The virtual guest list of Kamal Hassan, Chiranjeevi, Rajnikant, Prabhudeva and Nagma would have been more apt (smiling down giant cut-outs) at Tamarind, hosting a South Indian food festival to celebrate spring.

For the moment, however, the South Indian eatery on Sarat Bose Road had to make do with some local flavour in terms of glamour by inviting over actresses Pallavi Chatterjee and Locket Chatterjee, and percussionist Bikram Ghosh.

And the invitees didn?t seem to mind in the least that many of the dishes are named after South Indian superstars for the festival. Instead, they dug with a relish into Fiery Chiranjeevi (a spicy crab preparation), Amazing Nagma (Mangalorian mixed vegetables), Soft ?? Nice Revathi (vada curry), Fair Damsel Sridevi (paneer korma), Hot Siren Silk Smitha (dal) and Flaky Shaky Prabhudeva (Malabar paratha).

?We?ve tried to combine two pet passions of South Indians ? food and films,? smiled Shafiul Ishaque, owner of the eatery specialising in Andhra, Chettinad and coastal cuisine.

The festival, on till April 17, celebrates the Tamil New Year on April 15. ?When everybody is offering a Bengali spread on the occasion of Poila Baisakh, we thought of presenting a different taste,? added Ishaque. The buffet is priced at Rs 199.

(Left to right) Pallavi Chatterjee, Bikram Ghosh and Locket Chatterjee dig into the South Indian spread at Tamarind. Picture by Rashbehari Das

Cruise along

Post-Poila Baisakh, take a river cruise to remember. Vivada Inland Waterways Limited is launching Mahanagar cruises on the Hooghly, the first of which will set sail on April 15 between 10 am and 2 pm. Bengali folk songs and traditional delicacies would pepper the inaugural effort to showcase the culture of the state and encourage river tourism.

?Calcuttans are not yet familiar with the concept of river tourism. And the number of destinations we plan to cover in a ride would be impossible to traverse by road. So this will also provide people with a fast and eco-friendly mode of transport,? said the Vivada spokesperson.

The cruise will cover Millennium Park, Howrah bridge, Bandha Ghat, Bagbazar Ghat, Cossipore, Baranagar, Belur Math and Bally bridge. It would also take in Babughat, Prinsep Ghat, Vidyasagar Setu and Botanical Gardens. The joyride will cost Rs 350, which would include breakfast and lunch.