2019, yet another year of content driven cinema. A year where we got some wonderful movies which went on to become one of the greatest blockbusters like War, Kabir Singh, Uri & many more. Also some movies which deserved credit for its storyline, acting and powerful content. These films aren't part of 100-200 crore club, however in the years to come, it’s to be hoped that the movies in this list will outlive the numbers club

2019 movies review

1. Article 15: Anubhav Sinha’s Article 15 is significant, because it’s one of the few mainstream Bollywood films to record rising caste atrocities in India at a time when the state sits and watches silently. The fact that it has stirred a debate about representation is a good step for an industry & such topics should be explored more. Anubhav Sinha & Ayushmann Khurrana should have been lauded for the effort and it also great response from the moviegoers.

2. Section 375: A movie director is accused of raping his costume designer, but is the accusition true forms the courtroom drama & story of the movie. Fierce performances from Akshaye Khanna and Richa Chaddha got the viewers hooked with the very first scene. This movie fails to mint money at the BO but impressed the critics and was lauded.

3. Hamid: A Rasika Dugal-starrer, about a young boy on a quest to speak to his missing father set in Kashmir. The movie humanised both sides of the Kashmir conflict, arguing that the problem isn’t the people, it’s the politics and the system & the one who suffer are the local people. A strong performance by Dugal and child actor Talha Arshad Reshi, Hamid deserves to be watched. You can watch it on NetFlix.

4. Saand ki Aankh: Based on the actual lives of Chandro and Prakashi Tomar, Saand Ki Aankh is a tale about two women who take up sharpshooting after crossing into their 60s and go on to become champions in that particular sport. Great performances by Tapsee & Bhumi along with Vineet Kumar this movie is definately worth a watch. You can watch it on ZEE5.

5. Photograph: An unconventinal love story of CA topper & street photographer is beautifully explored in the movie by Ritesh Batra (director of Lunchbox). The awkwardness, hesitance, and class tension is shown very subtly by the actors Nawazuddin Siddiqui & Sanya Malhotra. One of my favourite movies this year is available on Amazon Prime.

6. The Notebook: A remake of Thai movie "The Teacher's Diary" by SKF. Lovely performances by the newcomers Zaheer Iqbal and Pranutan Bahl along with the beautiful locales of Kashmir make the movie worth a watch.

7. Sonchiriya: Set in Chambal, Sonchiriya focuses on the moral conflict faced by a dacoit, domestic abuse and rebellion. Peppered with topnotch performances by Sushant Singh Rajput, Ashutosh Rana, Manoj Bajpayee, Ranveer Shorey and Bhumi Pednekar along with Abhishek Chaubey's direction delivers yet another critically-acclaimed film. Again, one of my personal favourites of this year this movie is definately worth watching. You can watch it on NetFlix.

8. Mard ko Dard nahi hota: It is about a rare medical condition called Congenital insensitivity to pain which the lead actor has and his comical struggles with the condition. Receiving accolades from numerous film festivals around the world, this film slipped under the radar in India sadly. Although it was well acclaimed by critics from Vasan Bala's direction to the performances of debutant Abhimanyu Dassani and Radhika Madan. Again, one of my personal favourites of this year. You can watch it on Netflix.

9. Mardaani 2: A movie which highlighted the topic of sexual abuse and how cruel the antagonist can be. Rani Mukerji’s immersive performance in this suspenseful thriller makes for a potent combination with the antagonist played by TV’s Vishal Jethwa who gives us one of the eeriest, creepiest, most convincing villains seen on the Hindi screen in a long while.

10. The Tashkent Files: A conspiracy thriller film about the death of former Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri. Powerful performances by Shweta Basu Prasad, Naseeruddin Shah, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Pankaj Tripathi and Mandira Bedi make the movie worth watching and equally gripping.

That's it from me on 2019 movies, hope you had fun reading the reviews and will be back in 2020 with more.
Happy new Year everyone ..!!!!

