Ricesome Reviews: Annapoorani

This movie was trending #1 on Netflix when I saw it and I wondered, "Is it because it's Nayanathara or is it because people are interested in this concept so much?"

Annapoorani is a Tamil language film, that was released on December 2023 starring Nayanathara as the main protagonist (Her 75th film btw) and is directed by Nilesh Krishna as his directorial debut. This film revolves around the journey of Annapoorani, the daughter of a reputed temple cook, with a talent for discerning the flavours of food and decides to become one of the best chefs in India. The story is about how Annapoorani overcomes her difficulties with her family, society, and tradition. and eventually achieves her goals.

Now, I am writing a review about this movie, but I am not a film critic. I am just pointing out things from a culinarian's perspective. I am neither gonna recommend nor discourage you from watching it. What this film gave me is an opportunity to talk about some things, and that's what this blog is folks; me finding things every week so I can talk about stuff that otherwise seem out of the blue or uncalled for.

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An Unique Dish on an Old Menu. But...

This movie sheds light on a topic that I don't think has ever been discussed or tackled on-screen. It's the stigma associated with people who belong to a certain caste and religion are not allowed to cook or eat meat. In this movie's case, Nayanathara belongs to a family of devout Brahmins, and her father is a reputed chef, who cooks the 'Prasadam' that is offered to God. Her family shuns her dream of becoming a chef, but not of her cooking food at home from a young age. I was surprised to see that this perspective was brought to light, and it is very close to something that I have personally faced.

Another thing that I like about this movie is that it is a "Hero's Journey". It focuses on the protagonist, on the problems they face, and how they overcome them. I grew up in a vegetarian family, and I went to culinary school. The first time I had to touch meat and cook it in my practical class, I was a bit apprehensive. Many of the thoughts that went into my head at that time were some of the things that the protagonist struggles with as well.

I didn't even know that this movie had come out until my father suggested me to watch it. His interest was greater than mine. Similar to the protagonist's father, he supported my passion from a young age and suggested I watch it in the hopes that I would relate to it. I think many parents who would watch this film might suggest their kids this career path or at the very least, will be made aware that such a career path also exists and is considered respectable. This stigma still exists, and I am glad that the film acknowledges this and shows how it can be tackled irrespective of our backgrounds.

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.....Too Much Salt!

Okay, here we go, the negatives. The movie isn't necessarily.........good. It creates dramatic scenarios for even the littlest of things (as all movies do) but doesn't execute them properly. Some of the scenes are very cringey and unnecessarily unrealistic. I was able to fairly enjoy it provided that I could relate it to my background in culinary arts, and the hidden incentive of finding an article topic....but apart from that, if do you not come from a culinary background, chances are you might not enjoy this film.

Although I like that this movie is a hero's journey, it shows little to no character development. (This is turning into a film review....gotta pull back..) As with any cooking movie, I only have one concern, a food film can be judged based on how much imrtance is given to actual food in the film and also the focus on a dish's preparation throughout the film, and in this case, it is close to nothing. I wish they invested more budget in some cooking shots, that would have spiced things up. (Haha, spiced things up...get it? Only me?)

None of the experiences that the protagonist goes through in the second half of the movie seem organic in any way. Even the problems she faces in the second half are artificial and are blamed entirely on the antagonist. I am not saying they don't happen to anyone, but no one hires a chef in the middle of a buffet service at a posh wedding while hundreds of people are watching, just because she said the food tastes bad, and claims she can make it better. (I might be wrong, let me know if you were hired as a chef that way....and also give me that HR's number).

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Overall, I am happy that a film like this was made and that it sheds light on the lives of chefs who come from conservative backgrounds like Annapoorani in the film. The fact that movies like these are being made shows the gaining popularity of cooking as a profession in India as compared to before. I genuinely believe that movies have more power in informing, changing, and challenging perceptions than anything else. It reaches places where traditional media cannot.

At the same time, we need better movies that showcase the culinary life in the Indian film industry. Need I say, more realistic movies. There are a few, but we need more. T-minus how many years before we get a show like "The Bear" or a movie like "Chef"? Hopes up and fingers crossed!

See you next week!