I can remember when being ‘food-conscious’ became a thing, when diet fads dominated eating habits and when everyone started reading nutrition labels with the same attention that they now watch Black Mirror episodes. I also remember a time when going for a movie almost always meant that it was going to be a cheat day — until less than a decade ago, a healthy meal at the movies was not really an option. Much like song and dance, films and food have gone hand in hand, and it would be close to impossible to not be tempted by the smells and sounds from the caramel popcorn machine or lured by the perfectly fried, golden-brown samosas calling out to you from behind the glass display case. Cinema in the entertainment capital has, for decades, been synonymous with these kinds of savoury and sweet guilty pleasures; and the advent of multiplexes in the early 2000s brought along nachos, French fries and other popup stalls. At these new venues, seeing the screenings move away from the standard 9 a.m., 12 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m., 9 p.m. schedule brought audiences a whole new type of cinema viewing — parents could eat chaat while watching Mission Impossible in Screen 1, while their children munched on nachos and sang along to a Disney duet in Screen 2 next door! But, despite their nostalgic appeal or novelty factor, these foods are not satiating; they are rarely ever wholesome and often serve merely as fillers while restaurant reservations await.
Having been a cinema regular since the early 2000s, I am intrigued by how far the associated culinary scene has advanced. For anyone else who also grew up in Mumbai around the single screen theatres like Regal, New Excelsior or Metro, a trip to the movies will always stir up memories of the aforementioned A1 samosas, bubbly sodas and ice cream sticks. But times sure have changed.
Denne historien er fra August - September 2019-utgaven av Verve.
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Denne historien er fra August - September 2019-utgaven av Verve.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Making Amends
This generation’s penchant for thoughtless consumption gets Madhu Jain roiled up, and she wonders if nature is getting its own back for our missteps…
Diamonds With Provenance
In keeping with the company’s commitment to environmental and social responsibility, Anisa Kamadoli Costa, chief sustainability officer at Tiffany & Co. and chairman and president at The Tiffany & Co. Foundation, enlightens Shirin Mehta on the efforts that make the jewellery giant an industry leader in transparency
SARTORIAL ECONOMICS
Sisters Tashi and Tara Mitra demonstrate to Akanksha Pandey how deviating from the mainstream can bend the way we think, live and dress
NOTES TO SELF
An anthropomorphized tiger’s perspective, a viscerally worded futuristic interpretation of loss, a critique of performative activism, a meta reflection on the earth’s crises. Told through different lenses, Janaki Lenin, Indrapramit Das, Keshava Guha and Roshan Ali’s stories — written exclusively for Verve — attempt to make sense of the fraught reality that we exist in today
The Eternal Optimist
As Generation X and xennials grapple with fully transitioning to conscious living, young millennials and Generation Z are leading the charge to reverse human-caused environmental damage. Sahar Mansoor, founder and CEO of the Bengaluru-based zero-waste social enterprise Bare Necessities, has a simple overarching philosophy: consume less and stay positive. Verve gets deeper into the mindset of the action-oriented earth advocate
Redemption SONGS
Indian music festivals have been demonstrating a refreshing sense of responsibility in terms of their ecological impact. Interacting with stakeholders who strive to make these large-scale events greener, Akhil Sood investigates the reasons behind the improved attitudes of audiences and the increase in corporate support.
earth hour
Crafted using nature’s elements, these dials draw inspiration from the many heterogeneous materials and hues around us.Verve turns its lens onto a mesmerising few
THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT
Children are holding adults accountable for both the grim future they are facing and the toll this is taking on their mental health. Madhumita Bhattacharyya initiates conversations with families of young climate activists and observes the extent to which parenting has changed in the face of catastrophe
NATURAL JUSTICE
Most of us are only just waking up to the urgency of climatic action. When the stakes are so high, what can individual action solve? Mridula Mary Paul, an environmental policy expert, is proof of the tenacity needed to effect systemic change. It’s not glamorous, and the rewards are few and far between, but that doesn’t stop her from aiming big, finds Anandita Bhalerao
Along For The Ride
Navigating Indian streets as a woman is hard enough. But what is it like while riding a bicycle? Bengaluru-based Shreya Dasgupta, a regular cyclist, speaks to five urban women about the pros and cons of this increasingly popular means of transport.