4 min readMumbaiUpdated: Jun 23, 2026 09:18 PM IST
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 at the time, Sanjeev was approached to be one of the judges on the show alongside Bollywood star Akshay Kumar. Sanjeev revealed that he rejected the offer because he demanded that he be paid more than Akshay. “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.”
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 the show in 2013.
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‘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 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.”
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.
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Sanjeev had previously spoken about the same incident during an interview with Siddharth Kannan. “Akshay is a dear friend, a brilliant guy and a great professional,” he said. “When they approached me for the show, I said, ‘Very good, I am very happy, but I have only one condition. Whatever you are paying him, I will charge one rupee more.'”
Explaining the reasoning behind his demand, Sanjeev said, “This is my field.” As a result, he did not appear in the first two seasons of MasterChef India, which featured Akshay Kumar alongside chefs Kunal Kapur and Ajay Chopra. Sanjeev eventually joined the franchise from the third season onward. “They decided to replace Akshay Kumar. I signed the show on my terms,” he recalled.
“I did a few seasons, but eventually the ratio between the time and effort I was putting in and the returns I was getting did not match,” he added.
MasterChef India recently concluded its ninth season with judges Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar and Kunal Kapur.
Sanjeev Kapoor revealed that he rejected the first season of MasterChef India.
(Photo: Chef Sanjeev Kapoor/Website)