Chef biopics: Indian chefs pick Floyd Cardoz, Thomas Keller and other culinary legends for screen

The biopic on Anthony Bourdainrsquos early life Tony takes a slice out of his early life when he began working in Provincetown Massachusetts The Dominic Sessstarring film features sections from Bourdainrsquos memoir Kitchen Confidential showcasing the leadup to his entry into Culinary Institute of America CIA Desi chefsrestaurateurs pick their favourites whose lives would light up the big screenMy Pick Floyd CardozLeft Floyd Cardoz and Hussain ShahzadI would greenlight a biopic on Papaji His journey changed the way a generation of Indian chefs saw themselves and what was possible for them He left Bombay and found his way into some of New Yorkrsquos toughest kitchens He showed the world that Indian food could be deeply personal and progressive without ever losing where it came fromThe scene Irsquod most want to see is the opening night of Tabla mdash Floyd standing in that kitchen in New York putting flavours and childhood memories onto a finedining plateHussain Shahzad executive chef Hunger Inc Hospitality Paparsquos The Bombay Canteen O Pedro and VeronicarsquosMy Pick Jose AndresThe Michelinstarred SpanishAmerican chef popularised tapas in the United States and founded World Central Kitchen WCK the humanitarian nonprofit that delivers emergency food relief to disaster and conflict zonesWith WCK he has ensured food relief reaches the remotest spots I followed him before I decided to become a chef and was inspired by his technique He served an Olive Oil Bon Bon at a mini barVinesh Johny cofounder Lavonne Academy LICK and Kopitiam Lah BengaluruMy Pick Thomas KellerI would okay the biopic of this living legend chef in a heartbeat We see the perfection of The French Laundry but the real story that fascinates me is everything that came before it Chef Keller endured painful failures including the closure of his New York restaurantThe most compelling scene would be him arriving in Yountville in his late 30s taking over an old country restaurant that few believed could become legendary Itrsquos a reminder that greatness is rarely born from uninterrupted success Itrsquos forged through resilience patience and an uncompromising pursuit of excellencePrateek Sadhu founderchef Naar KasauliMy Pick Albert Adria Thomas FrebelAdria above left is the unsung chef of our time as compared to his brother Farhan the mathematics scientist What he has done with places including Albury Teckates and Enigma is inspiring I would love to see slices of his life when he was a kid and when Albury was at its prime on the screenMy second pick would be Thomas Frebel above right of Noma for the last 20 years and Reneacute Redzepirsquos backbone The tall German dude would break into a set of pullups in the middle of the day and end a 12hour shift at a climbing hall Irsquove worked alongside him for two short stintsGresham Fernandes chefpartner Bandra BornMy Pick Golden WhiteheadChef always gave chances to young chefs and freshers He travelled the world built an incredible career and remained compassionate and generous with his knowledgeHis story is a beautiful reminder of what it means to be a chef who opens doors for others rather than walking through themSeefah Ketchaiyo chefcoowner Seefah and Khao Man GaiMy Pick David ChangChang changed the perception of what a Michelinrated restaurant could be mdash relaxed accessible and affordable He bridged the gap between Asian and American flavours while also giving his staff the freedom to be creativeIrsquod love to see his journey when he first set out to build Momofuku He was close to Tony Anthony Bourdain and considered him a mentorAnand Morwani Chefpartner Gaijin