Twenty-seven-year-old Ayush Khanvilkar brings elements of Bollywood and food together to tell stories of undiluted Mumbai through v-logs
Here, he tried the famous caramel custard, among other dishes. Pics/Atul Kamble
Mumbai is not just a city, it’s an emotion. Clipped to this emotion are memories of sitting with friends at Marine Drive’s iconic promenade, the street food that can play havoc with your tummy, but you’d eat it again in a heartbeat, and Bollywood movies that continue to live rent-free in the bylanes of the city. These tiny, simple things in an otherwise glamourised city became the driving force for Kandivali resident Ayush Khanvilkar to show off Mumbai as he knows it through his food v-logs.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I wouldn’t call myself a food v-logger,” says Khanvilkar, adding, “I use food to tell stories of Mumbai simply because who doesn’t love food? I am a storyteller, and my videos are my films.” The software engineer, who is also a film enthusiast, had even considered switching to film-making professionally. Unlike the food reels that dominate most feeds, with Instagrammable ambiance and a multi-cuisine fare, Khanvilkar’s reels focus on the raw appeal of the city’s character. His inspiration, he says, is straight out of a Bollywood movie.
Ayush Khanvilkar visited the century-old Bagdadi restaurant after he came across a John Abraham interview
His latest video, for instance, is based on Bagdadi restaurant in Colaba. But what made him cover this century-old restaurant now? It was an interview of John Abraham that he came across recently. In the video, the actor shared how when he was a student in Jai Hind College, Churchgate, Bagdadi would be his go-to place. Khanvilkar, who used to travel to Bandra to attend college, recalled how he would head to SoBo in search of a restaurant with pocket-friendly options and would always end up at Bagdadi.
“The entire experience made me wonder how many college students rely on the eatery daily. It is near Taj Mahal Hotel, a location considered to be one of the most prime spots in Mumbai. And still, you are served a full-sized roti priced at Rs 25, in times when it can go up to Rs 100, even Rs 200. I am not saying that the food here is extraordinary, but it is definitely one of the best options for those who have a tight budget.”
Another video by Khanvilkar was inspired by Wake Up Sid. The female lead Aisha in the movie gets asked out to Pizza By the Bay at Marine Drive; however, the jazz music and the vibe make her feel like a misfit there. Khanvilkar visits the restaurant and tries their breakfast. In the video, he explains that Pizza By The Bay was initially called Jazz By The Bay, claiming that since jazz was not popular with the common man, the restaurant was eventually renamed Pizza By The Bay.
Pizza By The Bay, where Khanvilkar ate pancakes, was inspired by Wake Up Sid (2009)
Other such videos include one where he visits Cafe Andora and connects it with the movie Baton Baton Mein, which showed actor Amol Palekar as Tony Braganza in this charming neighbourhood of Bandra. “The bungalows in the locality are being replaced by high-rises. Through Cafe Andora, which is located in a bungalow, and by connecting it to certain scenes in the movie, I wanted to draw attention to the history and the changing landscapes of the city,” he tells us.
Most videos that are a minute long, take him three days to create. This includes planning, shooting, script writing and editing. He started out as a YouTuber in 2019, but realised that the videos he was making were too long for the general public. When his journey on Instagram began last year, he pledged to never give in to the appeasing trends of Instagram reels in order to keep his videos “as organic as possible.” He isn’t keen to take up collaborative offers that he receives from restaurants, “These are restaurants that are four or six months old. However, my videos always tell stories of the history and culture of the city. I do not see a story in these newly established ones.”
After he watched the classic Baton Baton Mein (1979), he tried the desserts at Cafe Andora
Clearly, cinema runs in his veins when he says, “You may run into celebrities in real life, but you will never run into the characters they play. These characters continue to live on in Mumbai, and these videos are my way of making people meet and connect with iconic characters like Tony Braganza.”
Log on to: @ayush_khanvilkar
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
