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I dare say that making films and food are the same business. They both create drama and emotions. They both tell stories and give the audience something to think about and react. They both excite and fire up electrical sparks in the brain. They both have to be made with fresh and new ingredients that have to be carefully chosen and hand-picked by the ‘maker’. The elements have to be right and their dosage perfect. They must have the right amount of sensations; too much of any would spoil the equilibrium and thus making it inconsumable. The cook or maker must know all about the people s/he is cooking /making for, their tastes, their palate, even though s/he may want to surprise them, and even if s/he wants to take them into the unknown.
So is it necessary to be a good cook to be a good film-maker? Perhaps not, but I believe that through food, one can learn more about film-making.

As in film-making, when cooking, one needs to have a clear idea as to what to make. One must always ask questions. Shall it be dramatic? Should it be mellow? Should it be action packed? Should the flow be smooth or should it be dry and thick?
What colour should it be? Red, yellow, green? Who am I cooking for? Then comes the difficult part, trying to imagine the elements of the dish, vegetables, pulses or meat and what kind and how much? You can always get take the easy way (like some do) and get someone’s recipe or a DVD and copy it.

But any self respecting cook would like his or her dish to be an original masterpiece, something that only s/he thought up, something that, even if not perfect, is authentic.

Now we have an outline of what the ‘dish’ is going to be, it is a sketchy draft of words, emotions, colours and sensations. Most people around you cannot understand it, but you can explain it using your hands, the expressions on your face, the variations in your voice. It sounds exciting to some and if you are lucky someone might bankroll your idea. So now you have to plan it all, buy the right elements; they must be perfect, not too ripe or too raw, not too cheap and not too dear. The right colours, the right texture, the right timing. You will need some help, so get the right people to be part of the ‘kitchen’, the chef commis, the chef de partie, the saucier. They are all excited to participate in the creation of your masterpiece, your chez d’œuvre.

It’s all set, now you must start cooking, each element must be put forward in the best manner, delicately handled, taking care of the different consistencies, chopped, diced, sliced, squeezed, sautéed etc. Your heart is beating fast and you wonder if what you are doing is right, maybe you should have waited a little before mixing those two things together. But do not forget to taste it, add the salt it needs, or any other element that you may now think of adding. Maybe it needs some herbs, some masalas. It can be slightly different from what you imagined at first but it is an evolution towards something close to the idea you had in your mind. It is your creation that you can sign and no one will say that it reminds them of something else they had eaten before. In the old days, bad cooks lost their heads. History will tell, either people will remember your cooking forever or for never.

I dare say that that making films and food are the same business.