Reviewed by Mandar Dalvi

Feel free to share our posts, page with your family, friends, relatives to share such wonderful experiences through food, places or thoughts 😇 Thank you all!
For more pictures, you can also check my zomato account - @dhungrysouls and follow me :)

Hostel Daze
Platform: Amazon Prime

Post Kota Factory, here comes another series by TVF which will not only take you back to your college days but also to the hostel life. This series showcases all those instances that one might have done his hostel which includes fights, love, and many other things. Each and every episode will definitely remind you some beautiful incidents of your college & hostel days.

Hostel Daze

Each & every character is perfectly placed and superbly executed by the actors which makes the series truely engaging to watch. A 5-episode series perfectly shows all the emotions associated with the hostel life and each one of you who has spent his life in hostel will truely relate to it. The best part is the writting, the dialogues are humorous and at times emotional and its delivery is nothing but perfect.

A truely watchable and relatable series & it will surely trigger a lot of memories of your Hostel life.

IMDB: 9.4/10

Reviewed by Mandar Dalvi

Feel free to share our posts, page with your family, friends, relatives to share such wonderful experiences through food, places or thoughts 😇 Thank you all!
For more pictures, you can also check my zomato account - @dhungrysouls and follow me :)

Cheesecake
Platform: MXPlayer

They say "A dog is a man's best friend" & after watching this series you will feel that it's so true.
A light hearted drama / comedy story where its about a dog that changes the lives of all characters in the story. The way the series have handled relationships and emotions behind it is truely worth watching.

Cheesecake

Jitendra Kumar and Akanksha Thakur are back together in this series after very long time. The storyline is predictable but definately watchable due to their chemistry & acting. Akanksha Thakur stands out during the emotional moments. Mahesh Manjrekar's part in this series is quite good and worth watching along with Ashwini Karsekar. Comprising of just 5 episodes, this series is truely worth watching & will truely help you enlighten your mood. This web series tells us how pets emotionally connect with us. A truly emotional ride for dog lover and pet lovers.

IMDB: 9.1/10

Reviewed by Mandar Dalvi

Feel free to share our posts, page with your family, friends, relatives to share such wonderful experiences through food, places or thoughts 😇 Thank you all!
For more pictures, you can also check my zomato account - @dhungrysouls and follow me :)

Mumbai Pune Mumbai 3 (MPM3)
The most loved Marathi franchise "Mumbai Pune Mumbai" comes with the 3rd installment of the series. The 1st installment of the series started of with the story of Gautam who stays in Pune & Gauri who stays in Mumbai starting off their relationship & 2nd installment focused on the various dilematic situations which arise in every person as their marriage nears but eventually getting married with the person you love gives you the best feeling ever. The 3rd installment picks up from where the second one left & shows how their well planned life suffers a lovely setback as they learn that they are about to become parents.

Mumbai Pune Mumbai 3 review

The franchise which started 9 years ago, is the most loved Marathi movie franchise just because of the songs of the movie & most importantly because of the sweet, lovely chemistry between the lead pair Swapnil Joshi and Mukta Barve. MPM3 which thrives mainly on a very simple story and the lead pair's chemistry makes you go through the journey with ease. Despite 2.30 hrs length of the movie, one does not feel bored anywhere and the audience feels involved with every character and the story in the movie. For Swapnil & Mukta, they are at what they do best so it feels they have lived their characters. Their respective family members also have played their part well. Prashant Damle who plays Swapnil's father in the movie have kept the audience cheerful by giving the funniest moments in the film. The animated baby narration adds to the cuteness to the movie as one feels attached to it and also showcases what's going on in their parents mind. Satish Rajwade's direction is also top notch apart from some scenes.

On the whole, MPM3 is a ultimate family movie which goes through smiles & sadness but at the end leaves you with a smile on your face. A feel-good film which wins the audiences hearts. Go for it...!!

