A Literary And Filmy Weekend!

This long weekend has been literally literary and filmy!

Yesterday I, my husband and kid went to Salarpuria Sattva Knowledge City where Hyderabad Literary Festival is being held. For those interested, it will go on till tomorrow. 

Knowledge City is a beautiful place with neatly manicured tiny gardens and many cozy looking bistros that you simply cannot resist peeping in. 

The literary festival had many authors speaking at different podiums. A group of girls were enacting a drama based on the Mahabharata presumably, because we could catch only a part of it. There were also conversations happening with experts on climatic changes inside a conference hall. Some students from an art college had come there and were showcasing their brilliant works featuring the treasures of Telangana and also giving social messages for the environment. 

For me, the best part was the book stall. I was pleasantly surprised to see many works of Indian authors featured there. I was walking from one end to another, silently promising myself that I would not buy any more books until I clear my existing TBR. But it was my kid who won a jackpot this time. 

He recently started reading Percy Jackson series and is fascinated with the books. At the book stall, he came across a new series written by an Indian author Vaishnavi Anantha. 

It features the tale of three teenagers who are on a quest to prove that Ramayan happened for real and is not just a myth. To my immense happiness and amazement, the kid selected all three books of this series. I hope he reads these and gets into the wonderful habit of reading. I have always believed that every one can become a reader when they find that one book which will convert them into a book-lover and a reader. Here's hoping that my kid found his!

As we roamed around the place, I felt a pang, longing for the days when I used to work in an office. The feeling of leaving for home after a day well worked and well done used to be so comforting! While being a home-maker has its own privileges and charm, I miss the days of working in an office. 

While yesterday was a literary day, today was filmy. My kid had been wanting to watch the new movie Hanu Man. Luckily we found tickets available for today's show of 1.15 in the noon. 

Would you believe it if I told you that I visited a theatre after 12 years!? The last movie I watched in a theatre was Barfi. It was a surreal experience, walking into the theatre for the first time in over a decade!

I will be honest - the darkness, the cold air around and the loud sound initially made me feel very restless and uneasy. I had to take some deep breaths to calm down as I felt slightly anxious. But once the movie began, I enjoyed every second of it. It's a wonderful movie! The actors were brilliant in their performances. 

However, I expected some more reaction from the public! Having been accustomed to the wild and raucous cheering of the public in theatres in Mumbai, I found the Hyderabadi public very mellow and soft in reacting while the scene demanded some euphoria, ecstasy and excitement. Nevertheless, I clapped, hooted and cheered for the protagonist whenever he was winning, thoroughly embarrassing my kid. (It is the very purpose of a parent's life to embarrass their almost-a-teen kid!) The last scene is a must-watch! I got goosebumps and if it weren't for the extremely well-behaved public sitting around me, I would have shouted in sheer joy.

Once the movie ended, we found our way into Pizza Hut, feeling ravenously hungry, for we had left home by 12 without having any lunch. It took some time for our pizza to arrive but when it arrived, we didn't let it last for a long time. The pizza was as delicious as always but there was something missing about the service there. No cheerful people to greet or talk to, no tissues either! We had to specifically request for some tissues and when we finally got them, they weren't enough. It reminded me of my visits to the Pizza Hut in the R-Mall of Mulund, Mumbai. That was the first Pizza Hut I ever visited and I still remember the large bell that had been placed at the exit. If we were satisfied, we had to ring the bell while leaving, to which the staff would loudly and cheerfully proclaim, "Thank You!!" Now that was an awesome atmosphere! 

For a homemaker, not much exciting happens in the day. So days like these when I go out, visit new places and experience new things - they are extremely precious to me. Already I am getting end-of-weekend vibes as Sunday looms threateningly over me. But the prospect of more such calming days soothes the mind and brings the promise of happy and relaxed times!