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The movie ‘Annapoorani’ advocates for women empowerment but a failure to execute the plot on many levels takes away from the story and leaves you feeling baffled. 

The story is female centric. Annapoorani (played by Nayanthara) sheds light on gender issues by entering the culinary business, a business dominated by men. She wants to become an inspiration for many women. 

Annapoorani is born to an orthodox Iyenger family but she is swept away by the aroma of a fish fried on a hot pan by the roadside.

The name Annapoorani means the goddess of food and she does indeed seem to have been born to cook and taste delicious food. There is magic in this girl. She was born with enhanced taste buds that allows her to differentiate flavors really well. 

The movie starts with Annapoorani walking next to her doting father, Rangarajan, (Achyuth Kumar) who is a chef at the Srirangam Ranganatham temple. They are seen carrying freshly made offerings. 

It’s the father’s love for cooking that inspires his daughter to become the best chef in the country like the famous chef Anand Sundarajan (Sathyaraj).

As she grows up she shares her wish to join a culinary school to become a chef. But her father Rangarajan forbids her to join the course, telling that she will have to cook and eat meat. As she belongs to a Hindu vegetarian family, she will not be able to chop chicken and is forbidden to eat meat. Her childhood friend and secret lover Farhaan (Jai) manages to help her join the culinary school despite her father’s disapproval.

Torn between her passion and her father’s orthodox ideologies, she aims to achieve her dream of becoming a corporate chef. Does she succeed? What kinds of difficulties does she face in the journey? 

The pre-intermission has a number of things but all of them are predictable. It’s a typical Hindi masala movie. But it doesn’t captivate you at any point. It feels lame and slow. 

There are many issues in the movie. Her father eventually finds out about her joining the culinary school. She is caught red handed inside the classroom chopping a chicken. The scene is predictable. The scene where Annapoorani lashes out at her landlord is too filmy and mechanical. It’s difficult to enter a five star hotel’s kitchen. But Annapoorani does it in just two scenes and something about this feels off. 

Karthik Kumar, in the role of chef Ashwin, is reduced to being a caricature. He is angry for no reason and doesn’t even hesitate to hit his father with a wine bottle.

The film takes a dramatic turn when Annapoorani loses her tastes because of an accident in the kitchen. Was that really an accident or was it planned? Again, you can guess what happened.

The use of an animated sequence to show a young girl climbing up Everest moving closer to her dreams facing multiple hurdles is well anticipated.

Annapoorani leaving the house when the groom is there on her wedding day reminds of the scenes of 2017 comedy, Raj Kumar Rao starrer, ‘Shaadi Mein Zaroor Aana.’

However, it’s a good inspirational drama. Though there is nothing exceptional in the movie, it’s quite palatable. The film revolves around food and cooking but it has very few mouthwatering visuals of food one expects in such a film.

The film has tried to convey a message of women empowerment. It has heartfelt ideas but the narration feels rushed. The storyline is convenient. The writing is weak and thus the screenplay feels stretched. 

Nayanthara has given her all to the role. Sathyaraj as Chef Anand, a renowned chef who is Annapoorani’s role model, plays the role of a supportive mentor. He seems to be too soft in his role. Jai as Farhaan has very little to do as a chef. Karthik Kumar is the villain in the story. He is envious of the heroine and has to constantly seek validation from his father.

There is a lot of spoon feeding in the film. There are a lot of emotions, but nothing really sticks. The ideas seem to be forced. The film would have been better if it had focused on a particular theme. 

The film speaks about how taste isn’t the only sense that cooking requires but it fails to raise questions on why there isn’t an alternative for chefs to cook non-vegetarian food without having to eat it.

All in all, the movie doesn’t satiate your craving for a good story. 

