Mumbai Food: Shernaz Patel, Neil Bhoopalam talk about eating right for theatre

Neil Bhoopalam and Shernaz Patel talk theatre and food at the Prithvi Cafe, Juhu. Pics/Satej Shinde

We spot Shernaz Patel at the Prithvi Theatre box office, poring over the printed schedule of plays. As we head to its iconic open-air café, she asks us, amused, "Who are all these people? Are they from nearby colleges?" When we tell her that students find the café ideal to hang out because of the prices, she says, "But what about people who've come to watch a play, and want to grab a bite?" Actor Neil Bhoopalam joins us, giving Shernaz a hug. They have been friends for over a decade, and the camaraderie is obvious, especially when talk is about theatre and grub.

Shernaz: My parents were theatre professionals, so it was second nature. In 1983-84, my best friend and I were students of Elphinstone College, and would volunteer at the Prithvi Festival. We would hold the dupatta for Jennifer (Kendal) and collect money after the show. We saw the plays for free. The fests held in 1983-84 are hailed as the best at Prithvi; they changed my life.
Neil: I am envious of children whose parents are into the arts. I was exposed to theatre only at 19. My parents wouldn't spend money to watch a play because it wasn't a priority.
A waiter interrupts the banter to say three new dishes have been added to the menu. Shernaz orders a Vegetable Thai Green Curry and Neil, the Hummus With Grilled Veggies. As the photographer attempts a candid shot, Neil stiffens.
Neil: (laughs) I get nervous. I imagine I have to strike a pose.
Shernaz: Me too. Once Boman (Irani) was trying to shoot me and admitted that I was his worst subject. He was entertaining me, and yet, I had a plastic smile.

Suprita: How did you two meet?
Shernaz: He was in Mithibai College. He was 19, and studying mass media where I was conducting a two-day workshop. On day one, a cool dude walked in with a lot of attitude.
Neil: I thought I was humble with a bit of swag. So with extra respect, I would say, ‘Ms Patel, what do we need to do now?'
Shernaz: He had that whole ‘What do you know that I don't' attitude.
Neil: Rubbish! Don't lie. When I was in college I had done one play with Atul (Kumar) called Voices. That's the one Shernaz saw.
Before I worked with her, we were friends. Then one day, I saw her in Carnage. I took a step back and saw the craft; it amazed me. With Rage Productions (a group Patel co-founded with Rahul da Cunha and Rajit Kapur), if they want to work with someone, they will try to pull them in. They are hustlers. It's lovely that they turn 25 this month.
Shernaz: I'm a huge Neil fan. Your eyes automatically go to him when he performs. Kalki [Koechlin] has that too.

Suprita: What's the difference between acting in film and theatre? You've done both.
Shernaz: Theatre doesn't pay. You can't buy a house or do the things your batch mates are doing. It is more like a family; a collective enterprise. There's a hierarchy in films, which you need to navigate. The craft is the same; the techniques are different.

Neil: You can't be passionate about theatre but do films for money. I trick myself into thinking I'm a stage actor, who also does film.
Shernaz: When we started, theatre was a stepping stone to films. Actors would leave theatre when their screen careers took off. People like Naseer [Naseeruddin Shah] were few. If they stayed around, it would have helped theatre. Now, there's more original writing, devised work and theatre groups. The problem of economics remains, however. It's sad that we have one Prithvi in Bombay. There are no copyright laws for playwrights. We have The Drama School in Mumbai. NSD (National School Of Drama) graduates do film and TV, not theatre. We need government funding. Investing in the arts is important.
(Food arives) (Tasting the Thai curry)
Shernaz: It's too green but tastes good.
Neil: The hummus is not too bad. There's no performance if a performer doesn't eat right.
Shernaz: Neil has to eat every two hours. If he doesn't, he goes crazy. Even when there are two shows, back to back, he needs to be fed in between.
Neil: Atul (Kumar) once said food is your fuel. The body is the real estate that you invest in. I evolved in my food habits a few years ago. You need to know what's going in. You need to eat fruits till 1 pm and then eat cooked food. Do you know that milk takes 72 hours to break down?
Shernaz: What! What about slim milk?
Neil: 71 hours (laughs). If you eat junk food before a show, all your energy goes in breaking that down, and you can't go all out. Instead, eat half an apple and go on stage.
Shernaz: We eat greasy samosas and chai.

Suprita: Do you cook?
Shernaz: I can cook continental and Parsi food that my mom taught me. I'm not very good at making Punjabi food.
Neil: Yes, to cook that food you need to get into character. I make pumpkin soup, broccoli soup, fish, grilled chicken, spaghetti.
Shernaz I follow a recipe to the T. Even for a dish I've made a hundred times, if I add a dash of this; it's a disaster.
Neil: I was born in the 1980s, when we were saving trees. I used to watch YouTube videos for recipes and would see the hands, and remember proportions. My reading is so bad that instead of quarter spoon, I'd put four.
Shernaz: Yes, Neil can't read. When we have the first reading of a play, someone has to sit beside him and constantly correct him.
Neil: Now they too know which words I am going to get stuck. So I pre-prep at home. I'm a slow cooker. It takes time, but jab khaana ready hota hai, toh badhiya hai.