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Chef Vikas Khanna Is Making A Documentary About The Unifying Power Of Food

Chef Vikas Khanna Makes His Filmmaking Debut This Year
Vikas Khanna, master chef India host and executive chef of Junoon restaurant in New York, prepares food for a communal vegetarian meal, known as 'langar', at a community kitchen at the Sikh Shrine Golden temple in Amritsar on November 25, 2012. Khanna visited the city for a promotional event for an upcoming show. AFP PHOTO/ NARINDER NANU (Photo credit should read NARINDER NANU/AFP/Getty Images)
NARINDER NANU via Getty Images
Vikas Khanna, master chef India host and executive chef of Junoon restaurant in New York, prepares food for a communal vegetarian meal, known as 'langar', at a community kitchen at the Sikh Shrine Golden temple in Amritsar on November 25, 2012. Khanna visited the city for a promotional event for an upcoming show. AFP PHOTO/ NARINDER NANU (Photo credit should read NARINDER NANU/AFP/Getty Images)

Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna has added another feather to his cap.

After celebrating the name and fame he has gotten from his passion of cooking and appearing on the reality show Masterchef, Khanna is now turning director with a documentary on the unifying power of food, which he plans to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival this year.

According to a Hindustan Times report, the documentary examines how shared food experiences help break the walls that divide people. It is said to feature personalities like Dalai Lama, Deepak Chopra, Mata Amritanandmayi (spiritual leader) and Pastor Craig Mayes of the New York Mission, among others.

“According to me, no faith talks about barriers. Whether it is Judaism or Jainism, every faith talks about people coming to the same table. I am fortunate to have been given a platform. So, it is my duty to share my knowledge about the subject,” HT quoted Khanna saying.

Last year, the 43-year-old had dedicated his latest cookbook Utsav, priced at a staggering ₹8 lakh and weighing 15 kg, to the transgender community.

Recalling a research trip to Harappa, Pakistan, a few years ago, he said, “While researching, I couldn’t find a single small pot there, which was a clear indication that food in those times was cooked in a communal way. This means that everyone came together to cook, and to be fed. Unifying forces were stronger even before religion came into being.”

The report further quoted him sharing his experience in the US. “When I came to the US, I didn’t know anyone. On December 24, I landed up at a homeless shelter. They were preparing a Christmas meal there, and they shared their food with me; that made me feel like home. Food not only builds relations, but it also builds hope.”

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First Photos From Vikas Khanna's Book 'Utsav'

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.