Two foodies go on an epic journey

'The Big Forkers' is a web series filled with good food recommendations and lively conversations

A brainchild of cousins Sid Mewara and Shashank Jayakumar (Shanky), the web series on YouTube is an amalgamation of honest reviews, raw banter and mouth-watering food.

The first season of the online show was shot in Mumbai and released last year. Season 2 shot in Goa early this year, is currently in post-production, with 15 episodes having been released so far, garnering immense popularity.

In a candid interview with Metrolife, the creators talk about their experience of creating a food and entertainment show during a pandemic, the highs and lows the food industry is currently facing and more.

How did ‘The Big Forkers’ come into existence?

Shanky: It was no secret that we both love food. Two years back, when I was in Spain, coincidentally, Sid was just an hour-long flight away in Italy. Soon, a plan was made and Sid landed in Spain and before we know it, we were on a road trip to cover the Anthony Bourdain trail. When our friends saw us travelling eight hours just to taste a paella, one of them drunkenly suggested we should make a food exploration show, and here we are today.

What makes your show stand out from the other food and entertainment shows?

Shanky: We’re not a food review show, we are evolving and we want to create a highly curated show that covers not only the food but also the culture, the people and the entire eco-system that surrounds it. We have a very raw format, that is uncensored. When you watch us you get two different perspectives, as we both approach food in different ways.

The show launched at the peak of the pandemic in India last year. How was the experience of making a food show during the pandemic?

Sid: It was a hell of a learning curve, I learnt about the concept of time in India and how it was a little more relaxed. While I was trying to frantically get things done, the collective response I got was, “Chill bro”. There was a fair share of pros and cons to this situation. While it was easy to source out people for jobs as freelancing was on the rise, we had some issues with coordination as everyone was spread out across different cities in India. Last year, just as the pandemic was about to start, we went through one production run that unfortunately did not work out. So we had to redo everything in five days before the lockdown was announced.

Shanky: As we didn’t want to spend a lot of time outside and put people’s lives at risk, we tried to shoot as much as possible in a short amount of time. At one point, we were doing three restaurants a day and three bars a night. It was an experience that we learnt a lot from, in a way it gave a character and look to the show that we carry today.

How has the pandemic affected the food culture in the country?

Sid: For the food, beverage and hotel industry, this pandemic has been catastrophic. A lot of places were not able to sustain the required lockdowns and the constant change of regulations. While filming in Goa, there were so many places I really wanted to visit and shoot, but unfortunately many of them had shut down as a result of the pandemic.

However, the positive change is that people are cooking from home, either by circumstance or need. This has given a rise to home cooks. We are seeing lovely regional dishes and cuisines once again shining above the milieu of multi-cuisine fare.

Where is the show heading to next?

Sid: Regarding location, we don’t have a city decided as of now. Also, we don’t want to limit ourselves to only India, we’re also considering the possibility of exploring other countries for the next season. We’re also in talks with OTT platforms, to see what we can do next with the show.