What’s in the tiffin?

Feeding a bevy of stars with his meal plans, chef Akshay discusses using his culinary skills to help them meet their fitness goals for films

Having accompanied a friend who was serving as an assistant director on Student of the Year 2 (2019) to the set, Akshay Arora recalls having witnessed the manner in which food was being served to the cast and crew. “I saw that it was not an enjoyable situation,” recalls the chef, who subsequently arrived at the idea of creating vanity kitchens for those on set. “Having been an athlete, I had a sense of nutrition, so we thought [of serving healthy meals on set].” 

While several meal subscription plans have made their way to the market, Arora says his company is distinguished in the fact that the quality of ingredients they serve is superior. “I knew that the food that I would provide would be of the same quality that I would use to put something into my system. We set a benchmark in that aspect, and also spent a lot of time, effort, and money into research and development so that we could create healthy food that was also tasty,” says the chef, who was admitted to an international university for a course on real estate development, but began to also accompany his friend to culinary classes during his time spent there. “We use different culinary techniques to make food more appetizing, and our passion kept pushing us to do better.”

Arora with Kartik Aaryan

Being a celebrity chef

A bevy of stars, including Sidharth Malhotra, Vicky Kaushal, Kartik Aaryan, Karan Johar, Kiara Advani, Rohit Saraf, Arjun Kapoor, Vaani Kapoor, Sobhita Dhulipala, Mahesh Babu, and Ram Charan, among others, have availed of his services. After having bagged his first client in Malhotra, he recalls having been approached by Kaushal’s team as the actor was “transforming [his physique] for several projects at the time”. Arora often finds himself aboard such projects that require actors to undergo a physical transformation. “We need to subsequently be in touch with their coaches and nutritionists to help them meet the purpose of making [the actors] ready for the film.”

Unlike the standard meals provided to the cast and crew on set, Arora creates custom-made meals for each actor. “Because it is tailor-made, we need to understand everyone’s nutritional requirement. During the filming of Student of the Year 2, Tiger Shroff was on a really strict diet, and we created dishes around his requirements. We have a nutrition department, where nutritionists understand the actor’s goals, and current lifestyle. We also have a culinary department that caters to an actor’s culinary palette, and focuses on creativity. Each one reacts to food in a different way. Nutrition, for the human body is like astrology—it depends on each person’s individual problem. After we understand what works for people, we then inquire about their preferences. For example, some clients may like street foods like vada pav, and we need to [cater to those needs]. We also have to keep track of their lifestyle, sleeping patterns, hormones, and age. Many of them get only three to four hours of sleep due to their erratic schedules.” 

Arora has served Vicky Kaushal among other celebrities

The good and bad

Ask him if catering to celeb clients who are vegetarian is as difficult as it is perpetuated, and he responds in the affirmative. “It gets difficult when the calorie allowance is set, which it usually is. So, if someone can only eat about 1,000 calories, it becomes difficult to add enough proteins because a majority of the vegan proteins have high amounts of carbs and fats [which increase the number of calories consumed]. But if you’ve got enough macros to play with, you can easily get a good amount of protein through a vegan diet.” 

A defining aspect of his job is ensuring his team meets the demands of his clients, who are “high-achievers”. “Every minute of their life is dedicated towards being productive in the space that they’re working in, so our life has to match that. If our client has a 4 am call time, our team has to wake up an hour earlier, and sleep an hour after the client sleeps, to ensure they are [served each meal]. Usually, the team dedicated to the client has to be on the same schedule that the client is on.” 

The Cheats: Soundarya Sharma

What’s your cheat meal: 
Chola bhatura and pani puri. How often do you indulge: Rarely.

Cheat meal Vs cheat day: 
It is usually a cheat meal. I will have a small portion. I don’t believe in cheat days.

Do you compensate for it: 
I do, especially if I am on a holiday, because one can put on a lot of weight during that time. Even on a regular day, if I have [eaten extra], it plays on my mind. So, I do tend to train harder after a cheat meal.

Inside Gauahar Khan's Fridge

Milk
Cheese
Dark 
chocolate
Fruits

Fitness tip that works for

Maniesh Paul
Cardio is not [a tool] to be ignored. You don’t need to run, but, a 45-minute walk is[beneficial]. Even if you can’t lift, you can continue to walk to stay fit.

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