In an exclusive Benchmark Conversation with Mark Manuel for Peeping Moon, sponsored by Reliance Digital, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor opened up about the work ethic that powered his rise and why, even today, 16-hour days don’t feel like work to him.

Looking back over three decades, Kapoor insists that success didn’t change him. “Thirty-two years ago… before that I was still Sanjiv Kapoor. I haven’t changed,” he says, reflecting on his early years in professional kitchens.

When Mark Manuel mentions that Kapoor was already popular when they first met, the chef rewinds further to a time when he was simply focused on growth. At just 27, he became one of the youngest executive chefs in the country, a feat many in the hospitality industry achieved much later. His approach, he reveals, was straightforward. “I had set the target as 10 years and to me it was pure mathematics,” Kapoor explains. At a time when becoming an executive chef typically took close to two decades, he decided to double the effort. “If everyone takes 20 years, they work eight hours, I’ll work 16 hours and that’s it.” It wasn’t about chasing fame,  it was about accelerating the journey. “I wanted to make sure that I reach the top of my profession much faster than anybody else,” he adds.

What stands out is that the grind hasn’t stopped. Kapoor admits he continues to work long hours, but he refuses to describe it as labour. “Is this work? No, this is not work, Mark. I haven’t worked a single day in my life,” he says with a smile. “They say if you enjoy your job, you don’t work a single day. That is true.”

For Sanjeev Kapoor, the 16-hour days were never a burden, they were simply part of the recipe for success.