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Rakesh Raghunathan is an Indian chef, food historian, and TV host. He is known for his unique narrative style in his videos. In 2023, he appeared as a judge in season 2 of the Tamil cookery TV show ‘MasterChef India – Tamil Season 2,’ which premiered on the OTT platform SonyLIV.
Wiki/Biography
Rakesh Raghunathan was born in Kodaikanal, Tamil Nadu. He pursued a B.Com at Loyola College, Chennai.
A childhood image of Rakesh Raghunathan
He pursued a Master of Financial Management at Pondicherry University, Puducherry. In 2008, he received an MBA in Finance and Management from the University of Hartford, US.
Physical Appearance
Height (approx.): 5′ 9″
Hair Colour: Brown
Eye Colour: Hazel Brown
Family
Parents & Siblings
His mother’s name is Rama Raghunathan. He has a sister.
Rakesh Raghunathan with his parents
Wife & Children
He got married to Preeti Mohan on 6 February 2012. She is a lawyer and food and travel vlogger. Together, they have a son.
A marriage photograph of Rakesh Raghunathan
Signature/Autograph
Career
Corporate Job & Food Venture
Rakesh Raghunathan started his career in 2003 as a Sr. Contract Admin at the multinational company Hewlett-Packard (HP), India. He worked there for more than two years and left the job in 2005. In 2008, he worked as a Business Intern for three months at Standard Chartered Bank, India. In 2010, he started a food and beverage Kiosk chain named ‘PetaWrap’ that sells vegetarian and non-vegetarian wraps.
Rakesh Raghunathan with his PetaWrap kisko
Food Blogging/Vlogging
In 2009, he created his YouTube channel ‘Rakesh Raghunathan,’ where he uploads cookery videos. In 2019, he, along with his mother, started a cookery web series named ‘Ammavum Naanum’ in which his mother cooks while he provides the commentary. He not only shares the recipes in the web series but also tells the culinary histories and nostalgic stories related to the dishes. The web series premiered on his YouTube channel ‘Rakesh Raghunathan.’ As of 2023, he has more than 112 K subscribers on his channel.
Rakesh Raghunathan with his mother in a still from the cookery web series ‘Ammavum Naanum’
In 2012, Rakesh Raghunathan, along with his wife, started a blog website named ‘Puliyogare Travels,’ where he writes about the cuisines of different regions (mainly South Indian regions). He also conducts cookery workshops in India and abroad. He conducted his first cookery workshop at his home, which was attended by more than 50 people.
Television
Rakesh Raghunathan has worked as a concept director and host for the Tamil tourism TV show ‘Sutralam Suvaikalam’ (2015), which aired on News7Tamil.
Rakesh Raghunathan (right) in a still from the TV show ‘Sutralam Suvaikalam’
He appeared along with chef Kunal Kapur as the main chef in the Hindi cookery TV show ‘Curries of India’ (2018), which aired on the channel Living Foodz (now Zee Zest). He launched a documentary TV show ‘Dakshin Diaries’ in 2019 in which he explores the culture, customs, and, cuisines of the South Indian region. The show was broadcast on Living Foodz (now Zee Zest).
Rakesh Raghunathan in a still from the TV show ‘Dakshin Diaries’
He appeared as a host in the English language travel and food TV show ‘Highway Dreams’ in 2022. The show was aired on the channel Zee Zest. In the same year, he appeared as a celebrity guest for two cookery shows ‘100% South Indian’ (Hindi) on Zee Zest and ‘Super Samayal’ (Tamil) on Sun TV.
Rakesh Raghunathan in a still from the TV show ‘Super Samayal’
In 2023, he was one of the jury members of the Zee Zest Unlimit Awards. He appeared as a judge in season 2 of the cookery TV show ‘MasterChef India – Tamil’ (2023), which aired on the OTT platform SonyLIV.
Rakesh Raghunathan (right) in MasterChef India – Tamil
Public Speaking
In addition to cooking, Rakesh Raghunathan is also known for his narrative and public speaking skills. He has taken part in various public speaking events where he mainly discusses topics related to culinary history and food in mythology and ancient Tamil literature. In 2017, he participated in an event ‘Food & Culture in the City,’ organised by IIHS (Indian Institute for Human Settlements). In 2018, he participated in the TEDx Chennai, where he delivered a speech titled ‘Food Stories: Tale of a Community, adversity & a Humble Peanut.’ In the same year, he participated in ‘The Hindu Lit Fest,’ where he spoke on ‘Taste of Sangam: Culinary Journeys into the Past.’
Rakesh Raghunathan (right) during ‘The Hindu Lit Fest 2018’
Award
In 2018, he received the Tamil Nadu Tourism Award for his tourism TV show ‘Sutralam Suvaikalam.’
Rakesh Raghunathan’s Tamil Nadu Tourism Award
Facts/Trivia
- Apart from being a chef, Rakesh Raghunathan is a trained classical vocalist. He often shares his cover songs and music videos on his social media handles.
- He often promotes Aashirvaad Atta on his Instagram handle.