Actor’s food stall at Dharamshala film festival a big hit, inspires him to launch restaurant chain
MID-DAY (November 8, 2016)

Over the last few days, Prateik Babbar was in the mountain town of McLeod Ganj for the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF), which came to a close yesterday. But, it wasn’t for the screening of any of his films — the 29-year-old actor had been running a food stall at the film fiesta, selling dosas, medu vada and pizza to visitors.

“But Morgan’s has a lot of variety,” insists Prateik. Morgan is the anglicised name for Murugan, the owner of a rundown shack, who he had met in Dharamshala when his 2015 film Umrika was screened at DIFF. “At that point, Murugan needed money to repair his shack. So, I decided to collaborate with him and put up a stall at the festival last year to serve pizza and pasta. It was an instant hit. Later, we transformed his shack into a proper restaurant and named it Morgan, instead of Murugan, to make it appealing for expats,” he says.

This year, Prateik decided to add some South Indian fare to Morgan’s menu. “We had Naseeruddin Shah and his wife Ratna Pathak Shah coming over to my stall to have dosa and medu vada. They loved it,” he beams.

Indeed, the actor was a star attraction at the festival and most visitors at his food stall not only relished the food items but also made sure to take pictures with him. Prateik reveals to hitlist plans of getting into the food business. “I am looking at expanding my business in Delhi and Mumbai, with a franchise model in place. I am working out the modalities,” he signs off.
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Harshada Rege (DNA; November 8, 2016)

Prateik Babbar is now a restaurateur. After Hrs caught up with the actor at the recently-concluded Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF), where his staff was serving delicious pizzas. The actor is a co-owner in a restaurant called Morgan’s Place in Dharmakot, in a village situated high in the hills above McLeodganj in Himachal Pradesh and is popular with local as well as international tourists.

At peace
Of his restaurant, he says, “This venture took off about a-year-and-a-half ago. The owner, Murugan, is a friend of mine. It had a different name earlier and it was more like a shack, but the food was delicious. He told me that he wanted to make it a proper restaurant, but did not know how to go about it. I knew he was passionate about it, so I told him that I’d invest in it. I also got a few other friends along. So now, he has a legit place. For me, it’s such a great feeling cause I am feeding people. My heart is at absolute peace.”

Film facts
It isn’t Prateik’s first time at the DIFF. He adds, “Last year, my movie Umrika, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival 2015, was screened here. I was introduced to DIFF because of the film, and I was smitten. The vibe is amazing.” The actor enjoyed himself immensely this year too. “I didn’t have a film at the festival, but I was still there, cooking for people and watching as many films as I could.”

Foodie at heart
The actor says that he never expected to open a restaurant, but he is a foodie. “I am a sucker for good food. Par kya karoon, mein kuch kha nahi sakta hoon because I am always on a diet to look a certain way and be fit. But when I break my diet, I eat everything.”

Luck by chance
He says the restaurant was a one-off thing and is mighty thrilled at the response it has received. “Fortunately, it worked out well. It’s doing brilliantly. People have loved the food. We are registered on TripAdvisor and are among the very few places to get five stars. We are actually getting offers for franchises. People have also been suggesting that we should open another joint in Goa and other such places, but we are taking our time.”

Expansion?
Another venture on the boards? “It’s an option now. Achha khane ka keeda hai, aur ab achha khilane ka keeda hai. And that has happened after this venture took off.” A restaurant in Mumbai on the cards? “Insha Allah. We are getting offers. I am taking it, step-by-step. But my focus is always on movies first. I am always busy trying to hone my skills as an actor,” he says.

Kitchen confidential
He is a restaurant owner, but does he fancy himself as a good cook? “I am curious in the kitchen, let’s put it that way. Whether I am good or not, is for others to say.”