Adil Hussain calls cooking, a meditative process
Mumbai, June 25
Actor Adil Hussain has shared how practicing culinary art empowers the artiste in him. The actor spoke withrecently, and shared that he likes to prepare food, and serve it to people.
He also explained the effect of food on the mind and body of a person, and said that it's imperative to have a happy mood while making food.
He told IANS, "It is one of the activities that help me keep calm, and then I also purposely do my other practices. But cooking for me has become a part of my meditative practice, because I understand the gravity of food, because food goes into your body and it becomes your body. You see, anything and everything that we eat, it becomes your physical body. It goes into your organs, your blood, your nerves, your brain cells, everything".
He further mentioned, "So it is very important what kind of a mood and mode that you are in while you cook, you know, that everything is sort of absorbed into the food that your intention food cooking starts from the point you want to cook from the birth of the intention. And then you to the point where you serve the food, how you serve with what intention you serve with, you know, what kind of emotional state you are in when you're cooking. So it has been playing a very important role in my life. Most of the time I cook for our son, my wife and my friends, of course".
Earlier, the actor recollected how he cooked a 6 course meal for the late actress Sridevi, and the crew on the sets of 'English Vinglish'.
He shared that the food served on the sets of the film in New York started getting monotonous with only the North Indian cuisine as the spread.
— IANS
Reader Comments
True words! I've been a chef in Bangalore for 15 years, and I tell my junior chefs this all the time - your mood goes into the food. When I'm stressed, the biryani just doesn't taste the same. Adil Hussain is spot on about the meditative aspect. Cooking forces you to be present, to focus on the knife skills, the timing, the flavors. It's mindfulness in action.
Great insights from him! The 6-course meal for Sridevi on 'English Vinglish' sets - what a lovely memory. But I wish he had also touched on how difficult it is for many people to find time for this kind of mindful cooking today. With our hectic schedules and the rise of food delivery apps, we're losing this connection. Still, his perspective is a beautiful reminder to slow down.
I'm a psychologist and this is scientifically backed! Research shows that cooking can reduce anxiety and increase mindfulness. The intention behind the food literally affects the eater - it's called 'emotional transference.' Adil Hussain might not have a degree in this, but he's speaking from lived experience. India's ancient Ayurveda texts also talk about the 'prakriti' of the cook affecting the food.
Honestly, this kind of talk feels a bit too philosophical for me. I mean, cooking is cooking - you chop, you fry, you eat. Not everything needs to be spiritualized. But I respect his views and it's refreshing to see an actor talk about something so simple and human instead of the usual film promotions. At least he's being authentic.
K