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Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

Cooking is therapeutic M.K. Raina at Hotel Radisson MBD, Noida

He is known for blending together a skilful play. But few know that he has a patent on green chicken! He is the veteran actor and director M.K. Raina, a committed non-vegetarian.

He has appeared in movies with actors from Rakhee to Aamir Khan. He has taken theatre to remote reaches and has discovered its power to heal. When he gets time from theatre, he cooks, finding it the most relaxing exercise.

Seated at a sun-showered Made in India restaurant at the Radisson MBD, he is naturally gracious and amiable. With good natured trust he leaves the choice of dishes to the waiter.

Awaiting the order, he says that while Kashmiri food is his speciality, he has just started experimenting with South Indian food as well.

He recounts, “I’d gone to Sagar recently. We ordered a chicken dish. I was trying to figure out all the ingredients in it. Seeing me smell it and taste it with care, my son said I was like a chemist.” It is this surprise of discoveries that Raina finds exciting.

His mother was an excellent cook. But looking back, he says his most memorable meal was in Manipur. “We ate on the floor and were fed by female Manipuri seths. What a meal that was! Ratan Thiyam found out about it and said it was a good omen to have eaten there. We would be blessed.”

Raina is always partial to the local cuisine. Similarly, he has always worked for the resurrection of traditional and regional theatre. He has worked extensively in Rajasthan, Haryana and Kashmir, to name a few areas.

This Kashmiri calls Ladakh his “spiritual home”.

He feels humbled by the mountains. But he adds with a laugh, “The Ladakhis hate the Kashmiris!” His most memorable performances, have in fact, been in a Haryana village where the audience sat on window sills, and in Ladakh in the open air.

The food appears at the table in a long parade. The waiters spoon out generous helpings of navrattan kabab, dora kabab, kakori kabab and tawa machalli. Raina is overwhelmed.

But he admits that the food is “absolutely lovely”. He is especially impressed by the dora kabab, the signature dish of the restaurant. It unravels with a string and Raina appreciates both the mechanics and taste of it.

He was once at the famous art director Nitish Roy’s house. Wanting to help out, Raina decided to make a chicken dish. With little on offer, he made a coriander paste.

He fried the chicken with some garlic. And voila! Green chicken was discovered. Noted filmmaker Mrinal Sen is said to have tasted it and loved it.

The next time, iconic film director Govind Nihalani insisted the dish be made at his house. Five kilos of chicken was bought. But the absence of a mixer was soon discovered. Not to be discouraged, the dish was made. And it was a success.

Much like his dishes, theatre for Raina, is not about ticket sales and conventional successes.

He explains, “Theatre should not be used only at annual functions. Theatre is not ba-ba black sheep. Creativity needs to be part of the curriculum. It’s a medicine that helps people think positively.”

For this to happen he believes that drama schools should be opened at the state level. The need is for state-level repertories supported by public-private partnership.

Having gone through the various appetisers, Raina politely refuses the main course. He is thoroughly satisfied with the kababs and is unwilling to try anything else.

NANDINI NAIR

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