Baking & the Big Screen: Roti & RRR
This movie has fully come out of nowhere and taken so many movie lovers by storm. I’m actually not sure if a non-English film has gained this much momentum since Parasite. So when I heard multiple people on podcasts saying how much they loved RRR, I knew I needed to watch it. And I cannot say how glad I am that I did. This movie is an utter blast, and while the run time and necessary subtitles may seem daunting, it’s worth every moment of your attention. I didn’t go into this expecting to find a baking connection by any means, but during a meal scene, I noticed what looked like something I’ve become obsessed with - roti. It was fate. A very delicious fate.
RRR
N.T. Rama Rao Jr., Ram Charan, Ajay Rama Raju, Alia Bhatt, Olivia Morris
Director: S.S. Rajamouli
Released in 2022
Available on Netflix
So, I’ll go ahead and say that yes, I know this movie is not technically Bollywood, but it has a myriad of the same elements and was my first true exposure to this genre or culture of film. It’s freaking incredible. I’m almost doing it a disservice by not thinking of more descriptive adjectives. Everything about this movie is over the top in the most amazing way. It’s colorful; it’s action-packed; it’s dramatic; it’s three hours long. For the first twenty minutes or so, I was skeptical. It seemed ridiculous. I was starting to be concerned that I was once again not getting the point (looking at you, The Green Knight), but something shifted, and I can’t even figure out what it was, and I was hooked. I was desperate to see how this story would play out, and I was not disappointed.
I normally would go into more detail about the plot or what to expect, but I’m not sure it’s possible for this movie. On the one hand, I have zero idea how to condense it down into a manageable summary. On the other, I don’t want to. Go into this knowing nothing, just like I did, and you will have a wonderful movie experience. It being on Netflix is a great plus, making it more accessible to those of us that may not seek out Indian films. There are batshit fight scenes, magnificent dance breaks, a bromance for the ages and a semi-takedown of British colonialism, and what more could you ask for? After watching it, however, I’d highly recommend looking into some additional information on just why this movie is a huge deal, and some of the cultural context. It’s not as light as it seemed to me, and the education around it is another pro I didn’t think I’d get from this supersized movie.
Another excellent thing? Roti. It’s insanely easy, requiring literally only four ingredients (bread flour, salt, warm water and butter), and the process is even easier. Mix up flour and salt, add butter, mix, add water, knead, rest dough, divide, roll out and fry. Then toss in a plastic bag with paper towel dividers and you have steamed, delicious roti. I still need to figure out the perfect way to cook them on my stove, but even for my first attempt, it’s beyond worth it. I will absolutely be making more of these in the future, and may even try to use them in my new favorite thing - making chips out of cut up tortillas in the air fryer. Roti chips seems like another way to level up some nachos or a snack of hummus and something crunchy. While it may have never occurred to you to make this at home, it’s so easy that you can’t believe you haven’t done it before. This is absolutely a game changer. Such a successful baking + movie combo this month. I’m accidentally setting the bar insanely high.