The Business of Web Shows With Chef Sanjyot Keer In an era in which the hinges seem to be coming off reality, owning up to not being sure of how to respond isn't just the more charming and relatable option: It's the only appropriate one. But what if we told you watching this experience of celebrities tackling the unknown can also be wildly entertaining?

In a time when social media amplifies our skills and highlights all our victories, admitting to not knowing things is humbling for most of us. But it seems especially difficult for people in the public eye. In an era in which the hinges seem to be coming off reality, owning up to not being sure of how to respond isn't just the more charming and relatable option: It's the only appropriate one. But what if we told you watching this experience of celebrities tackling the unknown can also be wildly entertaining? The web series Chef It Up, streamlined by Monk Entertainment is now in its second season and has brought Your Food Lab's Chef Sanjyot Keer together with popular actors like Karishma Tanna and social media stars like Yashraj Mukhate, Tanmay Bhatt and more together to recreate some of his iconic recipes.

What makes this series even more interesting is the unexpected twist in the show's format. Chef Sanjyot Keer spoke about how the concept of the show was created, he said, " I've been creating food content for the past seven years. When I started off making content, the major idea was to change how food and food content on digital is made and consumed. That is how 'Your Food Lab' has always been a space where we have created different formats. While brainstorming about creating a new show, we wanted it to not just focus around and revolve around recipes, but also how we could make it a lot more fun; that is how Chef It Up was conceptualized. Where I, as a chef, invite people from other genres who usually don't cook and have them try and recreate my recipe." He further added, "We created another layer of Interest where there is a curtain in between us so the guest cannot watch me cook .The guest just has to listen to my instructions carefully and recreate the whole recipe."

We asked if were there risks in doing a web show as his audience is accustomed to having particular content such as recipes. To this, the chef shared, "We've always changed our format and experimented with food content. Whenever we experiment with food content, we put in a lot of effort. We do A&D testing and see how it's working out and then test it out with smaller audiences and check the different reactions we've received. Only then do we go ahead, produce and release it on platforms and that's a very interesting concept. Whether it's recipe content in short or long format or any other format that we do, we believe our audience also has that trust in us that whatever we do at YFL, it's going to be value adding."

Another challenge in starting a cooking show now seems to be creating a need in a crowded market. We asked the chef his thoughts on starting a new web series when shows like Masterchef, Hell's Kitchen, Cupcake Wars and more already dominate the market. He said, "I'm sure there are a lot of reality shows that revolve around food, but they are done in a very different format. Usually when a show is done on television, it is conceptualised and it is produced in a very different way. In the initial days of my career, I was a part of MasterChef India, and I was a food producer for season four. I realised that there are a lot of things which are done in a very different way. With your food lab and with Chef It Up, what happens is people are already very accustomed to watching me cook on screen, and we've built a community. This series is another way how our community, our audiences, can consume food content differently. Our show is very different in the format that usually reality shows have many contestants. A lot is going on in the show. Here, the point is that you know, the recipe is being cooked by me and a guest, and it's just a conversation, and that banter and that fun we're having in the YFL kitchen is something people like to watch."

Lastly, we wanted to know what were the reactions after the first season that helped confirm the decision about continuing the series. "The reaction after season one was amazing. The numbers are incredible. Over 20 million views for the episodes. And people loved the new format because people have always watched recipe content on Your Food Lab. The numbers are a testimony to showcase that people loved it," he said. As for what he feels sets his series apart, "It's a completely different experience because when we do recipes. The focus here is to create very simplified recipes and showcase them in a way where people can easily consume the content and then cook at home. While building Chef It Up, it's a very different experience as I have to share the stage with someone else while there is a curtain in between. I can't even watch the guests while actually doing the whole show," he said. He further added, "The whole process of doing this was a lot of testing and trials before season one where I actually did some recipes with my wife, with my friends, with my team members. We shot it and we saw how it was turning out."

"It has been an interesting process for me also. And it has been a learning process. And the key learnings from season one were applied in season two. Now from season two to season three we'll be doing even better. After so many episodes in the series," he concluded.