Did any of you catch our local show promos on Vijay TV?
I’m sure you have, and it’s none other than the Tree Top Kitchen, our local cooking show hosted by our country’s notable names, Kumaresh and Balaganapathi William.
This show’s first episode commenced on the 25th of July and aired its second episode on the 1st of August. If you haven’t heard yet, unlike other local shows, this one will be aired on an international channel, Vijay TV. That is something the crew of Tree Top Kitchen should be proud of.
We had an interview session with one of the hosts, Kumaresh, to learn more about the show and how the idea for this cooking show was born, in conjunction with its launch.
Varnam: How did the idea for a local cooking show to be aired on an international channel like Vijay TV come about?
Kumaresh: We have been around in the local media industry for a very long period and took this opportunity to level up and go onboard an international channel.
Varnam: How did the process of creating this cooking show go, and when did it all take place (filming period) especially during this MCO period.
Kumaresh: The entire production period of Tree Top Kitchen was held prior to MCO 3.0, during the early period of MCO where shooting was still allowed with all necessary approval. It was a hard and challenging experience especially caused by the MCO, however by maintaining a strict SOP, shooting after working hours and shooting in a private place for lesser public movement and easier crowd control.
Varnam: Aside from the fact that this is a local cooking show that will be aired on an international channel, what else distinguishes this show as we have seen quite a bit of tamil cooking shows being aired lately.
Kumaresh: Although there are many cooking shows produced locally, Tree Top Kitchen is led by a Guinness Record holder Chef Kadeer, which carries a credibility of the recipes showcased by him. Apart from that, the concept of this show is different as if this entire cooking segment and tasting segment is taking place as if on a real tree on different levels of a tree structure for variation which comes to the name ‘Tree Top Kitchen’.
Varnam: What can viewers expect from this show?
Kumaresh: Different and unique recipes showcased by our Award Winning Chef together with some useful cooking tips and loads and loads of comedy which embarks knowledge and laughter as a combo.
Varnam: The late director, Dev Rajah, is mentioned as having directed the show. What was it like working with him, and did his sudden passing have any effect on the team and the show?
Kumaresh: Dev Rajah is an extraordinary director and is renowned for his work. He definitely did an awesome job with his entire crew to create such amazing artwork which hit the international television market as the first Malaysian produced show. It’s impossible to deny the fact that the team was affected badly by his sudden passing, as it was unexpected to be the last show with him and the show was in the midst of post-production.
To be honest, Dev Rajah’s untimely death was tragic news not only for his family, but also for fans of his work and the entire Malaysian entertainment industry. However, I believe that an artist who has created so much creation and art for the world never dies because he lives on through the creations he has left behind. Similarly, Dev Rajah will continue to live on through the shows and films he has created.
If you haven’t seen the first two episodes of the cooking show, don’t worry, because you can catch the following episodes every Sunday at 12.30pm, exclusively on Vijay TV.
