Programme Name:Masterchef India
Timings:Weekends 9 – 10 pm
Channel: Star Plus
Rating:
India is indeed a strange country. What may fail to work in other countries can find runaway success here; on the other hand, certain concepts tasting success abroad have tasted blood here (Kellogg’s is one example). So, simply performing a Cut-Copy-Paste operation of one hit international show, without studying the Indian demographics, is highly dangerous. That’s what happens with Star Plus’ latest reality show Masterchef India (from the famous Masterchef series) and hence it fails to impress.
The show seems to be banking on only one of its judges, superstar Akshay Kumar, for grabbing eyeballs, without considering what the viewers actually expect. Here are some other crucial points which I observed about the show:
Besides Akshay Kumar, there are two other judges – Chef Ajay Chopra of the Goa Marriott Resort and Chef Kunal Kapoor of Leela Kempinski, Gurgaon. This selection would have been better if only one of the two chefs was selected. The third judge should have ideally been a female – a chef, a cookbook author or a cookery expert. Since a major chunk of the participants is formed by housewives, the presence of a female judge is mandatory.
The judges should provide constructive feedback, rather than only epithetic comments. Mere “Lajawab” or “Bakwaas” won’t work. I was also expecting some beneficial tips from the judges, but nothing of the sort happened. For instance, when the contestant Zebi Zubair had served Seviyan, I was waiting to listen to some pointers from the judges which will help me improve my Seviyan the next time I cook. But, alas!
I remember a cookery show called Kitchen Champion which was recently pulled off air from Colors. In that, the chef judge was overseeing the entire process – right from the selection of ingredients to the method of cooking till the tasting of the dish; hence he was able to allot fair marking to every contestant. He would also provide important cooking pointers at every step of the show. Thus, it would be better if the judges of Mastercheftoo enter the kitchens and observe what goes on…
I recollect my mother being called to audition for Masterchef. She was told to arrive at the studio (located in Santacruz West) at 10 am sharp with a vegan dish that would last for more than five hours. Thus, in order to pass the test, my mother would have had to wake up at the crack of dawn, leave all her chores aside, prepare a dish that wouldn’t rot for almost half a day and leave home early enough to reach Santacruz West at 10 am from Chembur! Had I received such an offer, I would have simply ordered some fare from a nearby cheap restaurant for the audition day and postponed showing my culinary side to the later stages of the show. Isn’t that easy? Who could have called the bluff? But, it would be unfair to the participant who would do all that what my mother wouldn’t. In short, faulty auditioning.
And lastly, Indianizing the international cookery series doesn’t only mean including Indian dishes and having Indian judges on board. Catering to the Indian demographics is the most important need, which the show has ignored completely.
However, let’s see what’s in store in the upcoming episodes. In the meanwhile, if the show continues like this, it will be a “Game Finish” before the judges can say “Tasty Dish”…
