Writing this blog post after some time but I had watched quite a few movies in the past few months, including some new releases. Well, the one I’m going to talk about now is a Hindi low-budget film “Paranthe Wali Gali” released in the month of January this year. The only thing that tempts me to watch this movie on DVD is the director Sachin Gupta, who is an award-winning theatre director.
Coming to the storyline, “Paranthe Wali Gali” has a very predictable story about a theatre group who are striving for success in the famous Delhi drama circuit.
Actor Anuj Saxena plays Maulik (from Rajasthan), a theatre artist, who is struggling to find an auditorium while Neha Pawar plays Naina Kaur – a typical Delhi Punjabi girl.
While the film shows their struggle in running their theatre group amid the rapid commercialization of art, it also shows a lighter love story between Maulik and Naina.
However, the most interesting part of the film is the name itself (literally means “the bylane of flatbread”), when you see visuals of the very famous streets of Delhi. For those living in Delhi, this is certainly nostalgic.
Travel Tip: “Paranthe Wali Gali” is the name of a narrow street in Chandni Chowk, in the old city areas of Delhi, India’s capital. There are several vendors and shops selling a variety of delicious street foods, including ‘paratha’ or flatbread. The streets are very old and narrow, and it is located just opposite the imposing Mughal-era Red Fort.
However, as far as acting is concerned, they could have done more in convincing the audience. The character of Maulik played by Anuj could have been much better although Neha does have a sense of the situation, while she tries to fit in the storyline.
Nevertheless, you will have fun moments if you are aware of Delhi and if you enjoy its theatre circuit. One interesting fact I would like to mention here is that, unlike some other metro cities, Delhi’s theatre circuit is very much active with plays conducted on a daily basis, both in Hindi and English. So, kudos to theatre director Sachin Gupta for making this film!
Where to watch Paranthe Wali Gali (2014)
