Little did the Tamil actor-director Radhakrishanan Parthiban, who says that his biggest motivation lies in trying new cuisines as work takes him places, knew that his interview to a daily would provide a hot topic for the nation to debate over.
During the long-winded interview, where Parthiban clearly went nostalgic while talking about his favourite childhood memory, he talked about how food has been the biggest attraction to him since his toddler days when he assisted his mother in cooking.
He talked about multiple south Indian cuisines, but in the end insisted on Upma being made the national dish of India, touting the healthy snack as the favourite go-to food for many directors.
“Upma was my saviour those days. When there was enough money, I used to make kesari, and if there was no money, it was upma. Many assistant directors survive only on upma even today. It requires less ingredients and it is a one-pot dish that can be made in a short time. Upma must be declared the national dish of India.” Parthiban told Hindu.
While this seems like a light remark coming from a true Upma lover, TV channel NewsX thought the statement to be breaking news worthy.
As bizarre as the statement was, people on Twitter had a bomb with it. While some mocked the frivolous nature of the proposal, others thought it to be the perfect time for taking the nation’s opinion on what the country’s national dish should be.
If anything, the suggestion unleashed insults on the humble cuisine
And then some more crazy-ass suggestions
(Feature image source: Twitter/Facebook)