Chef Sanjeev Kapoor says he turned down MasterChef India initially due to disagreements over pay. In interviews and podcast appearances, Kapoor recounts that he asked for a salary amount that was one rupee more than actor Akshay Kumar’s for the show’s first season. He describes this as a non-negotiable condition, linking his demand to his perceived expertise and role in the program. According to his account, he continued to refuse repeatedly before producers eventually engaged with him again during later stages of the series. Kapoor says that by the third season, challenges related to the show’s format led producers to seek his input, and they later agreed to his terms. The accounts frame the episode as a negotiation driven by compensation expectations and the chef’s involvement in the show’s development rather than any dispute over hosting or judging responsibilities.