Kunal Kapoor and Huma Qureshi spill the beans

It’s ironic that the hero in Bollywood’s first food film, Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana (LSTCK) is not much of a cook in real life.

“In my eyes, even boiling an egg requires a certain flair. If I had to leave behind a recipe as legacy, then I say boiled eggs,” said Kunal Kapoor. In his latest comedy, Kapoor plays a Punjabi boy, Omi Khurana, who flees to London to pursue his dreams. But circumstances lead him back to his native village in Punjab and his family’s fading restaurant business. Determined to set things right, he goes on a quest to find his grandfather’s famed chicken khurana recipe.

“It’s a simple, neat film. These days, vulgar slapstick humour is passed off as comedy films. But Luv Shuv is a clean family entertainer where food is a metaphor for life,” said Kapoor, who made his mark in supporting roles in hits such as Rang De Basanti and Bachna Ae Haseeno.

Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana also features rising actress Huma Qureshi and has acclaimed producer Anurag Kashyap backing it.

“It’s a heartwarming tale of love and affection,” said Qureshi who made her Hindi debut with the critically acclaimed Gangs Of Wasseypur.

Tabloid! whips up a shopping list of things you need to know about LSTCK, out on Thursday.

1. It’s about food and love.

Kapoor: “The title gives away that bit, but food is like metaphor for life in this film. In a country that’s obsessed with food, this film is right up our street. Imagine, most of our conversations in a day revolve around food and so isn’t it time that we make a film about it? I am surprised that we took so long to get here. This is Bollywood’s first food film. It’s a heartwarming tale about family and love. Through food, the characters discover themselves.”

2. Producer and director Anurag Kashyap is behind the film.

After the gritty, violent Gangs Of Wasseypur, Kashyap set his heart on making a gentle comedy. Enter Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana. He claims it’s an ode to the Hrishikesh Mukherjee school of filmmaking.

“After a long time I read a script which I found was in a zone that we no longer remember. It’s in the same mould as Little Miss Sunshine, Juno or Basu Chatterjee and Hrishikesh Mukherjee films. People have stopped writing such gentle films and somewhere I got a similar feel from Luv Shuv,” he said.

3. The Luv Shuv team vows not to reduce Punjabis to caricatures.

“When we watch certain Bollywood films that have Punjabis in them, I feel a certain disconnect. I feel we are nothing like them. I have spent time in Punjab and so has our writer, so I do have an idea about Punjabis. So our attempt is to present a picture that’s drawn from our observations. This film will present a whole new picture of Punjabis.” Kunal Kapoor.

4. Luv Shuv will not bear any resemblance to this year’s Punjabi-led hit comedy Vicky Donor.

Kapoor: “The similarity is that Vicky’s mother also has a part in this film and it’s got Punjabis. But I can’t think of any other common thread binding these films together.”

5. Huma Qureshi plays a doctor.

“She’s a doctor from a small village in Punjab and girls from those parts of India will instantly relate to me because I am a down-to-earth character. Unlike my role of an airhead in Gangs Of Wasseypur, this one has her head fixed on her shoulders.”

6. Hottie Kapoor has put all his eggs in this basket.

Kapoor claims he has never been a champion of formulaic films and strives to maintain a balance between comedies and musicals. For him, signing on a Sooraj Bharjatya (king of musicals and family dramas) film is as important as taking up a project with Anurag Kashyap, the filmmaker behind gritty realistic dramas.

“When you are a newcomer, your career choices are different. I am at a stage in my career where I want to do films that I believe in. I have received flak for maintaining a low profile but I want to be seen in films that I am not embarrassed about. I have never subscribed to out-of-sight-out-of-mind theory.”

7. Kunal, who is a terrible cook in real life, plays a pretend chef.

He plays Omi Khurana, who is on a quest to find his grandfather’s chicken recipe and revive his family’s restaurant business. In his hunt to find that secret perfect recipe, he pretends to be a chef.

“It worked well with me because in real life I am a bad cook. I enjoy eating good food but in my eyes even boiled eggs requires a certain flair in the kitchen.”

8. In a food film, you cannot afford 15 re-takes.

“There is a character in the film called Titu mama and he had to eat 52 jalebis for a scene in this film. He has now sworn off a food film.” Watch out for that scene, warns Kapoor.

9. Huma Qureshi’s family, which runs a chain of restaurants in Delhi, are brimming with pride.

“When my father saw the trailers he was so happy. I have done him and my relatives proud by being a part of a food film,” she says.

10. The story is the real star of Luv Shuv.

Films such as Vicky Donor and Kahaani’s box office success have proved that content is the king these days, says Qureshi.