Tuesdays with Little India, $5 flicks
In need of an escape, E and I drove down to Artesia for a Bollywood break.
We saw the recently released "Cheeni Kum," which stars Amitabh Bachchan (Abishek’s father) and Tabu (Namesake). It’s an engaging romantic comedy about the relationship between a 64-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman. I didn’t think such a dynamic would be believable, but Amitabh and Tabu had the chemistry of two people who got each other. Tabu’s character says: "I would rather spend 5 - 10 years with someone I love, rather than a lifetime with someone I didn’t." This movie did make me think differently about love and age differences. There is also a terrific suppporting cast: a 9-year-old neighbor girl with leukemia named "Sexy," a wise-cracking, wrestling fan, mother (played by a 95-year-old actress), and a protective father who goes on a hunger strike. What was interesting was that no character seemed to be their true age.
The movie is now playing at the Naz 8 in Lakewood/Artesia, billed as "Southern California’s First Multicultural Entertainment Megaplex showing movies from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, China, Taiwan, Korea and Philippines." On Tuesdays, it’s $5 all day for Hindi movies. The Naz 8 has a homey, comfortable feel. A whiteboard propped in the lobby featured an IT job opening in Burbank and ads for computer classes, written in dry-erase marker. Next time, I want to get the Desi Family Combo: one large popcorn, two waters or tea, and one plate of samosas (2 pc) for $9.95. Yum!
I totally recommend this as a cheap Tuesday date. There is an Indian restaurant in the plaza but E and I didn’t get there early enough to try it out. Nearby is Pioneer Boulevard where many Indian restaurants and shops line the street. See my previous post on this. Get some delicious Indian ice cream at Saffron Spot after the movie.
Here’s the wonderful website for Cheeni Kum. Check it out!
http://www.naz8.com/artesia/
The movie theatre only takes cash. There is an ATM in the liquor store near the theatre.
For more Bollywood posts, please click here.
(The only downside of our night was the terrible rush hour traffic we went through down the 605 and the half tank of gas that it took. Remember to use the car pool lane!)
