Kisi ko roshni se dikkat ho na, toh woh goggles pehen le," celebrity chef Vikas Khanna's grandmum would say. He narrates this to make a case for unflinching determination. That, and fortitude. "You can draw your curtains, but you can't stop the sun from coming up," he adds, gesticulating, lowering his gaze every now and then, and looking straight into your eyes. You feel the same gush of inspiration that would fill your veins when the school topper (also your friend) went on stage as the star showstopper of the inter-class elocution contest.

Khanna likes to run the show; he's well-prepared for the spotlight and knows the drill. It is easy to confuse his sentimental demeanour as theatrical. But if you juxtapose his personality with all that he has achieved, this junoon (also the name of his Michelin star restaurant in New York) becomes apparent.