Sanjeev Kapoor Recalls Being Called ‘Badtameez’ For Not Recognizing Bollywood Stars

Sanjeev Kapoor is one of the most renowned chefs in the country. AfterSanjeev Kapoor returned to India from New Zealand, he became the youngest Executive Chef of Centaur Hotel in Mumbai in 1992, and at

that time, he got a chance to have his first brush with Bollywood.

Centaur Hotel used to be a hub for all the big Bollywood parties, and being an executive chef at such a prestigious place, he was invited to meet the guests, but couldn’t recognise anyone and later got scolded by his head for the same. Speaking to Lallantop, he shared, “At the party, they made me meet Bollywood stars. I met everyone and came to my office after that. The banquet manager also came to my office. He told me that since you are new, I have to talk to you. He told me that you have to change your attitude. ‘Tum bahut badtameez insaan ho (You are a very rude person).’

Sanjeev added, “I didn’t understand what I did. He told me, ‘I made you meet so many Bollywood stars, but you acted like you don’t know anyone.’ He asked me, ‘You don’t know who is Anu (Malik) and Nadeem-Shravan?’ He asked me about the film Aashiqui and I didn’t know about the film. This film was released when I was in New Zealand. No Hindi films used to be released in New Zealand, and we didn’t know about the recent releases. If he had asked something about Amitabh Bachchan, I would have told, but this was a new film and these were all new people. He told me, ‘Tum kya insaan ho?’ Then he said that I have to be trained.”

About Sanjeev Kapoor

Sanjeev Kapoor became a household name in India and across Asia after hosting the iconic cooking show Khana Khazana, which went on to become one of the continent’s longest-running cookery shows, airing for an impressive 18 years. The show not only introduced audiences to a wide variety of Indian and international cuisines but also made cooking accessible and enjoyable for millions of viewers. Sanjeev Kapoor was widely praised for his charismatic presentation style, his ability to explain complex recipes in a simple, engaging manner, and his warm on-screen persona that made viewers feel as if they were learning to cook alongside a friend.