Did you spot Chennai's Avartana in Ed Sheeran's latest music video, Sapphire?
While Ed beams cheerfully from under the hat in the ITC Grand Chola's Avartana kitchen for only for a few seconds, Chef Mayank Kulshrestha, area executive chef, Southern Region, ITC Hotels, who was in the kitchen when Ed shot the video, said the performer spent an hour with the team, curious to learn how their menu came together. 'He flipped some coin parottas and tried his hand at sautéing and steaming,' says Mayank, adding 'He tried the lobster, fish, and Uthukuli butter chicken.'
Mere months after his six- city India tour, Ed Sheeran released 'Sapphire' (part of his new upcoming album Play) in collaboration with Indian singer Arijit Singh. The song was just picking up momentum and finding its spot on trending charts when Ed dropped a music video that surprised the country. It featured actor Shah Rukh Khan, Arijit, and snippets from Ed's tour across India.
The video, which is light, vibrant and fun, has over 2 million views and counting.
Ed stayed at the ITC Grand Chola during his two-day visit to the city and dined at Avartana on both days. Avartana, the hotel's Southern Indian restaurant, has garnered numerous awards, including rankings of number 30 and 44 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in 2023 and 2024.
During the tour, Ed played tourist whenever he could, riding in autos, getting massages, sightseeing, and sampling local food. 'This is kind of a selfish trip for me because I came here to be a tourist and spent the last two days just going around the city,' he had said during his Chennai show which saw a footfall of approximately 50,000.
'He was a very curious person, and anything creative requires curiosity and enthusiasm. He was very lively and said he didn't want to disturb us. Ed told me this was for a music video and asked us to just keep operating as usual. So we were preparing for the evening shift, and all the stations were busy,' says Mayank.
'He loved our triple-distilled rasam and joked about how he could write a song just for this,' says Shaariq Akhtar, general manager, ITC Grand Chola. To welcome him to the Karikalan Chola presidential suite at ITC Grand Chola, the team built a miniature replica of Portman Road Stadium in chocolate. This is the home of the Ipswich Town Football Club. 'Ed Sheeran is a huge football fan, and he supports Ipswich Town. He was thrilled because other hotels he stays at usually focus on him and his music, but this is an interest I share with him, so he loved that,' adds Shaariq.
Another moment from Ed's stay at ITC Grand Chola, which also features in the music video, was one of him getting a true street-style head massage from A Sandeep, a long-time member of the 85-year-old Kerala Hair Dressers in Pondy Bazaar. 'He got the massage on the roof of the presidential suite,' beamed Shaariq.
As for that tall chef's hat? Ed autographed it, and gave it to Chef Mayank. So now the chefs can blare Sapphire and dance to 'Don't you end the party, I could do this all week' the next time they make parottas and Uthukuli butter chicken.
Ed Sheeran's eighth studio Play will release on September 12, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
21 minutes ago
- Mint
Independence Day weekend promises huge box office boost for Indian cinema
Indian theatres are gearing up for one of the year's biggest box-office weekends this Independence Day, with Yash Raj Films' War 2 and Rajinikanth's Coolie expected to deliver a combined opening of ₹ 120–130 crore, according to trade experts. The success of recent films like Saiyaara ( ₹ 300 crore) and Mahavatar Narsimha ( ₹ 130 crore) has lifted industry sentiment. War 2 adds to YRF's hit spy universe, home to blockbusters such as Pathaan ( ₹ 543.05 crore) and War ( ₹ 318.01 crore). Meanwhile, Coolie, starring Rajinikanth and directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, is riding massive excitement across Tamil Nadu and southern markets. 'War 2 naturally has a strong pull in Hindi-speaking markets, but Jr. NTR's presence is also driving substantial chatter in the South, especially across Andhra Pradesh and Telangana," said Ashish Saksena, chief operating officer - cinemas, BookMyShow. "Meanwhile, Coolie pairs the mass appeal of Rajinikanth with director Lokesh Kanagaraj's stylish, action-heavy storytelling. The film has seen immediate excitement across Tamil Nadu as also South India broadly and is also beginning to generate curiosity beyond its home market, thanks to Rajinikanth's enduring pan-India fan base and in part to reports of Aamir Khan's involvement,' he added. While both titles are expected to cater to different primary markets, some overlap is anticipated in metro cities, where language barriers are increasingly blurring and audiences are more open to cross-regional cinema, Saksena added. As far as advance bookings go, War 2 has seen notable interest from audiences in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune and other tier-one cities in the north and west, driven by the franchise's popularity and the cast's pan-India appeal. Coolie, on the other hand, is gaining strong momentum across Chennai, Coimbatore and other key hubs in Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Kerala, where Rajinikanth's fanbase continues to dominate. That said, some movie trade experts are quick to point out the buzz for both films remains below par and given that both are action-driven multi-starrers, they could eat into each other's business. 