Star Theatre, Chicken-mushroom sandwich

Star Theatre reopened a couple of months back after a revamp by the new private partner of Kolkata Municipal Corporation. To get rid of its high running expenses and lack of bookings, KMC joined hands with Priya Entertainment run by Arijit Dutta who is popularly known as the owner of Priya cinema to most people. Priya Ent. is the managing partner of Star Theatre. Arijit is a seasoned, and I would say intelligent, businessman in show business who really means business. Priya Ent. runs Globe in Kolkata, Gitanjali in Bolpur and Krishti in Katoa. I admire the way he has reinvented Priya to keep up with time.

After the revamp Star has started movie screenings like a regular theatre. Apart from this there will of course be theatre (Drama), book launches, stage shows etc. It will have a trendy cafeteria and function like a new generation entertainment hub with a heritage flavour thanks to the building. It will be a pride of North Kolkata in future, mark my words.

It is currently one of the locations of the ongoing Kolkata Film Festival (KFF). Visited it today to book a ticket of 'Kalpurush' by Buddhadeb Dasgupta which is scheduled tomorrow. A couple of enthusiasts crowded before the movie schedule of KFF. But the ticket counter had no queue. It is not expected that KFF at Star will fetch large crowds, but hats off to Arijit to bring KFF to North Kolkata nevertheless.

Talking of mushroom, one of the rare categories of veg foods I am interested in, just spotted a new mushroom item in Sugar & Spice at its new Jodhpur Park outlet. It is chicken mushroom sandwich. I have always felt mushroom is one thing that can get even die-hard non-vegetarians like me to try veg at times. It hardly tastes like veg to me. I wish the confectionery chains in Kolkata would wake up to the potential of mushroom and make mushroom patty, puff and other items.