Cine Cafe in Valasaravakkam offers low-cost tea at ₹5 for aspiring Tamil cinema technicians and assistant administrators on a price range
Cine Cafe in Valasaravakkam offers low-cost tea at ₹5 for aspiring Tamil cinema technicians and assistant administrators on a price range
Long earlier than he grew to become a powerhouse performer and National Award winner, actor Nawazuddin Siddique famously said that as a struggling actor wanting for work in Bollywood, he primarily survived on tea and Parle-G biscuits on most days for virtually a yr and a half. This isn’t simply Nawazuddin’s story however any up-and-coming artiste’s who strikes to town with large desires of constructing it into movies.
A scorching cup of chai with biscuits to dunk into could also be consolation meals for the privileged lot. But maybe it’s the solely meal that struggling assistant administrators and aspiring technicians can afford on some days.
Film activist and author Arun Mo of Thamizh Studio, a movie society motion that has been concerned in the welfare of movie aspirants, has now launched Cine Cafe. “The idea is to offer affordable tea and coffee for assistant directors, film technicians and anyone who is trying to get into cinema,” says Arun Mo including that they’ve been doing a variety of film-related initiatives by Thamizh Studio.
At Cine Cafe, anybody remotely related to cinema can have a cup of tea for ₹5; it’s priced at ₹10 for the general public. Located in Valasaravakkam, now often known as the hub for Kollywood, the stall is at the doorway of Pure Cinema (library and bookshop) and was launched not too long ago by filmmaker Lokesh Kanagaraj.
Arun’s brainchild was the results of years of listening to tales of movie aspirants who linger round Kodambakkam and close by Vadapalani, knocking on the doorways of places of work for alternatives. “Some of them live away from their families. They don’t take care of themselves because they are either underpaid or not paid at all. Even for something as simple as a tea and bun, they might spend close to ₹100 every day. I wanted to do something for people like them,” he says.
The menu contains 4 sorts of tea: common, ginger, lemon and black
| Photo Credit: Johan Sathya Das
Right now, the menu contains 4 sorts of tea: common, ginger, lemon and black, and some fast grabs like bread omelette and sandwich priced at ₹20 to ₹25.
While the ₹5 tea often is the spotlight, individuals who go to Cine Cafe can even entry Pure Cinema, which has an area for studying and might partake in movie discussions. “They can also use the space to discuss scripts,” says Arun, including that this may profit a variety of children. But how does the cafe determine assistant administrators among the many different clients. For that, Arun says, he points a membership card of ₹100 which the trade individuals pays and accumulate. With it they will order ₹5 at Cine Cafe all by the yr.
Arun insists that this can be a non-commercial initiative: “Raising funds has been a challenge. But thanks to directors Lokesh Kanagaraj, Mysskin and producer SR Prabhu who did a workshop for us to raise funds, I was able to realise Cine Cafe,” says Arun, including that the larger purpose is to supply low-cost meals in the long run.
“When their stomach is full, they can focus more on the art form.”
Cine Cafe is open from 6am-10pm.