That Guy With A Yellow Plate:

There have been numerous projects that we come across every day on the web. Some trying to do something incredible in science and technology, while some others trying to make it big in film and fashion. However, the latest passion-driven projects, which are coming out are more often than not related to Travelling, Food Exploration and Blogging. And some adventurists have taken it upon themselves to fuse these three genres and come out with a project, which is both delicious and awakening.

Not many days back we featured a project on this platform which spoke of this trend. It was called Mayabazar. Today, we are talking about something similar and yet entirely original. The project goes with a long and quirky name. It’s called “That Guy With A Yellow Plate” (which we will be referring to The Yellow Plate for convenience throughout).  The project, by Himanshu Sehgal, is hosted upon crowdfunding platform WishBerry, to derive funds which will help it achieve its dream. The dream is simple – “To make a film, which celebrates the cuisines across 29 states of India”. This piqued our interest and therefore, we just couldn’t help but approach The Yellow Plate Guy, Himanshu Sehgal to share his thoughts…

Inception Of The Yellow Plate:

“My Yellow Plate was born out of my sheer love for food and travel. I travelled across Delhi, Mumbai, Pushkar, Jaipur, Agra, Arunachal Pradesh and Rishikesh, and covered a variety of famous dishes in these cities. Some of my favourites have been Tandoor Momos, Lotan ke Chole Bhature and the lip-smacking Moong Dal Kachoris of a 50-year-old shop in Delhi” states Himanshu looking back at the idea. Already a famous name in Instagram with around 19 thousand followers, Himanshu or The Yellow Plate Guy has all the elements of making this project of his a success.

On quizzing him about the hurdles he might face with cultural differences, cuisine secrecy and such,  Himanshu presented an optimistic belief. ” I think these hurdles are important as they are going to be a part of the story and will make the journey more interesting. Despite our differences, food is our common ground and brings us together and unites us. There are going to be language and other barriers, but I am sure the yellow plate will find the way (like it has till now)” he added.

The Story Of The Guy With That Yellow Plate:

“I am a computer science engineer by degree and a wanderer by the soul. I graduated from Manav Rachna College of Engineering in 2012 with the bachelor’s degree in Computer Science and Engineering. Thereafter, I worked for 2 years with two different company before I gave up my job and decided to take control of my life.  After I quit my job, I started working as a website developer and digital marketer with various brands to earn my bread and butter and to get some freedom to roam around. I have been a foodie since my childhood. All thanks to Mother India for serving me delicious food all my life and making me a foodie ( I don’t look like one though)” explains Himanshu of his passion

“My Yellow Plate was not intentional. I never planned that I will pick up a yellow plate and go out looking for food. It was back in 2015 when I quit my job and started freelancing so I could earn and travel side by side, I found this unused yellow plate in my kitchen. No one knows where it came from, it was just there in the kitchen. In Indian household, you don’t find colourful plates often, mostly you find steel thalis.

One fine day, my mum served me Rajma Chawal on this yellow plate and I remember, I took a picture of it and shared it on my personal Instagram profile. That picture got few likes and comments from friends and family (It was a very bad picture). That is when I started eating it and thought every time I will eat, I will share it with people and let them know what’s on my yellow plate” he fondly looks back.

On Being Asked About His Crowdsourcing Campaign At WishBerry: 

“I think the campaign turned out unexpectedly well. I never thought I would be able to touch this amount or even reach this number when I was starting up. But with the support from friends, family and strangers, the campaign has done well till now. With 30 more days to go, I think I will be able to hit the target amount. I have raised Rs.1,66,934 from 111 people in 30 days and it’s picking up now. A random guy who landed on my campaign through a friend’s Instagram ended up contributing Rs.7500 to the campaign. A bunch of foodies came together and contributed Rs.11,000 to the campaign.  With last few days in hand, I am trying my best to get as many coverages as possible so the project can reach more people. I am also pushing my friends and family to fund who haven’t yet” he says being hopeful that the next few days will be crucial for the funding.

The Experiences Which Have Stayed With In His Journey Till Now:

There many experiences that are close to my heart. But some of them I clearly remember are:

1. My first meal in North East India.
2. INDIA Gate; Running Barefoot and meeting bhel puri wala.
3. Meeting Sahil and Rizwan
4.  A place without a name.
5. Going back to the college days.
6. RED FORT; Eating matar kulcha and sneaking through broken fence.

The Message Which The Yellow Plate Will Stand For In Time To Come:

“I often meet people who want to travel but most of them are interested and waiting to travel abroad. “India mein kya rakh hai” is their thought about their own country. And this project is my response to the people who say “India mein kya rakha”. I would not argue but I will show them what’s in INDIA, through a yellow plate. This is why I am doing it and I think this project can make a difference. For anyone who wants to travel and explore, I would say just start. Don’t Think. Don’t Wait. Just Go. Take a short trip on the weekend or just go explore your own city. Just start exploring. And the best way to explore a place is to meet and talk to the locals. So don’t forget that” , concludes Himanshu about his Yellow Plate Project.

We hope that the incredible idea of celebrating both the love of travelling and exploring food and cultu comes to a rewarding exhibition soon enough. We wish Himanshu all the very best.

Be sure to check more about the project on The WishBerry Campaign Page.

Also, journey along with That Guy With The Yellow Plate, as he overcomes new frontiers on his Official Facebook Page and Instagram handle. Until next time, Keep doing awesome..!