ROLL CALL FOR ROTIS

In a recent interview Nandita Das & Hubby Subodh Maskara come up with candid details of their lives which became the basis of their play, ‘Between the Lines’. It revolves around lives of protagonists who are as different as chalk & cheese which they attribute to diverse family backgrounds.  

At one stage Subodh talks about his family which like most Indian ones was a patriarchal set up. He then goes on to tell us about an amusing practice of Roti Roll Call during dinner times. They followed an unwritten protocol to serve Rotis first to the father, then to elder brother followed by younger one, then to sisters and so on. Women and kids were the last on the list. Surprisingly, I did not find it amusing because I had witnessed similar practices.

In fact Roti service has a special place in all households. Most homes follow the hierarchy. Men, especially family heads insist on being served hot-rotis straight from tawa. Pampered hubbies would even throw the roti away if it is not as per his liking. Throwing their plate of food by hubbies was even considered macho reflex. Strangely, their wives would extol these misdemeanors like virtues. Was it a privilege extended to the bread-winner?

What is the scene today? For one, kitchens have become smart and swanky spaces which cost loads of money. Best of gadgets and comfortable environs are the hallmarks of these kitchens. But the tragedy is that the owner lady hardly enters the area. She has abdicated it to the ubiquitous bai who quickly picks up tricks to cook in the hi-tech kitchen. A few years earlier, it was only the working women who took recourse to this arrangement. Today, even women who are only home-makers, shun kitchen chores.  

And what happens to the roll-call for rotis? That protocol is gone for a toss. And so is the craving for hot rotis. These households have become the fiefdom of cooks who come at their convenience, prepare food and go. You can consume it in ‘as is where is’ condition or ‘microwave’ it if you like it hot. Most families comprise members flitting in and out with no fixed schedules. Seldom do they dine together. Hierarchy is passé in these.

Another interesting fallout of the situation is that all family members learn to like whatever fare is served. No complaints, no arguments, no throwing of plates. Understandably, restaurant excursions become frequent for them.