From losing jobs to barely being able to make ends meet, the last one year has proven to be a testing time for many in the city. It has taken away a lot but it has also seen others coming together to help those who are in need. The young, old and privileged joined hands to start independent initiatives to reach help to under-privileged people. City-based hotelier Paritosh Pant has been one among several trying to do their bit. Using his business, culinary and acumen, he started the Feeding From Far initiative, to supply meals and ration to people in Govandi.  

The move came during a moment when Pant, like many others, had to pull down the shutters on his restaurant chain called Too Much Drama in Navi Mumbai in March 2020. Since it was an experiential space, run by hearing-impaired people, it didn’t make sense for him to continue with only delivery. Being a chef himself and missing the hustle and bustle of the kitchen, he took to social media to showoff his cooking skills on Instagram Live but that is when things changed for him. “I was baking pav one day, which is a staple food for many in the city, and realised that instead of showcasing my skills online, I could just help people. It was this guilt that I wasn’t doing enough to help, which made me decide to do something about it.”