from Keigo Higashino.

The Writing is so engrossing. Murder has already being committed in the first thirty pages and You might have the hint of who the murderer might me. But How it actually happens remains a mystery…Until Detective Galileo works around the theory with the Police officers and comes to the conclusion. A Book & author you wouldn’t want to miss reading, Who surprises you with a perfect Murder Crime that you wouldn’t in your wildest thought, imagined to take place like the one mentioned in the books and with logical backstory and supporting evidence, This book is all  the more enjoyable where you just want to read  more stories like these from Keigo Higashino one of  my new favourite Crime/Thriller who doesn’t disappoint. Now the next one I want to read is his bestseller “The Devotion of Suspect X”

Seventeen by Hideo Yokoyama 

A Story about a plane Crash that took place in 1985 and How the piece is reported by

Kazumasa Yuuki, a reporter at the North Kanto Times who is responsible for covering the news of the Plane Crash. The Story revolves around the daily battles of the power struggles and office politics in the Print Media and Media as a field .

Itself ,But in 2003 Seventeen years later, Yuuki remembers the adrenaline-fueled, emotionally charged seven days that changed his and his colleagues’ lives. He does making on a promise he made that fateful week—one that holds the key to its last solved mystery and represents Yuuki’s final, unconquered fear.

Though I picked up this book for the story. What I enjoyed the most was the way it was written,The Writing and setting was just like how internal politics & power takes over.

When it comes to reporting & publishing news. If you are looking to read a nice Investigate Journalism book on reporting a disaster. This one you should be reading.

A Story written by a writer who has been in the journalism field for years working with Jōmō Shimbun the largest general circulation daily newspaper based in Gunma prefecture, Japan. The same region where apparently the Aeroplane Crash takes place.

Seventeen, is a slow burn but a very interesting. Battles, arguments over departments who feel they contribute & our more important for publishing business are well written. I guess writing a setting one knows, does truly bring out the authenticity in the writer while writing his story. Hideo is best known for six- four a murder thriller.

After Dark by Murakami 

Yes! This year I have read more than a couple of books from Murakami. Ranging from his Bestseller “Kafka on The Shore”to “After Dark” Though the style remains the same in the writing,The ideas that are shared in the writing by the writer are amusing to immediately get you interested in wanting to read the book. The same thing happened After Dark. After Dark is story that’s written describing the dreams and psychology of a person while in sleep, the thoughts, the nightmares etc. Coincidentally just like After Dark being Murakami’s Eleventh novel. This also happens to be my Eleventh read from his collection.

The Story revolves around a night in Tokyo where two college students bump into each other after a long time.

And Mari one of the protagonist in the story is approached by the manger of a restaurant as Mari is fluent in Chinese and the manager isn’t and request her to act as a translator for her. Soon both open up about their feeling within Mari opens about how she became fluent in the language and her feeling and comparison with Eri who is sister.

Meanwhile, strange things have been happening at the sister Eri’s place. Eri has already gone to bed by the time the events of the novel take place, but as she asleep strange things happens around which the writer narrates in his writing.

The Novel like most of the authors works ends abruptly, without any definitive answers to its many mysteries.

Incase you haven’t read any of the works by the authors and are considering starting of. Please don’t read this book first read a couple of his other works first.

Thrillers Books Worth Reading!

It’s very difficult to find thriller books, that keep you engrossed till the last page. And if you have found it by the same author twice, it couldn’t be better. 

Keigo Higashino a Japanese Author! Ah! Yes, another Japanese author. 

Journey under the midnight sun is about A group of children playing inside the building have found the body of a pawnshop owner, 

Detective Sasagaki’s investigation unearths more questions, but never reaches any conclusions. One of his chief suspects, the partner of a woman who the pawnshop owner visited on the day of his death, dies in a car crash soon afterwards. 

Though Sasagaki’s suspects there is more to the deaths, the case is abandoned. But, Twenty years later there are some leads that hints sasagaski that he could finally solve the mystery. 

This is one Book, I came across after enjoying reading “Midsummer Equation by Keigo Higanshino” 

  and what surprises me most about the author and his books is that when you are searching for “Best Thriller Books” You only come across American authors & British Authors, but none of the  Japanese authors, in the first few links and in the first few reviews. And I wonder why? “Japanese authors” are really underrated. This whole curiosity for “Japan” For me grew after I visited the country, it was a place I wanted to know more about? 

Keigo Higanshio is best known for his book “The Devotion of Suspect X” 

Yasuko Hanaoka accidentally kills her ex-husband, when circumstances rose to an unendurable level of ghastly behaviour from him. What follows is an elongated and witty brain-game between the investigator and her accomplice, Ishigami, who aided Yasuko in covering up the murder. ”The Devotion Of Suspect X”is the story about an ingenious plotter, and clever Dr Manabu Yukawa, who helps in solving the case.

