Back to College

In its 12th season,Highway on my Plate moves its adda to college and school canteens while discovering the charm of the food served there.

Rocky Singh and Mayur Sharma are familiar names with those who have followed the show Highway on my Plate (HOMP) on NDTV Good Times. Their undeniable camaraderie,combined with a distinct sense of humour,hasnt just helped them create a fanbase but also a massive group of supporters,which now popularly call themselves HOMPers. In its 12th season,both Rocky and Mayur wish to connect firmly with those who have been most instrumental in making the show a success the youth of the country. The part of the reason why this show is so popular is because a lot of youngsters identify with it and make it a point to watch it regularly, says Rocky,who along with Mayur has travelled to popular schools and colleges across the country for this season.

The season,called Addas,focusses on famous school and college canteens as well as hangouts around them. Shortlisting these educational institutions was a tough task for both,as there were plenty of choices. However,for the first part of the series,we decided to go with colleges in Delhi,Mumbai and Pune,apart from famous residential schools like Sanawar,Doon and Welhams, says Rocky. The series,while focussing on food,also captures the history of these schools. For instance,the episode on St Georges School in Mussoorie takes you through the campus and reveals pictures of their cricket team in the early 1900s. Similarly,the episode on Motilal Nehru School in Rai,Haryana,showcases the only astro turf at a school in India. We have made an effort to pack in as much history and trivia as possible in the one hour long episodes, says Rocky. The show,which will be aired on Sundays at 8pm,begins

on May 27.

Interestingly,what prompted Rocky and Mayur to take a break from their regular careers to conceptualise this show was their love for travelling and food. It is food that still keeps us going,and the pure joy of exploring new places and meeting new people, says Mayur. Hence,even in the current season,there is a lot of focus on food. Colleges and schools have always been known for bad food. But the places we have featured serve some of the dishes, says Mayur. The Chinese preparations at HR College in Mumbai,the senti curry at Welhams in Dehradun and the vegetarian set lunch at Woodstock in Mussoorie are some of their favourites.

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Since both of them are Delhi boys,Rockys college Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) finds a place in the 13-episode series. Mayur says,I studied at Khalsa College but I spent most of my time at SRCC canteen. Apart from the canteen,there is a very famous joint called Chacha Ke Chole Bathure. Every Delhi University student went there. We have featured it on our show, he confirms. Similarly,another interesting hangout close to the Welhams boarding school,a tikki-bun seller who has been stationed there for over 30 years,has made it to the show.

The charm of the show also lies in the research that goes into making each season. And this season hasnt been any different. For this particular season,we started planning three months in advance as we had to get permissions from all these institutions. Once we were there,we met students and the administrative staff who helped us a lot, says Mayur. With viewers already excited about this new segment,Rocky and Mayur are looking at including more schools in the next season. We are planning to visit schools and colleges in Kolkata,Chennai,Bangalore and other cities, confirms Mayur.

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