When actor-comedian Kullu teamed up with our editor-in-chief Kamiya Jani for Curly Tales’ Tere Gully Mein, he wasn’t just hopping from stall to stall, he was walking straight into a memory lane paved with food. The pair tucked into plates of chole bhature, golden French toast, crisp idli-vada, steaming filter coffee, tangy chaats, and a spread of Bhopali specials that made the city’s streets feel like one long buffet.
This Is What Kullu Misses Most About Bhopal
As much as Kullu relished every bite, he confessed that it isn’t just the taste of Bhopal he longs for when he’s stuck in Mumbai. It’s the rhythm of the place and the way the city breathes through its food.
“Here, we Bhopalis can wait an hour for our meal, but we’ll eat it peacefully,” he said, grinning between mouthfuls. In his eyes, Bhopal’s restaurants are not simply eateries; they’re extensions of the living room, places where you can sprawl out, sink into the vibe, and leave only when you feel ready. He drew a sharp contrast with Mumbai, where the rush to turn over tables often means sharing space with strangers. He completely rejects this culture, he said firmly, laughing at his own bluntness but making it clear that this is a non-negotiable for him.
Laid-Back Bhopali Vibe Vs Fast-Paced Mumbai Food Scene
In Bhopal, even on a Thursday afternoon, the cafés and dhabas hum with a slow and relaxed energy. He chuckled at our choice of words when we called Bhopal lazy. Kullu wittily says, “Mai bolunga toh insult ho jaayegi.” He says that “lazy” is not the right word to describe the Bhopali vibe, “laid-back” is. That small correction carried the charm of someone who knows his city inside out and loves it enough to defend it.
The longer the conversation stretched, the clearer it became that what Kullu misses most about Bhopal isn’t simply the food itself, it’s the act of eating it the way it’s meant to be eaten: unhurried, unrushed, and on your own terms. In a city where people measure time by the aroma of chai brewing or the crunch of hot poha, meals are more than fuel; they’re a kind of theatre.
Also Read: Leaving The Laidback Life Of Bhopal Behind, This Is How Kullu Survives In The Bustling Mumbai
By the time the episode wrapped up with Bhopali delicacies crowding the table, it was obvious that Kullu’s attachment to his hometown had less to do with appetite and more to do with philosophy. For him, Bhopal is proof that food tastes best when you give it time, and that life, like a good meal, deserves space to breathe.
Cover Image Courtesy: Internal
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