“I am basically a rasam sadam-thogayal type... no no... in fact I am the moru sadam-potato fry type. So I guess I am not the right person to talk about food,” says Vijay Antony, who is currently shooting for his upcoming film, Annadurai, at Thiruvannamalai.
This sound engineer-turned-composer-turned-producer/actor, says he is always on the lookout for suvaiyaana sappad (tasty food), and explores a lot of street food whenever, wherever he can. “On days when I wrap up my shooting by around 5 pm, I binge on medu vada, bajji, bonda, in streetside stalls, on the way back home. Similarly, if we pack up during the wee hours, it is always idli-chutney-sambar, from one of the numerous thattu kadais in the city,” he says.
The ‘simple star’, as he is called by his fans, was born and raised in Tiruchi till he was seven, and post the untimely death of his father, he had to move to Tirunelveli, where he completed his school and college.
His memories of Tirunelveli are predominantly associated with food. “Once a week, I used to treat myself to three parottas with the pocket money I saved. It tasted so good, and I loved eating it soaked in salna. My mom used to take me and my sister to Jannath Hotel, Tirunelveli, near the main bus stand, for a biryani treat. The taste of that biryani and that single piece of Chicken 65 is still fresh in my memory, even today.”
It is 20 years since Vijay Antony moved to Chennai, and he says he is still searching for a particular kind of samosa, popular in towns such as Tiruchi, Madurai and Tirunelveli. “What we get here is Punjabi samosa, stuffed with potato, very huge, and not at all tasty. I am looking for that thin triangular-shaped samosa filled with sliced onion, cabbage, carrot and flavoured with garam masala and chilli. It is like packet samosa, but much bigger. Can anyone tell me where I can get it in Chennai?”
When it comes to his childhood favourites, he refers to a place in Chennai, known for parottas: Madina Parotta, in Kodambakkam, near the Ambedkar statue.
Antony says Chettinad cuisine tastes best in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian variations. Madurai Amma Mess, Dindigul Venu Biriyani and Pollachi Kalakki Mutta are his must-haves when he travels to these towns.
His wife Fatima makes it a point to surprise him with special feasts every once in a while. “Her experience in cooking is less and she prepares an exotic dish occasionally, but it always turns out to be good,” he says. “When I travel overseas, I visit only Saravana Bhavan or survive on fruits and vegetables. I am wary of unknown street food, available in plenty in places such as Singapore and Malaysia. But during my recent trip to Singapore, I tried out Thai food,” says Antony. “The best food is available only at home. I realised it when I tasted the biryani made by Shoba Chandrasekhar (actor Vijay’s mom). If there is ever a biryani-making competition organised, Vijay’s mom will win hands down. She is an expert biryani maker and she cooks it to perfection, with her own style of preparation and ingredients.”
Today, Vijay Antony’s lifestyle has changed and he works round the clock.
“Of late, I have started giving a lot of importance to fitness and grooming. It is an inevitable transformation. These days, I pay attention to my eating habits and avoid junk food,” he says, quickly adding, “but looks are not that important to be a good actor”.
He also travels a lot for shooting and ends up eating a variety of food on the sets and at different restaurants.
But at the end of a long day, what he yearns for is the simple tomato rasam and lentil-based ghana thogayal that his mom prepares.
A fortnightly column where film personalities talk about their trysts with food