Sriram Raghavan‘s Andhadhun starring Ayushmann Khurrana was one of the biggest hits of 2018. The film went on to get the National award in the Best Actor, Best Film as well as the Best Adapted Screenplay category, apart from a phenomenal response from viewers and critics alike.
One of the scenes in the film has Tabu preparing crab while telling her husband:
Kehte hai crab meat is an aphrodisiac. Spelling mat poochna, matlab chahiye toh bata sakti hoon.
In an interview with Film Companion, Raghavan revealed that the particular scene was inspired by Nigella Lawson‘s cookery show. He recalled that he used the famous chef’s crab recipe for the scene, barring the aphrodisiac part.
Well, part of this, I have to thank Nigella Lawson (for). I was on my treadmill – I like to watch food programmes, cooking programmes – and I saw one Nigella Lawson (video), where she’s talking about how she cooks crab. Apparently, this is what she does, she puts it in the deep freeze and so on. The aphrodisiac part was our line, but the rest of it, what happens in the movie, how the crab is prepared, is actually what she told me.
It’s true that inspiration can strike talented people anywhere, anytime.