Sundeep & Bedabrata - Be Patient With Whatever You Do (Food Bloggers From India)

From our experience, we believe, like any other profession, a beginner has to be perseverant and consistent to succeed as a blogger or influencer. Expecting monetary returns from day 1 is a recipe for failure. 

 

1. Tell us about your background and journey.

We are a blogger-duo discovering life through travel, food, theatre, art, craft, and culture. One of us is a graphic designer and the other an IP lawyer; this is our Dr Jekyll – Mr Hyde story. When we do not run with design or legal briefs, we travel in and around Delhi and the world and share our fun experiences on our platform DelhiFunDos. 

2. Which is your favourite cuisine and dish?

Blogging about food has given us a deep perspective. We have come to believe there is no food like home food. Our favourite cuisine is home-cooked Indian food Be it in Himachal, Uttarakhand, or West Bengal; wherever we travel, we try to have at least one meal at a local's residence. 
The favourite dish has to be the combination of Sarson ka Saag and Makki ki Roti cooked by Sundeep's mother.

3. Should food blogging be just a passion or can it become a stable career?

Initially, for us, blogging was an act of passion and remuneration happened much later. However, there has been a shift in the market now. Brands are preferring promotion on social media that is accessible on handheld devices rather than focusing only on print media. Thus bloggers play a more critical role as mediums of advertising. Given the demand of the day, blogging is now a more structured industry-like profession.

You may be aware the government is trying to bring social media influencers under the tax ambit and that is a clear indication. We too have been invited by schools and universities to take classes on blogging as a career choice. Hence, the word on the street is that blogging can be a career option. That said, from our experience, we believe, like any other profession, a beginner has to be perseverant and consistent to succeed as a blogger or influencer. Expecting monetary returns from day 1 is a recipe for failure. 
 
4. Which restaurants/culinary experiences would you recommend to food lovers?

This is a tough one since there are so many places or dishes we could recommend. When in Delhi, the galouti kababs at Qureshi opposite Jama Masjid and the sumptuous thali at Gujarat Bhavan are must-tries. Also, Daulat ki Chaat during winters at Chandni Chowk at one of the few remaining carts is a pleasant surprise.

Among the many food experiences we have had during our travels, we would strongly recommend almost every item at the Chinese breakfast market at Tiretti Bazar, Kolkata, and the night food market at Manek Chowk, Ahmedabad. We do not want to spoil it by providing many details but must-tries here are Jain Ghoogra sandwiches and fresh Jamun shots. 

5. What makes you appreciate a particular dish or a restaurant and talk about it on your blog?

While Delhi is gung-ho about Butter Chicken, we discovered Dahi Chicken at a restaurant in South Delhi. This is a less sinful and more refreshing version and it became a talking point for us. What we are trying to say is that the uniqueness of a dish is something that motivates us to talk about it on our channel.

The other factor that counts is if the experience is valuable for health and money. For instance, we write extensively about State Bhawan canteens that often serve unique regional dishes cooked in moderation of oil and spices and are easy on the pocket.

6. Is there a dish you particularly associate yourself with?

Sundeep is a Delhite. His heart beats for Sunday lunch and when at home it is mostly Rajma-Chawal for him. Bedabrata can't handle a lot of spices. His heart beats for cakes along with a big cup of tea. And a book maybe. 

7. Which is your favourite book and why?

Speaking of books, both of us are unanimous fans of the novel Siddhartha by Herman Hesse. The equation between Siddhartha and his friend Govinda is very relatable to our scenario. In any situation, one of us leads and the other is happy to be led. That is how we have functioned successfully and when we see that as a plot for such an admired classic, we feel vindicated.

- Sundeep & Bedabrata (Instagram)

- Interviewed by Deshna Jain