Of food and conversations: Chef Shrimoyee Chakraborty’s docuseries breaks stereotypes about India

India is known for its food culture—the cuisines that vary from region to region, the spices that make up every iconic dish, or the personalised preparation style. Indian food is unique and flavourful, and the options are boundless. And yet, ask any westerner about Indian food and the answer is obvious. The list is limited to Butter Chicken, Malai Kofta, Tandoori Chicken, and of course, Chicken Tikka Masala. 

Fun fact, Chicken Tikka Masala did not originate in India! The creamy gravy with roasted chicken chunks is believed to have its roots in Glasgow. Chef Shrimoyee Chakraborty wants to break this, and many more stereotypes that the western world has about India. 

A presenter, broadcaster, and producer, Shrimoyee has created the docuseries India Bites to educate her audience about the different cultures of India through food and conversations. 

“I am sick of white people’s descriptions of India…I want to change that perception and I want Indians to be represented,” she tells YS Life. 

Indian roots in England 

Growing up in the suburbs of Kolkata, Shrimoyee was always a fussy eater. A small-town girl with big dreams, she moved to the UK in 2010 to study at the University of Manchester, after completing her graduation at Mumbai’s Sophia College.

Severely disappointed by the Indian food served there, she started experimenting in the kitchen. Soon, Shrimoyee started her own Bengali food blog and was participating in food popups before she knew it. 

“I was extremely offended by the way India was being projected in the Western media and even in the hospitality industry. No one was serving real Indian food; it was always this western version of Indian food with extremely old-school decor,” Shrimoyee tells us over a Zoom call. 

And thus, a dream was born. Shrimoyee started her own Bengali restaurant, Calcutta Street, in London in 2016. 

Fast forward to 2022, and she has launched her first docuseries, which aims to break stereotypes about Indian culture through food and diverse conversations with some of the most authentic and well-known faces of modern India. 

Food and conversations 

“India Bites is a concept that has been brewing in my head for the last 12 years since I landed in the UK. The agenda was to break stereotypes about India and show the new, modern, young India to the world, the India beyond cliches and slums or palaces,” Shrimoyee says. 

Shot across Kolkata and Mumbai, two Indian cities where Shrimoyee feels at home, each of the five episodes of India Bites dives deep into one topic, connecting it with food. The topics range from music to Indo-Chinese food, from beauty and chaats to startups and expats who choose to stay back in India. 

“No meal is satisfying without some banter and great company. Food and conversations go hand in hand,”  she says. 

When sharing a meal, the conversation is not always about food. The idea of the docuseries, thus, was to pair different types of food with different topics, and then let the conversation, and the food, flow free. 

“The best way to understand a country is through the locals. I wanted the audience to feel like a fly in the wall and get a sneak peek into the real India, find out what the locals talk about, how they dress, and what kind of music they like,” she explains. 

The show hosts guests including Jim Sarbh, Ryatasha Singh Rathore, Imaad Shah, Mandana Karimi, Elodie L’Derf, Harry Hakuei Kasota, Pierre Labail, Harry Hakuei Kosato, Samyak Chakraborty, and Bruno Rauis. 

“The guests were shortlisted based on the subject of each episode. But the aim was always to show unique Indians who are doing something different and exciting. Not the typical Bollywood version of guests that you usually see,” Shrimoyee explains.

While the docuseries is about India and its food culture, the very first episode features Pierre Labail, Co-founder of Suzette Creperie and Cafe in Mumbai. 

On being asked why she chose to begin an Indian food show with a French crepe joint, the producer-presenter says, “The episode focuses on India being a melting pot of culture and I wanted to show expats or the new generation of immigrants in India. Also, how you find all kinds of cuisine in India– French crepes being just one of them. India accepts world cuisine and celebrate it too… And I loved the similarities between crepes and dosas! That’s how I always explained dosas to my non-Indian friends!” 

But this is not the end of Shrimoyee’s dream. The chef has been shuttling between cities to work on her next show – on indigenous booze of India! 

Produced by Tastemade and Bagh Films Limited, India Bites is available for streaming across Apple TV, Samsung TV Plus, The Roku Channel, Amazon FreeVee, DirectTV Stream, and TV Now.