CLACM Review - A Cute Romcom That Goes To The Heart Via Kitchen

Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala review: A cute romcom that goes to the heart via kitchen

BollywoodLife Sep 05, 2019 15:28 PM

We suggest you don't watch Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya, Rajeev Khandelwal's ZEE5 & ALTBalaji Original Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala on an empty stomach.

Cold Lassi Aur Chicken Masala Review | Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya and Rajeev Khandelwal‘s kitchen rom-com ends with, “…and they cooked happily ever after.” Except it doesn’t. In the ZEE5 and ALTBalaji Original, Divyanka plays Indie Spice restaurant’s head chef Nitya Sharma. Going by trailer and teasers, it’s easy to expect a glossy, grilling romance between a tightly-wound Nitya and Michelin-starred chef Vikram Singh Chauhan, essayed by Rajeev. Thanks to the rules of entropy, Nitya’s very fragile cocoon of security comes crumbling down when her ex-husband Vikram takes over as the new boss of her workplace. Given their shared past, only a fool wouldn’t expect them to reach out for the same ladle to stir soup, pun intended

Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala does a surprisingly good job in balancing parenthood and work, for an ambitious, single mother. Nitya doesn’t waste her recipes and resources on anyone who doesn’t adore them. “Aao toh welcome, jao toh bheed kam,” is a simple mantra she chants, storming in and out of the kitchen and so does the customer, mostly out of her restaurant. She doesn’t behave a certain way, even if it threatens her livelihood. Nitya is colder than any item in the restaurant’s refrigerator, which also keeps owner Revati (Maninee Mishra) out of her way. But even good neighbour and shrink Karan Kapadia (Priyanshu Chatterjee) is unable to thaw her iciness. Everyone, except the wisecracking son Vivaan, picturized on young Vidhaan Sharma, cuts through the chills. The doe-eyed boy is the centre of Nitya’s universe as she juggles between preparing him for being on his own in the real world and making his favourite cheeseburgers.

Vikram, on the other hand, is a suave and classy world-famous 2 Michelin star chef who seems to have outgrown his middle-class rebel personality. Chancing upon lip-smacking recipes while backpacking through Europe, his flamboyance has a reputation of its own. In the eight long years that Vikram and Nitya didn’t cross paths, the former went from rags to riches, while time stood still for the latter. A series of shout battles and cold shoulders in the freezer keeps the rest of the cast around Divyanka and Rajeev guessing.

Directed by Pradeep Sarkar, Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala paints realism in the world of surrealism. The director respects Nitya’s ambition enough for her to fight the love of her life over it. The web series is focused on the chemistry of two longing hearts and of the kitchen, too. Do NOT watch Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala on an empty stomach. A major portion of the digital drama oscillates between luscious-looking biryani, mouth-watering tiramisu and cupcakes, and lots of fusion food. The camera lingers long enough to let your hunger pangs kick in, hard and irreversible. Not just the food, but even the intro scene where the cooking process is explored to the last drop of oil in the pan to dicing, chopping, slicing, peeling, garnishing, plating, etc makes you book reservations.

Besides the yummy delicacies, Divyanka and Rajeev’s sizzling chemistry is a heatwave. Seriously. Stand the heat or stay out of the kitchen. Literally! Despite the personal rivalry, professionally, Vikram and Nitya are a match made in heaven. The passion in their courtship and the kitchen counter knows no bounds, involving us emotionally. Divyanka is phenomenal as the short-tempered chef and a mother. Rajeev exercises a certain restraint as the restaurant owner that’s maddeningly alluring. Although we are not sure if his Bhopali charm is something we can resist either! Priyanshu is a cold breeze and a delight to watch as the easy-peezy psychiatrist. We also feel Vidhaan has all the potential to play matchmaker between his separated parents, provided he doesn’t get too occupied with Tara.

All the light moments in the series mostly belong to Tanvi (Madhu Sneha) and Kayzad (Mrinal Dutt). If the kitchen belongs to Nitya and Vikram, their respective BFFs are totally turning up the heat in the freezer. Madhu and Mrinal’s melo-comedy banter, in fact, is a saviour every time the lead pair is headed for a downer. Barkha Sengupta essays Seema, the woman who quite changed things for Vikram and Nitya, good and bad both. Our eyes are so glued to her character graph in the coming episodes – do we hate her already or wait some more? Maninee Mishra has always had impeccable timing, she uses it better in Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala. And Saloni Khanna’s fashion validation as Manira is what we are living for!

A tailor-made romedy, the digital drama discovers dark corners of the human heart while quickly switching to the humour in Vikram and Nitya’s passive-aggressive behaviour. Vikram, of course, has Nitya and Vivaan’s best interests at heart. But will they get a happily ever after on their own terms or cook one with secret ingredients?

