My Sunday morning was a quick trip to Bandra to get a hot cup of coffee and a croissant from Subko Coffee. This little cafe is hidden in the tiny lanes of Bandra village where old bungalows owned by the Pereira’s and D’Souza’s have now been converted into cafés. One wonders how long before all the old architecture will be replaced by a modern, minimalist one.

We often take our coffee and walk around the area passing through old churches and houses, admiring the peace of that tiny village surrounded by chaotic pubs, market places and just about everything busy in Bandra. 
I had picked up a fresh loaf of brioche bread from a bakery in Bandra and that just called for a really unhealthy lunch.

Now that the expectations were set for an unhealthy lunch, we bought ham slices and some good cheese and made a quick ham and cheese sando for lunch. It was calorie-galore but oh the satisfaction of the melting cheese and the smell of ham. A Good Sunday, I suppose!

We were in the mood for a feel-good movie this weekend which sort of lingers on, you know – nothing too heavy, but nothing so basic that the lazy acting and bad story puts us off. Somehow, feel good or romantic movies are shot a certain way; glossy and clean, always has a Christmas plot, everyone looks beautiful, and happy endings are key.

While browsing through the apps, we chanced upon a movie “Mystic Pizza” on Amazon Prime. The description read that one of the actors was Julia Roberts and not much else was familiar to us. 

This is a 1988 release about three girls in their late teens who work at a Pizza place in a town called Mystic in Connecticut. With minimum means and a side hustle or two of each of them, they are rich in many ways we may not consider rich. 

This is 1988. They live in beautiful big old houses, just like the ones in Bandra. The furniture and the aesthetics are not on point, but space is never an issue here. Their employers are a husband-wife pair that treat them like family; relaxed with their rules and helpful in shaping the girls’ lives in many ways than just providing employment.

Mystic was once a famous seaport so, yes, the girls are blessed with a beautiful skyline. Seafood is in abundance here and lobsters are part of every day meal. The girls sit by the water at the port, drink beers and discuss life; just the girls. This is probably the most liberating scene in the movie. 

The story primarily revolves around the three girls and their romantic lives. One of them constantly debates internally about losing her identity after getting married. One is attracted to a man who never takes a stand for her. One is in love with a rich boy who is dating her as a rebellious act against his father’s wishes. As they traverse through all this, not every relationship ends well.

However, the relationship that remains intact and probably grows stronger, is the one they have with each other. It was so wholesome to watch three girls be good friends, support each other and have fun together.

The movie offers a few laughs, sweet moments of young love, beautiful views of the town and outrageous outfits and makeup of the late 80s. 

Once the movie ended, all I could think of was how badly I wanted to meet my girls for a beer and discuss lives. How therapeutic would that be? They can be your cousins or sisters, your friends, just about anyone who knows you for being you.

-Aishwarya Bedekar