It is a known fact that Indians can't do without four things: food, religion, cricket and cinema. It should perhaps be no wonder then that several Bollywood films have food playing an important role in them. So much so that some of these movies even have titles that revolve around food. With the film, Pizza, soon lining up for release, hitlist points out some of these movies with delicious names...
'Barfi!' (2012)
Director: Anurag Basu
Lowdown: Starring Ranbir Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra and Ileana D'Cruz, it's a misnomer for a boy who was originally named Murphy. The story not only travels from Darjeeling to Kolkata but also between the present and the past.
'Khichdi: The Movie' (2010)
Director: Aatish Kapadia
Lowdown: A TV soap starring eccentric yet adorable characters was made into a full-fledged movie. The title remained the same but its impact unfortunately wasn't so.
'Garam Masala' (2005)
Director: Priyadarshan
Lowdown: Given the number of shirtless guys and bikini-clad women in this film, the title of this film is perhaps justified. A thoroughly brainless masala entertainer, this.
'Cocktail' (2012)
Director: Homi Adajania
Lowdown: A love triangle between three distinct people, the title is an implied metaphor about relationships more than anything else. Yes, alcohol is permitted in the film.
'Murabba' (2013)
Director: Anurag Kashyap
Lowdown: Set in North India, this is a short film that begins and ends with a piece of the eponymous pickle. The tale spins around a promise made by a son to his ailing father.
'Paranthe Wali Gali' (2014)
Director: Sachin Gupta
Lowdown: Set in Delhi, the film makes the most of a narrow yet popular lane in the city's Chandni Chowk area. However, the romcom has little to do with food.
'Aloo Chaat' (2009)
Director: Robbie Grewal
Lowdown: Although the film is barely as piquant as the title, the idea behind the latter was to convey to audiences that the film's leading characters belong to different religions.
'Chocolate' (2005)
Director: Vivek Agnihotri
Lowdown: Hugely 'inspired' by The Usual Suspects (1995), we still don't know why exactly this heist film is named so. Dark secrets and chocolates? Hmm.
'Cheeni Kum' (2007)
Director: R. Balki
Lowdown: This film's title plays on the protagonist's -played by Amitabh Bachchan - bitterness about life. It also refers to his profession for he is a chef at a top restaurant.
'Popcorn Khao! Mast Ho Jao' (2004)
Director: Kabir Sadanand
Lowdown: A youth-centric film, Popcorn Khao! Mast Ho Jao was supposed to be a fun entertainer but it hardly set the box office on fire. Moreover, there is no specific reason why this film was called so.
'Bheja Fry' (2007)
Director: Sagar Ballary
Lowdown: Targeted at the middle class, which has to struggle everyday with bureaucracy (read: corruption), the film's title hinted at the frustrating situations that unfold in the life of the protagonist.
'Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana' (2012)
Director: Sameer Sharma
Lowdown: A true food movie, it has a love story adding zing to it. The storyline revolves around the age-old cinematic treat of finding a secret recipe hidden somewhere in a culinary family.
Blast from the past
Hindi films with food-inspired titles go back a long way...
'Roti' (1974)
'Angoor' (1982)
'Namkeen' (1982)
'Khatta Meeta' (1978)
'Mirch Masala' (1987)