The Nirvik Bureau, Bhubaneswar, 19 April 2026
When the recipe starts in Delhi
The Odisha government has done what modern governments do best: solve a local identity question by importing a familiar celebrity face from outside the state and then calling it “promotion.” Celebrity chef Ranveer Brar has been appointed as brand ambassador for Odia cuisine, and the announcement has arrived with all the confidence of a press release that believes visibility is the same thing as knowledge.
After all, why would Odisha need someone who actually understands the cuisine, language, ingredients, or culinary traditions of the state? That would be too practical. Too local. Too rooted. Instead, we get the reassuring glamour of a national television personality, because in today’s governance model, authenticity is overrated and Instagram familiarity is everything.
The ABCD of Odia food, apparently optional
One naturally asks a rude, old-fashioned question: what exactly makes a chef suitable for representing a cuisine he may not know beyond a few well-lit studio segments? But such questions are considered disruptive in the age of branding. It is no longer necessary to know the ABCD of Odiya cuisine, only how to pronounce “heritage” with confidence and drizzle a reduction over it.
Why bother with someone who can explain pakhala, chhena poda, dalma, santula, machha besara, or the temple food ecosystem with lived familiarity, when a celebrity can arrive, smile sincerely, and turn a centuries-old cuisine into a campaign-friendly talking point? The state gets a face. The chef gets a platform. The people get a poster.
The Delhi connection theory
Of course, the conspiracy-minded will ask whether this appointment came from the Chief Minister’s office or whether it was gently floated down from the Prime Minister’s office, wrapped in strategic messaging and served with administrative garnish. In India’s political kitchen, such questions are never fully answered, only seasoned with ambiguity.
Maybe there was a file. Maybe there was a suggestion. Maybe there was a push. In our democracy, “recommendation” and “directive” often share the same surname, only changing clothes depending on who is being asked.
So when Odisha appoints a celebrity from elsewhere to speak for its cuisine, one can almost hear the invisible soundtrack of national integration: local pride, global packaging, and central approval, all cooked in the same pot. The actual Odia chef, historian, home cook, or temple kitchen expert can remain where they usually are – quietly knowing things.
Branding over belonging
This is the modern political genius: if a culture is alive, appoint a brand ambassador before it begins speaking for itself. If a cuisine has depth, flatten it into a campaign. If a state has its own voice, make sure it is delivered through a widely recognized media personality, preferably one already approved by the national imagination.
Because in the new republic of promotion, local wisdom is too small for the billboard. The billboard needs celebrity. The celebrity needs content. And the culture? The culture is expected to be grateful for the exposure.
The final seasoning
Odisha does not lack culinary richness. It lacks, perhaps, confidence in trusting its own cooks to represent it. That is the real irony here. A cuisine celebrated for its balance, heritage, and distinct identity is being asked to wear a borrowed face and call it pride.
So yes, welcome Chef Ranveer Brar. May he learn quickly, speak respectfully, and maybe discover that Odia cuisine does not need rescuing, only recognition. But the bigger question remains: if the state could not find an Odia face for Odia food, was this appointment meant to promote the cuisine – or to promote the appointment?
