Chef Vikas Khanna stays in Manhattan. But last year, when the pandemic led to millions of people going hungry in his own country, the Michelin-star chef could not do anything. While India slept, the chef worked across continents and time zones to organise a massive food distribution drive that has fed millions of people till date. Ask him what made him start Feed India, and he credits his mother, 
who stays in Amritsar. “My mom was quite brutal. She said that each time I hear of people going hungry and if my son is not doing anything, I will blame you,” he recalls.
In December last year, his award-winning film The Last Color released in India, and just a few days ago, he has announced an Indian cultural centre in Manhattan to promote Indian art, culture, heritage and culinary arts. It is named ‘Binder’, a combination of alphabets from his parents’ names Bindu and Davinder. Our cover star for the New Year, the good chef shared his thoughts with TMM. Excerpts from a conversation:
How did you manage to do so much all the way from the United States?
The initiative was run like a Michelin star restaurant. Each city had a four-digit code and when you clicked on the code, you could see the vendors, the foundations, the delivery boys etc. We had a big structure in New York to run this. I put everything on hold. I had opened one new restaurant and we did some books. Besides that, we only did Feed India.
What has been the biggest takeaway from this year for you?
It just shows how vulnerable we are. Being so advanced, did we ever think that we would not be able to even deal with a virus? We saw how humanity is so connected. The virus was not sparing the rich or the poor. New York was very badly hit too. Outside my house, there were parked emergency vans. I was in the middle of all this and I told myself that I need to stay stable because there is too much negativity. I just focused on Feed India. I have written a soon-to-be-published book that details how it was taken care of. I want to document this because I want anyone who thinks this is 
impossible to know that if this was possible, then everything is possible.
Has anything changed about the way you cook?
It’s become simpler. Everybody is going back to the comfort zone. I think that’s going to remain for the next two years. I’m not in denial. I do things in extreme detail, that’s how I have worked most of my life. All of that will still be there but we are going to make sure it is more accessible and comfortable and available at lower price points, at least for the next two years.
You dedicated the 30 millionth meal to Manoj Muntashir and his song Teri Mitti. Can you tell us about your connection with Manoj?
He’s the man behind Masterchef India. Many people were not in favour of me doing the show because my Hindi has a Punjabi accent. Manoj trained me. We were each-others’ fans. I would tell him that he is one person who deserves bigger recognition. When Teri Mitti came out, the lines ‘Jahaan lautke vaapis jana saka’ crushed me.
The Last Color released in India in December last year, How special was that?
We saw the movie being celebrated in Europe and America and for the first time, I was seeing it go home. I don’t have any kids, but that is what I would have felt if my child was going home to meet my mother for the first time. That would be a sacred moment. I think if I can make a movie, anyone can. You just need to be extremely focused and disciplined. I’m not a fiction writer, nor am I a trained filmmaker. I am self-trained, thanks to making documentaries and doing television. Cooking and filmmaking are quite similar. When you eat at a restaurant, it can take weeks and months to set up the place, to train the chefs to finally present you with the plate of food in front of you. And then the food is gone in a fraction of that time. It’s the same with films.
Your thoughts on 2021?
Well, I had a lot of hopes from 2020. Now we’ll deal with 2021.
RAPID FIRE
Your favourite travel destination: Bhutan is magical
Your favourite meal: There is a place called Sasumaa in Surat. They don’t have a menu and the chefs are all women. I have never tasted restaurant food that fresh! The moment you sit, they start serving you whatever has been cooked that day and they make sure you eat well. That is the sacredness of cooking. It has left a deep impression on my mind about how I can eventually create such a comfort zone.
Sweet tooth: Not at all
A chef who inspires you: So many! From Sanjeev Kapoor to Manjeet Singh Gill to Madhur Jaffrey – there are just so many to name.
An expression you use very often: Main Punjabi hoon, apne expression ek hi hote hain, gaaliyaan! I say ‘Ullu da Pattha’ very often. The other word I use a lot is ‘iconic’.
Your biggest strength and flaw: My strength is endurance. I am extremely open to being criticized. Salman Rushdie once told me that you have the skin of an elephant and the heart of a poet. I have endured so many ups and downs, that it has made me understand what is permanent and what is not. My flaw probably would be that I am extremely connected to my home. When I meet NRIs, they tell me that I am too Indian. I guess it is both my strength and weakness.
Advice to budding chefs: It would be my advice to any artist – don’t be scared to experiment. If at my age, I can subject myself to criticism by making a movie without being trained, it means you have to put yourself out there, re-invent and experiment.
Words: By Deepali Singh
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