Reflecting the idea of "Soch Nayi" with Junior Master Chef: Nikhil Madhok

With their tagline of Rishta Wohi Soch Nayi STAR Plus presents one more show based on a unique concept titled Junior Master Chef- Swaad Ke Ustaad. We at Adgully have kept our readers updated on the earlier three successful seasons of Master Chef India and now comes the first ever season that tests the skills and talents of young minds with Junior Master Chef - Swaad Ke Ustaad presented by Amul. Produced by Colosceum Media, the show will feature participants in the age group of 8-12 years. This season Chefs Vikas Khanna, Kunal Kapoor and Surjan Singh Jolly will be the celebrity judges on the show.

This will be the first time on Indian television that children will be seen in the kitchen and entering a territory assumed to be owned by adults. Armoured with the spatula, pans and aprons these children can probably cook better than most of us.

So far we have seen kids on screens exhibiting their talent of singing, dancing and acting but Junior Master Chef is the first to have extended the platform to kids, giving them an opportunity to showcase their innate cooking talent. In fact, the notorious bunch participating are nothing short of little culinary marvels and kitchen prodigies. These ‘stars’ will churn out dishes with flamboyance; their plates will be a work of art and their knowledge no less than a food scientist. As they walk in from different cultures, food habits and walks of life, viewers will witness a perfect amalgamation of great food stirred up with a riot of laughter and fun.

“It is no doubt  the fourth season of Master Chef on Star Plus but yes the very first season of Junior Master Chef India,” said Nikhil Madhok, Sr. Vice President - Marketing, STAR Plus India, in an exclusive interaction with Adgully

Talking about the show, Madhok shared, "STAR Plus has always been true to its philosophy - Rishta Wohi Soch Nayi. With Junior Master Chef, this ideology is exemplified. We are giving young cooking enthusiasts a reality show platform but in a whole new avatar. For the first time, kids will be challenged in a cooking competition and seen entering a territory that was once meant only for adults. You will be amazed with their talent and knowledge on the subject. With this set of young champs stepping out of the playground to take over the kitchen you can only expect the unexpected!”

Television, digital and on-ground are the three main legs of their marketing campaign, and they have plans of promoting the show on other media as well.

“Coming to the marketing plan for this specific show the task was to break the thought that the show is only for children. Yes it does focus on children but it’s a show that everybody can watch.  It is a level higher than Master Chef Senior because of the kids whose cooking is just not limited to making sandwiches but much beyond that. The second concern was, to position kids so we planned promotions accordingly which depicts their passion for cooking,” he added.

As part of the marketing activities the channel is focusing specifically on three to four mediums. Utilizing the medium of television extensively, Junior Master Chef will be promoted heavily on Star Network channels  and the promos are expected to appear across 22 channels other than the STAR network . They also intend focusing on kid’s channels to promote the show.  

With regard to digital medium, the channel has entered a content partnership with Yahoo! and MSN India, where there will be exclusive behind the scene action, including footages from the show and the audience will get an opportunity to interact with or send messages to the contestants and judges. A Junior Masterchef app, will also enable users to  download recipes telecast of the show on television.

The channel has also created an app for Facebook in which the kids will quiz the users on their knowledge of food. Their correct answers will help them to gain points which can be redeemed for merchandise. There will also be banner ads on the online medium.

Elaborating further on digital, Madhok said, “We’ve created an app on Facebook as well, wherein children will quiz the user on their knowledge of food and cooking and judge them.  Through the banner ads on the online medium the participants will inform the app users about the ingredients that go into making a particular dish. Digital has always been a big platform.”

The channel would be soon conducting on-ground activations in 12 different cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad,  Indore, Chandigarh, Pune and Lucknow where adults will be competing with the kids. “We will be conducting cook-offs between kids and adults at different locations to communicate the fact that children too have immense talent and can surpass an adult in this field. Singing and dancing in children is a known talent but cooking is something which people may not believe they are capable of,” said Madhok.

The activation which is expected to take off soon will continue for four weeks even after the launch. It will be conducted for two days in each city, in high traffic areas with an aim to reach 5000-15000 people directly. Print ads will appear on the day of the launch, and the channel also has plans of launching  out of home campaigns in Delhi and Mumbai.

Breaking the conventional path of vocational driven education, STAR Plus provides this opportunity to the small wonders to shine and amaze the world with their culinary skills and possibly drive their passion into a rewarding career.

While Amul is the presenting sponsor for the show, Fiona, Pigeon and Yippee Noodles are the associate sponsors.

Speaking further about the sponsors who are willing to associate with this show, Madhok briefed, “This is one of our shows where the response from the sponsors has been very strong. Before the show goes live we will have six sponsors and it’s very rare to find a sponsor who is with you for over a period of time. Amul is associating for the fourth consecutive year with this show as they see loads of value in doing so. We also have brands which focus on the food space.”

The third season took the brand Master Chef to a new level and grabbed the interest of 20 crore people which proves that being a never seen before content , a show of this genre does not face much  competition. Explaining further on this point he said, “Yes, on weekends we do face competition from content that has been seen before on television.  But this format and content which showcases kid’s talent and the pressure of competition they face is a new and fresh concept for audiences.  We’ll bet on the content in the slot which would be best for us regardless about  competition,” he said.

The show will follow the format similar to Master Chef, starting with 100 kids for the auditions. The selection process would then eliminate entries to 40 kids and in the last round will select only 10 contestants who will compete for the title of Junior Master Chef- Swaad Ke Ustaad. The show will be telecast in a 11 week format which will run for three months.

Produced by Colosceum Media Pvt Ltd., the show will have participants in the age group of 8 to 12 years. Otherwise the format of the show remains the same as Master Chef India and nothing will be made easier for the kids! Chefs Vikas Khanna, Kunal Kapoor and Surjan Singh Jolly will be the celebrity judges on the show, and they will expect nothing less than perfect, well-executed and delicious dishes.

So who says kids cannot cook? These little chefs are going to create nothing less than a storm in the Master Chef Kitchen! Audiences can expect lots of new energy, innocent battles and be prepared to see some spectacularly stunning skills on display by these tiny tots.

The time has arrived to watch the ultimate cook off starting 17th August 2013 as the ‘nanhe pataake’ battle it out to impress judges . They will amaze you with their food play of fancy gourmet dishes, exotic desserts, rich Indian food and unlimited entertainment with their enthusiasm and culinary potential, every Saturday and Sunday at 9.00 pm only on STAR Plus!