Actor Sonu Sood emerged as an unlikely messiah from India’s COVID 19 pandemic. He has organised the bussing of migrant labour out of cities and back to their homes. He has helped coordinate various relief operations in conjunction with other agencies as well. He was recently honoured by K T Rama Telangana MLA and Minister for Municipal Admin & Urban Dev, Industry & Commerce. Sood tweeted about this and said thanks for the “world's best veg biryani”
Sood posted pictures of himself with Rama Rao and a plate presented to him and expressed his gratitude.
After tweeting about their cooperative venture Sood called Rao the ‘best host in Telangana’. He also said something about ‘world's best veg biryani’.
Since Sood is now seen as someone who comes to the aid of the needy, most replies to his tweet consisted of requests and even demands for help. People spoke about health issues, injuries, hospital requirements of family members and other misfortunes. They even complained if they had not received help or a response.
However, there were many who paid attention to a particular part of the tweet – the bit about veg biryani.
There are those who believe that biryani can exist in a vegetarian state. And they love it too.
Some have this view.
Some believe that there is no such thing as veg biryani – that is a misnomer for a dish that is better described as pulao.
Now as a dedicated carnivore, I myself subscribe to the view that a real biryani is one with meat in it. I for one believe that बिरयानी खानी है तो chicken बिरयानी खाओ. Vegetarian तो पुलाओ भी होता है Plus, Hyderabadi cuisine boasts a variety of some truly fine mutton, chicken, fish and prawn biryanis – seems a pity to choose one that includes none of these.
Has Sonu Sood been cancelled yet, asked this journo. It is a valid question. We have become so thin-skinned about so many things that we take offence at the smallest imagined slight. The cancel culture is real and it endangers a free and balanced public discourse. It scares people into silence. I believe that as a non-vegetarian I should be free to eat what I want without the holier than thou censure of vegetarians and vegans. Equally, I am willing to respect the choices of vegetarians and vegans. Can we not maintain healthy mutual respect rather than trying to cancel each other? Let Sonu Sood have his veg pulao and call it biryani – see if I care!
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