Sanjeev Kapoor, known for popularising Indian cuisine globally, has revealed that he will only allow his friend and acclaimed filmmaker Hansal Mehta to direct his much-anticipated biopic.
Key Points
- Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor insists that only filmmaker Hansal Mehta, who directed his popular show Khana Khazana, is suitable to helm his biopic due to his intimate knowledge of Kapoor’s journey.
- Kapoor is open to Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh or Vicky Kaushal portraying him on screen, expressing flexibility regarding the actor.
- He dismisses the notion of widespread global success for Indian cuisine, describing its internationalisation as a ‘slow process’ requiring sustained effort.
For years, celebrated chef Sanjeev Kapoor has been approached with lucrative offers for a biopic, yet none managed to win him over. The reason: He wants only his friend and acclaimed filmmaker Hansal Mehta to helm the film.
Kapoor, widely credited with popularising Indian cuisine in India and around the world through his iconic television shows, believes Mehta — the director of Kapoor’s hugely popular 1990s show Khana Khazana — knows his journey inside out and is best placed to bring it to the big screen with authenticity.
Why Hansal Mehta is the Only Choice
“Talks of my biopic have been going on for many years now but my preferred choice is Hansal Mehta. He knows it started with Mehta. If anyone can make it, it’s Hansal.
“So, when Hansal and I have time, we’ll do it. Also, biopics these days have a set pattern… of romanticising struggles, and I am against celebrating struggles. I am someone who likes to talk about the importance of small wins and celebrating them,” Kapoor told PTI in an interview.
Interestingly, unlike the director, the culinary icon is far more flexible about who could portray him on screen. Initially keeping his preferred choices to himself, saying he would be happy with anyone who does ‘a good job’, he eventually did reveal a few names he’d like to see take on the role.
“I think Ranbir Kapoor, Ranveer Singh or Vicky Kaushal. Anyone among these three would make for a good choice,” he added.
Global Reach of Indian Cuisine
On Indian cuisine, Kapoor dismissed the growing notion that it has achieved significant global success. Drawing from his experience, he argued that the opening of a handful of Indian restaurants in major international cities does not amount to widespread global acceptance. Instead, he described the internationalisation of Indian cuisine as a ‘slow process’ that requires sustained efforts to accelerate.
“It is like saying that Japanese food is very big in India. There is nothing like that. Thinking that opening two to five restaurants in a big city abroad will turn things around is expecting too much. It is hardly a drop in the ocean. Consumption-wise, it still needs much bigger production,” he said.
Even so, Kapoor believes India is moving in the right direction. He praised the Indian government for creating platforms and organising events that bring major food importers from around the world to India, helping promote Indian produce in global markets.
“That way they are taking something from India. Of course, they are going to use it according to their taste and for their cooking. Still, there is some familiarity happening. They will come here, they will eat here.
“For example, imagine they take pepper from here and put it in a burger. Now, Indian food is not doing anything. But Indian pepper has gone,” he explained.
Impact of MasterChef Australia
Kapoor, who recently appeared as a special guest judge on MasterChef Australia Season 18, was full of praise for the hit cooking competition, crediting it with transforming the way Australians talk about food. He emphasised that the show, whose Indian version featured him as judge chef multiple times, has done the unprecedented job of changing the country’s culinary vocabulary, making people more familiar with diverse ingredients, techniques and cuisines from around the world.
“In India, we serve food to guests, you ask them how it was, and they say, ‘It was good’. That’s where the conversation ends. But in Australia, the way people talk about food has evolved. Conversations now include words like ‘succulent’, ‘juicy’, and other descriptions that capture the experience of eating.
“That kind of food vocabulary is developing here too, but MasterChef Australia has done an incredible job of making it part of everyday conversation.”
Photographs curated by Satish Bodas/Rediff
