Old video of Vikas Khanna's savage reply to BBC interviewer goes viral, chef reacts. See post

Social media users also reacted strongly to the video, expressing their pride in Vikas Khanna’s stance

A resurfaced interview of Michelin-star chef Vikas Khanna has reignited discussions around racial stereotypes often faced by Indians abroad. The clip, from a 2020 BBC interview, shows Khanna being questioned about his understanding of hunger, with the interviewer implying that his experiences of poverty stemmed from his upbringing in India. Khanna’s dignified response has been widely praised, highlighting the persistence of stereotypes surrounding India despite the country's significant development.

The interviewer acknowledged Khanna’s achievements, which include cooking for the Obamas and appearing on cooking shows with Gordon Ramsay. However, he then pivoted to the chef’s background, suggesting that being from Amritsar, Punjab, Khanna may have had firsthand knowledge of hunger due to growing up in a non-affluent environment.

Khanna responded by asserting that Amritsar houses the Golden Temple, which operates the world’s largest community kitchen, known as a langar, where thousands are fed daily, ensuring no one goes hungry. He further clarified that his true understanding of hunger came not from India, but from his struggles in New York following the 9/11 attacks, when opportunities for South Asians, particularly brown people, were limited. Khanna recounted sleeping at Grand Central station during that period as well.

The interview clip prompted a wave of support for Khanna, with many applauding his response to the interview. Khanna himself addressed the resurgence of the video, sharing a post on Instagram in which he discussed the need to challenge such perceptions of India. He described India as "multidimensional and multicultural," pointing to the country’s rich cultural heritage, scientific achievements, and cuisine as sources of pride.

Khanna’s post emphasised that while Indian chefs are gaining global recognition, questions like the one posed in the interview continue to surface, reflecting outdated views of the country. “Somehow, this is the only question significant to some,” he remarked

"As this is trending worldwide, I must address this issue. Every nation has its greatness & faults. India is so so multidimensional & multicultural. One of the fastest growing economies. Our cuisine is valued as our greatest soft power, our family structure, spiritual power & wisdom, literature, science, research, technology, music, culture has defined its space in the world. Our chefs are ruling the global stages & our role in the world of science & technology is symbolic to who we are & our educational systems. But somehow this is the only question significant to some," Khanna wrote in the caption of his post.

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A post shared by Vikas Khanna (@vikaskhannagroup)

Khanna’s response garnered widespread admiration, with notable figures like singer Shreya Ghoshal and comedian Zarna Garg adding their voices to the conversation. Ghoshal described Khanna’s reply as “dignified” and criticised the interviewer’s disrespectful question. Garg echoed the sentiment, commending Khanna for responding to the offensive question with "warmth and brilliance."

Vikas Khanna, Michelin Star Chef, gives it back to BBC news anchor.Anchor: In India, you were not from a rich family. So your sense of hunger must have come from there.Vikas: No, I'm from Amritsar, everyone gets fed there in the langars. My sense of hunger came from New York! pic.twitter.com/rWf4PSVIAHHarpreet (@CestMoiz) September 12, 2024

Social media users also reacted strongly to the video, expressing their pride in Khanna’s stance and his representation of India. Comments praised his honesty and refusal to accept the stereotypical narrative, with one user writing, “What a reply!” and another adding, “Thanks for being so honest and representing India and your experience in such honesty.”

"Vikas: No, I'm from Amritsar, everyone gets fed there in the langars. My sense of hunger came from New York! Man that was bang on!" a user added.

Meanwhile, Vikas Khanna, born in Amritsar in 1971, rose from humble beginnings to become a Michelin-starred chef and prominent figure on the global culinary stage.