We Bet You Didn’t Realise That These Bollywood Films Revolved Around Food!

Did you know that Chef, the 2014 film directed and starring Jon Favreau is all set to become a Hindi movie starring Saif Ali Khan? The movie tells the tale of a chef who quits his demanding job at a swanky restaurant to take a food truck to the road, a journey which helps him develop character and reconcile with his family.

Indeed, it has all the elements that predict a Bollywood success; a focus on family, on adventure and on fun. When we thought about it, we realised that a lot of Bollywood movies have revolved around food theme, or had the main character in a culinary role. Here are some of our favourites:

Cheeni Kum

Amitabh Bachchan plays the role of a successful head chef and owner at a London restaurant; Spice 6. The film revolves his romantic relationship with a woman who is 30 years younger to him, played by Tabu. 

Break Ke Baad

Although the story is chiefly about the trials that come with a long term and long distance relationship (between Imran Khan and Deepika Padukone) we see that cooking plays an important part in shaping Khan’s character, Abhay who opens a popular Indian restaurant in Australia.

In this 1988 film, Sharukh Khan is cast in a double role; he’s a ruthless criminal while on the other hand he’s an aspiring chef. In his chef’s role he appears to enjoy dancing around the kitchen, using lettuce, knives and eggs as props. Check out the video below:

Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana

Omi Khurana (Kunal Kapoor) returns to his native Punjabi village from London to discover that his grandfather has forgotten the secret ingredient to make the ‘Chicken Khurana’ dish that his family was famous for. Eventually, he finds that the ingredient was a mildly potent narcotic.

The Lunchbox

This charming Irfan Khan starrer revolves around a mix up in the Mumbai dabbawallahs system; Irfan Khan begins receiving a lunchbox meant for the husband of Nimrat Kaur. The two establish a correspondence via the tiffin boxes and romance ensues.

Stanley Ka Dabba

This is a touching story about a young orphan who gets bullied by his maths teacher because he doesn’t bring a dabba to school. Themes of camaraderie, loyalty and loss are all conveyed through the importance of a dabba ,and what it symbolises. Watch the movie for some serious feels.