The answer, apparently, is millions of us.

He is a character—a parody of the orthodox, upper-caste Tamil Brahmin patriarch from the temple town of Kanchipuram. Yet, the performance is so sincere and technically proficient that it transcends pure parody. He treats a ₹50 soda bisket stall with the same analytical gravity as a Carnatic music concert.

The arrival of a South Indian tiffin service delivery boy (Rathinam) who delivers perfect idlis, vada, and pongal creates a moral dilemma. Iyer loves the food but hates the plastic packaging and the delayed timing. The ending—where he “fixes” Rathinam by teaching him to cook inside Iyer’s kitchen—is both absurd and logical.