The Popularity of Masterchef Australia with the Indian Bourgeois

        George Bernard Shaw once said that there is no sincerer love than the love of food. One would not be in the wrong to go further and declare Indians as some of the truest examples of this love. ‘Indian’, being considered as one of the major cuisines of the world, is much appreciated. Humble food items such as the samosa, the idli, the pani puri and the gulab jamun have found themselves a spot on the international food map. This recognition of the novelty of these delicacies is not just evident on a worldwide scale, but its presence can be felt within the country as well. With the Indian acceptance of one another’s regional and communal disparities comes, gradually, the acceptance of another community’s food. Inquisitiveness, along with the love of food, drives within Indians an urge to know of new types of food forms from within as well as from outside the country. This can be evident from the increasing number of food shows, and more recently food channels, hitting the television.

        One such food show is MasterChef Australia, a competitive cooking game show produced by FremantleMedia Australia. Based in Australia, this show has an Indian fan base so large that it had two of the judges shoot a commercial just for this Indian audience. Here, one can hear them mouthing words such as ‘namaste’ and phrases like ‘bahot maza ayega’ (it will be fun). The judges are food critic Matt Preston, restaurateur and chef Gary Mehigan and chef George Calombaris, a rather jovial trio. The food prepared by the contestants is judged not just on the basis of taste, as Indians are used to, but also on the basis of texture and presentation. Comments such as ‘the meat is cooked rare’ or ‘the main component does not stand out in the clutter on the plate’ are met with fascination by this audience.

        Though a little baffled by the Australian accent, choice of food and vocabulary, Indian audiences are certainly not repulsed by it. Use of proteins such as kangaroo or rabbit meat though unimaginable to the mostly chicken and mutton eating mind, is intriguing. The omission of scripted dramatic scenarios aimed at increasing Television Rating Points is what sets this show apart from other shows of its kind. With contestants being shown releasing stress hormones only over the success of their dish, this is one of the few shows that restore one’s faith in reality television.

        While talking about the willing acceptance of the show in India, it is essential to mention the dress code of the contestants, judges and mentors on the show. The most common complaint that Indians have with most of the other countries is that its citizens dress provocatively. With the main focus of the show being culinary talent, the contestants, both male and female, are always seen donning a basic tee-shirt and pant attire. The only variation to the crisply ironed suit uniform of the judges is Matt Preston’s colourful neck scarves and visiting judge and host Anna Gare’s bright dresses. The mentors arrive mostly in their formal white uniforms. With the absence of bare skin and cleavage display, the show promptly finds itself a spot in the ‘Indian family programme’ slot.

        Another factor that captivates the Indian bourgeois is the unique Australian vocabulary and sense of humour. A refreshing breath of air amidst the American shows that dominate English channels in India, this show stands out. The camaraderie of the contestants despite the tough competition for the ‘MasterChef’ title appeals to the soft Indian intellect that has been trained to dance to the tunes of the romanticism of Bollywood. What is also evident is the inspiration one gets to try out new recipes after watching the show. Watching even kids executing complicated recipes such as those of cakes and cupcakes convinces the ever experimental Indian middle class citizen to not shy away from doing the same. The general social and political response of this category to globalization has been welcoming and this also proves to be beneficial as far as accepting foreign food items goes.

        One sees on this show men and women cooking with equal gusto. This as a concept is new to the country where the reigns of the kitchen are singlehandedly pulled by a woman, whether it is the mother, the wife or the maid. What is also inevitable is the passion for food amongst the contestants. An electrician by profession is seen just as able to produce before the judges a remarkable dish as a lawyer or a student. This desire of pleasing one with their cooking prowess rings a bell with the country for which food has been the conversation starter and ice breaker for centuries.

        The grandeur on which the show is conducted leaves its Indian audience lusting and sub-consciously comparing its extravagance to its Indian counter-part which is nowhere close to the same. The time and resources put into the show’s being as well as the meticulous eye for detail is obvious. Special mention needs to be given to the set designers for putting up such a commendable set as well as the producers for making the use of such an infrastructure such the contestants on the show do, possible. What is also endearing is the approachable and non-celebrity air maintained by the judges, unlike the ones on most competitive shows. The role of mentoring and guiding the contestants played by them is vital, with their inputs being important value add-ons and not just comments for the sake of keeping with the show’s format.

        The absence of unnecessary movie pre-release promotions like Indian and American reality shows is obvious and the only notable guests invited are from the cooking circuit from Australia and abroad. The time of the day during which the show is aired in India is the comfortable time-slot of 9-10 pm, when most families scout channels for some refreshing dinner or post-dinner time television. The quick succession with which all the seasons were aired in India only helped in hooking Indian fans further to the show.

        Speaking about aesthetically arranged food, footballer Andy Rooney once said, “I don’t like food that is too carefully arranged. It makes me think that the chef is spending too much time arranging and not enough time cooking. If I wanted a picture, I’d buy a painting.” Like him, there are inevitably few people who aren’t fans of what the show offers. But its number of fans is by large more than its number of critics. Cooking maestro and TV personality Jamie Oliver believes that there is always something new and amazing to learn when it comes to cooking and the show’s Indian fans wouldn’t disagree.

        Whether it is an invention test, a mystery box challenge, an immunity test or just the contestants toasting and dining with the judges at the end of the day, the viewers find themselves going through the same emotional roller coaster as the participants. As per American journalist Dorothy Day’s saying ‘food for the body is not enough, there must be food for the soul’, this show offers its viewers just that. Watching the show, an Indian merely looks forward to the day when ‘curry’ is appreciated not just as a food item amongst other Australian foods on menu cards but also as an individual amongst the population of the country.