The latest episode of Celebrity MasterChef unfolded with plenty of drama and high-stakes cooking as Farah Khan kicked off the show, announcing that Kabita’s team was safe, while Tejasswi’s team had landed in the danger zone. The tension rose as the contestants from Tejasswi’s team, including Nikki Tamboli, Usha Nadkarni, Gaurav Khanna, Chandan Prabhakar, and Tejasswi herself, were called forward for the elimination round. Eventually, it was revealed that Chandan Prabhakar was the one to be eliminated from the show after a tough battle for survival.
During the tense moments leading up to the elimination, Nikki voiced her frustrations about Kabita’s team being spared, even though she felt some of their team members deserved to be in the danger zone. Nikki specifically pointed out Rajiv Adatia and Archana Gautam, claiming their performance was not up to the mark. Rajiv and Archana, however, strongly disagreed with her, suggesting that it was Nikki’s attitude that landed her in the danger zone, rather than any unfair advantage held by Kabita’s team.
Farah Khan pointed out that Nikki had expressed her dissatisfaction with her cooking results ever since being paired with Gaurav Khanna. Nikki even went as far as calling him “panauti” (bad luck) for her struggles in the kitchen. Gaurav, however, refused to say anything negative about Nikki and emphasized that she was his teammate. The situation was further complicated by a heated argument between Tejasswi Prakash and Archana Gautam. Archana accused Tejasswi’s team of making a mistake by not selecting her, to which Tejasswi retorted, reminding Archana that even Kabita’s team hadn’t chosen her but she was merely placed there by chance. The argument escalated when Archana shouted a sharp remark at Tejasswi, which caused Tejasswi to completely ignore her, refusing to engage in the conversation any further.
As the competition heated up, Faisu and Abhijeet won the coveted ‘Power Card,’ which allowed them to save Usha Nadkarni from the Black Apron Challenge. This left Gaurav Khanna, Nikki Tamboli, Tejasswi Prakash, and Chandan Prabhakar in the danger zone, all of whom would now face a critical test: to create a dish where chilies would be the star ingredient. Each contestant was given different varieties of red chilies to work with and was tasked with crafting a dish around this fiery component.
Tejasswi was the first to present her creation to the judges, but her dish failed to meet expectations. The judges critiqued her dish for lacking flavor and poor execution, adding more pressure to her already intense position in the competition. They suggested that her only hope of staying in the game was if another contestant’s dish turned out worse than her’s. This created a nail-biting moment as the viewers eagerly awaited the outcome.
Dipika Kakar, visibly concerned, expressed her surprise at the judges’ comments, noting that she knew Tejasswi was capable of much better. She didn’t want to see her leave the competition.
Chandan Prabhakar also faced harsh criticism for his dish. Farah Khan remarked that it was even worse than Tejasswi’s creation. She pointed out that both Chandan and Tejasswi had failed to make chili the central focus of their dishes, which led to their downfall.
Finally, Nikki Tamboli presented her dish. Unlike the others who opted for dessert, Nikki took a different approach by preparing a chicken dish. Her dish stood out from the rest, showcasing her culinary skills. The judges were impressed and awarded her the prestigious title of ‘Dish of the Day.’ Nikki, overwhelmed with emotion, couldn’t hold back her tears, as this victory marked a significant turning point in her journey on the show.
As the elimination moment arrived, it was a tough decision. Tejasswi and Chandan found themselves in the bottom two, battling for their place in the competition. The Black Apron Challenge was fierce, but ultimately, it was Chandan Prabhakar who was sent home, while Tejasswi narrowly escaped elimination. Ranveer Brar noted that she had been saved by the smallest margin, emphasizing the close call she had.
Tejasswi, reflecting on the experience, shared a poignant thought: she understood the value of being cautious and resolved to never find herself in the black apron zone again. Her words, “Doodh ka jala chhaach bhi phook phook ke peeta hai,” reflected her newfound determination to avoid making the same mistakes in the future.