The emotional details of Vikram and Nitya’s respective struggles are a slice-of-life. The web series doesn’t bifurcate the narrative to challenges of being a single mother and bitter, bad romance. It stands up to tell life-size scenarios without resorting to sympathy, in a somewhat unique manner.

Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala tells us there is no cookbook to life. Share your view of the web series in the comments box below.

Review by Aayushi Sharma

STORY TIMELINE

05th Sep 2019

Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala Review: An Epicurean Watch That Balances Contrasting Flavors of Storytelling Just Like a Gourmet Meal!

Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala is a freshly baked story with scrumptious performances..

September 3, 2019 6:57 PM

Deeksha Vipat

One of the fastest growing OTT platforms of the country, ALT Balaji is rolling out an interesting new series titled Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala featuring Divyanka Tripathi and Rajeev Khandelwal for the first time. It’s a love story between two long lost lovers who are chefs by profession and suddenly happen to meet after eight years of their separation. The series oscillates back and forth in past and present. Due to ALT Balaji's recent collaboration with zee5, the series will also be streaming on Zee5.

Here’s a brief analysis of the series. Read below and decide whether to invest your time into the series or not.

Plot:

The series starts with introducing us to chef Nitya, a focused yet hot-headed woman who works as a head chef at a fine dine restaurant named Indie Spice, whose owner is her friend. Gradually we are introduced to the fact that the restaurant is running on loss and even Nitya has not being paid her salary for three months.

We are then introduced to the fact that Nitya is a single mother and even though she is frustrated and heart-broken over a guy from her past, she stays in denial mode. After much recommendation, the restaurant’s owner agrees for a collaboration with an international chef, Vikram to save the restaurant, but when he comes to the restaurant, we find out that he is Nitya’s ex-lover and the reason of her broken heart and anger. The destiny plays its cards and reunites them after eight long years.

As the story proceeds, the story oscillates between their past and present. The makers establish the reason behind their separation in the past while they face each other and fight out their emotions in the present.

Performances:

Divyanka Tripathi and Rajeev Khandelwal have collaborated for the first time together and seem the apt choice for the role. It’s a pleasant change to see Divyanka in a totally different avatar. Her character is like Chicken Masala, hot and spicy and she has owned the role of chef Nitya. Meanwhile, Rajeev Khandelwal’s character chef Vikram is like Coldd Lassi, cool and flavorful. As usual, he has delivered a brilliant performance and together they both make sizzling hot couple. Their on screen chemistry sets the screen on fire.

Supporting cast has done a fine job but they get overshadowed by the leads.

Screenplay and Direction:

The storyline is fresh and engaging and we love how the oscillation of storyline is clean and doesn’t confuse viewers. The central characters are chefs and we love the authenticity and detailing in their profession. There is a mystery in the show which unfolds gradually and at no point does the story bore the viewers.

Highlights:

All the scenes where Divyanka and Rajeev are together are the highlights of the series. Their romantic moments, even the scenes where they are fighting are extremely engaging. The scenes from their college days are extremely romantic and exciting.

Verdict:

The series is highly recommended for Divyanka and Rajeev fans and all the people who love watching love stories. It’s the kind of series you would like to binge watch with your lover over a lazy weekend.

P.S.: Grab some popcorn or eatables while binge-watching the show as the visuals can make you craving for food. Bon Apetit..oops.. Bon Binge watching!

Ratings:

**** (4 stars)

Initial Review

Rajeev Khandelwal and Divyanka Tripathi Dahiya star in this tale of modern-day romance, loyalty and betrayal

BY SOPHIA QURESHI05 Sep 2019

Balaji, Ekta Kapoor’s web platform has produced several successful shows to date, including Haq Se, Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain and Broken But Beautiful. Their latest offering, “Cold Lassi Aur Chicken Masala,” is another show catching the eye of potential viewers. Directed by Pradeep Sarkar, who has directed films like Parineeta, Laaga Chunri Mein Daag and, most recently, Helicopter Eela, Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala comes with its own set of expectations. With a star-studded cast, including Rajeev Khandelwal, Divyanka Tripathi (Dahiya), Priyanshu Chatterjee, Barkha Bisht, Navneet Nishan and Manini Mishra, the show is a workplace romance set in the restaurant industry. The first seven episodes of the series were launched on September 3, 2019.

