Madras Week: With films and food, you can't go wrong

The finale to Madras Week celebrations at Hotel Green Park was a wonderful presentation on Tamil films through the 1930s to the 1970s by Mohan Raman, a familiar face on television. Though the programme continued past 9.30pm, many stayed till the end.

Mohan has acted in more than 100 films and 5,000 episodes, he says. He collects stamps that are related to films; he is also a corporate trainer who uses cinematic tools to communicate.

A word also about the food festival that Hotel Green Park hosted through the week. Most nights saw the tables packed, with more than 100 people visiting to taste cuisines of the Madras Presidency. Rohit Jha, food and beverage manager, and Chef Amsa deserve kudos for planning and executing the festival in style. Krishna Kumar, general manager, who has been taking the initiative each year in getting Madras Week celebrations organised at Green Park, has plans for more authentic food fare next year.

Pictures show Mohan Raman with film directors and technicians; pictures of old Madras displayed at Once Upon a Time, the restaurant where the food festival was held; a chef readies an aapam; a view at the dinner buffet; and kili jolsyam (parrot predicts) provides the local flavour outside Once Upon a Time.