Okay. Okay. I am not talking about Ashutosh ‘Lagaan’ Gowariker’s new film, Jodhaa Akbar. I am talking about a restaurant that brings back the days of his era. Jalsa is the name and it’s indeed a welcome diversion. Housed in a white fortress, you walk up to the reception, and a darban clad in a colourful kurta-pajama and jodhpuri chappals ushers you in. Inside, it’s the picture of a Mughal darbar a la Umrao Jaan, complete with glittering curtains, red-blue-green lights, old Hindi melodies wafting in the air, and the aroma of Mughal food.
To the strains of Jagjit Singh’s ‘Tumko dekho to yeh khayaal aaya…’, soak in the grandiloquence of the 18th century… domes, arches, chandeliers, music, colours, glitter and food. The menu is never-ending… soups, salads, kababs, biryanis, rotis, mithai and thandaai. Lamb, mutton, chicken, fish, they have it all. But what you will like most is the ambience and the relative privacy. There’s a hum in the air. It’s a place that aids free-flowing conversation and for once you feel liberated and stop counting the calories.
Jalsa,#25, Next to Grand Mall, Outer Ring Road, Marathalli, Bangalore – 560 037.Tel: 98451-75777, 3242-5757. Average meal for two would cost Rs 600. Website: jalsa.co.in
PS: Heard Gowariker’s Jodhaa Akbar has opened to a mixed response in the country but seems to have stormed the overseas box office. Trade experts claim that the film will be Hrithik Roshan’s biggest solo overseas hit, beating such films as Koi Mil Gaya and Krrish. If decent collections continue well after the weekend, Jodhaa Akbar could even beat the 2006 blockbuster Dhoom 2 in the overseas market. Kudos, Hrithik! You sure look impressive in the promos, though I am yet to see the film. In the meanwhile, Aamir Khan’s Taare Zameen Par is still going rock solid across the country and is turning out to be a Blockbuster and not just a Super Hit. He deserves it! The film has its heart in the right place.