How many films have Rajnikanth and Kamal Hassan worked together in? (18)
What is common to the Rajnikanth films Billa, Thee, Padikkathavan, Mr. Bharath and Batsha? ( They are all remakes of Amitabh Bachchan's Hindi films)
Which filmmaker has Rajinikanth worked the most with?(Director S.P. Muthuraman starting with Bhuvana Oru Kelvi Kuri in 1977 to Pandian in 1992)
This is the trivia I gather about Rajinikanth from a leaflet as I walk around the newly opened Kollywood Cafe, located on Thadagam Road. There are Kabali posters outside a selfie booth and once inside the café, there is more Rajnikanth in posters from his popular films. And, on the menu is Neruppuda biriyani (served on flaming mud pots), Padaiyappa chicken, and Sivaji style ‘cool’ mocktail. “I am a big fan of Rajnikanth. I dug out lesser known info about the star from some of the old cinema books,” smiles Perur Hariharan Suresh, who started the café.
Suresh graduated in catering after which he joined the Taj Club House in Chennai before coming back to his home town. “Eating out and films are the only entertainment options the city offers. Why not club the two? That’s how the idea to start a café themed on Kollywood came about. And, it helped that Kabali released around that time,” says Suresh. He entered the catering industry when he was 21, took over his father Perur P.N. Suresh’s Parvathi Catering which he has been running for over 25 years, and then started the café. “Though my father wanted me to enter the Civil Services, it was catering that excited me right from my schooling days. It’s been six years now and he is happy with the way I run it.” The theme of the cafe will change every now and then. Thenext month it is going to be an Ajith special all the way.
The menu at Kollywood Café has elaneer idli served with naatu kozhi kuzhambu, kheema balls, tawa fish fry, Tenkasi parotta and varieties of dosa made with millets and oats. From the vegetarian platter there is paneer tikka and sheekh kebab. The kebab has finely chopped celery, carrots, beans, and potatoes marinated and coated with sesame seeds. It is crisp, crunchy and tasty. I also sample rotis served with flavourful shahi paneer sabzi, and kadai vegetables. I round off my meal with curd rice and pickle. Suresh recommends an in-house mocktail that has ginger, lemonade, mint and orange extracts. Served in a long bamboo glass, it packs a punch.
Suresh donates excess food from his catering business to various NGOs. As I sip the refreshing drink, he says catering to festive occasions and weddings is difficult. “You are answerable to every single guest. Taste, service and quality matters. The experience helps me in managing the café better. Tons of food gets wasted at weddings. We have tied up with the No Food Wastage team led by Padmanabhan Gopalan to ensure that excess food goes to the needy.”
As an extension of the service, Suresh has set up a fridge at the café that stocks food for the needy. The public can contribute food to the fridge too. “We give away F&B ATM access cards to access the fridge. We have distributed the cards at hunger spots like Gandhi Park and Muthannan Kulam. We also give some cards to our diners who can then share it with those who need food,” says Suresh.
It’s been a week since the system has been in operation and so far about 10 or so of people each day have taken eatables from the fridge “We want to extend our help from only food to finding these people jobs, taking care of their education and so on…”
Kollywood Café is located near the Lawley Road Signal on Thadagam Road, R.S. Puram.
Open from 12.30 p.m. to 10.30 p.m.
For details, Call: 80150-60566.
