When he first told his father that he wanted to pursue culinary arts, Vikas Khanna was met with a discouraging response: for an ordinary person, he would always be seen as just a server. "My father told me — what can you achieve by cooking. Will you be able to cook for President of America? And my biji, grandmother Bimla Khanna, who was sitting beside me, at that moment said, 'thathastu'," said Khanna, as he sat down for an interview with us in Amritsar.
"Later, my father bought me my first tandoor, as a birthday gift," he said, with a shine in his eyes. This anecdote is enough to explain the reverence Chef Vikas Khanna has always shown while speaking about the women in his life — his grandmother, his mother Bindu Khanna, and his late sister, Radha. "They have been a constant source of hope, encouragement for me. My father was sceptical, but my mother never gave up on my dream," he said. Khanna was speaking at a special event hosted by Phulkari — Women of Amritsar.
Reflecting on his journey from working at Lawrance Garden, a small banquet venue, to becoming the first Indian chef to be named to the prestigious TIME 100 Most Influential People list, Khanna says he still believes his best work lies ahead and that he has much more to contribute. "I am still scared of this kind of success. When Times 100 was announced, I froze and did not know how to react immediately. But I realised the importance of Indian food and power an influence of Indian cuisine globally now."
Bungalow, his latest venture in New York, is a tribute to his sister Radha. It was a promise that he made to his mother. Today, it gets a waiting list of over 10,000 people and has become not just a restaurant but a place to celebrate Indian food. "Indian food is meant to heal, it's very internal for us, and especially cultural aspect of food has touched people. When people come to Bungalow, they are looking for a good connection. Bungalow has become a place where people do not just come for Indian food but to celebrate festivals, to treat their mothers. We had guest, a lady from Gujarat who celebrated her 100th birthday there," he said.
Beyond running a successful restaurant in the food capital of the world, Khanna is a filmmaker, producer and author. His upcoming film Imaginary Rain has Shabana Azmi in the lead role, alongside Prateik Patil Babbar. He is excited about its release. "I just watched the trailer and got goosebumps. All I have to say is that people will see I have so much pagalpann left in me," he said.
The film is adapted from Khanna's 2023 novel of the same name and is described as an emotional drama centered on food, grief, family, identity, and reconnecting with one's roots. "It starts in New York and ends in Amritsar, in the world's largest kitchen. The langar at the Golden Temple. The narrative uses Indian cuisine as a way to explore healing, memory, and self-discovery," he said.
The film recently drew attention because of the emotional connection between Shabana Azmi and Prateik Patil Babbar, the son of late actress Smita Patil. During filming, Azmi shared a heartfelt moment with him and remarked that she felt "Smitaji will be watching with us." Even Khanna describes Imaginary Rain as "the best work of my life," and he has called directing Shabana Azmi one of the greatest privileges of his career.