'The hype isn't extraordinary at the moment but the good thing is content has gone through a correction and producers are finally learning what can drive masses to theatres. Films are beginning to achieve basic numbers now and no longer tanking like they were immediately after Covid,' independent exhibitor Vishek Chauhan said. According to Chauhan, if the Independence Day releases manage to get strong word-of-mouth, they have the potential to "fire at the box office." The past few weeks have seen steady footfalls with films like Su From So, Jurassic World: Rebirth, Superman, Thalaivan Thalaivii, and Sitare Zameen Par. With August offering a string of festivals, this Independence Day frame could rival Diwali in scale. 'In North India, the box office turned around in June with Sitare Zameen Par, followed by strong numbers in July. August is expected to raise the bar further with these Independence Day releases," said Bhuvanesh Mendiratta, managing director, Miraj Entertainment Ltd that operates multiplex theatres. "In the South, the performance has varied by state—Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have been strong, Malayalam cinema has done well, but Telugu cinema has been quieter in recent months. The I-Day weekend should give the South a significant boost, particularly in the Telugu and Tamil markets,' he added.
Indian Express
21 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Coolie movie review: Rajinikanth elevates Lokesh Kanagaraj's frustrating action vehicle
Coolie Movie Review & Rating: 'He is always ahead of of us, sir, ' proclaims a breathless Dayal (Soubin Shahir) to his boss Simone (Nagarjuna) in one of the busiest scenes in Lokesh Kanagaraj's Coolie. This problem, specifically the character Deva (Rajinikanth) consistently outpacing every other character in Coolie, is the same issue that plagues the screenplay's laboriously meandering construction. Coolie, undoubtedly one of the most anticipated Indian releases of the year, is out, and in between all the pre-release hype, advance sales figures, and sky-high expectations, it is barely a Lokesh Kanagaraj film, and one that is happy being a pale imitation of his earlier works Coolie starts with the trademark Lokesh 'intercut' style, and we are given a sampling of the crime world. A police informer delivers critical exposition to catch us up on the details of the smuggling syndicate that is the focus of the story. But, from the get-go, there is this sinking feeling of the gaping holes in the writing, which is holding too much back and appears scared to be cohesive. The characters get introduced, murders happen on screen, and we all catch up with the internal rules set by the characters for survival. The film approaches Rajinikanth's star persona with an old-school reverence and at the same time with a slight tongue-in-cheek irreverence. For instance, we get the usual setup for the 'introduction song', a staple of classic Rajini films from the past. But then Lokesh decides to give the intro an 'intentionally flippy and low-key vibe in a setting one least expects to see Rajinikanth. But then again, this is a 'certified crime gritty gangster drama, done in the trademark 'Lokesh' style. We get a hostel owner who has strong convictions about alcohol use, and that stretch is eerily familiar to the latter half of Master for the way alcohol is integrated into the protagonist's persona. Deva is slacking off with his hostel tenants, when one day he is suddenly out of the blue and is informed of the passing of his long-lost friend Rajasekhar (Sathyaraj). Deva visits the funeral in an emotional haze, but is asked to leave by Rajasekhar's elder daughter, who seems to be very angry at a man she has never seen in her life. The tension is palpable, and we get a worried Deva sticking around to ensure the safety of his old friend's three daughters from an unknown enemy. None of this makes any immediate sense, and the film keeps us guessing. It takes off from this basic setup and goes on to become a convoluted array of sequences, where the makers are banking on he flashback to drive the intrigue. Coolie is as much a Rajinikanth film as it is a showcase of the much-celebrated young director's weakest impulses as an image maker.. Scenes go on for too long, and following scenes start with little to no connective tissue. It's a 'free for all' in cinematic formalism, and you sense Lokesh straining to hold onto any semblance of linearity. The delayed information delivery strategy comes crashing down when all the disparate strands are thrown at the viewer in quick succession with little to no cohesion. Coolie has interesting ideas like any Lokesh Kanagaraj film, and you get charming supporting performances, especially Nagarjuna and Soubin Shahir, who get the most screen time after Rajnikanth. These two revel in the sinister actions of the characters, but they play mere archetypal villains, who get to slash people endlessly on screen and look cool doing