For a short time this March, if you take a walk through Cox Town’s colonial era nooks, you won’t just have to wonder what lies behind the whitewashed facades but can slip through their doors instead – into a lodge from the 1950s, when India was young and full of hope but also reeling from the devastation of colonisation, war and partition.
New India Lodge, an immersive theatrical dining experience weaves together the stories of characters staying there during their travels, each from a different part of the country. As the story progresses, their hopes and hurts in the wake of the birth of a new India are revealed through the ‘travel foods’ they’ve brought along with them and share with guests. “When you think of the ’50s, you automatically get nostalgic, you think of your grandmother’s recipes – but there are lots of complexities to that, like the labour that our mothers and grandmothers put in the kitchen, along with the loss that the partition had left families feeling. While it was a very hopeful time, there was a lot happening,” explains Shubhra Chatterji, the writer of the play, wanting to ask through it – “Are we still faced with the same issues as we were then?”
While the specific dishes are a surprise awaiting attendees, Rani reveals that elements of the menu are adapted to each region they take the show to, ensuring that Bengaluru get a different experience from Goa or Mumbai, where the show has been before. “While in Bombay, we built a backstory around chikki, which originates from Lonavala and in Goa, we built a story around a kokum-based drink – Bengaluru will have a completely different story,” says Divya Rani, co-founder of paChaak productions, who came up with the show’s concept with her sister and co-founder, Deepa Rani.
While the LPG cylinder shortage has affected restaurants across the city, the production’s reliance on local home cooks to whip up the unique treats they serve has ensured that they’re able to keep the show going this weekend. “Because these are very niche recipes, almost all of them come from home chefs; the one dish not made by a home chef has been made by someone who recently transitioned into running a restaurant,” notes Rani, adding that they are managing the situation by sharing LPG cylinders.
Coming back to Bengaluru a year after their initial run, New India Lodge has been seeing footfall by Bengalureans who have long awaited their return, as well as curious newbies. What’s surprised Rani and her team is the story’s ability to connect across generations. “People think they’re paying for a good weekend meal and drink, but are really moved by the depth of the story and characters they meet. Older folks relate to it because they’ve seen something like this in the 50s, but younger people enjoy it because they’ve never seen anything like it.”
(Tickets available at `4,000 on pachaak.com for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays till March 28)