PGDAV student makes it to India’s reality cooking show

Mirvaan Vinayak, 19, is used to the spotlight, given that he actively participates in his college (PGDAV) dramas, but he has taken to the stage on a whole new level now. The final year BA student an entrants to one of India’s most popular reality cooking shows, and has become a star in his college and his home town, Faridabad. “I was 14 when I first tried my hand at cooking,” says Vinayak, whose excitement at seeing his personalised apron is palpable. “Cooking is my passion, just like acting. I wanted to study hotel management, but my father wanted me to be part of his wholesale business,” he says.

Vinayak recalls his first experiment in the kitchen, which was with seafood. “My father saw this one recipe on a show but failed miserably. I offered to try it and as it turned out, everyone loved it,” he says. But cooking as a chef was still not an option for his dad. “College had started to bore me, but the drama society came to my rescue, and I was happy to do at least that,” says Vinayak.

Eventually, one of his friends urged him to audition for the reality show and the rest, as they say, is history. “I’m the youngest contender, so I’m usually everyone’s centre of attention. Chef Vikas pulls my leg the most among the three judges, and always has a smile on his face when he tastes my dish.”

The young chef, who’s shooting in Jodhpur at present, misses Delhi food. “I tried pani-puri in Mumbai during my shoot, nowhere is it close to Delhi’s gol gappe, they are the best!” he declares.

If there’s one thing Delhi should have more of, though, it’s culinary schools, says Vinayak. “There are a lot of hotel management institutes, but not many culinary schools. There should be, so that youngsters like me who want to pursue their passion in cooking can get trained,” he signs off.