Sanjeev Kapoor on why he rejected MasterChef India

Sanjeev kapoor & Akshay kumar

 

‘Pay me Re 1 more than Akshay Kumar’: Sanjeev Kapoor on why he rejected MasterChef India.

Sanjeev Kapoor said he turned down the first MasterChef India season, asking to be paid Re 1 more than Akshay Kumar.

Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, often regarded as the pioneer of food television in India, became a household name with his iconic show Khana Khazana in the early 1990s. His popularity grew even further with MasterChef India, where he played a key role in shaping the franchise’s success. In a recent conversation with Culinary Culture, Sanjeev opened up about why he initially turned down MasterChef India and what eventually convinced him to join the show.

‘Pay me one rupee more than Akshay Kumar’

MasterChef India debuted its first season in 2010, and Sanjeev was approached to judge alongside Bollywood star Akshay Kumar. He revealed that he declined because his payment condition—receiving one rupee more than Akshay—was not met. "This was the first season, and there was nobody else who could do it but me. 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."

Despite repeated requests from the makers, Sanjeev refused to make even a guest appearance. “I would still get feelers. They would say, ‘Sir, please come for one episode.’ I said, ‘No, I will not do it.'” However, by the third season, the makers approached him again as the show struggled to find its footing. “By the third season, they actually said, ‘Sir, it’s not working. We need you. What do you think we should do?’ I said, ‘I don’t think I can…’ They replied, ‘No, we’ll do exactly what you say,’ and all of that.” Sanjeev became a part of the show in 2013.

If MasterChef failed in this country, we were doomed’

Sanjeev explained that his decision to join the show was driven by a larger concern for India’s food entertainment industry rather than personal gain. “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 entire environment expands. I felt that if MasterChef failed in this country, we were doomed. It would not be good for the food entertainment business. 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.”

When asked whether he eventually received a higher fee than Akshay Kumar, he responded with a laugh. “Oh, obviously they did. Obviously. That was not negotiable. If I can’t command that, then what’s the point?” Akshay Kumar did not judge the show after the first season.