Sharmaji Namkeen to Stanley Ka Dabba, Movies Where Food Was A Main Character

Some of us may be less passionate about food than others, but it surely runs our lives. It sometimes runs movies too. From Sharmaji Namkeen to Stanley Ka Dabba, here are a few of our favourite films that pretty much had food as one of the main characters, alongside the actual ones. Read on.

1. Sharmaji Namkeen

In his last movie, late actor Rishi Kapoor plays the role of a caterer. He plays the role of Brij Gopal Sharma, who feels a bit directionless after retiring from his job and wants something new to do. This is when he attempts cooking for kitty parties at the suggestion of a friend. From that point, his business increases but problems at his home are many and must be solved.

2. The Lunchbox

A chance encounter between two strangers is brought about by a misplaced dabba. They figure it out early on but carry on. Homemaker Ila (played by Nimrat Kaur) keeps sending tiffin to Saajan Fernandes (played by Irrfan Khan), along with letters. He replies to her with letters as well. Soon, the two fall in love though that is not explicitly shown in the movie.

3. Axone

In this delightful movie by Nicholas Kharkongor, a group of youngsters from the Northeast tries to make a traditional dish, Axone, for the wedding of their friend. The problem is, that the dish requires time and effort, and the ingredients smell a certain way. Given the inherent racism in people, this group finds it very hard to find a place to cook the recipe that is so important for the event. The film does a great job of showcasing the blatant discrimination faced by the people from the Northeast and also makes an impactful commentary on mental health issues.

4. Cheeni Kum

Cheeni Kum is an unconventional Bollywood romantic film that shows a relationship between a 64-year-old Buddhadev (played by Amitabh Bachchan) and a strong-willed woman 34-year-old woman Nina (played by Tabu). Buddhadev is a chef and that is why food becomes an important part of the story. The two meet at his restaurant and soon, find that they are into each other. After lots of ups and downs, they get approval from their families to marry.

5. Bawarchi

This Rajesh Khanna-Jaya Bachchan starrer was released in 1972 and is a perfect movie to watch with your family, to date. It’s the story about a joint family that is never able to have a cook work for them for more than a few days because they are not the most reasonable bunch. Then, enters Raghu (played by Rajesh Khanna), who changes the ways of the family and brings its ever-hostile members together.

6. Piku

This movie’s connection with food is less direct, but still, very important, considering that the story revolves around Piku (played by Deepika Padukone) and her father Bhashkor (played by Amitabh Bachchan) who suffers from constipation. They are naturally very particular about what they eat as a family and what they serve to those who visit.

7. Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana

When Omi has to return from London owing to money troubles with a UK gangster, he finds that his grandfather has forgotten the recipe for ‘Chicken Khurana’, a dish that made his family dhaba popular in the region. After his grandfather’s demise, he sets out to figure out the recipe again and finds that the secret ingredient used in the dish was in fact, marijuana. All this happens while he is developing feelings for Harman, the girl he loved before running away to London. Hence the name of the film!

8. Stanley Ka Dabba

Amole Gupte’s movie has a heartwrenching twist in the end, which binds the entire plot together and puts everything in place. The film traces the story of Stanley, a young kid who can’t get his dabba because his parents are out of town. So, his friends ask him to share food with them. However, this doesn’t last for too long as one of their teachers wants their dabbas for himself. To make sure that Stanley is well-fed, his friends start hiding from this teacher.