Who are celebrities when they are not faced by a camera? Who are they like while not in the shoes of a character, and what do their meals look like? But most importantly, if there’s something that makes them just like you, it is simply a dish they cannot resist. Celebrity Eats is a Slurrp special series where stars express their foodie versions. From their fondest childhood memories to their go-to cheat meals, you can get the inside scoop on your favourite celebrity.
Ayush Mehra, the beloved face of Filtercopy, is also known for his unforgettable roles in web series like “Minus One” and “Please Find Attached.” The Bollywood celebrity who also starred in movies like “Kacchey Limbu,” has revealed in an exclusive interview with Slurrp about his sweet tooth, what he eats as a cheat meal, his favourite foodie memories, and much more.
Growing up, what were your favourite foods?
I was born in Amritsar and grew up in Bombay. I keep going to Amritsar a lot, and I genuinely love the aloo kulcha of Amritsar, and it’s genuinely the best. Since I’m a Punjabi, in my house, we always have rajma chawal and parathas. In Bombay, I grew up near Andheri so I had a lot of vada pavs, dosas, tawa pulao, and juice from a place called Amar juice.
What’s your fondest childhood memory of food?
When I was a kid my mom used to make parathas for me. Sometimes I still eat it and it’s blissful. I can’t even tell you how much also I used to love chocos, and I used to eat so many plain Bournvita, that I didn’t even use to put them in milk while watching Cartoon Network. I also eat a lot of mangoes. Mango season is my favourite and that’s my favourite fruit. I used to have three mangoes in a day, I don’t have as many now but every time I have a mango, I’m like ‘Wow man’.
What are some of your all-time favourite foods?
You know my favourite foods are all food. I have no distinction. I have no filter and I have no control, but because I have to act and have to look a certain way, it is really difficult for me to diet, but I love Biriyani. I love chicken and mutton biryani a lot. Even for Ganpati puja, I look forward to going to people’s houses and just eating. I love chicken, butter chicken is my favourite. I also love South Indian food. And I am still a huge fan of parathas and Alfredo pasta.
Do you follow a specific diet? What is your favourite cheat meal?
Yes, I follow a diet. It is just very less carbs and more protein. I tried to be vegan for a month but at that time we didn’t have as many options as there are now. But now I am a non-veg and I really love having a lot of protein in the form of eggs and chicken and fewer carbs.
For a cheat meal, I like to have burgers, pizzas, and pasta. They have high glucose so they also give a good pump. I also have a huge sweet tooth, so it could be chocolates as well, a brownie or it could be some cake.
What is your go-to dessert?
My go-to dessert is Baskin Robbins’ Mississippi Mud or it could be a chocolate brownie. I also like the chocolate – Nutties. And if I want something fancy, then I would try a cake, or go for a Tiramisu.
Are you a tea person or a coffee person?
I am a huge coffee drinker, I have 3 to 4 cups of coffee every day. I love black coffee. I like cold coffee. I have hardly had chai a handful of times in my life.
Do you like to cook?
Yeah, I cook very often! I boil eggs, and that’s all the cooking I know. But I do make a good omelette. So, no, I don’t really cook often.
How do you see the role of food in bringing people together at ‘Table For Everyone’?
Food is an important aspect of our lives. When you’re meeting someone new, you meet them over coffee, breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and life revolves around food. Food becomes more important when you’re sharing it with people, it becomes an experience and a memory which to going to stay forever. If the food was great, the next time you meet, you’d mention how good the food was. Even when the food was bad, it still is a core memory, which you’ll share with a person forever. It’s something which brings you closer and it’s amazing how different people enjoy a similar dish.
And that’s the beauty of food where everyone has their favourite. Even after different reservations and taste buds, food is so binding. That’s what “Table for Everyone” was themed like, bringing people together. I genuinely love meeting people, sitting down with them, and having a conversation with them because I think that’s very tangible, and real, and everyone focuses on it and obviously, you share food with them. So, I really had a great time.