Celebrity chef Kunal Kapur isn’t ruling out an acting career: ‘But not actively working towards it’ | Interview

Celebrity chef Kunal Kapur has carved a niche for himself in the culinary world, won audiences over as a judge on popular cooking reality shows, and amassed a loyal fan following through his engaging social media reels. Now, Kunal Kapur says he's open to exploring a new ingredient in his career: acting. While he isn't actively chasing roles, the chef admits he wouldn't mind making his acting debut if the right opportunity comes his way.

Kunal Kapur on acting debut

Kunal is no stranger to television audiences. He became a household name as a judge on shows like MasterChef India and Junior MasterChef India, and even served as a guest judge alongside chef Gordon Ramsay during the semi-finals of MasterChef America. He further carved out a strong presence on social media, where his easy-to-follow recipe reels and engaging food content have earned him millions of views and a loyal following.

Is acting his next step? “I'm open to the prospect of getting into acting, whether reality or fiction, or getting into movies or OTT,” Kunal tells us without any hesitation.

“Am I actively looking for it as of now? No, I'm actively working towards expanding my restaurants, but if an opportunity comes my way, I'll be more than happy to do it,” shares the chef, who recently collaborated with Blenders Pride Reserved Experiences for an immersive live gastro-performance through multi-sensory experiences.

On his career

A graduate of the Institute of Hotel Management, Chandigarh, Kunal began his culinary journey with the Taj Group of Hotels. Over the years, he has established himself as one of India's most celebrated chefs, earning widespread acclaim, including the 'Gourmet Guru' honour as one of the country's top 20 chefs. His restaurant venture, Pincode, has also garnered immense popularity both in India and internationally.

“I appreciate that I had the opportunity to do what I'm doing. Not many people can say that they are into a career or into a trade which they thoroughly enjoy. I'm somebody who thoroughly enjoys what I'm doing,” Kunal says.

He continues, “I wake up every day, thinking, ‘today I'm going to do this, and this is what's on the chart’. For me, love for my trade is the single most important reason that I'm still in this trade… It takes time for a lot of people to come to terms with what they want to be. Once you hit that, it's an easy road for anybody. Where would I like to go from here? I don't know. I've never really thought about that, or thought about where I will be in the next five years. I plan my next week; that’s the max.”

On the best drink for summer and monsoon

No conversation with Kunal is complete without asking him for a few kitchen secrets. So before wrapping up, we asked the celebrity chef to share some refreshing homemade Indian beverages that he swears by to beat the heat this season.

“All your fruits can get transformed into a drink, so whether it's a raw mango, ripe mango, or a jamun, these are your usual suspects. But I also recommend everybody include coconut water in their diet. You can make it like a lemonade or a mocktail out of it… There is amrud (guava), which has a whole lot of vitamin C, which is required during summers. Then there are peaches and watermelons. You can lay your hands on a good fruit and just juice it up, add a nice lemon or shikanji masala and enjoy it,” he ends.