Pankaj Bhadauria talks about MasterChef

Lucknow: There are few lucky people who getrecognition and fame pursuing their hobbies and MasterChefwinner Pankaj Bhadauria is one such lady whose culinaryexpertise has made her into a celebrity overnight.

"It was a mere hobby picked up since the age of 11 or12, learning the skills alongwith the passion to experiment inthe kitchen which helped me in clearing one challenge afteranother", Pankaj told PTI.

Her hobby won her Rs one crore on Star Plus reality show.Pankaj has also won a deal to host her own show and write abook.

But the decision to participate in the show, hosted byBollywood star Akshay Kumar, was a hard one. Pankaj left her16-year-old job as a teacher after she was denied leave,choosing her hobby over safety.

A true believer in hard work, Pankaj says quiting the jobprovided her the determination to perform.

"Opportunities knock on your door only once and Igrabbed the one that came my way or else I would have livedwith regret all my life," she said.

Admitting that the feeling of success has yet to sinkin, Pankaj said that life for her and her family has taken a180 degree turn.

"Though I have always been a working housewife, managingthe job and home simultaneously but from hereon itwould be a phase of readjustment with commitments for a showand bringing out a cookery book for which I would have totravel," she said.

Terming cooking therapeutic, Pankaj said that though shepicked up the elementary art of cooking from both her parents,she has never had any formal training nor had ever joined anycourse for it.

"The show was for amateur cooks... it was the practice ofexperimenting in the kitchen which helped me withstand thechallenges and the appreciation of the judges as well as theguests on the show acted as elixir."

On what part luck played in her life, Pankaj saidthat she has always believed that it was 99 per cent hard workand one per cent luck which matters.

"Till that one per cent comes your way, you keep hangingwith 99 per cent hardwork like anyone else... for me that oneper cent of luck has come with this show to complete my 100per cent which is required for success."

Pankaj now has her task chalked out. "I would like tobring the vegetarian cuisine of Avadh, which has not got itsdue till now, on the world map," she said.

On what she would do with the handsome prize money ofRs. one crore, Pankaj joked that it would stay in the bank forthe time being for her to relish the magic figure. But latersaid that she would hand it over to her husband and pester himwith new demands.