Chilli Chicken, according to filmmaker Prateek Prajosh, is not only a popular Chinese dish, but also a racial slur oft used against people from the north-east of India. This, he thought, would be an apt title for his film that follows a group of migrant workers from that belt, working at a small-time Chinese eatery in Bengaluru. The film, he had said, was inspired by events that transpired a few years ago at a restaurant in the city, although he did not specify if it had been brought to screen as is, or if there were cinematic liberties at play.

The film, follows the employees at a run-down Chinese restaurant run by Adarsh (Shrunga BV), whose dream is to someday own an upmarket version of the same. His personal finances are in doldrums and it doesn’t help that his migrant workforce has also been dipping into the limited cash supply.

The restaurant staff, including Khaba (Bijou Thaangjam), Jimpa (Jimpa Sangpo Bhutia), Ajoy (Viktor Thoudam) and Jason (TomThuin Thockchom), among others, live in a dilapidated quarters that Adarsh pays for, in a neighbourhood in which they are often at the receiving end of racist taunts.

Prateek’s film is not only an exploration of the trials and tribulations faced by migrant workers in a city like Bengaluru, but also that of people like Adarsh – small-time entrepreneurs hoping to strike rich someday. Released in theatres in June, the film had opened to largely positive reviews, and made its way to OTT about two months later, with no announcement to this effect. The film dropped on Amazon Prime Video a few days ago.

Chilli Chicken, interestingly, is not on rental basis, which should mean that it has a revenue-sharing deal, which makes streaming minutes a pivotal measure of its performance on the streamer.

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