Justin Narayan joined MasterChef because of his fiancé Esther; not knowing he will be taking the title ‘Masterchef 2021.’
Last week Tuesday night on, 13th July it was one of the most surreal moments of reality television, Masterchef season 13 - grand finale. It has been a mind-blowing season of talents overflowing with feel-good stories from Kishwar to Pete to Depinder and definitely ‘now’ Justin Narayan, who we had interviewed not so long ago.
Justin Narayan (28) taking the title for Masterchef 2021 not only making us proud, but also the likes of food lovers and the entirety of the multicultural community. Now Friday afternoon in lockdown Mr Sethi, editor-in-chief of The Indian Weekly and G’day India, and I couldn’t have been more elated to interview him once more. This time for taking the crown - title Masterchef 2021.
On asking how does it feel to walk away with the title on Peter Gilmore’s sensational mystery box? He simply says “It’s surreal, hasn’t sunk in yet.” With the same humility, he says, the more interview he does, the more it’s getting real. No doubt it is a big deal.
Standing in between Kishwar and Pete, Justin stood expressionless when the judges announced him the winner. Honestly, he thought that anyone would have won, it was anybody’s game; everyone being a master of their own talent deserved to win. Justin is just super honoured to win the title and with this platform whatever he chooses to do with food some of the profits would go towards Vision Rescue in Mumbai
Still in cloud nine, this fine young Masterchef promises he will go even higher connecting with food, people and the community. On answering Mr Sethi’s question on how he withstood the pressure with such calmness, Justin giggled saying ‘a whole lot going inside ‘, but mostly he enjoyed every cook thinking it might be his last. That kept the Masterchef Justin Narayan grounded and having his family beside him was a game changer.
What’s next for Justin Narayan? Definitely create some fun food content online to inspire people to cook. There will be a restaurant down the track too, and he would want to take his food to India once everything opens up.
A down to earth Justin bolts off hugging his father as he grabs the title of Masterchef, graciously defending his fiancé when Mr Sethi asks him of any tension that would have bridged between the two love birds. To that Justin smilingly acknowledges, “She’s far too gracious than him.” Who says that? Not just a winner but a leader.
As people around the world is not only falling in love with his cooking but also his witty sense of humour, his charms and the fact that how organically he has grown in the kitchen. Simply crediting to hard work combined with the blessings of his family he has motored on this journey.
As we say goodbye to this season, to his vivaciousness, I am kind of sad but soon bounced back as he promises to include us in the guest list next time he opens his signature restaurant.
His humble message to our readers is that he is not only grateful for the love, but he deeply feels it’s an immense honour to represent an incredible part of the globe. He will continue to work harder for the community and aim for prouder moments. If it hadn’t been for his fiancé Esther Smoothy who urged him to sign that application, if he himself hadn’t had the power of dream to guide him and definitely if his father wouldn’t have stopped Justin from packing up from the MasterChef kitchen hearing about him being in hospital; we would have lost a great chef in the making. What a loss that would have been?
Justin survived not only twenty-four cooks but also, he learned to trust his instincts. It was exciting to watch the nail-biting finish line. We surely cannot wait for his culinary journey.
We at The Indian Weekly and G’day India will not only miss the show but the adrenalin that came along with it. We wish Justin all the best with this quote from his favourite Chef Gordon Ramsay “I think pressure’s healthy and very few can handle it.”
By Nandita Chakraborty