Microdramas and the real characters behind food

Where do you get your information about the hottest new openings in town? For most of us chronically online folks, it’s probably Instagram.

- SMITHA MENON

Increasingly and disturbingly, the social media platform is becoming the default source for all kinds of news, be it Mamdani or matcha. In a departure from the storytelling of earlier, which was largely restricted to how a dish gets made, restaurants are going the extra mile when it comes to content, creating everything from behind-the-scenes episodes of setting up an eatery to fictitious microdramas based on the hit series The Office.

Mokai, an Asian-inspired cafe tucked into the busy bylanes of Mumbai’s Bandra is extending its reach beyond the suburb with its microdrama series, #TheOfficeWithTeamMokai, where coffee is served with a side of drama. The main protagonist of the Instagram show is Suraksha Suvarna, the head barista at the café, playing a sassy drama queen who terrorises customers and staff members with her office politics and cheeky comebacks. What started as a fun way to engage with Mokai’s digital audience has extended into multiple seasons with cameos by other food creators such as Natasha Gandhi and Indu Icecream’s Saloni Kukreja. Through the course of the series, viewers are introduced to new additions to the menu, limited-offer specials and other updates, making it a clever way to disseminate information. The comments and engagement on each post are testament to the series’ success.