Priyamvada Natarajan: Meet the Indian woman on TIME’s 2024 list of 100 most influential people

ed and joined the Institute of Hotel Management in Goa. It was at my internship at the Taj Holiday Village when I realised I enjoyed cooking. Till Class 12, I had never wanted to enter the kitchen or been curious about cooking.”

[caption id="attachment_56414" align="aligncenter" width="444"] Chef Siddharth during an invitation to cook at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City[/caption]

Chef Siddharth Krishna joined the ITC Maurya in Delhi after graduation. He recalls, “I worked at Dum Pukht, Bukhara and Peshawri, the three globally known restaurants of the brand. Bukhara was also featured in Patricia Schultz's book 1,000 Places to See Before You Die. At Peshawri, known for its robust tandoor-cooked dishes, I refined my ability to prepare bold, flavourful meals that celebrated the culinary traditions of the Indian Northwest Frontier. Meanwhile, at Dum Pukht, famous for its luxurious Awadhi cuisine, I mastered slow-cooking techniques and the delicate use of spices, further broadening my culinary repertoire. These experiences laid the foundation for my later success, as I blended traditional techniques with modern innovation—a philosophy that would define my global culinary journey.”

Namastey London

While he was the Sous Chef at ITC Chola Sheraton in Chennai, in 2004, he got an opportunity to work with Camellia and Namita Punjabi, the sisters who have established Chutney Mary, one of the UK’s best-known restaurants serving Indian food. “I had participated in a cooking competition, and my dish was ranked the best. I met Camellia Punjabi because Jiggs Kalra, the legendary chef, had suggested she meet me and she asked me to join them. It was a no-brainer and I said yes given that it was one of the top ten restaurants in the world at that time.”

Chef Siddharth worked with Chutney Mary as Head Chef till 2012. His time there was a learning curve at several levels, he reveals. “We shared a great rapport, and through them, I learnt the know-how and tricks of the trade. Vision, strategy, flavour profiles, cooking techniques for all kinds of meat and more. Some of the processes we used there were unheard of at the Indian restaurants then. If we served three curries, none of them were anything like each other. I am still in touch with them!”

[caption id="attachment_56415" align="aligncenter" width="454"] Chef Siddharth Krishna at a fish farm and market[/caption]

During his tenure there, Chutney Mary became known for its ability to blend traditional Indian flavours with contemporary presentations. The restaurant received multiple awards and recognitions during this period, including being ranked No. 5 in Time Out’s Guide to London’s Top 50 Restaurants. Additionally, it frequently featured in top food guides, such as the Square Meal Guide, which awarded it the Best Modern Indian Restaurant title for two consecutive years.

More milestones 

Chef Siddharth Krishna left Chutney Mary to join Rosewood Abu Dhabi as the Chef de Cuisine and was part of the launch and subsequent success of Sambusek, (a lifestyle Lebanese cuisine restaurant), and instrumental in the launch of Dai Pai Dong (the Chinese restaurant at the Rosewood); and Aqua. Chef Siddharth says about his stint in the UAE, “One of my most significant achievements was my tenure at Spice Mela in Abu Dhabi, where I served as Chef de Cuisine. Under my leadership, Spice Mela became one of the premier destinations for contemporary Indian cuisine in the region, earning numerous prestigious awards.” 

Due to his impactful journey in Abu Dhabi, the Rosewood group offered him a plum position to lead the culinary operations in the Bahamas at their property the Rosewood Baha Mar. He was responsible for the launch of their F&B operations here as well. Says Chef Siddharth about working on the island that is the haunt of the rich and the famous, “Since May 2018, I have led the culinary operations here. As the Executive Chef and a member of the Baha Mar F&B advisory committee, I was instrumental in the successful opening of the resort’s food and beverage operations. This included the critically acclaimed Café Boulud by Daniel Boulud and Costa, a coastal Mexican cuisine concept. Under my direction, the resort served over 35000 a la carte covers per month.”   