3 Stars

Drama

Annapoorani

Cast: Nayanthara, Karthik Kumar, Jai, Achyuth Kumar, Sathyaraj, Redin Kingsley

Director: Nilesh Krishnaa

Runtime: 135 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ED-4d0S4Mj0

‘The Housemaid’s Secret’ is the sequel to ‘The Housemaid’ and this is perhaps one of those rare times when the second book is better than the first. It’s much more engaging than the first, and that’s saying a lot because The Housemaid was a tense thriller.

In Housemaid, we met Millie as she was desperately searching for a job. Then Nina Winchester hires her to help clean her beautiful home. The messes keep piling up, Nina accuses her of stealing her clothes, and Nina’s daughter hates her. The only respite comes in the form of Andrew, Nina’s husband, who seems to understand Millie and the two soon develop feelings for each other. But things aren’t as they seem and everything quickly goes downhill for Millie.

The Housemaid’s Secret doesn’t begin where the first book left off. Quite a few things have happened in Millie’s life since then. Millie is now working as a nanny and has a wonderful, caring boyfriend called Brock. Then she gets fired from the job when the baby calls her ‘mama’ instead of her real mother. Brock asks her to move in with him but, as lovely as he is, she just can’t bring herself to take that next step in their relationship.

So, she needs another job immediately. She has to pay rent for her decrepit room. But she is unable to find one. Then Douglas Garrick, CEO of Coinstock, contacts Millie. He says he and his wife require Millie to cook and clean their house twice or thrice a week. Douglas tells Millie that his wife Wendy is sick and not to disturb her. It seems like an innocent request and Millie agrees.

But soon Millie starts to hear cries from the bedroom. She finds a nightdress with blood along the neckline when doing the laundry. She sees Wendy with bruises on her face. Millie realizes Douglas is an abusive husband and wants to help Wendy escape but Wendy is far too scared of Douglas to let Millie help her. But Millie doesn’t give up and manages to help Wendy. What happens after that is for the readers to find out. Saying anything more would spoil the fun of reading it.

What I can say is that McFadden’s writing and craft have gotten better with each book. The Housemaid’s Secret kept me riveted. I was constantly second-guessing every action and I got quite a few things right. I could see where the story was headed yet I wasn’t prepared for many of the twists in the book.

There is a lot of tension and a fair bit of drama in the book. The story picks up in the second half and I didn’t want to put it down. You could read The Housemaid and then read the second book in the series if you want to know Millie’s backstory but it isn’t necessary. The Housemaid’s Secret works well as a standalone novel. With short chapters and crazy situations, the book will keep you entertained.

Fiction

The Housemaid’s Secret

Freida McFadden

Published: 2023

Publisher: Penguin Books

Pages: 365, Paperback

Most of us took an art class in school. We did a little drawing, some coloring, and a fair bit of painting. But as the ‘more serious’ subjects took over to make our grades go up, art took a backseat. Now, we can barely make a tree that doesn’t resemble a cloud or a flower that doesn’t look like perhaps a bee stung it a little too hard. While some people have an innate talent for drawing, anyone can learn how to draw, it doesn’t matter whether you are 16 or 60.

Many tutorials on YouTube and Instagram are quite handy in teaching you some basics of drawing. But it can be a pain to find one that can help when you are just starting. It can be a little too overwhelming as they all focus on different things—some start with color theory, others with perspective or the physics of light. So, we decided to whittle it down for you. Here are five online resources that can help you get started and soon create a masterpiece that is worthy of being hung in your living room.

Arty Factory

This site has an ever-growing resource of free art tutorials. Since the website is supported by advertisements, you don’t need to pay for a lesson. Arty Factory focuses on free art lessons, art appreciation techniques, and free design lessons. The art lessons include segments like pencil drawing, how to draw animals, ancient Egyptian art tutorials, and perspective drawing. The art appreciation section includes easy-to-digest information about the art of different eras, movements, styles, and techniques. The design lessons encompass color theory, graphic design, typography, and more. The resource is designed in a way to help you work on your artistic skills while making you enjoy the process of creating an artwork.

