Celebrity Chefs Ranveer Brar and Kunal Kapoor, who has joined Vikas Khanna on "MasterChef India' season 9 as judges, believe the reality show brought recognition, respectability and knowledge to everyday cooking.
Brar is vocal about the significant impact “MasterChef India” has had on elevating the status of home cooks.
"Pre-MasterChef, if you were cooking at home, you weren't respected or recognised for it. I think that the beacon of respect and recognition to everyday cooking came through MasterChef. It catapulted into something bigger, like bringing an entire industry together, the whole food media ecosystem, whether it is smaller channels doing stronger food media or food media on social media,” he said.
“A lot of food creators, I'd say 50 per cent of them would be associated with MasterChef in some form. It's given recognition and respect to the home kitchen,” Brar added.
For Kapoor, “MasterChef India” is a treasure trove of knowledge, offering insights that extend beyond formal culinary training.
“The moment the doors of MasterChef India opened, you found that there is so much more beyond what you were taught in a culinary college or in your hotels, that the knowledge is right out there, and one didn't have to travel, the knowledge is coming to you.
"So, you had this curiosity of getting to understand what has come in front of you, the food, the people, the style of cooking, and then go back home and keep researching more, travel to that place, understand it a little more better, whether it's a custom, a certain food, which is driven by a certain festival or harvest.” Other than cooking and running his own YouTube channel, Brar has also branched out in acting, which, he said, allows him to express in a better way. Brar has acted in Kareena Kapoor-starrer “The Buckingham Murders” and Prime Video anthology, “Modern Love, Mumbai”, both helmed by Hansal Mehta.
He will next be seen alongside Mona Singh in the series, “Ma Ka Sum” and an American production titled, “Such Is Life”.
“These are the two acting gigs that I've done, ‘Ma Kaasam’ has been shot and ‘Such Is Life’ is mostly going to be shot in the US starting spring. The idea is to do one or two projects every year as it allows me to express myself even better and have a clearer head. Acting clears my head, makes me a better chef as well, and I absolutely enjoy it,” Brar said.
Asked if he shares an interest in exploring cinema like fellow judges as Khanna is director while Brar has acted, Kapoor said he wouldn't mind.
“I'm somebody who likes to watch movies. I'm a little particular about which movie I watch; I wait for reviews, I wait who's the actor, director, what kind of story it is and everything.
"I'm super keen to work in movies. Like, Vikas has promised that in his next movie, he's going to cast me. Ranveer said whenever he does his next movie, he will see if there’s any role for me in it. I'm super open, I'm putting it out there in the universe (about working in films), why not?” “MasterChef India” is currently airing on Sony Entertainment Television and on SonyLIV.
This season introduces a unique twist with the ‘jodi’ format, where contestants, paired as family members, spouses, friends, or even inter-generational duos, will compete to transform into culinary geniuses under the guidance of the show’s judges.
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