[caption id="attachment_56418" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Chef Siddharth at work at Rosewood Baha Mar[/caption]

To further his knowledge, he went on a road trip to coastal Mexico to learn about their food as he didn’t want the cuisine to be limited to the ubiquitous Tex Mex variety. Some of his innovative approaches curating unique dining experiences included a ‘Dinner Under the Stars,’ featuring a menu inspired by Zodiac flavours, and collaborating with celebrity chefs Marcus Samuelsson, Daniel Boulud, and Margarita Carillo during the Baha Mar Culinary Festival. 

Another achievement in this long list includes the invitation he received to cook at the prestigious James Beard House in New York City. “Being invited to this esteemed institution is one of the highest honours for a chef, and the opportunity to highlight my culinary artistry was a testament to my standing in the culinary community. My menu at the James Beard House featured a collage of Indian spices with modern cooking techniques, reflecting my vision of contemporary gastronomy.”  

 Life in the UK

Chef Siddharth Krishna decided to move back to the UK again because he wanted his 13-year-old son to have more exposure than was available on the island. In January this year, he joined the Fairmont Windsor Park, a luxury property in Egham, an hour away from London. About his role here as Executive Head Chef he says, “We change the menu every season and it is a lovely property where we grow our own vegetables in the garden.”

[caption id="attachment_56417" align="aligncenter" width="425"] Chef Siddhartha Krishna at the Fairmont Windsor Park[/caption]

Chef Siddharth Krishna has a strong belief system which has perhaps played a key role in his success. He says, “I believe that whatever you do, you have to be true to yourself. There have been challenges where acquiring the knowledge and skill was important. Now it is about cooking with passion and authenticity.”

On the personal front, Chef Siddharth has a cookbook ready in the wings, complete with a foreword written too. He says it is one with an out-of-the-box concept but has not gotten around to sending it to publishers yet. If it is as colourful as his career trajectory, we are sure the book will be as successful when it hits the shelves. 

While travelling, Chef Siddharth likes to eat at:

• Black Pepper Crab at Long Beach UDMC, Singapore  
• Crispy pork belly at Mott 32, Hong Kong
• Lasagna at Don Angie, New York
• Tacos, gorditas, churros, al pastor on the streets of Mexico City 
• Prawn Al Ajillo at Casa Lucio, Madrid

Follow Chef Siddharth Krishna on Instagram 

oor, for Shreya and for Shivani as well, who began harnessing the power of stories to reach out to children and young adults with intellectual disabilities. A former journalist, Shivani is an award-winning social entrepreneur, founder of the Down Syndrome Support Group India and Samvid - Stories & Beyond. Her latest accomplishment is a book of her own: Extra: Extra Love, Extra Chromosome, with Shreya as a protagonist. It’s a story of fortitude and self-acceptance that transcends age and ability. And it gives readers a momentary glimpse of the courage that neuro-atypical kids like Shreya, as well as their parents, must display every day of their lives.

[caption id="attachment_36959" align="aligncenter" width="553"] Shivani Dhillon and her daughter, Shreya[/caption]

The intrepid journalist

Before Shreya was born, Shivani Dhillon was a journalist, chasing stories around the globe, visiting warzones and interviewing high profile people. An anchor with the BBC, Shivani did the work most young journalists dream of doing, but very few realise. "I started in 1999 and joined Zee News as an anchor and reporter," Shivani says, in her interview with Global Indian. These were in the early days of television news, and new channels were just entering the fray after decades of DD dominating the scene.

After a couple of years in television news in India, Shivani moved to London for a Master's degree in diplomatic studies. From there, she joined the BBC World Service, also working on documentaries. During those eight years, she married, and gave birth to her first son, who was struggling with health problems. "Once, I had to leave my son for about four days to make a documentary. When I came back, I realised I didn't want to do this anymore," she says.

The birth of Shreya

In 2010, Shreya was born with Down Syndrome, as the doctors in the UK had predicted.  In the first trimester, they were told there was a high chance their daughter would have Down Syndrome. Shivani was asked to do a test and to decide on a course of action post the results. She refused. "We wanted the child, irrespective of what it may or may not have. We didn't want to find out."

The family returned to the UK, in part because of the healthcare system, where proactive staff also understood the toll taken on mothers of disabled children. They would even call to remind her of upcoming counselling and medical appointments. But there was one thing missing - social interaction. They returned to India, going back into the joint family system. Here, Shreya had lots of people to talk to and became a friendly child, her speech developed and she blossomed.

