Starstruck

Starstruck is up on the 4th floor of Forum Mall on Lala Lajpat Rai Sarani in Kolkata. Working in a mall is different from being on a street corner. You have the air conditioning running all day, but you also have the constant mall music and the crowds on the weekends. We’ve been in this spot for a while now. It’s a place where people stop by after they’ve been to the cinema or finished their shopping downstairs. We keep the place tidy, but it's hard when there are so many kids and large groups coming through. Our staff is mostly younger people who live around the city. We do our work, chat with the customers, and keep an eye on things. The furniture is what you’d expect in a mall eatery. It’s functional and built to last. We aren't trying to be a five-star establishment with fancy waiters. We just provide a space for people to sit down and have something to eat or drink while they rest. Sometimes the elevator nearby is broken and people come in a bit grumpy from having to find another way up, so we try to be quick with their orders. We don't have a big backstory or a long history. We just opened up here and stayed. It’s a busy environment and we’re just part of the daily routine for the mall. Most people just want a quick snack before they head back out into the Kolkata heat.