Meet India’s ultimate culinary maverick, Ranveer Brar, a name synonymous with storytelling, showmanship, and soulful cooking. From his humble beginnings in the lively streets of Lucknow to becoming a celebrated face on screen, Ranveer has a knack for turning every dish into a narrative worth savouring. Beyond the kitchen, he has also carved a niche for himself in the world of entertainment and acting. In an exclusive chat with TMM, he talks about his journey, insights, and the creative spark that keeps his passion alive.

 

 

Your Instagram bio reads Musafir, Zaike ka Mureed, and Adna Sa Bawarchi. While the latter two are quite relatable to your professional career. Why do you call yourself a musafir?

I often say that travel makes a good cook better. What you learn in the kitchen is, of course, supremely valuable. But what you learn in your travels is priceless. For me personally, my journeys have been about discovering local and hyperlocal cultures and cuisines, not just in India, but across countries as well. Connecting with the locals, street food vendors, home cooks and iconic restaurant chefs gives me new stories and points of view to better relate to food. And these are the stories and experiences that I aim to represent through my cooking.

 

Your journey began in Lucknow with the khansamas – how did those early experiences shape your culinary philosophy?

I have this favourite quote whenever I talk about Lucknow, plate bhar khaana, pateele bhar kisse, meaning for every portion of food, you have an urn full of stories to go with it! Storytelling and Nazaakat are 2 aspects of my cooking that I specially credit to Lucknow.

 

Apart from food, one thing that you miss about Lucknow is what?

I miss Lucknow for poetry. I have fond memories of going to Kavi Sammelans and Mushayaras as a kid with my father. And they are experiences that really shaped me and my understanding of that culture as a whole.

 

You have a unique style of storytelling. What all goes into the preparation, and how do you sculpt the stories?

I read a lot, you would typically find me in my favourite nook at home with a book or two. The more I read, the better it helps me relate to food. And this is what I try to propagate to food lovers out there, to relate to the food they cook/ eat. Like, the origin of an ingredient or dish, or why a specific ingredient is synonymous with a region, how the demographics contribute to a certain dish and so on. Because, trust me, when you connect to food, it takes your experience to a whole new level.

 

What role did your family play in your decision to pursue a culinary career, especially at a time when it wasn't a conventional choice?

It wasn’t easy to convince them to be honest. I come from a family of landlords, and the professions of Doctor, Engineer, and soldier were far more conventional. But seeing how passionate and singular-minded I was about pursuing cooking as a career, they eventually gave in.

 
When it comes to brand collaborations, what makes you say yes?

People. If a brand hires people who excite me and excite me to want to work with them, that makes a big difference. As they say, like hires like. The people I connect with, the managers, the CEO and the bonds I form with them over time, go a long way in making the association go a long way.

 

 

Also, one brand collaboration that is very special for you to date and why?

All brand collaborations are special to me, but to pick one, I’d say my association with Philips is special. We have worked together for more than 12 years now. I helped launch the very first AirFryer and makes me proud to see what a disruptive innovation it has been and where it has taken the culinary scene.

 

From being behind the stove to being in front of the camera, how did you transition into the world of television and acting?

It was an opportunity that came knocking and I just said Yes! By then, I had become a specialist in opening restaurants, managing kitchens and large teams, so facing the camera and connecting with a virtual audience sounded like an interesting challenge at the time. And when scripts came bundled with travel, I naturally wanted to explore them further.

 

How challenging it was to debut as Rajveer in Modern Love, portraying a gay chef character? What all went into preparing the character?

It was very comfortable to work with Hansal sir and Pratik. Moreover, I had to portray a chef, which didn’t need much prep, of course. About the gay part, I have worked with quite a few gay chefs in the US, and I just brought in the understanding of their emotions into the character. Like they say, Love is Love!

 

Hansal Mehta is known for his perfection as a director. Any memory or lesson from The Buckingham Murders that you would like to share?

I like how he doesn’t force himself or his perceptions on the actors. Even for the Buckingham Murders role, the only brief he gave me was – Stillness; I want to see stillness inside you, because stillness breeds unpredictability, which I want in the character. He did not go scene by scene or tell me how to work. I think that freedom is a very powerful way to work. It instils both a belief and responsibility in artists themselves.
 

How do you stay rooted in your Indian heritage while constantly innovating on global platforms?

I wouldn’t be anywhere without my Indian roots. In fact, it’s something I pass on as advice to the next Gen too, to stay rooted while looking/cooking global. In the culinary space, especially, the understanding of cooking techniques and spices that Indian cuisine gives you is unparalleled. It only helps you to experiment more in presenting your roots on a global platform.

 

As a father and a son, how do you hope your legacy around food and culture is passed on through generations?

Honestly, I don’t want a legacy! All I want to see myself as is someone who explored Indian food, spoke about it and tried to find deeper meanings in life, culture and cuisines. And it is those deeper meanings and connections that I want to see in people, with my name completely taken out of the equation. It’s what I stand for that should stay, not the name.

 

Cooking versus acting, which one is more difficult and why?

Not difficult as such, but more like an extension of me as an artist. Acting has definitely helped me discover myself more and connect with myself better, which then reflects in my cooking and, in fact, cooking videos too.

 

Rapid Fire

 

1. If not a chef, you would have been

A wildlife/ travel photographer

2. Hatred for you is

Wouldn’t call it hatred, but something that puts me off is Rajma, Chole and Rasam mixed together and eaten with rice.

3. Compassion for you is

Eating food the right way and thinking about others before throwing it away.

4. Poetry for you is

An extension of me

5. 5 words to define Ranveer

Careless, Crazy, God-fearing, Student, Curious

6. If you were a dish, you would be

Khichdi

7. One talent of Ranveer that the world doesn't know

I think the world knows everything!

 

 

 

Team Credits:

Photographer: Bhushan Tandel
Outfit: Antar-Agni
Location Partner: Mukesh Mill
Managed by Nargis