Drawing Now

Drawing Now might be a great site for kids to get started on learning how to draw but it can also teach beginners of all ages the basics to feel like they have got a grasp on things. It has thousands of free step-by-step drawing lessons. You can learn how to draw cartoon-style animals and characters. There are also tips on sketching in each tutorial. Learn to draw Puss in Boots, Super Mario, Mickey Mouse, The Grinch, and a horde of other fun characters. You can even send them a request for your favorite cartoon character and they will make a video on it. The best thing is that you can print the tutorial pages and work on them offline, in your own time. The site has broken down the tutorials according to grades so it’s easy to keep track of your progress or join in on a level you feel comfortable with.

Proko

With drawing tutorials by Stan Prokopenko who was born in Ukraine during the Chernobyl, Proko has many professional drawing courses. Most of them are paid courses though. But there are plenty of free tutorials as well. You can check them out and decide if you want to invest in a professional course. Most of the videos start with the basics before moving on to more advanced techniques. You can learn basic shading and three-dimensional effects, figure or portrait drawing among many other things.  The basic drawing course, which is free, has 27 lessons. The fundamentals of figure drawing has 32 videos. Anatomy of the human body has 115 free lessons. So, there is plenty of material for you to go through before stepping it up a notch with the paid versions.

Drawspace

Drawspace operates with the principle that everyone can draw if given the right resources and tips. Here, you can get more than 500 classes for all levels and learn to draw and sketch. The user-friendly layout helps you gradually build up your skills. There are both free and paid classes. You have to register (for free) to be able to access them. The lessons are tested by teachers, professors, and instructors. The site also provides many downloadable PDF tutorials that have detailed instructions. The curriculum provided by Drawspace is used by millions of students and teachers alike around the world so it’s pretty comprehensive. Whether you want to learn a new skill, spark your creativity, or boost your memory, Drawspace lessons are designed to benefit people of all ages and skill levels.

Creative Blog

This is a really fun website that will teach you how to draw while giving you a bunch of other great materials to learn from as well. Creative Blog is an art and design magazine site where you will find a selection of drawing tutorials for beginners. These include videos and written guides that teach you how to draw a cat, a dog, a dragon, people, and more. Be prepared to get lost in this world of amazing content. You can learn how to make your artwork seem bright or paint a snowy scene in watercolor while also learning how to fix a black screen on MacBook or use Pages on iOS.

Today (27 Poush of Nepali calendar) is the 302nd birth anniversary of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, widely regarded as the creator of modern Nepal. For a long time, the country celebrated this date as a national unity day until it was discontinued following the abolition of monarchy in 2006.

There are divergent views among political parties regarding their view of Shah. During the insurgency period, it was one of the key contentious issues within the Maoists that was waging an armed rebellion against the state ruled by monarchy. Even though the Maoist fighters demolished the statues of kings, including that of the unifier, the party supremo, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, acknowledged the contributions made by Shah. His second-in-command at the time, Baburam Bhattarai, however, was against all things monarchy. 

But of late, there is a growing consensus among all political parties—not just the Maoists—that Shah deserves the credit and acknowledgement for bringing together dozens of tiny warring states under a single banner. On 25 September 1768, Shah officially announced the creation of the Kingdom of Nepal with Kathmandu as the national capital.

Irrespective of the government’s position, royalist parties to this day celebrate Poush 27 as the National Unity Day. Last year following pressures from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party, the government of Pushpa Kamal Dahal decided to mark the day as the National Unity Day. Prime Minister Dahal and the leader of CPN (Maoist Center) naturally drew flak from the supporters of the republic and his own party members for the decision.

This year the government has not announced any special day to commemorate “the Great King”. But it has not deterred the royalist forces from doing so. In fact, they have become more louder in their demand for the restoration of monarchy.   

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party is set to host a tea reception to mark the birth anniversary of Shah today. The party has invited political leaders and individuals from all walks of life to the event.

