Ranveer Brar: My grandmother’s cooking is my green meadow memory

Chef and actor Ranveer Brar, who has been a long-standing face of MasterChef India, says this season carries a noticeably different energy.“This time it’s double the energy,” Ranveer says. “Normally there are 12 people in the kitchen. This time there are 24 at one time. So the energy on the kitchen floor is almost exponential.”But numbers aren’t the only change. “This time, everyone is coming with a support system. They’re coming in pairs. They have someone to rely on, someone who knows them. When the stakes are high, you can get lost. Having someone to fall back on gives them a different kind of confidence. That confidence changes the energy.”According to him, the biggest shift this season is emotional and cultural. “Every year we get the pulse of the nation through food. This time the pulse is pride. They don’t want to impress us with Western or exotic cuisines. They want to tell stories of their own food — their micro cuisines, smaller cities, and states. That conversation is becoming the larger narrative of the show.”On food trends and social media influence, he sees evolution rather than disruption. “There’s a certain sense of certainty and discoverability that trends bring. But after so many seasons, I’ve realized it’s not just change — it’s evolution. Every season becomes a food revolution and a food evolution.”On a personal level, cooking remains deeply therapeutic. “I call them anchor memories — memories that calm you immediately,” he says. “Most of mine are centred around food. My grandmother’s cooking — not just what she made, but how she made it — is my green meadow memory. When you’re in a desert, you need a green meadow memory.”