Reviewed by Mandar Dalvi

Feel free to share our posts, page with your family, friends, relatives to share such wonderful experiences through food, places or thoughts 😇 Thank you all!
For more pictures, you can also check my zomato account - @dhungrysouls and follow me :)

Never ever thought a movie will be made on a subject as small as Cycle. Cycle, a Marathi movie based on Post Independence Era. An era where people used to believe in goodwill .

Marathi movie - Cycle

A story about Keshav's intense love for his cycle which gets stolen by two thieves Gajya and Mangya. A movie which is very sweet and never loses its sweetness throughout its 90 minutes of the run time. A very simple yet engaging story where even you will fall in love with the negative characters. All the characters are very lovable and the scenic beauty of Konkan adds to the visual treat. Cinematography by Amalendu Chaudhary is wonderful. It really brings out the beauty of Maharashtrian villages in a superb manner. Hrishikesh Joshi, Bhau Kadam & Priyadarshan Jadhav has done justice to their roles and have done wonderful job. Bhau Kadam well known for his comic timing delivers all his dialogues well and leaves you in splits.

Loved this movie and looking forward to more of such movies. Content-driven Marathi cinema has truly evolved a lot. It also gives the message that Goodwill can remove any negativity even if roof falls on one's heads as it does here on one and it should be retained no matter what :)

IMDB Rating of 8.9/10. This Cycle is worth riding and loving for. Worth a watch for sure.

Reviewed by Mandar Dalvi

Feel free to share our posts, page with your family, friends, relatives to share such wonderful experiences through food, places or thoughts 😇 Thank you all!
For more pictures, you can also check my zomato account - @dhungrysouls and follow me :)

"Batti Gul Meter Chalu" 

Batti Gul Meter Chalu Review

After the success of Padmavat, Shahid Kapoor ("SK") delivers great performance as a hypocrite, mean lawyer making money from out of court settlements in the first half and as honest lawyer with a mission in the second half. His character transformation is truely commendable and Shahid does it with ease. Shraddha Kapoor ("Nauti") plays a small town girl and as aspiring fashion designer. She also delivers her role with ease with nothing much to showcase.

Review on Batti Gul Meter Chalu

Divyendu Sharma ("Tripathi") plays a small business owner with a weak heart and troubled with high electricity bills for his company. As his previous roles, he delivers his role with ease and perfection. Yami Gautam ("Gulnaar"), plays a defending lawyer, who comes in the later second half but has got nothing much to do due to the narrative. Finally, the courtroom drama is good but not effective highlighting only on SK with no strong defense with the accused which makes it one-sided. There are some hilarious dialogues between SK and Yami which will make you laugh.

A good and sensitive topic which could have been explored more and executed in a very fine way but due to long run time of the movie, it gets boring. On the whole BGMC, starts off with slow pace at the start but picks up in the second half and ends normally without effect. The movie is a surely 'one time watch' with superb direction and Shahid Kapoor's acting.

Reviewed by Mandar Dalvi

Feel free to share our posts, page with your family, friends, relatives to share such wonderful experiences through food, places or thoughts 😇 Thank you all!
For more pictures, you can also check my zomato account - @dhungrysouls and follow me :)

“Yes” or “No” - The Guide to Better Decisions by Spencer Johnson

Book - How I taught my Grandmother to read and other stories

Author - Sudha Murty

Stories - Who doesn't like one? Take any person, whether young or old, male or female; stories have been an integral part of each of our lives. From your grandparents and parents, to teachers and friends; no matter who the narrator is or how old you get, you will always be fascinated by stories.
This is what author Sudha Murty draws inspiration from for her book - How I Taught my Grandmother to Read and other Stories, which comprises many beautiful stories related to her life. These stories have morals, motivate, and also teach us the values of life. I know it is essentially meant for children, but let’s not forget that there is a child in each one of us which we keep hidden as we grow up in life.