Creating a community

While a strong sense of community did wonders for Shreya, healthcare was another story. "I was thrown into the deep end when it came to therapy, finding the right doctor, the right information and even fellow parents." The stigma was very high, even educated relatives asked Shivani why she told people about Shreya's 'condition'. And she knew that thousands of parents across the country were facing the same thing.

Shivani began printing out flyers with her email id and phone number, talking about DS and appealing to parents with disabled kids. "I was looking for a friend," she admits. In 2012, she got her first phone call. "I knew I needed to reach out to more people and Facebook was still new then, so I started an online support group." The group has over 2,500 members now, from India and around the world. "You want to connect to your own people," Shivani tells me.  "There is stigma in our country, even today. In the UK, there was support from the state, the doctors, the therapists. They understand what the parents go through and it felt good. In India, you're likely to be asked what you ate during pregnancy," Shivani explains. Those moments of self-doubt are common, "I would wonder if I did actually eat something wrong, partied too much, or didn't pray enough?" Being able to share experiences with people who had similar lives made a world of difference.

Finding purpose

Back home, Shreya needed to be taught even the smallest things. "You don't teach neurotypical kids how to walk, they just walk. But kids with DS need to be taught." She was well-travelled and well-read, with access to all the resources she needed and she could handle the challenges that came her way. "I started thinking about that - I can do so much for my kid but what about the parent who doesn't have the exposure, the knowledge or the resources? What happens then? I wanted to do something for them."

We spend our lives trying to figure out what our purpose might be and many of us never do. But in the darkest of times, that purpose might come looking for you. That was the case with Shivani. She started the Down Syndrome Support Group India, and built a loving and supportive community. She organised an international art exhibition, encouraging art as a form of therapy. They celebrated World Disability Day and Down Syndrome Day.

The power of stories

In the Dhillon home, reading a book to the kids was a night-time ritual. And from the time Shreya was a few months old, she had been listening to stories. "I realised she was so engaged and engrossed and learning so much. What she learned, she learned through stories." During the lockdown, Shivani began doing sessions with disabled kids and young adults, telling them stories as a form of therapy. And during the pandemic, she had her work cut out for her. There were difficult topics to discuss, death being one of them.

"Stories impact them on a fundamental level. It takes time but they start communicating more, become more expressive and their language improves," Shivani explains. Communication, she says, is one of the biggest challenges, they struggle with reading facial expressions, understanding social cues and understanding emotions. So, twice a week, she would meet groups of ten, tell a story and talk about the story afterwards.

Finding a school

Last year, Shreya was taken out of mainstream education and Shivani Dhillon began looking for a school for her. She found one, on the outskirts of Chandigarh, where teachers and students shared a loving bond. But the building was falling apart. "I knew it was the place for my daughter but she and other kids deserved better infrastructure."

Shivani oversaw fundraising efforts, raising enough to revamp the school. "We have launched the new school, Discoverability, now," she says. She works with the principal and the founder to handle the school and Shreya loves being there. "We want to start vocational training for students as well," she says.

Knowledge is power

It has been a journey full of challenges, Shivani says. "Bringing up a child with special needs is not easy, especially in India. You don't get invited to birthday parties, and there's a lot of staring, everywhere we go. I simply walk up to people and educate them. Sometimes that is all it takes. If I hadn't had a daughter with DS, I might have been oblivious too." Life may not work out the way you want, she says. "When I had my daughter, I saw those beautiful eyes and thought, the boys are going to be lining up for her. That's not going to happen but she has brought so much joy and happiness to our lives."

Transformation through crisis

Finding purpose, Shivani says, has been a spiritual journey. She's a believer in karma, not in a 'resigned-to-her-fate' kind of way but in the sense that everybody has a purpose, a reason for living. "When you have that understanding, of something greater, you don't ask those questions. I can't give Shreya many of the tools I use to cope with challenges but I do know that the one thing she can fall back on is a connection to a higher being."

• Follow Shivani Dhillon on LinkedIn