Journey of becoming a Celebrity Chef:
Born and brought up in a small town, I had dreams to soar high in the sky. I was never really interested in studying or academics, but belonging to a middle-class family did not offer me many options than to take up a paying job and help the family. And as destiny would have it, my father suffered huge losses in business, which led me to move to Oman at the age of 21. I took the job of Premium Galley Crew with Oman Air and started jet setting through the world. As an air hostess, I got to travel across a variety of places and cultures, which heightened my sense of culinary appreciation.
Cooking for me started just as a means to an end. But the food experiences I gathered on my travels to different cities led me to experiment with my own creations. These trial-and-error experimentations with food led me to my true passion. I left a high paying job to pursue my passion for cooking.
Not only the job paid very well but it awarded me in working for the famous personalities in India, I have flown with and served famous actors like Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and politicians like Mr. Rajnath Singh, Mr. Nitin Gadkari to name a few. It was never a question of if/but/when. I think more than passion, I have love for food and when you love something or someone, you don’t give a second thought before taking a plunge.
For me food and cooking food and innovating with it is the first thing I do when I wake up and the last thing before I go to bed.
Master Chef Contests as Learning Experiences:
It feels wonderful to say the least, I was overwhelmed by the love and support I got from the nation and in a way that has made me more affirmative of my choices. I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everybody who has supported me, without knowing me personally. The future is just the next moment so as a chef my future is the next meal / dish that I am going to be preparing and beyond that it is futile to even think what the next 5 years or 10 years hold for me.
Building an Early Foundation:
To be honest I have never given it a lot of thought because as an artist, I channelize my focus on the positives that I have and not think of the limitations, because no matter who you are and no matter what you do in life there will always be limitations but as dreamers, we should all pledge to look beyond.
Words of Wisdom:
Be honest, and to be a successful chef is an everyday journey and if you are ready to commit to the journey there are wonders in the kitchen yet to be explored. Keep educating yourself and try and learn from your counterparts because everyone has something great to offer.
The New Normal:
One thing that I have observed is that it will make people more conscious about their choices and this is a wake-up call for the entire humanity that life will not give you a warning before ringing the final bell. Lastly, we should all contribute to humanity in any way possible because when we love people, we love ourselves indefinitely and that love translates into everything we do.
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