Seeking to dispel common stereotypes around food and identity placed upon South Asian communities, a new TELUS Original, Not Your Butter Chicken,follows food and wine expert Shiva Reddy as she reconnects with her own culture and copes with her mother’s gradual loss of memory due to dementia.
As Reddy processes this stage in her own life, she embarks on a journey across Western Canada to meet with other South Asians with compelling food histories, in turn spurring a process of self-discovery and reclamation.
It was a curious process to film this particular part of her life’s story, Reddy says. But there was beauty in holding all the complexities that came along with the process.
“It just happened to be one of the hardest moments of my life, we didn’t know if she would make it at times…” she said. “But also just seeing the sweetness of it, these communities are just so welcoming—it was like a breath of fresh air.”
Documenting fleeting memories
In the opening scenes of the first episode, we see Reddy warmly caring for her mother. We watch as she combs her hair, organizes her medications, and gently pieces together old photographs and memories. It’s a sweet and tender introduction to the series. This show immediately makes the audience aware that it’s so much more than simply the recipes we follow or the food we eat. It’s about how our food, humanity, and relationships are connected—how we relate to our identities.
Priyanka Desai, a Vancouver-based content producer from Mumbai and the director of this series, said that besides the food theme, the show was a way to document Shiva’s journey with her mother.
“When a close one is losing their memory, it’s like you’re losing them even before you lose them. So how do you try to capture and hold on to what is present?” Desai said.
As Reddy’s mother’s condition unfolds, she said documentation feels even more…
Read the full article here
