`Stella` looks beyond stereotypical India: Dileep Mehta

New Delhi: Photojournalist-turned-director Dileep Mehta says his debut movie `Cooking With Stella` looks beyond the stereotypical India portrayed in Western films.Dileep, brother of acclaimed filmmaker Deepa Mehta, has previously directed a documentary `The Forgottan Women` on the widows of Varanasi, inspired by his sister`s Oscar-nominated film `Water`.

But in his debut feature film, Dileep wanted to depict the mindset of Indian middleclass minus the typical hangups that have twisted the country`s image outside. "My film is a comedy but deals with a very serious issue. I wanted to make a film that had no slums, no maharaja no kamasutra and no incense, the typical hangups. Interestingly, the maximum number of people who are watching the film even in areas where there is Indian diaspora are foreigners who thanked me for showing another side of India," Dileep told reporters. Starring Seema Biswas, Lisa Ray, Don McKellar and Shriya Saran, `Cooking with Stella` explores the relationship between an Indian cook played by Biswas and her master Michael (Don McKellar) who moves to the capital with her diplomat wife. "Through the film I have examined the relationship with those who work for us, its 2010 but we still have the concept of having servants. I used comedy as a vehicle because it is palatable. The film shows the disparity between the haves and haves-nots," Dileep said. The film has been shot on location mostly in the Canadian Embassy in Delhi and sees Don as a househusband and a chef who wants to learn Indian cooking from Stella, who has different shades to her personality. PTI