Acclaimed photo-journalist Dilip, Deepa Mehta’s brother, ventures into film direction
Cooking with Stella, produced by David Hamilton for Hamilton Mehta production in Canada premiered at a Gala event at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival.
Don McKiller and Seema Biswas in a scene from the film. (Picture by Brigitte Bouillot)
The movie is directed by Dilip Mehta and the screenplay was also written by him along with his acclaimed film director sister Deepa Mehta. The story is almost based on a true story, according to the director.
The principal cast includes Lisa Ray, Seema Biswas, Don McKiller and Shriya Saron. All four actors attended the red carpet premiere at Roy Thompson Hall last year.
On June 23, Lisa Ray was diagnosed as having multiple myeloma, a cancer of the blood cells within the bone marrow. Since July, she was receiving chemotherapy and appeared to speak in public about her sickness in early September. Participating in numerous awareness campaigns about this rare type of incurable cancer, however, she believed that ‘it can be cured’.
Director Dileep Mehta. (Picture by Sonia Ricchia)
Lisa plays the role of a warmhearted Canadian diplomat posted in India. She appeared in all the promotional events for Cooking with Stella during the film festival in early September.
Those who can remember Seema Biswas’ dramatic and unforgettable role in Water, especially the final scene which was filmed at the Fort Railway Station in Colombo, Sri Lanka, will be surprised to see the way she has transformed herself to fit into the role as Stella. Acting as a housekeeper and the head cook in a diplomatic residence in New Delhi, she proves her talent in acting. Stella has over 30 years of experience in cooking authentic Indian dishes for the diplomats who lived in New Delhi. She is a very stern, dominating and a sharp woman who knows how to get around for her own benefit.
When Maya (Lisa Ray) and Michael (McKiller) arrived with their baby daughter, Stella’s life began to change. She was surprised to see the lady in the house as the diplomat and her husband staying at home to look after the baby and to attend to household affairs. Stella kept on cooking mouthwatering dishes and at the same time cheating on grocery bills to top off her modest salary and passing away the extra grocery for her on-call business.
VIDEO – Cooking With Stella Trailer
(Picture by Brigitte Bouillot)
After the arrival of beautiful and honest Tannu, (Shriya Saran) at the diplomatic residence to look after the baby girl, Stella’s world turns upside down. Shriya Saran is a well-known South Indian actress. In 2007 she earned her popularity in Kollywood for her acting alongside Rajinikanth in Sivaji the Boss. To keep up with her lifestyle Stella has to think for a good plot and work well for her benefit.
Cooking with Stella is a social comedy which the whole family can sit together and enjoy. When Michael decides to learn how to make traditional Indian dishes from Stella, they both prepare Dosa and other delicious Indian dishes, which will make the audience feel hungry for authentic food. Cooking with Stella is the first feature film directed by Dilip Mehta, who was born and raised in New Delhi. He is a well-known photographer. By covering the Gandhi family and the Bhopal chemical disaster in 1984 he earned international reputation as a photojournalist. Dilip worked with his sister Deepa Mehta in two films, Water (2005) and Heaven on Earth (2008).
