Opinion Master Chef or Master Akshay?
If you have been watching 'MasterChef India' (Star Plus) maybe you shouldnt.
If you have been watching ‘MasterChef India’ (Star Plus) maybe you shouldnt. Maybe you’d like to watch ‘MasterChef Australia ‘instead (Star World). I like to. You,actually,learn some cooking. On MasterChef India,most of what you get is a recipe for disaster.
The distance between the two shows from the same franchise is as wide as that between the two countries. The shows centre around one star each: on ‘MasterChef Australia’ its the food cooked by the contestants or the chef-judges; on ‘MasterChef India’,it’s a well-done piece of rare meat called Akshay Kumar. The ‘khaana ‘he cooked was next in importance. Thats because once a upon a time in Thailand,he worked in a restaurant. It was a long time ago.
To begin with ‘MasterChef India’ was only about him. Nowadays,Akshay Kumar has stepped back from the fire and allowed others to burn their fingers. Mainly the contestant. This happens on ‘Master Chef Australia ‘too but with a difference: the focus is on the contestants’ cooking and the exotic dishes they manage to create; on ‘MasterChef India’ the focus is on what the contestants cook up between themselves basically,a pot pourri of trouble,trouble boil and bubble.
Listen to the voice-overs or the heated discussions between contestants like Joe Bath,Ankita,Smita (who has recently been eliminated),and Parul. Or even Kandla and Radhicka. They could give the saas-bahus a run for their roles.
Sure,you see them slaving away at the stoves; but the camera shot is almost always at a distance so you dont really get to see what theyre brewing in those pots and pans. The focus is on the tensions between the contestants. One of them is invariably complaining about the slowness,the ineptitude of the others how they are never quite ready with the dishes they have been told to cook and why. Normally,it’s because one of them has four thumbs and doesnt know how to prepare a simple dish like Murgh Masala Maharaj Jodhpuri. Well,of course I just made that up,but you get the idea? Its all about heightening the (melo)drama,not about the food. So they serve up plenty of conflict on a bed of complaints,garnished with resentments and topped up with insecurities.
On ‘Master Chef Australia’,sure,the milk curdles but they still put the curd to good use in a spectacular new recipe. You watch them at the market,shopping eagerly; then they’re at the chopping board,and the camera zooms in to show them combine ingredients in a way that makes your mouth water. ‘You want to eat what they cook. Not so ‘Master Chef India’ where you hear about what is being cooked rather than see it.
The only people who are seen to be cooking are the chef-judges,Kunal and Ajay. But we know they can cook,so whats the fun in that? Might as well watch ‘Nigella Feasts’ or any of the cookery shows on the news and lifestyle channels. Then along comes Akshay Kumar and steals the show from everyone. We know he must be paid a packet for his appearance but the proof of pudding is always in the eating and since he is not an edible man,he should not be the main course.
The fault in ‘MasterChef India’ lies perhaps in our food. We like everything heavily spiced with masala. Problem is there’s enough masala and mirchi to give you acidity.
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