Too hot to handle?

Everyone knows that it takes efforts to cook lip-smacking delicacies. But cooking for your loved ones is very different from cooking for customers who have paid handsome amounts for their taste buds to be satiated. Here comes the role of the master of the culinary arts — the chef. However, the recently released trailer of Chef suggests that it’s one of a helluva job. It shows that the protagonist (played by Saif Ali Khan), in his professional pursuits, is on the verge of losing the emotional connect with his son. We asked some of the well-known chefs about how hectic their schedules really are and what do they do to strike a healthy balance between professional and personal life.  

Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar hasn’t seen the trailer but he thinks it is an accurate portrayal if the profession has been shown anything but taxing. He says, “You always think that with age and seniority, things will get better and you will be more relaxed but that doesn’t happen. I have a three-year-old son and he gets to see me more on TV than in real life. The nature of the job is as such that the profession has a lot of personal attachment. You can talk about putting a solid system and process in place but mostly you have to be physically present. Most chefs work 16-18 hours a day.”    

Another celebrity chef Akshay Nayyar believes that a chef remains a chef whether in his  kitchen or in the swimming pool. The 29-year-old explains, “Unlike many other professions, a chef is always expected to put in same amount of time, hard work and dedication to achieve excellence. What makes life even tougher is that when people are celebrating festivals, a chef is working till late hours,” and adds his own example, “By the time I wake up, my wife is already in her office and when I reach home she is almost half asleep. On Sundays, I am usually busy laying brunches at my restaurants.” 

Ranveer Brar

Noted chef Nishant Choubey points out how chefs work in a pressure cooker situation. He says, “The taste and demand of the customers is ever-changing and to make matters worse, we can be trolled anytime by anyone on social media. Our smiles often hide the stress we go through.”      

So, what’s the impact of these exhausting hours at work on the family and how to make sure one doesn’t end up in a position like Saif’s character? Nayyar thinks that crystal clear communication is the solution. Giving an anecdote, he explains, “When I got married, I apprised my wife about my erratic schedules and because of her support I could manage my extensive travel plans and hectic schedules at restaurants easily.”  

Pankaj Bhadouria, the winner of MasterChef India Season 1, feels that chefs know the occupational hazards well and it’s usually their passion that keeps them going. She suggests better time management to ward off any familial discords. She says, “I travel a lot. I am based in Lucknow and when I go for shoots, I stay in Mumbai for a fortnight at a stretch. So, I make the best use of apps like Face Time and stay connected with my daughter who lives in Bangalore. When I am at home, I stay away from my laptop and phone and give all my attention to my family.”