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Prahlad Kakkar: India's "ad hatter"
Far from food and fitness...
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Known amongst his contemporaries and his loyalists as the "ad hatter" and the man with the "mostest" it should come as no surprise that Kakkar's random philosophy spills over into his zest for culinary, and in his pursuit for fitness. Succinctly attired in boxers, and a black-t he peeps over the back of the sofa as one enters his flat. His wife Mitali smiles over the newspaper. We proceed to his cosy study in his spacious country styled flat located in one of the secluded hubs of Bandra where neighbours include the luminous Aishwarya and the cricket hero Sachin Tendulkar.
"Food"osilophy"
"Food is an extension of everything that gives pleasure in life," says Kakkar. "I really believe pleasure is the opposite of spiritualism and there are many routes to achieving the same bliss. If you purify the portions of pleasure without any individual inhibitions you arrive at spirit." According to Kakkar, "the seat of satisfaction includes food, objects of desire and beauty, poetry and writing, imagination and the arts. That's why a broad base of artistes tend to also be foodies," vouches Kakkar. "Food can be looked at as both "moral" and "amoral"," says Kakkar. "Moral meaning an indulgence without guilt in your actions and "amoral" someone who is straight and narrow and whose actions don't reflect what he/she thinks."
"My philosophy of food is constant. In other words it is always changing. Ten years earlier my outlook on the gourmet palette was substantially different than it is today. Today, I like to experiment with fusion cuisine. Also as the owner of my own restaurants in Mumbai Papa Panchos, and Base Kitchen, I hope to extend my expertise to a lot of food fashionistas at least in the city," he says and continues. "I am not persnickety about food if that's what you mean. I might have been a few years earlier, but today its not implausible to find me cooking scrambled cold soggy eggs." He pauses for effect. " In today's world its almost a vice to pursue pleasure and if you let this get to your authenticity then you're also at risk of losing your joie de vivre.," he attests.
Favourites
"My favourite foods are definitely comfort foods. I love Irish stew and mutton, casseroles and any country style hearty food. It doesn't necessarily have to be gourmet, but it should be flavorful and tasty. I must point out gourmet foods evolve from comfort foods...which at their worst are for sustenance and at their zenith for pleasure," he laughs. He continues, "I think the "guck" food that mom gave is reminiscent of this philosophy as weird as it sounds. You know mother, meat, vegetables and fibre...Like potatoes that you mash with a spoon. The embellishments of mashing the potatoes, with milk and butter although extremely unhealthy tastes wonderful. I think its uniting health, food, security with Mom, someone that represents all this like the smell of lavender talc."
On a serious note Kakkar loves fish. "I am more conscious of food and what I am consuming these days. "Sashi ya mati...nothing else. I also love the Kani lady fish. Its among the superior fish in the world and would be better than even swimming," he analyses. "I like the small fish, the backwater fish much better than salmon any day."
Health "physic"-ology
"I take a healthy attitude in breaking all the rules. I have to lose 15 kilos, and to me health is a mind game. I have a heart condition, slent, cholesterol, diabetes (which is under control), gout, urine infection to name a few," he laughs. "I try and avoid red meat at all cost. I am supposed to be on a strict vegetarian diet. And you know no late nights, drinks, smoking. That's what my doctor says. So what do I do?" He asks. "I change my doctor," he chuckles and adds, "cheating is a great way to live. In fact I'm suppose to cheat in small doses because it allows you to live guilt free. I feel sorry for the people who don't have productive, fun, loving live without which could lead to medical costs totaling God knows what? I mean resentment can also lead to a stroke," he feels. "In this day and age no one wants to be a burden or inconvenience on anyone. That's why health is a spiritual cleansing of garbage like checking your inner negativity before it gets out of control."
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