As a child, you probably have a clear memory of your mother either watching Chef Sanjeev Kapoor on TV or cooking recipes from his books. He had such an impact, and it continues to this day. Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who became a part of the kitchen of every home in India through ‘Khana Khazana’, not only changed the taste of the country but also gave the chef fraternity the respect it deserved. That incident of April 2017 is an example of his passion and being firm on his identity, when he refused to follow the strict ‘dress code’ of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
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Padma Shri and condition of national dress
When Sanjeev Kapoor was selected for ‘Padma Shri’, India’s fourth highest civilian honour, he received a formal letter from the Home Ministry. There were clear instructions in this letter that all the winners have to attend the ceremony in ‘national dress’ (like Bandhgala or Pajama-Kurta) only. Sanjeev Kapoor was adamant on one thing: he wanted to receive this honor in his own identity i.e. ‘chef coat’.
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“Stop it if you can”
Sanjeev Kapoor told in an interview that when he asked the administration for permission to come in chef uniform, he got a blunt reply that there was no such rule or example and he would have to follow the dress code. But for Kapoor, it was not just the clothes, but a representation of the millions of chefs around the world who have never received mainstream recognition. He firmly told the coordinator: “Look sir, I will come in chef uniform, if you can stop me then you can stop me.”
However, it was written in the letter that the award recipients are expected to come in national dress. Kapoor was clear about one thing: he wanted to be respected in his chef coat.
They were told that there was no such precedent and that they would have to follow the dress code. But Kapoor remained adamant on his point. For him, this moment was bigger than personal recognition as he wanted to dedicate this award to his community and fellow chefs.
He told the coordinator, “Look sir, I will come in chef uniform, if you can stop me then you can stop me.”
On the day of the ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan, he arrived in his chef uniform. Without any objections or difficulties, he received the Padma Shri exactly as he had imagined, dressed like a chef, representing his community.
Later, he joked that he didn’t know what he would have done if he hadn’t gotten the entry in his chef coat, especially since he hadn’t kept a backup outfit despite his family’s advice.
Kapoor recently relived this memory in a video from his Kahaani Khazana series on Instagram. In the clip, he talks about his journey, and reveals that during his years working in hotels, he used to wear his full chef uniform every day. When he came on television, the first thing he did was remove the chef’s cap because it did not fit properly on the screen. Gradually, he was asked to wear regular shirts for a more casual look.
Despite this change, Kapoor believes that there is a deep sense of pride and honor in a chef’s uniform, and this sentiment has perhaps played a role in raising the status of a chef today.