Cast: Nana Patekar, Taapsee Pannu, Shriya Saran, Ali Fazal
Director: Prakash Raj
Tadka: Love Is Cooking, the official remake of the 2011 Malayalam blockbuster Salt N’ Pepper. Food has been a recurring theme in the film, and in this Hindi remake, “Aloo paratha” plays an important role in the love story that connects Tuki and Madhura. It’s a refreshing story about an archaeologist and radio jockey who meet well past their adolescent years and share only two things in common: a love of food and an internal belief that they are too old to fall in love.
The story by Dillesh K Nair and Shyam Pushkaran is unique in that it features food as an important character in the film. Initially, this old-fashioned romance with natural comedy is quite appealing. However, it quickly becomes quite stale and jokes are quite repetitive. The plot is predictable, as it is the classic theme “two opposites attract”. But what sets this story apart is the lead couple’s passion for cooking and eating good food.
Nana Patekar convincingly played a middle-aged man living a routine and uncomplicated life. The first scene, in which he goes to see the girl for marriage but instead chooses the cook (played by Rajesh Menon), and the second, in which the girl he goes to see orders a lime soda, are both very funny. Shriya Saran appears attractive, but she has given better performances in Drishyam and other films in the past. Both characters did well in portraying their respective complexities on their own, but when they come together, they are an odd couple, and even their chemistry falls flat.
Tuki’s nephew Siddharth, played by Ali Fazal, and Madhura’s only friend Nicole, played by Tapsee Pannu, provide solid support, but their roles are too cliched. Both Pannu and Fazal are underutilized in the film, which is exacerbated by Tapsee’s off-key dubbing. Furthermore, the twist and confusion introduced in the story are predictable. The rest of the cast, Murali Sharma, Lillete Dubey, Naveen Kaushik, and Rajesh Sharma play their parts well.
The climax brings the couple together, removing their masks and complexities, and convincing everyone that it is never too late to find your soulmate. But, as a whole, this 115-minute drama comes across as a bland blend of food and love. A zingier love story would have made it more endearing to watch.