it. The film tries to co-opt the successful 'bread crumbs' narrative of Vikram, Lokesh's best work to date, which follows the death of the character and the ensuing chaos set forth by the slow unraveling of what is really going on under all the lies and hidden truths. Coolie misses the emotional grounding and levity provided by Fahad Faasil in Vikram. Instead, Lokesh unevenly tries to build up similar scenes of suspense and light-hearted banter with middling results. In Vikram, we are invested in the characters of Kamal Haasan, whose death leads to a hailstorm of misinformation and intentionally manipulated backstory. That friction between the real backstory and the manufactured one propels Vikram forward and makes the interval reveal work. Coolie is much more of a straight shooter when it comes to its structure and relies on the emotional intensity of a central revelation, like Lokesh's sophomore outing, 'Kaithi'. Watch Coolie Movie Trailer Here: Anirudh is in top form here, and his score is a welcome respite in between all the conflicting tonal hijinx. The composer goes all out and infuses a classical folk motif for the character played by Upendra into the score that sounds different from the wall-to-wall EDM-inspired soundscape of the rest of the film. Rajinikanth is on board with the emotionality of the character and makes the most of the silent moments to land the emotional heft of the narrative. Shruti Haasan is put through the wringer in this film, and she has to endure a lot of physical and psychological torment, and is tasked with grounding the emotionality of the film and she does her best in that regard. Soubin Shahir and Nagarjuna lend a lot of credibility to the weakly conceived nemesis, a facet of their performance styles as opposed to the writing. Gireesh Gangadharan captures the chilling dissonance between the overlit action sequences and the low-key character moments with great consistency. The action sequences, especially the one featuring Upendra and Rajnikanth in the 'Mansion' set piece, feel more in vain with Lokesh's aesthetic sensibility, and the rest feel monotonous and basic in their inclusion. There is also the classic trope of the old song reference, this time fittingly from a lesser-known Rajinikanth classic from the 70's that felt well placed. Aamir Khan makes his entry towards the end with a spirited cameo that does bring some genuine laughs, but the desired impact is not achieved. The only time Lokesh cuts to visuals from the much hyped flashback sequences from the film, and those two are the best two sequences in the movie. The desired viscerality comes through, and they do a good job de-aging Rajinikanth for that stretch. One could only wish that the rest of the film measured up to the thrills of those two sequences. Coolie Movie Cast: Rajinikanth, Nagarjuna, Aamir Khan, Upendra, Sathyaraj, Shruthi Haasan, Soubin Shahir Coolie Movie Director: Lokesh Kanagaraj Coolie Movie Rating: 2.5 stars
Pink Villa
an hour ago
- Pink Villa
Coolie: Did Aamir Khan's cameo as a villain Dahaa work for the audience? Twitterati call him 'sasta Rolex'
Coolie, featuring the legendary Rajinikanth, has officially hit theatres and is currently trending at an all-time high. This film has been one of the most anticipated releases of Rajinikanth as the actor completed 50 remarkable years in the Indian film industry. Audiences are hailing the megastar's performance, while Nagarjuna's portrayal of the villain is receiving high praise as well. However, it's Aamir Khan's striking appearance that has taken social media by storm. Netizens react to Aamir Khan's cameo in Coolie Fans are stunned to see Aamir Khan in his rugged, tattooed look that perfectly fits the character. Many fans have flocked to Twitter to share their honest reviews and opinions about Coolie. A large segment of users is lauding Aamir's bold look and his acting mettle, commending his ability to deliver yet another memorable performance. However, there are also voices within the audience who feel that Aamir Khan's cameo, while impressive, but isn't essential to the film's overall narrative. Many have shared their blunt opinions. One fan wrote, "Coolie second half review: One high high high high mass elevation after another BGM on beast mode. Aamir Khan, Upendra & Rajinikanth — acting at absolute top notch levels!" Another person said, "Sasta #Rolex #AamirKhan #CoolieReview." Many others also stated their review. As earlier reported by Pinkvilla, Coolie has ended its presales with insane collections of Rs 183 crore for the opening weekend worldwide. According to Pinkvilla's review, Coolie is a standalone venture with a decent storyline and neat execution. While the screenplay fails partly, the Rajinikanth starrer is still a fun watch meant for big screens. To note, War 2 and Coolie have clashed at the box office as both released today (August 14) on big screens. Along with Rajinikanth aka Thalaiva, Coolie boasts many prominent stars like Soubin Shahir, Upendra, Shruti Haasan, Sathyaraj and Aamir Khan. Directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, Coolie has received an A certification from the Censor Board. Apart from Tamil, the movie is also released in Telugu, Hindi and Kannada languages.
