Last Updated:
Calling Gaurav and Nikki the “strongest characters” of the season, Rajiv reflected on one of their major arguments.
Celebrity MasterChef finale is on April 11. (Photo Credits: Instagram)
Rajiv Adatia has emerged as one of the finalists on Celebrity MasterChef, joining the ranks of popular names like Gaurav Khanna, Nikki Tamboli, Tejasswi Prakash and Faisal Shaikh. With the grand finale set to air this weekend, fans are eagerly waiting to see who will take home the coveted trophy. Throughout the season, the show has generated plenty of buzz — from exotic culinary creations to heated conflicts during tasks. One of the standout storylines has been the ongoing rivalry between Nikki Tamboli and Gaurav Khanna, and in a recent episode, Rajiv opened up about their dynamic on the show.
Calling Gaurav and Nikki the “strongest characters” of the season, Rajiv said, “They are quite competent, and as a result, they often disagree on their culinary styles and other aspects.” Reflecting on one of their major arguments, he shared, “Haan, un dono ka bahut jhagda hua. Puri bhaji par itna jhagda hua. Gaurav and Nikki ka pehle din se kuch anban hua hai — they both are very strong characters. Gaurav is very calm, and Nikki is very hyper. They’re also extremely competitive. And like I said, it was a bit like Bigg Boss — when you see each other daily, some conflict is bound to happen.”
Despite the friction, Rajiv emphasised that things have settled now. “We still talk to each other, and after the show, everything is normal. Yes, abhi sab theek hai,” he assured. He also added with a laugh, “If this had just been a cooking show, it would’ve been very boring — the drama made it more fun. I used to just sit back and enjoy it sometimes!”
Speaking about his competitor Nikki Tamboli, Rajiv Adatia noted she is the show’s Thecha queen. He described her as “charming and dramatic” at the same time.
Recently, Gaurav Khanna came under scrutiny for the originality of his dessert in one of the episodes. He faced significant criticism for allegedly replicating a honey-dripping dish originally created by Swiss chef Josia Reichen. Addressing the controversy, Rajiv Adatia came to Gaurav’s defence. In a statement to TellyChakkar, he said, “I know people are saying that Gaurav imitated a recipe, but that chef also drew inspiration from another chef. So while the chef claims Gaurav copied him, he himself was inspired by someone else.” Rajiv emphasised that Gaurav didn’t copy the dish outright, but merely took inspiration, as many chefs do in the culinary world.