 The book starts with a story about how the author taught her grandmother to read. The author talks about the times when women were deprived of education due to a lot of reasons and how her grandmother’s desire to learn made her a bright student. Her grandmother learnt to read quickly as she had the hunger for education. This story teaches me to never give up the thirst for knowledge.

The other story that touched me is about how despite the author’s husband  – Mr. Narayan Murty, being a topper, couldn’t join the finest college whereas his other friends did. However, he didn’t let this get in his way or dishearten him. He approached it positively and took up the challenge and went to prove himself.

Sudha Murty

The book contains several simple, short and inspiring stories about the author’s students, cousin, teacher, and many others who crossed her path. Each of the individual’s either left a mark on her or it was the other way round, but in both cases, there is something to learn from every story.

Book - Six thinking hats

Author – Edward De Bono

Six Thinking Hats by Edward De Bono

‘Thinking – The talking of soul to itself’ is most difficult as we tend to be ambiguous when it comes to solving any problem. This book helps us understand the different perspectives that an individual should take into account and analyze while solving any problem to achieve better results.  These aspects are termed as the ‘six thinking hats’ by the author ‘Edward De Bono’.

Six Thinking Hats

• White Hat: facts, figures, information

This hat is useful while initiating a new research or towards the end while concluding the final verdict.

• Red Hat: emotions and feelings, hunch and intuition

This can be used when you need to make some important decision personally or professionally which has a major impact on your life.

• Black Hat: devil's advocate, negative judgment

This hat tends to find out loopholes while absorbing an idea. Classic example would be while developing software; a tester wears the black hat.

• Yellow Hat: optimism, positivity

Often in life, we tend to think negative especially when it comes to expenses. That’s when this hat comes to the rescue.

• Green Hat: creativity

While giving a new suggestion to my clients or writing posts on my blog, I make use of the green hat, which brings out new ideas, possibilities & without which progress is impossible.

• Blue Hat: controlling of the hats and thinking, orchestration

Which hat should I go for?

To summarize, this book is easy and simple, yet it helps you better understand what mode of thought you should turn to while addressing different situations and solving different problems at any given point of time. This can be used by anyone and everyone whenever you need to lay down any guidelines for your work. It will surely broaden your horizon and help you to gain amazing results.

After writing a few reviews on mouth watering food, I realized that the real magic comes from the person who has cooked it. "Eating is a necessity but cooking is an art". It has been years that we have been enjoying the delicious food made by our mothers, spouses, chefs & the list goes on. Seldom we realize, how they cook. It is said that real cooking is more about following your heart than following the recipes but then in today's fast paced world, we are more dependent on other sources in order to learn this art.

Cooking is like love

I recently happened to watch this amazing Marathi movie 'Gulabjaam' & it really impressed me with it's story on how a successful banker(Siddharth Chandekar) working abroad leaves his job to find way for his passion. He reaches Pune to his friend's place where he tastes a sweet made by his friend's tiffin service cook. The sweet dish makes him nostalgic. He is hell bound in learning to cook from this lady(Sonali Kulkarni). He leaves no stone upturned & makes all the efforts to learn cooking from her. She has a different story where she happens to loose her memory except for the art of cooking which helps her to keep going in life. After crossing all the hurdles in his life personally & professionally, he still doesn't give up on his passion. Having successfully learnt the art of cooking, he flies abroad & opens his own restaurant so that he can spread the happiness to others which comes from amazing food. Gulabjaam is a movie which teaches us ‘to follow your dreams and see what they lead you to.’ A must watch!

Gulabjaam

I will always be a foodie by choice because I have the best cook around me. We must really appreciate them for the amazing food that they serve us especially our mothers. They cook for us with so much love that your mouth won't stop watering. So at times, we should show them some gratitude. It is not their duty to cook but they do it lovingly for us. Nothing can stop them from cooking that special dish for us when we feel like having one. Even if they are sick, they will still fulfill your wish & stop your craving. Therefore, least we can do is appreciate & show some love and praise them for what they do selflessly.