'Goan Gullies shows the never-before-seen face of city'

Experience the state of white sandy beaches through the lens of foodies Rocky and Mayur, in their latest show

Food enthusiasts Rocky and Mayur are on road again with their latest show ‘Goan Gullies’ on Zee Zest. In a chat with Showtime, the duo spoke about the show and what Goa offers for foodies.

How was it to shoot during the pandemic?

Rocky: We started shooting at the end of December. It was stressful going out and meeting so many people. People across the country were getting back to business, politicians addressed public gatherings, and people celebrated festivals. Shooting a TV show was relatively less risky. We took solid precautions.

Mayur: There are people in this country who won’t have anything to eat at night if they don’t work in the morning. Through our show, we were trying to say that life has to go on, pandemic or no pandemic.

What are the unique aspects of the show?

Rocky: Goa is often viewed just as a tourist destination. People there has a blend of culture from the Portuguese and pre-Portuguese times, which is fascinating. This is not to say that the Goan culture is alien. To define all cultures as one, and define that as Indianness is foolishness.

Mayur: This was a chance to show people the aspects of Goa that most people miss out on. For example, the music of Goa is Fado, which is Portuguese. There are many paintings that are unique to Goa. There are chefs who promote local regional food. And there is Feni, the great alcohol.

‘Goan Gullies’ hopes to introduce people to a side of Goa they never knew. Goa represents a sort of freedom.

Some of your best memories of the show…

Rocky: We visited a village of tribal community people. They speak a dialect that is a blend of Marathi and Konkani. Spending the morning with them was wonderful. Their dance, food, and the way they welcomed us were all special. They make bidis, and the lighter is just stone and metal.

Mayur: It was a special experience to visit the Feni manufacturing place. There was a beautiful museum on the history of Feni too.

Your thoughts on Goa’s food culture..

Rocky: Food in Goa is vibrant and global. It is unique and avant-garde. Be it the cutting-edge Japanese restaurant, the smoking meat in Goan style, Indian cuisines like Tamil food or the Italian food with old-style Italian recipes, Goa has it all.