‘Meri biopic ban rahi hai,' says Chef Sanjeev Kapoor; 'Aamir Khan called me'

Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor isn’t just a master of the culinary arts — he knows how to weave a delicious story with his words. As we sat in a bustling restaurant, with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee filling the air, the Padma Shri recipient painted such vivid pictures of his signature recipes that I couldn’t help but cheat on my diet that day.

While his relationship with food and health is well known, what took me by surprise was his obsession with technology, fitness, and his round-the-clock work ethic. While I continue to gatekeep his recipes, here are a few edited excerpts from our conversation.

Q. What does your morning routine look like?

Sanjeev Kapoor: Sabse pehle to utha hu (First, I wake up) [laughs]. There’s sound science behind morning routines. Once they become a habit, they stay with you forever — like brushing your teeth. Jaise main kya karta hu, main copper ke glass mein raat ko paani mein neem ki patti aur bel ke patte daal ke subah uska paani peeta hu (I keep water with neem and bel leaves overnight in a copper glass and drink it in the morning). Then I do yoga and enjoy my morning tea with a few nuts.

Q. How do you manage your gut health?

Sanjeev Kapoor: What is good for you is good for your gut. Aisa nahi hai ki sirf gut ke liye theek hai aur baaki ke liye kharaab hota hai. (It’s not as if something is only good for the gut but bad for the rest of the body.) The food we eat should benefit us overall. Ap kabhi aise nahi karte ki iske liye salad khayenge aur iske liye samosa. (You can’t eat salad for one organ and samosa for another!)

That said, fermented foods are great for gut health. If we look at our cultural roots, we’ll find plenty of gut-friendly dishes — from khameeri roti to Odisha’s pakhala bhaat, both fermented.

Q. Your favourite festive food memory?

Sanjeev Kapoor: Itni saari mithai aa jaati hai aur wo khayi to jaati nahi… (So many sweets come in during festivals and most are left uneaten.) My father would take all the leftover sweets, mix them together, and turn them into a sort of rabdi. Sometimes he’d even freeze it into kulfi — it tasted amazing). But since Diwali usually falls in winter, he’d make the rabdi and serve it warm.

Thirty years ago, when we first opened our restaurant in Dubai, I launched a dish called Tawa Mithai Chaat. Chhota sa tawa liya, usme alag-alag mithaiyan chhote-chhote pieces mein laga di, beech mein rabdi aur neeche se aag di. (I placed small pieces of different sweets on a small pan, added rabdi in the middle, and flamed it from below.) The inspiration came from home — I just gave it a name.

Story continues below this ad

Q. How do you balance your diet?

Sanjeev Kapoor: Balance sab dimaag mein hai. (Balance is all in the mind.) If you’ve eaten more, just burn it off. You don’t necessarily need to hit the gym to burn calories. For instance, I knew I’d be out all day today. So at the airport, I told them I’d board last — boarding takes around 45 minutes. Instead of waiting, I walked around. 6,000 steps to maine wahi kar liye the. (I clocked 6,000 steps right there.) You don’t always need extra time; your routine can give you enough.

Q. Do you cook at home or does the chef mode switch on automatically?

Sanjeev Kapoor: [Laughs] Agar ghar pe hote hain tabhi to banate hain. (I cook only when I’m at home!) But yes, I still cook at home. As for my chef instincts, it depends on what I’m cooking. Being a chef doesn’t mean everything has to be complex. Chef ka matlab hota hai creation. (Being a chef means creating something new.) Maybe I’ll add a small twist to an everyday dish.

Q. When you’re at a restaurant, does your inner critic sneak out?

Sanjeev Kapoor: Main khaane mein kamiyaan nahi nikalta. (I don’t look for faults in food.) I’ve made a rule — I look for what’s good, not what’s wrong. I only point out mistakes when someone pays me to [laughs].

Q. You’ve been on television, social media and more — are films next?

Sanjeev Kapoor: Ek meri biopic ban rahi hai. (A biopic on my life is in the making.) Hansal Mehta is directing it, and Aamir Khan Productions is behind it — that much I can say. One day Aamir Khan himself called me, and I told him, arey mera phone dhanya ho gaya, aapka phone aaya! (My phone is blessed now that you’ve called!) I’ve also done a few cameos before.

Story continues below this ad

Q. You’re a tech enthusiast — any odd gadget experiences?

Sanjeev Kapoor: Technology is very dear to me. Uske andar agar kuch naya na ho to maza hi nahi hai. (If there’s nothing new, it’s no fun.) Innovation is meant to challenge you. I use beta versions of most apps — you’ll find all the latest ones on my phone: Perplexity, Grok, everything.

My website was among the first seven websites to be launched in India, and I was the first Indian to have a digital avatar. Even today, if you ask Alexa for a recipe, 90 per cent chance hai wo humari recipe hogi (there’s a 90% chance it’ll be mine). We were working on culinary AI ten years ago — before it became a trend.

Q. Ready-to-eat vs “ghar ka khana” — your take?

Sanjeev Kapoor: Both will co-exist. Aapko change bhi chahiye hota hai aur convenience bhi. (People want both variety and convenience.) Ready-to-eat food includes added costs, but freshness — which is key to good health — comes only from home-cooked meals. That said, there’s nothing wrong with either. Packet wala khana convenience ke liye hota hai, taste ke liye nahi. (Packaged food is for convenience, not flavour.)

Q. What’s your favourite dish?

Sanjeev Kapoor: Koi aisi favourite dish nahi hai. (I don’t have a favourite.) I eat everything — idlis, sugarcane juice, samosa, tea, burger. Main sab pyaar se khaata hu. (I eat everything with love.) That’s how I was raised — there was never a choice!

Story continues below this ad

Q. Do you doomscroll?

Sanjeev Kapoor: Time hi nahi hai. (I don’t have the time!) My team is already tired of me [chuckles]. They keep saying we’re not making enough reels, and I tell them — tum log bana lo, mere paas itna time nahi hai (You all make them, I don’t have that kind of time!)