Ankita Lokhande On Her Bond With Elvish Yadav: "He Is Such a Genuine Guy..." | Exclusive

In an exclusive conversation with whosthat360, Ankita Lokhande opens up about her bond with Elvish Yadav and the dynamic on the current show, 'Laughter Chefs'.

Here are a few edited excerpts of this delightful conversation;

What kind of a laugh riot can the viewers expect from the new season of ‘Laughter Chefs Unlimited Entertainment'?

This season is all about turning up the heat in the kitchen while doubling the dose of hilarity! For me, this show is like coming home—it's where I get to do what I love most: entertain. With new faces joining the season and some of us still struggling to perfect the art of cooking, the challenges this time around promise to be both unpredictable and exciting. In the first season, we eased into the cooking battles, but things quickly escalated as the tasks got tougher. The returning favourites feel like the veterans of this kitchen comedy battlefield but let me tell you—cooking is no cakewalk! Honestly, I'd say cooking is even harder than acting. That's why being part of a show that combines comedy and culinary chaos is such a thrill for me. 

Photo Credit: Instagram

This season, we're going all out, and the gags have been turned up a notch. With rookie chefs joining the team, the dynamic is going to be refreshingly chaotic, and the chemistry between the laughter chefs promises to be as flavourful as the dishes we attempt to prepare. Our motto is simple - bring down the kitchen with our antics, serve up dishes you've probably never even heard of, and keep the audience hooked from start to finish. Expect a laugh riot like never before!

Last season, your husband and cooking partner Vicky Jain bickered a lot while preparing food. Will you both be getting along better in this new season of ‘Laughter Chefs Unlimited Entertainment' and amping up your cooking game?

Bantering and bickering are the seasoning of any relationship—whether it's friendship, romance, or marriage. Vicky and I had our share of quarrels in the first season, but hey, that's what made our kitchen escapades so relatable and fun to watch! Cooking with Vicky is an adventure. We've managed to whip up decent meals, but let's be real—Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi is not easy to impress. He has a sharp eye for perfection, and no matter how hard we work, we often fall short of his high standards. We've always been our own cheerleaders. After every dish, no matter the outcome, we give ourselves a well-deserved pat on the back because effort matters as much as the result. This season, we're bringing that same spirit of confidence and self-appreciation to the kitchen. Maybe this time, it'll be the secret ingredient that earns us a few extra stars from Harpal sir!

Photo Credit: Instagram

Vicky claims that he is working harder than you are on preparing meals. What do you have to say about that?

If Vicky is putting in extra effort, it's a win-win for both of us. After all, teamwork is what earns us those coveted stars from Harpal sir. I'm just happy that he's taking our cooking game so seriously. If he wants to work harder, I'm all for it—more power to him!

What was your interaction like with the new faces this season?

This season has been an absolute blast because I already knew most of the new faces beyond their onscreen personas. We're like one big, happy family, and the camaraderie off-screen makes the on-screen chaos even more fun. Samarth, Abhishek, and Mannara are people I had the pleasure of bonding with during my stint on Bigg Boss 17, and it's been a joyride to reconnect with them. Mannara has often treated me to her cooking in the Bigg Boss house, so I knew she'd bring her A-game here too. Samarth and Abhishek, on the other hand, can't cook to save their lives, and watching them attempt to navigate the kitchen is pure comedy gold. Then there's Elvish, who has become a close friend. He's such a genuine guy, and it's heartwarming how he calls me bhabhi. Vicky and I have bonded with him over a lot of shared moments. He's surprisingly an incredible cook, and he pours his heart into every dish. When he loses a cooking battle, you can see how much it affects him and that shows how invested he is in this season. 

Photo Credit: Instagram

Are you missing the old laughter chefs who aren't part of this season?

I'm missing all of them a lot. Once you work with people for so long, they become like your family. And I knew all of them before we began shooting for the first season. I miss Karan Kundrra, Aly Goni, and Arjun Bijlani, but I think the show must go on. Having said that, I thank God the show's team couldn't find Aly's replacement because he's a great cook, who ramped up the competition last season.