Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor detailed his rapid rise in the culinary world, although never planned, the impact of his beloved show Khana Khazaana, and how he uses food to help disadvantaged people, the disabled, and those at the forefront of the COVID pandemic people.

Did you know that Khana Khazana, a popular cooking show in the 90s, was originally called Shriman Bawarchi?

It was at the insistence of Sanjeev Kapoor that director Hansal Mehta and his Australian partner changed the title to something that sounds "more attractive".

Many fans of cooking shows may be surprised to find that it should have a hostess, and each episode has a different chef. However, the audience was so attracted by Sanjeev's screen image in the first episode that he took over the show, and the rest is history.

The weekly one-hour series is shown in 120 countries/regions and has been broadcast for 18 years, touching the hearts of millions of gourmets, housewives and aspiring chefs around the world.

Over the years, the maverick chef has received countless letters and met countless fans, who shared personal anecdotes about the influence of Khana Khazana.

"Wife and even husband wrote to me saying that I saved their marriage. I even received a marriage proposal. I remember meeting a lady at the Colorado airport and she kept thanking me for helping her settle down easily after marriage. ," he told "Better India."

Whether it is TV or YouTube, Sanjeev maintains his iconic preparation style in all media.

"I don’t perform, I just cook, and the camera happens to be there. I target audiences who are looking for an easy way to make the most exotic dishes. In a person’s attention span only In a 30-second world, this understanding must exist to measure attention. I spend time cooking instead of rushing," he said.

In the 90s and 2000s, almost every Indian family had a ritual of sitting in front of the TV, holding their breath, holding a pen and paper, and waiting for the always smiling chef to appear on their screen and say his recipe of the day .

The chef will simplify the exquisite meals prepared by the hotel, wearing a white toque and double-breasted jacket, in order to completely change the way the Indian culinary landscape is.

From owning 59 restaurants to running his own food channel "FoodFood", he has created more than 150 cookbooks, collected more than 10,000 recipes on his online portal, and provided thousands of free copies to medical staff during the pandemic. For meals, Sanjeev has a place in the field of Indian cuisine.

But he pointed out that when he was young, he didn't even know what a "chef" did, and cooking was never part of his plan. Because of his father's job at the National Bank of India, he was able to experience life in different parts of the country through regular transfers.

Sanjeev was born in Ambala, Haryana, and he said that he consciously stayed away from participating in the rat race. The traditional career route bore him, and he was always looking for new risks.

For example, he is the only person in the class who chooses Sanskrit as his third language. Asked why, he replied, "Because no one else did this."

In the 1980s, acceptable career choices did not exceed the scope of professions such as medicine and engineering. Although Sanjeev scored 80%, he did not have either. Instead, he applied for and was admitted to the School of Planning and Architecture.

Hotel management was just an accidental choice for Sanjeev. He said that his friend Jasmit Singh had an additional admission form, which he filled out.

"I want to do something different because no one of my family or friends is engaged in hotel management. My parents know that if I focus on something, I will get the best results, so they trust me. Want to do something The different things are behaviors that I can predict, so there is no resistance. When they asked me if I was sure, I said yes. To be honest, I am not, but I followed the same principle of courage to stand out," Sanjeev said.

He joined the Pusa Hotel Management School in Delhi, graduated in 1984, and joined ITDC as a management trainee. Two years later, he was promoted to the position of Executive Chef in Varanasi, then joined ITDC Hotel Samrat in Delhi, then moved to Mumbai and worked for Centaur Group for five years.

Compared with other people who are keen to work at the front desk, Sanjeev once again stood out and chose the kitchen on duty. This outstanding discipline made him the executive chef of the Centaur Hotel in Mumbai at the age of 27.

At the peak of his career early in his career, he wondered what would happen next.

"The chef is the highest benchmark, so naturally I want to get it early. I was shocked. This is definitely a cause for concern, because I reached the top so early, but I have never had no choice to explore. I joined NMIMS Studying for a master's degree in marketing management, and then TV appeared," he said.

Sanjeev is a person whose fingers are in many pies, which is inherent in nature. Although many of us know his brand, few people know that he has been silently driving social change through food.

For 15 years, he has been working closely with autistic children and adults by supporting autism NGO forums and raising funds. He also hired people with autism in the company to support them and their families.

Sanjeev helps aspiring chefs from poor families receive training. The United Nations (UN) appointed him as the Indian ambassador for the Clean Stove Campaign, which targets disadvantaged groups in developing countries.

Recently, he collaborated with Akshay Patra Foundation, Indian Hotel Limited (IHCL) and Chef José Andre of World Central Kitchen to distribute nutritious meals to the medical brotherhoods fighting the epidemic.

“Hospital staff have been doing their best to save lives. In such a high-pressure work environment, food that replenishes energy and boosts immunity is equally important. We have prepared special menus for 36 hospitals in 15 cities,” Sanjeev said. Every day, he provides more than 25,000 meals to medical staff.

For this work, he was also awarded one of 50 Corona warriors by the Maharashtra state government in February this year.

Over the years, Sanjeev has won multiple awards, including Padma Shri and CNN's top five celebrity chef awards. He also cooks for Prime Minister Narendra Modi (Narendra Modi). His restaurant and cookware brands are worth tens of millions of dollars, and he has millions of followers on social media platforms.

Sanjeev tasted unimaginable success and fame, but under this heavy chef hat is a boy from Ambala. He still likes to eat brown rice and chawli ki sabzi (lobia) for lunch.

All pictures are from Sanjeev Kapoor/Instagram.

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