“The goal was simple. I wanted to celebrate her.” It’s a good place to start with the story of a young woman and her relationship with her mother and grandmother and the cooking of traditional Indian dishes.
Thinking it would be a great bonding experience she suggests to her mother that they should make her grandmother’s signature dish: aam ka achar (green mango pickle). Unfortunately, the recipe is convoluted and it is the wrong season.
Writer, Pratha Nagpal, who also directs, observes similar complications with preserving her Indian heritage and her immediate relationship with her mother and long distance relationship with her grandmother.
Pratha, through the charming actor Madhullikaa Singh, discusses her process for constructing the story. Initially it was to be a celebration. An alternative narrative was to be an examination of the situation from a feminist perspective and a discussion about domesticity and the patriarchy. There are numerous ways to view this tale and it brilliantly melds several themes into an rich and sensual story.
Featuring food as a central motif has been an element in many books, films and television shows. There has been Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate, Christopher Storer’s TV series The Bear, Gabriel Axel’s film Babette’s Feast, Nigel Slaterís Toast, and Ang Lee’s film Eat Drink Man Woman to name a few. They creatively explore the intrinsic and passionate relationships revolving around people and food. Pratha Nagpal’s play has these elements and has added the Indian migrant experience, AND cultural and gender components to create a thoughtful, amusing and entertaining drama.
Popular Bollywood films invariably contain an extravagant theatrical song and dance number to the extent that they generally appear in arthouse Indian films and have become an almost mandatory requirement. Pratha has very subtly included a dance sequence when Madhullika Singh, as the mother, feeds guests the food she has inevitably prepared and forces upon her visitors. It enhances both the story and the entertaining feel of Maa Ki Rasoi.
Sound design is by Sam Cheng and lighting design is by Tyler Fitzpatrick. Production photography is by Clare Hawley. The Stage Manager is Georgia Tyrill. All are to be commended.
MAA KI RASOI’s MY MOTHER’S KITCHEN opened at KXT on Broadway, 1st June, 2023 and runs until 4th June. It is highly recommended.
Production photography by Clare Hawley