Kochi is going to witness an International Short Film Festival. Script 2011 is taking place at Fine Arts Hall, Fore Shore Road on Jan 28th and 29th. Organized by the Rotory Club Kochi, this festival is the first of its kind in the country. The organizers would be considering globally relevant films from across the world and would award the best candidates.  The films have been selected from the 4 categories namely Corporates, Film Makers, Voluntary Organizations and Students.

Those who are interested to take part in the festival can get in touch with the organizers at 0484 2315535, 0484 2315536 or drop by at their office located at 28/92, Concrete Lane, Panampilly Nagar.

Khushamdid is the way of saying welcome in the Urdu language. Khushamdid to S36, take a step into the new fully fledged Mughlai-cuisine restaurant that has opened up in Kochi. The name S36 is derived from Kerala’s representative in the national cricket scene, Sreeshant’s jersey number, 36. Its no surprise as its a restaurant run by Sreeshant’s family and family friends. The place is located by the old Bat & Bowl locale near Fine Arts Hall on Four Shore Road, its neatly tucked by a side road so if you don’t keep your eyes open, you will miss out on some Mughlai delights.

As you step into S36 you will notice the subtle blend of modernity and slight traces of Mughlai art and such works. Ambiance is charming with the restaurant having three different sections, one on the outside where a street side style of dining is apparent. This has a Chaat counter and a stage that is graced by Ghazal artistes every friday, saturday and sunday. The outside section can be noisy and lively, suited for group dining.

Stepping inside you can either choose to be seated in the Mughal-stlyle decked area or another section that is decorated with canvas paintings of yesteryear Bollywood movies that has Mughal connections. For a more quiet, private and laid-back dining, it would make more sense seated inside, away from the hustle and bustle of the exterior dining area.

The restaurant claims to use herbs and spices from Agra and Punjab to keep dishes as authentic as possible in addition to the Chefs that are specially working behind the scene to get the best they can in terms of Mughlai cuisine. With the cuisine having being influenced by the imperial kitchens of the Mughal Empire, it is certainly imperative to keep authenticity at its highest.
To top it all off they have some delightful Bengali sweets. So expect only Bengali sweets for desserts, but they were delightful from what I got to try out, it makes up for quantity by character. I am sure the rest of their whole menu will fare likewise. So if you want some authentic Mughlai food in a really simple yet classy restaurant, head to S36.

Khuda hafiz!

Great news awaits fans of theatre!!

The Magic Theatre will be staging their latest musical production in English, “OLIVER TWIST” at the Kerala Fine Arts Hall ( quick addy: Park Avenue, next to Kasuvu Kada), on the 16th of August,2010.

For all those who aren’t familiar with The Magic Theatre, let me give you a decent intro. Led by Mrs. Preetha Gibu, a teacher at The Choice School, along with Mrs. Susheela Umesh who runs Mudra Centre for Dance here in Kochi, this association of contemporary minds was initiated with the sole purpose of introducing the magical world of theatre to children.
Their maiden venture was back in 2009 when they organized a 15 day workshop at Amaara, Kochi‘s acclaimed cultural café at Maradu. It was received well and the final showdown had the kids putting up their very own play in front of their proud parents and eminent theatre personalities. This well appreciated effort paved the way for their second production titled “Kanaadi”, a Malayalam play based on Sufi stories. Staged at the JTPac hall, the audience, which included big shots like Jayaram, Indrajeet, Cuckoo Parameswaran, Murali Menon, P Sukumar etc, was left mesmerized by the immense talent displayed by the cast of 40 children from various schools in and around Kochi.

Coming back to their latest project, it sounds promising from all possible points of view. What with more than 100 children between 6 and 16 from various schools participating , a one and a half hour live rendition of the musical score by some of these talented young minds on different musical instruments, all trained and cheered on by several professional artistes including the brilliantly talented theatre marvel, Mr.Micheal Muthu, this avant-garde attempt deserves all the appreciation it can possibly get. Kochivibe salutes The Magic Theatre for their whole hearted effort at promoting culturally, morally and intellectually provoking art forms like theatre and hence introducing a completely different perspective to life and living to young minds. Also, a part of the proceedings from their show would be donated to Mathru Seva Mandir, an abode for destitute women in Kochi.

Tickets are available at Coffee Cube(convent junction), Food circle both at Oberon Mall and Panampilly Nagar, Itty’s and Threads Classiks (both at Panampilly Nagar). There will be two shows, one in the morning exclusively for school children and one in the evening for the rest of us.