While there may be divergent views among political parties and citizens about King Prithvi Narayan Shah, his outlook on Nepal’s external relations cannot be disregarded. How prescient was he when he said: “Nepal is a yam between two boulders.” This adage is still relevant today when talking about Nepal’s foreign policy, particularly concerning India and China.  

In his journal article published by the Nepal Army in 2022, Manish Jung Pulami says: “The origin of ‘yam’ as a discourse emerged amidst the turmoil in the Indian sub-continent and Nepal under the Himalayan belt. The problematic situation in which Nepal developed as a nation-state in the Indian sub-continent under the Himalayas has also led Nepal to be portrayed as a ‘yam’.”

Pulami goes on: “‘Yam’ as a theory comprises the elements of cautiousness, gradualism, peaceful co-existence, and friendliness in foreign policy. The theory incorporates the strategies for the major power politics in the region and outside the region.” 

“It also provides Nepal with the diplomatic and foreign policy strategy for the survival and sustenance in the geopolitical sphere with competition, antagonism, and cooperation. This theory also provides in light of the Dibya Upadesh about the military, strategic, economic and internal policies of Nepal.”

What’s in Dibya Upadesh?

In his deathbed, King Prithvi Narayan Shah is said to have imparted his counsel on various topics ranging from nation to nationality and governance, which is better known today as Dibya Upadesh (Divine Teachings). 

The provenance of ‘yam between two boulders’ can be traced back to Dibya Upadesh.     

Under the title of, ‘External Relations,’ it states: “Whereas, this state (Nepal) is like a yam (gourd) between two stones. Keep a strong friendship with the Emperor of China; one has to maintain a friendship with the Emperor of the sea (English Emperor) in the south. But he is very clever. He is occupying Hindustan.

He is eyeing the plane area (of Nepal also). When Hindustani (Indian) people will wake-up (not tolerate them) he may find it difficult to stay there. He might have been searching for a safe fort and there is every possibility that he may come here at any day. Therefore, we have to find out our Sandhisarpan (weak points) and we also have to change them into strong forts. We have to create obstacles on the way they try to enter. Mind it they may arrive here anytime.

Do not go there (down) to fight with them. Let them come here (hilly region) and fight with them. If we could do so, they could easily be beheaded at the crossings of the Chure Hills. If we could do so we will be able to collect arms and ammunition which would suffice for our Four to Five Generations. And we will be able to extend our border up to the Ganga River.

If they could not fight with us they will try to come here utilizing Lolo Poto (tricks) or any other types of conspiracies. This is a Thakhat (suitable place/natural fort) of Nepal. If they (Englishers) get this fort they will win over all the Four Emperors of the world. This state itself is a fort created by the God himself. It does not need any human touch on it. Prepare seven strong forts in these places namely Shivapuri-1, Phulchowki-1, Chandragiri-1, Mahadevpokhari -1, Palung-1, Dapcha -1 and Kahule-1.”Still relevant today

In the words of Prof. Surya P. Subedi, Prithvi Narayan Shah’s description of Nepal as “a yam between two boulders” refers to the Celestial Empire of China to the North and the Emperor to Seas to the South, i.e., British Raj on the Indian subcontinent. It sums up Nepal’s position at the time. 

“It is the first major statement on Nepal’s foreign policy which has not only entered the psyche of the people of Nepal but has also guided foreign policy makers,” contends Subedi.

Foreign policy experts agree. With the resurgence of India and China as  global powers, they say King Prithi Narayan Shah’s vision still provides a broader guideline in the conduct of Nepal’s foreign policy.  

“Today, the essence of King Prithvi Narayan Shah’s yam theory can be very reliable for Nepal to deal with the geopolitical vulnerabilities encircling the country,” says Pulami. 

“Similar to the times of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, contemporarily, Nepal has been a ‘yam’ between the two boulders—India and China. The rise of China and India in the neighborhood and the geopolitical and geoeconomic ambitions of both countries makes the ‘yam theory” more relevant than ever.