Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor recently revealed why he turned down an offer to join the first season of MasterChef India. Recalling the early days of the hit cooking reality show, Kapoor said he had placed one unusual condition before agreeing to participate — he wanted to be paid just Re 1 more than Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar.
According to Kapoor, Akshay Kumar had already been finalised for the show when he was approached by the makers. While he shared a good relationship with the actor and held him in high regard, Kapoor felt that a cooking competition was his area of expertise and believed his contribution deserved greater recognition.
Explaining his stance, the celebrity chef said the demand for one rupee extra was purely symbolic. It was not about the money, but about acknowledging the value of his knowledge and authority in the culinary world. When the producers refused to meet the condition, Kapoor decided against joining the show and was willing to walk away from the opportunity.
As a result, he remained absent from the initial seasons of MasterChef India. However, the situation changed later. Kapoor revealed that by the time the third season came around, the makers felt the show needed his presence and approached him again with a new proposal. This time, he accepted the offer on terms that suited him.
Kapoor stressed that his decision was never driven by rivalry with Akshay Kumar. Rather, it was about ensuring that experts receive due recognition in their respective fields. He eventually became one of the most prominent faces of MasterChef India and played a key role in establishing the show as one of India's most successful culinary reality franchises.