Veteran chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who transformed Indian home cooking into mainstream television entertainment through Khana Khazana, has revisited an interesting and lesser-known turning point in his career his first refusal to be part of MasterChef India, a show that would eventually become one of the country’s biggest food reality formats.
In a recent interaction with Culinary Culture, Kapoor reflected on how he was approached in 2010 for the debut season of the show, which also featured Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar. Despite the scale of the opportunity, the discussions did not immediately lead to an agreement.
Why Sanjeev Kapoor Rejected The Offer
When MasterChef India launched its first season in 2010, the show's makers approached Sanjeev Kapoor to join the judging panel alongside actor Akshay Kumar. However, the celebrated chef said he was unwilling to come on board unless one particular demand was met.
“When they first came to me, they did not meet my condition,” he said. “My condition was that I should be paid more than Akshay Kumar, just one rupee more. This was the first season, and there was nobody else who could do it but me. It was quite obvious. But when they came to me, I said, ‘There is a condition.’ They did not agree, and I didn’t want to compromise. I was happy with my decision.”
Kapoor made it clear that he chose not to budge when the producers declined his terms, deciding instead to stay away from the programme.
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What Convinced Him To Join MasterChef India
The renowned chef said his eventual decision to become part of MasterChef India was influenced by a wider concern for the growth of food-based entertainment in the country.
At the time, Kapoor was involved with Food Food, a television channel he had launched with the aim of creating greater visibility for chefs and culinary content. He believed the success of a large-format cooking competition could benefit the entire industry.
“At that time, we were running a TV channel called Food Food. I had started it, and I was trying to make other chefs popular as well. It’s not about what you will get personally. You have to make sure the whole environment becomes bigger. I felt that if MasterChef failed in this country, we were doomed. It would not be good for the business of food entertainment. So whatever I could do, I decided to try. That was the reason I joined the show. Even today, I feel that anyone doing anything in the food space should want such platforms to succeed.”
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Did He Finally Get Paid More Than Akshay Kumar?
When asked whether the producers ultimately agreed to his condition, Kapoor responded with a laugh and left little room for doubt.
“Oh, obviously they did. Obviously. That was not negotiable. If I can’t command that, then what’s the point?”