In case you are looking to read a nice page-turner and are finding it difficult which one to start with you could surely start with “Journey Under The Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashnio” 

Plotters By Un-Su-Kim 

I have been in a frame of mind, where I am enjoying some nice thrilling stories, 

That is a quick read, written in a way, where you want to know what happens next. 

And after reading Keigo Higanshino’s ”Midsummer Equation ”last year and Under the midnight sun, I found Plotters by Un-Su-Kim a South Korean writer. And having watched some really good thriller movies by Korean Filmmakers, Maybe I had high expectations from Plotters, And as the story unfolds it becomes a predictable story, with not much material to keep you holding to know why, Whereas Books like “Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins” “Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn” Keeps you engrossed. 

While I am not saying  “Plotters”  wasn’t a good read, It certainly wasn’t as good as these, But very much alike like a series I just watched on the streaming platform “Giri/Haji” where The main underworld boss, hires people to do the damage (Assassins/HitMan)  But surely questions if we continue behaving like Assassins/Hitman all for that chair to be the boss for a reason, That we might think we hold the power, Power to continue the same racket/Practice where nobody gains anything, but only losses.

Plotters are read for those, who enjoy a little cliche story and someone who just would like to enjoy a crime story of how the Mafia works in a very simple, plain and easy to understand read. 

Some of The Best Movies Now Streaming

  • Jojo Rabbit

    • A Movie I missed watching in the cinema theatres and wasn’t sure until how long would I have wait to watch this film, But a few months later It released on another streaming platform. And so I watched the film.

    A story about a boy who is nicknamed Jojo Rabbit after a summer camp weekend and a story set during the conflict of German-Jews and during a period where Hitler was hailed by Some of his Fanatics and how one had to be careful in the communication.

    But this film is a hilariously funny and slightly emotional film worth watching and When you have The director himself portraying Hitler it just can’t better.

    The movie is actually based on the novel “Caging Skies” by Christine Leunens.

    The novel centres on a young Hitler Youth who discovers a Jewish girl hidden in his house by his mother.

    Hitler in the movie is Jojo’s imaginary friend thus he is the Hitler that a young boy would imagine.

    He also pointed out that Hitler is an amalgamation of different people in his life, such as his father, the Nazis in town and even his friend Yorki.

    One of the tensest scenes finds Gestapo officers (led by Stephen Merchant) searching Jojo’s home. However, the scene is also hilarious with the Gestapo doing little more than greeting one another with the “Heil Hitler” salute which is made 31 times in the scene

    1. At the 92nd Academy Awards, the film received six nominations
    2. Including Best Picture, Best Supporting Actress for Johansson, and Best Adapted Screenplay

    Johansson earned both her first and second Oscar nominations this year.

    In addition to being up for best supporting actress, she also nabbed the best actress nod for her work in Noah Baumbach’s Marriage Story.

    Contagion 

    Just Imagine have written, Directed a film almost a decade ago on the exact same way we have all been struck by the pandemic. It’s surprisingly an exact replica of the way the Coronavirus has come about. The Imagination of such accuracy is unbelievable.

    The last five minutes of the story – The way it has been shot & directed is the best explanation of the full film. You have to watch this film. The star cast has lived the story once already while filming, But today we are all living this in reality.

    Marriage Story  By Noah Baumbach

    Marriage Story is a true story based on Noah Baumbach relationship and separation of his marriage with actress Jennifer Jason Leigh as well as his parent’s divorce. 

    Marriage Story is about a relationship of an artist couple Charlie Barber played by Adam Driver and Nicole Played by Scarlett Scarlett Johansson While Charlie Barber runs a theatre company in New York City, Nicole was a teen film actress and they both are going through marital troubles. 

    At the same Time Nicole is offered a role in Television Pilot in LA and soon decides to live in NYC and live with her mother  Henry her son and follow her dream of being a Hollywood actress. 

    While Charlie stays back in New York and works on his play that he would like to showcase at the Broadway. 

    The Story then follows the couple mutually decide to divorce. However one day Nicole hires a family Nora lawyer and tells him the full story of their relationship and mentions a  few speculations of Charlie’s relationship with his stage manager in the theatre company.   In the meantime, Charlie flies to LA to Nicole to share his happiness of winning a prestigious Fellowship grant But instead has divorce papers handed over. 

    Charlie lawyer believes they should play dirty, but rather Charlie doesn’t want things to go bad. 

    While the movie moves ahead with both coming to a common conclusion for their separation while living on a different coast, they have different laws for the same. 

    The film brings out a lot of emotional and realistic feel as the story is based on true events  And  Since Scarlett Jhonasson too had a divorce just a few months before the filming of the film. The Acting too was very real. The movie was very well made and a well- deserved nomination for the film and Scarlett Johnson 

    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.