Zorawar’s mother, Lovejeet Kalra, is a housewife. On January 3, 2021, Lovejeet died after a prolonged illness. Zorawar’s brother, Ajit Kalra, is a restaurateur.
Wife & Children
On 30 July 2006, Zorawar got married to Dildeep Sehgal, who is a director at Massive Restaurants. In an interview, Zorawar recalled how he met Dildeep Sehgal and said that they met at a function of their peers. He said,
Dildeep often visits Delhi to chill with common friends. We used to see each other at many parties, and in 2005, the relationship started to blossom.
Zorawar Kalra and his wife, Dildeep Sehgal
The couple has two children named Fateh Kalra and Aaliyah Kalra.
Fateh Kalra (left) and Aaliyah Kalra (right)
religion
Zorawar Kalra followed the Sikh religion.
Career
The cook
In 2006, Zorawar established his first entrepreneurial venture, ZK Restaurant Concepts. In 2012, Zorawar established a large-scale restaurant. Zorawar Kalra owns various luxury restaurant brands in India and abroad such as Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra, Made in Punjab, Farzi Cafe, Pa Pa Ya, Masala Bar and BO-TAI. In an interview with Forbes India, Zorawar Kalra talked about his Farzi cafe which has a branch in London and said,
Farzi Café London is a very progressive avant-garde Indian restaurant. It needs a global influence and gives them an Indian touch. The menu is also unique, and although it takes some specialties from Dubai, Riyadh and India, it is 90% original to London. Our food has a lot of familiar flavors, but it’s presented in a very different way, so there’s always an element of surprise. We’ve also taken a lot of British ‘classics’ and given them a ‘Farzified’ touch, which basically means we’ve added some Indian sensibility and flavor with a bit of boldness.”
Television
In 2016, Zorawar made his television debut with the Hindi reality show Masterchef India Season 5 where he appeared as the host.
Zorawar Kalra in a still from reality television show Master Chef India Season 5 (2016)
In Masterchef India Season 5, Zorawar Kalra replaced chef Sanjeev Kapoor as a judge on the reality show. In July 2022, Zorawar Kalra appeared as a contestant in Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa Season 10. In an interview, he spoke about his participation in the dance show and said that he had no knowledge of dance before performing in the show. He said,
I had no knowledge of dancing and for me, it was hard on the body and mind. I want to represent ordinary people who want to learn to dance but can’t or don’t have the opportunity. I am here to entertain people and my job is done. But [in the process]at least I will grow and learn a lot of dancing skills with my choreographer Suchitra (Sawant Sangare), who is amazing.”
Zorawar Kalra and her choreographer Suchitra Sawant in a still from dance reality show Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa Season 10 (2022)
Controversy
Excise Department raid at Zorawar restaurant
In September 2019, New Delhi’s excise and taxation department raided the popular Thai restaurant Zorawar in Mehrauli, New Delhi after receiving information about violations. Reportedly, the restaurant served duty-free liquor and evaded tax. The restaurant was also found serving bottles of branded champagne, the excise duty of which is payable only in Haryana. According to the official, the restaurant is still operating after 1 am even though the last date allowed is until 1 am. In an interview, Amit Grewal, the spokesperson of the Zorawar company spoke about this and said,
We always comply with the law in all our restaurants. We are also cooperating with the authorities in an investigation related to one of our restaurants.”
Award
- Zorawar Kalra won the Best Restaurant Award at the GQ Men of the Year Awards twice, in 2014 and 2017.
- In 2014, he won the Best Entrepreneur Award in Service Business – F&B at the Indian Entrepreneur Awards.
- In 2017, GQ India named Zorawar as one of the 50 most influential young Indians.
- In 2017, Consulting firm EY announced the name of Zorawaar Kalra among the list of 16 entrepreneurs as finalists for the 19th Annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.
- In 2016, Zorawar Kalra won the Best Oriental Standalone Award at the Vir Sanghvi Awards.
Car Collection
The Zorawar Kalra car collection includes the Porsche 911 Carrera S99 2nd generation and the Mercedes S class.
Favourite
- Cuisine: Indian, Japanese
- Food: Burger, Bisi Bele Bath
- Movie: Chariots of Fire (1981)
Facts/Trivia
- Zorawar Kalra is also known as “The Man with a Vision on a Mission & the Prince of Indian Cuisine.”
- In 2017, Zorawar’s Farzi Cafe in Dubai won the UAE Masala Award as Best Restaurant in Dubai.
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Zorawar Kalra shared a post on Instagram after his Farzi Cafe outlet in Dubai won the UAE Masala Award as the Best Restaurant in Dubai
- Zorawar Kalra’s father, Jiggs Kalra, who is also known as the ‘Czar of Indian Cuisine,’ served many prominent figures such as Princess Diana, Prince Charles, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Bill Clinton.
- Zorawar’s grandfather, Joginder Singh Kalra, was a brigadier in the Indian Army.
- In 2005, Zorawar Kalra started his entrepreneurial journey with a food cart called ‘The parantha Company’; however, he finally stopped it. In an Instagram post, Zorawar spoke about the same and captioned the Instagram post which read,
This is where my entrepreneurial journey began in 2005. With this little cart – the Paratha company. Although it was something I eventually stopped, it was my first time running a business and the beginning of my career. My chacha (uncle) lent me 10 lakh odd which I needed. I built a basic kitchen setup and two cars with that money. My family has always been the foundation of everything I do and it continues to be. It’s just that my family has become bigger with the whole team at Massive Restaurant.”
Zorawar Kalra with his food cart ‘The Parantha Company’
- Zorawar Kalra’s restaurant, The Farzi Cafe, has many outlets abroad. As of 2022, Farzi Cafe has branches in nine countries. In an interview, Zorawar Kalra spoke about the restaurant and said,
I was blown away by the response. We are in nine countries now, which is great for a company that launched nine years ago. It is a matter of pride that Massive is a completely homegrown brand. I think the best way to export culture is through food and we are doing that.
- In July 2022, Zorawar Kalra joined Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa Season 10; however, according to Zorawar, his son did not want him to participate in the dance reality show. In an interview, Zorawar spoke about how his son reacted to his decision to join Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa 10 and said,
My son, in fact, didn’t want me to do it because he thought I might embarrass him in front of his friends by dancing badly. He said no. But finally, I decided to take it as a big challenge. And it’s always good to work through the hard stuff. So, that’s why I said yes. But it’s definitely something that’s not in my comfort zone.”
- From a very young age, Zorawar was fascinated by cars. His first car was a used Honda Acura, which he bought while pursuing an advanced degree at Bentley University, USA. In an interview, Zorawar talked about his passion for cars and revealed that he doesn’t like other people to touch his vehicles unless they are his close friends and relatives. He said,
I usually don’t let too many people touch my car but close friends and relatives are definitely welcome. However, they must respect the vehicle because it is very dear to me.”
- Zorawar Kalra owns an Audemars Piguet – Royal Oak Offshore watch worth Rs 35,00,000.
- Zorawar follows a non-vegetarian diet.
- He consumes alcohol and is often seen consuming alcohol on various occasions.
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
