Vikas Khanna

Vikas Khanna’s story reads like a modern epic, beginning in the kitchen of his grandmother in Amritsar and ascending to the gleaming stages of international television. Born in 1971, he was fascinated by food from childhood, a passion that persisted despite being born with clubfeet. His move to New York in the early 2000s was a classic struggle, starting from dishwashing jobs. But Khanna’s vision was vast. He didn’t just want to cook; he wanted to narrate, educate, and celebrate. His Manhattan restaurant, Junoon, earned a Michelin star, a rare feat for an Indian dining room. Simultaneously, he became a familiar face as a judge on MasterChef India, authoring best-selling cookbooks, and directing documentaries that explored food’s connection to culture and charity. Khanna operates on a grand scale, using media of all kinds to demystify and glorify the culinary traditions of his homeland.