Indian-Michelin star Chef Vikas Khanna’s befitting reply to a news anchor during an interview about his food distribution drive in India during the Covid-19 induced lockdown has won praise online.
The 48-year old chef, who in April started an initiative to distribute dry ration to old-age homes, orphanages and leprosy centres in India amid the pandemic, was speaking about the drive when the BBC anchor suggested that the chef understood the pangs of hunger since he did not hail from a rich family.
“You’ve cooked for the Obamas, you’ve been on TV show with Gordon Ramsay. But it wasn’t always that way, was it? You’re not from a rich family. So, I dare say, you understand how precarious it can be in India,” the anchor said.
To which Khanna, maintaining a calm demeanor, replied, “No, I am from Amritsar, everyone gets fed there in the langars. My sense of hunger came from New York.”
Watch the video here:
Vikas Khanna, michelin star chef, gives it back to BBC news anchor.
Anchor: In India, you were not from a rich family. So your sense of hunger must have come from there.
Vikas: NO, I am from Amritsar, everyone gets fed there in the langars. My sense of hunger came from New York! pic.twitter.com/u06BJDSzvj— Harpreet (@CestMoiz) June 27, 2020
The clip soon went viral on social media, with many lauding Khanna for his response. “It was a classic reply,” wrote a user.
He just demonstrated the recipie for “CHUTNEY”!!!🤣
— Vinayak Bhave (@bhave_vinayak) June 27, 2020
Class from Vikas 👏👏👏
Shame on you @BBCWorld— AB84 🇮🇳 (@badyalarpan) June 27, 2020
Original ‘Racism’ an English mentality.. brilliant answer by Vikas.
— Raj Verma 🇨🇦🇮🇳 (@Capriraj) June 27, 2020
The kind of disgusting questions being asked is just appalling
— Forestzz (@Forestz_1) June 27, 2020
Well Done Vikas Paaji…..so proud of you.
— Sinhrann (@sinhrann) June 27, 2020
The thought process of anchor is clearly racist in approach. Very happy of the reply given by Vikas Khanna.
— D Prasanth Nair (@DPrasanthNair) June 27, 2020