Writer, anchor and now channel CEO; it’s all about gastronomical art for Sanjeev Kapoor

In their journey through life people often make plans and then see them morph into something else altogether. Poet John Keats wished to become a doctor, Sachin Tendulkar wanted to be a tennis player while Masterchef Sanjeev Kapoor saw himself as an architect. Obviously life had different plans for all of them. Perhaps these twists in tales make their stories so much more fascinating and worth-telling. One of the best-known chefs in India today, Sanjeev Kapoor had applied for a catering course at the behest of a friend—as a “back-up plan”—in case he did not make it to the architecture school. As luck would have it, Kapoor ended up joining the cooking course. It was only after he began to have “such a good time” at the Institute of Hotel Management Catering and Nutrition (IHM) in Pusa, New Delhi, that Kapoor thought that he could perhaps do this forever. From then on, there was no stopping him. Today, food is Kapoor’s middle name. And why not? Sanjeev Kapoor is not just a chef—he is an artist. He has single-handedly revolutionised the food scene in the country, changing the way an average Indian dined. For a man this big, he started off small; as an understudy at the ITDC Hotel in 1984. But within two years he had become the Chef at Hotel Ashok in Varanasi. In the early 1990s, while he was busy creating state-of-the-art dishes for food lovers at Centaur Hotel, Mumbai (where he was Executive Chef ), a unique opportunity came knocking at his door. He was offered a one-of-its-kind cookery show by a popular channel—Zee TV. The show was called Shriman Bawarchi. Never heard of it? That is probably because Kapoor suggested that the show be rechristened Khana Khazana. Cookery shows had always been an integral part of television. But for India, this new one was nothing short of a novelty. It went on to become a pioneering show and the longest-running one, carrying on for 18 years. With the help of the show Kapoor brought his own kitchen—moments spent in complete bliss before the oven— into the audience’s drawing rooms. He taught India how to cook in style; not just mix the right ingredients but also present them in harmony. A look at the dishes excited the tastebuds and left one hungry for more. Throughout the 1990s and 2000, lazy or busy women of Indian households remained glued to their television sets with pens and notepads, frantically jotting down recipes of exotic and everyday dishes (served with a twist, of course) then recreating them in kitchens as Sunday special meals. Guiding them through it all was the dimpled, humble and soft-spoken star Chef. Kapoor was clear on his agenda: he was not just running a cooking show. He was sharing with everyone a recipe to a happy hearth at home. After all, the masterchef grew up in one himself. Brought up in a middle-class family, Kapoor was used to seeing his dad help out his mom in the kitchen. Later, his elder brother, too, joined forces with their father to rustle up meals. In his own words, it was all right “to see men cook!” Kapoor also jumped on the bandwagon and at the age of eight was “rolling out perfectly round chapattis”. Such was his eye for perfection that even then he wanted to shape them flawlessly round. So he just “stamped them out of a plate”. These simple ways shaped Kapoor’s “cooking philosophy”—and made Indian food accessible, so that, even a novice could recreate anything “from a maharaja’s feast to an everyday dish”. His mantra; keep it simple, systematic and stylish. After the massive success of the show, he could have sat at home, cooked an occasional meal for his two daughters, and enjoyed a life of retirement. Instead he started opening his own chain of restaurants—Yellow Chilli—doing exceedingly well today. He also wrote some 36 books which sold close to 10 million copies. His website gets 25 million hits a month and if all this was not enough, in 2011 he started a new food channel called, what else, FoodFood. When asked how this idea of a dedicated food channel came about, Kapoor shoots back, “Food channels are a big part of the developed world, so why not here?” A valid question. After all we are a nation of food fanatics. As he puts it “Food has been, is and will always be of prime importance to our existence.” The channel airs 40 shows in total, mostly Indian shows with a smattering of international ones. It has been around for only a year and already the channel has been rated as the 10th most-trusted brand among all TV channels in India. What could be the reason behind its immediate success? Kapoor smiles and says, “Food knows no age, caste, creed or religion. So this channel has the widest possible audience; anybody genuinely interested in cooking enjoys watching it.” From a distance, Kapoor’s life is enviable, especially since his challenges are always met head on and with a smile. Asked about his biggest challenge, the answer comes out quickly, it is scepticism. The kind that made him rethink his decision when he was about to launch the channel. Nearly everyone in the media thought the idea was nothing short of a disaster; after all, who has the time to watch a food channel in this day and age of saas-bahu soaps? Yet, Kapoor had faith. And the rest as they say is history. His stupendous journey is far from its end. Chef, TV presenter, author and now the CEO of a food and lifestyle channel. We were curious to know what’s next for the unstoppable food artist. It is then that he gives his famous smile and informs us that his “infant” channel needs more care than ever. And, as far as his next endeavour is concerned, it is a “let’s wait and watch” period in his head. We can rest assured that whatever it is that is cooking inside Kapoor’s mind, is going on to the table soon. And when Chef Kapoor is at work, we know that the result is going to be one appetising, spicy and generous one.