“Coldd Lassi…” tells the story of Nitya Sharma (Divyanka Tripathi), a single mother and a working woman. Head chef in a restaurant that she runs with her close friends, Nitya battles issues with anger and frustration, scars left behind by a failed relationship. She keeps the details of this relationship close to her heart, only confiding in her close friend and co-worker, Tanvi. When the restaurant is sold and taken over by her ex-husband, Vikram Singh Chauhan (Rajeev Khandelwal), her world begins to spiral. Trapped in an unbreakable contract, Nitya and Vikram are forced to share working space for the next 3 months, creating a hostile environment for their staff and themselves.

What makes “Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala” compelling is the clever way the love story has been depicted, teasing viewers with a little bit of the past at a time interwoven with the present. In the present, it would be an understatement to say that Vikram and Nitya are at odds – they actually seem to detest each other with Nitya’s anger boiling to the surface after each interaction. However, the past, Nitya and Vikram seem like the ideal couple – young, dedicated, in the same profession with the same goals for the future, happily in love and even discussing children. While viewers are left wanting more after each episode, it is this slow reveal that makes the revelations in the latter episodes seem natural.

“Coldd Lassi…” cannot be called the most original story. It rests upon a format the audience has become accustomed to in Balaji shows – hostility that turns into romance (rekindled in this case). But the emotional quotient here works and how. The characters take their time to reveal layers, but by the time episode 3 rolls, both Nitya and Vikram manage to bring viewers to tears. The love story is not one that is far-fetched, rather the emotions conveyed are strikingly realistic and this works in holding audience intrigue.

With the story set against the backdrop of a restaurant, at times, the show can come across with the feel of trying too hard in that zone, heavily inspired by Master Chef or Hell’s Kitchen, especially when Nitya shows off her dishes to her kitchen staff. With that in mind, the show also leaves the viewer feeling a bit hungry afterwards, especially with all the talk of biryani. Also, the cursing and forced sex scenes do feel unnatural, coming off as throwing it in just because they have license to do so.

The lead actors, Rajeev Khandelwal and Divyanka Tripathi, are worthy actors of helming this show. Rajeev Khandelwal is a TV favorite, straddling the world of television and films with ease, he is a name synonymous with quality. Rajeev’s performance as Vikram is one that has been seen time and time again in Ekta Kapoor shows – the arrogant businessman (in this case, Michelin star chef) with an arrogant, unkind exterior who is slowly revealed to be a soft, loving, sensitive soul. However, it’s the treatment of the character and his environment that makes this role (and performance) the highlight of the show. Vikram’s transition from a “loafer” from Bhopal to a well-groomed, classy businessman is made believable by the nuances Rajeev inserts into his character, like his occasional slip into his Bhopali accent when talking to Nitya. Rajeev Khandelwal proves to be worthy of his loyal fan following, naturally slipping into his role, making audiences forget Rajeev the actor and only see Vikram the character.

Divyanka Tripathi is no less. While her character, Nitya, initially seems very loud (especially in her opening scene with the chicken) and the first 15 minutes of the show come off as “too much,” Divyanka slowly convinces viewers of her acting prowess. Nitya is a character with many shades. She moves from being a loving girlfriend (in the past), a protective mother, a bitter ex-lover, a kind friend and an independent working woman struggling to balance her feelings with professionalism in the blink of an eye. While it’s irritating to see Nitya unable to control her emotions and explode on more than one occasion, it’s the realism of these emotions played by Divyanka that makes it relatable. Any viewer can put themselves into Nitya’s situation and understand exactly what she is feeling and it’s Divyanka’s portrayal that makes Nitya feel like a friend to the audience, someone that needs support. From her start in “Banoo Main Teri Dulhan” to this series, Divyanka has really come far as an actress.

It’s a surprise, and a great one, to see Priyanshu Chatterjee in a project after an absence. He is refreshing to watch on-screen in his role as Karan, a psychiatrist, Nitya’s close friend and potential love interest. The ensemble cast does their job well in supporting the lead duo. Manini Mishra is sweet in her role as the restaurant owner, Revti. Madhussneha Upadhyay and Mrinal Dutt as Tanvi and Kayzaad make a fun duo in a supporting love story. With Navneet Nishan’s entry as Vikram’s mother, Shaila, and her fight with Nitya, it can be certain that Shaila will cause problems for Nitya in the future – a potential custody battle seems to be in the cards.

New episodes will be released on September 7, 2019. It remains to be seen if ALT Balaji follows their Kehne Ko Humsafar Hain 2 format of releasing only one episode a week or upload a few episodes at a time. Either way, this is a show that should not be missed by fans of Indian television. With the intense romance scenes expected of an Ekta Kapoor show, Coldd Lassi Aur Chicken Masala also offers a compelling storyline, a fluid screenplay and a lot of heart.

Thank u.. Dis was needed