For 26 years, celebrity chef Vikas Khanna has been searching for a Muslim family that saved his life during the violent riots of 1992 in Mumbai. And on Monday, 11 June, his search finally ended.
In a interview with actor Anupam Kher for Republic TV in 2017, Khanna detailed the events that took place during the riots, and his tryst with the family. He revealed that since 1992, he has been fasting for one day during the month of Ramzan in honour of the family.
Khanna was working as a trainee in the kitchens of Hotel Sheraton Sea Rock, when the riots engulfed the streets of Mumbai. He was stuck in the hotel for sometime when he came to know of the situation in Ghatkopar. Some buildings were set on fire in the area, and since his brother lived in Ghatkopar, Khanna set out to find his brother.
New to the city, he was left wandering about the streets for over two-and-half-hours. This is when he came across a Muslim family, who ushered Khanna into their house in a bid to save him from a mob hardly a few metres away.
The mob saw this and rushed into the house and questioned the family about Khanna. The father immediately said Khanna was his son, and the mob left. He spent two days in their home, living amongst strangers who had saved his life.
Meanwhile, one of the members of the family left to find Khanna’s brother in Ghatkopar, and returned with the news of his well-being, putting Khanna at ease.
Having finally tracked down the family, the celebrity chef took to Twitter to announce that he would be breaking his fast with the family this Ramzan.
On 12 June, presumably after having shared an Iftar meal with the family, Khanna tweeted:
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