Chef-themed Bengali movies need wider acceptance in age of food blogging: Filmmaker

Kolkata, Nov 15 (PTI) As his Bengali film Ranna Baati draws audiences to theatres, journalist-turned-filmmaker Pratim D Gupta says the growing influence of food bloggers and social media influencers should pave the way for wider acceptance of chef-themed Bengali films.

He said the film looks at professional kitchens, celebrity chefs and culinary ambition, but at its core it is about food as emotion — how cooking connects people to memory, love and loss.

Gupta told PTI on Friday that he wanted a title "steeped in Bengaliness and homeliness… something that could evoke the smell of fried onions and the clinking of steel utensils — warm and personal".

'Ranna Baati', which released last week in single screens and multiplexes across West Bengal, marks Gupta’s return to food-based storytelling after his earlier work 'Maacher Jhol'.

On the issue of food blogging becoming the rage in social media, he said, "If millions of people are watching food reels and chef vlogs every day, it shows there’s already an emotional hunger for stories about food." "Cinema just needs to tap into that emotion with sincerity. Chef-themed films can go beyond recipes — they can explore identity, ambition and healing. 'Ranna Baati' does that," he added.

Gupta said food is "visual, sensorial and deeply human — the perfect cinematic subject. As audiences grow more curious about the stories behind dishes, he believes such films will "find bigger acceptance and eventually, stronger box-office flavour too".

Explaining the title further, he said, "'Ranna' means cooking and 'Baati' is the humble bowl from which we eat — intimate, everyday and deeply Bengali. ‘Baati’ also means home. And Ranna Baati is the toy set of miniature kitchen items that kids play with." Asked if the film is a prequel or sequel to 'Maacher Jhol', he said though people will naturally draw parallels because both films deal with food, 'Maacher Jhol' was about rediscovering one's roots through food, while 'Ranna Baati' is about rebuilding relationships through it.

"'Ranna Baati' is about a widowed father, his teenage daughter, and how cooking becomes their common language. If 'Maacher Jhol' was about returning home of an internationally famed chef, 'Ranna Baati' is about finding home again after it's broken." he said.

About the film categorised as a 'Chef Universe' genre, he said, "We now have a Bengali ‘Chef Universe’! 'Maacher Jhol' started that journey, and 'Ranna Baati' expands it. But this isn’t about cinematic branding; it’s about exploring human stories through the lens of food." "Food-themed cinema in Bengali is still rare, and I’m happy to keep that world alive — one where recipes and emotions coexist. If audiences call it a chef universe, I’ll take that as a compliment," he added.

On whether Kolkata is emerging as a culinary capital, Gupta said, "Kolkata has always been that — we’re just waking up to it again. The city’s culinary identity is incredibly layered: British, Mughlai, Chinese, Armenian and purely Bengali influences all coexist." "What’s happening now is a new pride in food — chefs are experimenting, cafés are innovating and home chefs are becoming Instagram stars," he said.

"Kolkata’s palate is adventurous yet nostalgic… a five-course tasting menu and a roadside biryani stall can both draw passionate crowds. So yes, Kolkata is not just a city of food lovers; it’s a city that lives through food," he added.

About the principal cast in the film, Gupta said Ritwik Chakraborty and Sohini Sarkar bring an organic chemistry that's both mature and tender.

"Together, they bring warmth, humour, and a lived-in honesty to 'Ranna Baati' that elevates the film beyond its recipe of emotions," he said.

"The plan is to take it to both mainstream and food-themed festivals, and hopefully, let the aroma of Kolkata's kitchens travel far beyond Bengal." PTI SUS MNB