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UAE: Inside viral launch of restaurants that saw Bollywood legends in Dubai, Abu Dhabi
The famous singer and composer and entrepreneur K.S. Ramakrishnan launched two new restaurants in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
- PUBLISHED: Tue 16 Jun 2026, 3:55 PM UPDATED: Tue 16 Jun 2026, 4:32 PM
What is it that makes great musicians even greater foodies? “The culinary experience is similar to creating music,” says famous Indian music composer and singer Shankar Mahadevan. “Asha Bhosleji, for example, was an incredible cook. Whenever we would meet, we would only talk about music and food. Same for Ustad Zakir Hussain.”
Probe him a little further on why eminent artistes find themselves drawn to food and he is quick to look at both disciplines more philosophically. The way you need seven notes to come up with a piece of music; you need certain ingredients to prepare a dish. “All of this has to be done in correct proportion,” he says. “And you need to do it with a lot of love.”
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A star-studded affair
Love and joyousness was only too evident at the recent launch of the new branch of Malgudi restaurant, which has been co-founded by Mahadevan along with K.S. Ramakrishnan. Legends such as Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Sonu Nigam, Salim Merchant, Boman Irani, among others, were seen celebrating with the duo. From singing old favourites to laughing heartily with each other, the videos of the event immediately went viral as one caught a more unfiltered glimpse of the celebrities.
This is not something money can buy, says Mahadevan, and he is probably right. “In his closing speech, Boman (Irani) said, ‘What happened here for the last two days, you take any amount of money and even then you will not be able to see such camaraderie between artistes.' Javed Akhtar was narrating poetry and singing. Salim (Merchant) was jamming with a saxophonist. Sonu Nigam was playing djembe. Shabanaji was dancing. It was great.”
But who among them is the real foodie? Mahadevan says it’s not Akhtar but his wife Shabana Azmi who is a real foodie even though the famous lyricist and writer occasionally enjoys food, like the time he ended up ordering Lotus Biscoff Mabati thrice at Malgudi’s Borivali outpost at one go.
'Food is deep'
Mahadevan has a deep connect with food and it is evident when he talks about it. “There is a lot of nostalgia associated with it. When I eat sambhar rice with potato curry, I have certain memories associated with it. Maybe my grandmother had made it differently, maybe it was made to show love. In that sense, food is very deep,” says the singer who is also a passionate cook.
For Malgudi too, Mahadevan decided to wear the culinary hat. As co-founder Ramakrishnan says, he did not just want a face for the brand; having known Mahadevan for a long time, he knew that his involvement in the fare would be more intimate.
The first casualty of that passion was the sambhar that was cooked in Malgudi before the duo took over. “When we first acquired the brand, I tasted one spoon of sambhar. It was atrocious and I knew it was not going to work,” recalls Mahadevan.
He adds that what might look simple may actually be anything but that. “Idli, for example, is seen as being simple. But in order to create a good idli that blows your mind, the batter has to be mixed with ice water,” says Mahadevan, admitting that his knowledge is primarily rooted in his love for food that sees him researching on it extensively and talking to chefs “chewing their brains”.
This time, however, it's not just about food; it's also about bringing cheer. Mahadevan and Ramakrishnan speak in unison about the spirit of the country that has left them awe-struck, and encouraged them to expand on their business here.
“Pandemic happened a few years ago. We survived it and got out of it. That has given us the confidence that we can get out of this too. This country’s got some spirit. Both of us were actually travelling here right in the middle of the war. I must have visited five times,” he says. “We want to take this opportunity to make people understand the importance of simple pleasures of life… and what better way to do it than food.”
Anamika Chatterjee is Associate Editor, Features at Khaleej Times. A senior journalist, she helms arts, culture, entertainment and lifestyle verticals for the print and digital platforms of the publication.