After 'Foodistan', 'Love Bites with Joey', 'Chakhle India' and other shows, NDTV Good Times has introduced another food show with a comic twist. 'Fat Man and 13 Brides', launched recently, sees food critic Bikramjit Ray of 'Secret Kitchen’s fame, travelling the country in search of good food. His alibi? He is looking for a bride.
Apart from eating at popular restaurants across India, Ray visits families in cities like Jaipur, Chandigarh, Chennai, Pune, Hyderabad , Kolkata and Pondicherry to know more about local cuisines, and yes, to meet his bride-to-be.
Ray insists that the 13-part series is made in good humour, “Shaadi to bas bahaana hai (marriage is just an excuse),” jokes the critic who is rejected by each family on the show. He tells us a bit more about the show and his love for rasam rice.
"I would be more upset if the families approve of me (laughs). I am a lifelong bachelor and a food nerd who looks at everything from the point of view of food. I have practically no intention of getting married. All these girls are the same age as my niece. There is no romantic inclination and no personal angle. I don’t want to make fun of anyone but myself.
"People have fantastic stories to tell. In the bania family episode, the grandmother of the girl made dahi vada which was slightly spicy. But it was absolutely fantastic. In Cafe Bahar, Hyderabad, biryani was made on an industrial scale.
"The toughest part was convincing the families that this was not about a real marriage. In fact, for the Pune episode, the girl disappeared. Thankfully, we found another one. The show talks about marriage customs and bits and pieces about the wedding rituals that go with the food.
"On every episode, we have two recipes, from the restaurant and the family.
"I love Keith Floyd and Rick Stein. Like all guys I love watching Nigella Lawson cooking. For me, she is food porn. (laughs) I love watching detective shows and have the entire Agatha Christie’s Poirot series. I’m also a Big Bang Theory fan.
'Fat Man and 13 Brides' airs on NDTV Good Times every Saturday at 8:30 pm.