‘What makes you happy?’ The simple question that Anthony Bourdain said he asked everyone
Also: ‘What do you like to eat?’ and ‘What do you like to cook?’
It was hard for Anthony Bourdain’s fans that the person who brought so much happiness into their lives through his TV shows travelling and eating around the world could himself have been suffering so much that he died of suicide in France. He would have been 62 on June 25.
Bourdain’s shows – No Reservations, The Layover, and, finally, Parts Unknown – were not merely those of a chef demonstrating his skills. Confessing to have been a heavy drug user who “should have died” in his 20s, Bourdain built his legions of admirers by showcasing entire cultures and places through the medium of food.
When he came to India to shoot his show, Bourdain gave up his customary focus on meat and fish to happily consume Indian food. He travelled and ate across Punjab, and said, despite the hygiene issues, “It won’t kill you.”