Bringing South Asia to the forefront through Food and Cinema

Maneesh Baheti, Founder; South Asian Association for Gastronomy; advisor to SAFACH

The Indus Valley International Film Festival (IVIFF) is the first ever regional festival of South Asia. A dream project of NGO SAFACH (South Asia Forum for Arts & Creative Heritage) founded by Harsh Narayan. The festival comprises of documentary and feature films from South Asian nations, panel discussions with illustrious personalities, workshops on script writing, documentary film making and much more. With an esteemed advisory board comprising of film makers Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Basu, SS Rajamouli and Maneesh Baheti (Founder of S.A.A.G: South Asian Association For Gastronomy).

From 2015, S.A.A.G has been focused on uniting South Asia through gastronomy by their annual platform, The Food For Thought Fest . SAFACH has been similarly working on uniting the region through the world of Cinema.

Food for Thought Fest was conceived as a convergence of ideas and dialogues around gastronomy, in the process enabling an atmosphere of South Asian commonality through culinary and cultural diversity. The infotainment packed event, has set a benchmark as a forum for conversations, cuisines and the exchange of ideas and philosophies around gastronomy.

Food For Thought Fest has been instrumental in bringing South Asia to the forefront by focusing not only on the common heritage and history of the region, but as well as the unique influences that make up a part of it. The participating countries have included Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal and Myanmar.

“It is my pleasure to associate with SAFACH and the Indus Valley International Film Festival. In our sub continent , Cinema, Cricket and Food have always been key factors when it comes to getting people closer. At Food For Thought Fest , we have worked with film makers, ad film makers, authors and chefs alike. And I am delighted to be with SAFACH and interact with some wonderfully talented and creative people from the world of Cinema to further the cause of South Asian unity at the ongoing IVIFF, here in Chandigarh.”

Maneesh Baheti

About the founder of S.A.A.G

Mr. Maneesh Baheti, an alumni of The Oberoi School of Hotel Management (O.C.L.D) is a seasoned hotelier having worked in senior positions with leading brands such as The Oberoi Group and Hyatt International, before branching out as a hospitality industry consultant with a diverse projects portfolio. As a gastronomy expert, he has been invited to speak at many prestigious events like ICF Annual Conference, Royal Fables and NAVDANYA. He also contributes articles regularly to prestigious magazines like Business World and Peak Life. His love for cuisines has taken him on travels to 18 countries, including the SAARC region of Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka.

SAAG has an eminent Advisory Board with PADMA BHUSHAN Mr. Shashi Kant Misra as the Chairman and comprises of experts such as Michelin Star Chef Atul Kocchar from the U.K, Master Chef Abhijit Saha, Chef Michael Swamy and renowned hotelier Mr. Gautam Anand to name a few.

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