Hrithik Roshan replaced by TV chefs

MasterChef India takes over after Just Dance, Season One winner Pankaj Bhoudouria’s culinary show to work as a warm up.

In all probabilities, the shooting for Just Dance, the dance reality show on Star Plus featuring Hrithik Roshan as a judge, will wrap up on September 23. And the concluding episode will be aired within the next couple of days. MasterChef India Season Two could fill up the slot on Saturdays and Sundays at 9 pm soon after. The shooting for the cookery reality show has already begun for the audition episodes with chef-judges Ajay Chopra and Kunal Kapoor. The show is likely to begin in the first half of October.

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However, before MasterChef India Season Two goes on air, the channel has planned a warm-up exercise of sorts. Previous season’s winner, Pankaj Bhoudouria’s cookery show will be brought on air in a few weeks. And her cookery book will be released across the country alongside.

Monica Shergill, senior creative director, Star Plus, confirms, saying, “There was a reason why we didn’t push her show immediately after the season wrapped up last year. She needed time to complete her book of recipes. Besides that, she has actually become a celebrity chef. She has been featured in international magazines alongside some of the best-known chefs in the world. She has just returned from Cambridge after lecturing there. We want everyone to see the difference that the show made to her life.”

Pankaj’s cookery show, as expected, is likely to be aired in the afternoons, five days a week, with segments dealing with quirky and unheard-of ingredients and recipes by popular celebrities. She will also demonstrate a couple of recipes from her book which took her over six months to compile.

“People will watch this show, learn from it and take MasterChef’s concept more seriously because this season is bereft of a celebrity face. It may just be of help to the contestants who will be on this season, because her show will feature all kinds of cuisines,” says Monica, who admits to being thrilled with the contestants who’ve appeared for this season’s auditions.

“Everyone is glued to food-oriented shows. Today, all kinds of ingredients are available pretty easily in the market. And with what people saw last season, this time, instead of the routine recipes, I’ve discovered contestants who’ve come up with dishes of their own that can be potentially popular global recipes,” she declares.

The MasterChef host hopefuls
1 Chef Atul Kochhar Two starred Michelin chef has appeared on TV shows and has cooked for Prince Charles. Is currently writing his third book, Curries of the World.
2 Vineet Bhatia Based in the UK, Bhatia has been awarded one Michelin star and is the chief chef of Rasoi; was awarded the Chef Of The Year by Evening Standards
3 Vikas Khanna Was voted New York’s hottest chef. Has been invited to whip up ‘spiritual food’ for Barrack Obama on July 29. His documentary series Holy Kitchens frames his journey to discover spiritual foods.