What's cooking in Ash's kitchen?

It���s only natural for one to wonder why Mani Ratnam would fly down his cast and crew to shoot in Kolkata, even when he doesn���t really need the cityscape in his film.
Why would Raavana, which is actually a story about a Bharatnatyam dancer (Ash), a police superintendent (Vikram) and village goon (Abhishek Bachchan), be shot in Shaheb Kothi? What���s so special about this British bungalow that appealed so much to the sensibilities of Ratnam that he went ahead and booked this place for shooting till March 8? Is it just the riverfront, the manicured lawns and the old-world charm of the bungalow or is there more that influenced his choice?
Though the owner of the bungalow, Ghanshyam Sarda, chairman of Sarda Group of companies, is extremely discreet about divulging anything about Ratnam and his Raavana, he says, ���There have been many offers to rent out my bungalow.But I want to maintain its exclusivity.��� A few years ago, a German documentary was shot at Shaheb Kothi. ���I take personal care to maintain the heritage of the place. The pristine riverfront adds to the beauty,��� says Sarda, who personally owns nine jute mills in Agarpara.
The 100-year-old bungalow, with its wooden staircase and the vintage smell of the British Raj, exudes a charm that can hardly be matched by modern sets. Absolute privacy is also ensured, since there is almost no room for outsiders to enter the premises. Again, the bungalow is at such a height from the water level, that it���s difficult for even mediapersons to train cameras on it from the waters below. Ratnam���s unit, however, has only rented a portion of the bungalow and turned it into the residence of a superintendent of police. Sources say, one often gets to see two actors dressed as cops manning the door of the bungalow. Most of the scenes shot had Ash dancing. ���She looked ethereal while dancing on the jetty. On Saturday, she shot a scene while dancing on a marble table, while the other actor was cooking in the kitchen!��� says an onlooker. Incidentally, the bungalow originally never had a modern kitchen and the one used for shooting has been specially constructed by art director Samir Chanda���s team.
As expected, Chanda wouldn���t divulge any details either. Sources say that the kitchen door opens into a lawn with garden chairs. A few steps ahead, is the artificially constructed jetty. A stunning scene of Ash has been shot on the riverfront. ���Toofan aaya tha. They created an artificial storm. Giant fans were used to blow away dried leaves to give the effect of a storm. Rain machines were also used,��� says a neighbour.
But what looks like an absolute piece of art is the bedroom on the first floor of the bungalow.
Six 8-ft high mirrors have been put up in the room to give the impression of extra space. The room sports a minimalistic look with enough floor space for Ash to give her Bharatnatyam performances. Everyday, Ash reports for shooting at around 8 in the morning. No night shoots are being allowed on the premises, though a major part of Sunday was spent in shooting some night scenes inside the bungalow. Young dancers from Burdwan have been specially brought down to shoot a sequence. Initial plans were made to shoot a rescue scene ��� where
Ash falls into the waters in the Sunderbans ��� from March 1-5. As for Ratnam himself, we hear he has developed a sweet tooth ��� all thanks to the Kolkata rosogolla?