The JIO MAMI Film Festival has returned after a three-year hiatus, celebrating the finest in global and South Asian cinema. The 10-day festival offers a captivating selection of 250 films and a star-studded affair, graced by luminaries like Mira Nair, Luca Guadagnino, Kamal Haasan, Mani Ratnam, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Vishal Bhardwaj, and many others. Cinephiles are in for a treat with an array of stories that are both engaging and thought-provoking.
Among these cinematic gems is Mai, a heartwarming dramedy that is part of the anthology titled Lost and Found. Directed by Milind Dhaimade, it features Shahana Goswami, of A Suitable Boy and Bombay Begums fame; and Kunaal Roy Kapur, known for his work in Delhi Belly. Mai delves into a slice-of-life narrative, revolving around the life of Suman Das (Kunaal), a 35-year-old man who holds a deep, almost reverential love for his late mother’s culinary creations. Shocked by her sudden demise, the only way for him to revive his mother’s legacy is through the treasure trove of dishes she had lovingly prepared for him. Everything changes when he meets Mona, a woman with an extraordinary gift — an exceptional palate that enables her to decode the recipes of any dish she tastes. The polar opposite characters of Suman and Mona weave a narrative of love, loss, and sacrifice. In our conversation with the actors, they candidly share their “complex” relationship with food, the critical phase of their life that brought them to crossroads and more.
It is a very warm and heartfelt film with no larger-than-life elements. What grabbed your interest?
Kunaal: There were no forced emotions. It was almost like preparing a good meal, where you have the right amount of salt and spices! What attracted me was my character who is quite obsessed with his late mother’s food, is lonely and stuck in his own ways of doing things. He’s not able to move on in life. He’s almost like his own worst enemy. I had a deep connection with him also because I have a deep bond with food. It has been my biggest friend and my worst enemy. In fact, I have learnt how food can manipulate you rather than you manipulating recipes. Sometimes it makes you feel like you’re in a tussle with your tongue, heart and stomach. There are times when your love for food turns into hate for yourself. So we share a complex relationship with our meal and that’s what the film gets into. It touches on a lot of aspects, where each one of these threads can be a separate story in itself.
Shahana: Yes, that’s what it is! Milind is a great writer and an even better observer of life. His writing has a lot of layers in it and you have to absorb them, like you do in life. In the film, the conversations that are happening in the background are very pertinent in real life too. I also got interested in the project because of Kunaal. We have known each other for many years. And the characters we play have very opposing energy so it was interesting to see how the chemistry unfolds. My character Mona is vivacious, energetic and always moving around, which is closer to me in real life while Kunaal’s character is lethargic, soft spoken, slow moving and a bit grumpy, which is opposite of his real life persona.
Do you like cooking in real life?
Shahana: I love cooking, but more than that, I love eating (laughs). I am a great connoisseur of food. If anyone wants to try anything and feed me, I’m always happy.
Kunaal: I often cook, the last thing I made was a burger, which everybody loved. I make breakfast every day. I like to do things my way. Especially in breakfast dishes, like eggs, there’s a very particular way in which I like them. If somebody else does, it doesn’t feel like my meal.
Given your relationship with food, do body weight issues bother you?
Kunaal: The level of judgment women endure is significantly harsher than that experienced by men. If I was very large or very thin, I would still get different kinds of roles but for women, it’s much harder to get work. Our industry is far more brutal to them.
You both have done your fair share of lead and secondary roles and started very young as actors. Have you ever felt lost in life and career?
Shahana: My journey began early and swiftly; I found myself in the film industry without fully comprehending how it happened. It’s a unique story because, unlike most in the industry, I didn’t face the typical struggles in my early career. But as I entered my late 20s, I started feeling unsatisfied with where I was. Mumbai was no longer providing me with the mental stimulation that I craved for which led me to seek a change. I decided to explore Paris. I had a few friends there, and given that it’s one of Europe’s major film industries, I felt it was an ideal place to be. My time in Paris was transformative. I not only learned French but also had a profound spiritual and personal growth experience. That time, my main struggle was finding the projects I truly wanted to pursue. Many that I got into didn’t see the light of the day. As an actor, it can be incredibly challenging when your hope fluctuates daily. Financial pressures were mounting, and I questioned the path I was on. I could have easily returned to India, taking on projects that paid the bills, but that would have left me discontent. I chose to wait as I’ve always been selective and go with my instincts. Finally, the universe answered my call with exciting projects during the pandemic. The Paris phase was crucial as it allowed me to positively detach from my work, place trust in myself and do a quality check.
Kunaal: There have been moments when I’ve considered alternative professions. Once, at three in the morning, I was dangling from the edge of a building on a harness, thinking, ‘If only I had finished my graduation and pursued that architecture course, I might not be acting right now.’ There are times when I’m swimming in the distant suburbs of Mumbai, and I find myself contemplating whether I should have chosen a different path in life. Such thoughts often cross my mind but I’ve come to realise that this quest doesn’t necessarily end; you have to keep exploring new paths and that’s fascinating.
JIO MAMI Film Festival continues till November 5.
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