For 'Dining With The Kapoors' Creator Armaan Jain, Film, Food And Family Come Together

They say hosting and entertaining run in the blood of the Kapoors, the first family of Bollywood. You hear it often, but only a few get to experience it firsthand. When he asked me to wait in the lobby as he rushed in from a Dubai shopping escapade, he made sure I was well taken care of by the staff. Before I knew it, delicacies had been ordered for me, and it was not even his house. But I was his guest, and that alone was reason enough for him to ensure I was looked after. Hospitality, it seems, comes to them as second nature.

Armaan Jain, who conceptualised and created Netflix's Dining with the Kapoors, developed his love for food early in life. Growing up in a family where food was deeply cherished, particularly on his maternal side, he was also influenced by his father, an investment banker with a keen interest in cooking. It was during the Covid period, however, that Armaan truly found his place in the kitchen, cooking for his family and discovering a deep sense of fulfilment in feeding others.

So, for those who believe the restaurant business becomes easier when you come from a celebrated lineage, meet the founder of The Junglee Kitchen. What began as home cooking, with Anissa, his wife packing the meals and, at times, the two of them delivering orders themselves, was driven not by privilege but by passion. They loved the sense of completion and, more importantly, the joy of bringing comfort through food.

Armaan is clearly not content resting on the legacy or laurels of his family name. He carries a deeper hunger to feed, to host, and to build something of his own. In the world of food and hospitality, he is not merely continuing a tradition but steadily aiming to establish his own place at the table.

Armaan was recently in Dubai with his family, including Adar Jain and Reema Jain, and took time out to speak with City Times about his fondness for the city, his food venture, and what dining is really like in the Kapoor household. Dubai remains one of his favourite travel destinations, largely because it allows him to experience cuisines from across the world in one place.

Despite having access to some of the finest dining options, Armaan admits he often craves simple meals.“I love the food from Ravi, Pak Darbar, Karachi Darbar, and Afghani restaurants for Peshawari karahis. I am usually ordering from these places. They have the taste of home cooked food, which I really enjoy,” he says.

One of the first questions I wanted to address was the name of his food venture, The Junglee Kitchen. Given the Kapoor legacy, it was easy to assume a connection to Shammi Kapoor's iconic song Junglee. However, Armaan explains that the name has a far more personal and practical origin.

He chose the word Junglee because he does not come from a formally trained culinary background. His approach to cooking is instinctive and unstructured, often using his hands and cooking the way a layperson would, without rigid techniques or rules. For him, the name reflects an honest and unpretentious style of cooking that prioritises comfort, taste, and intuition over formality.

It was his wife, Anissa, who first encouraged him to consider turning this passion into a profession, recognising his genuine interest and natural ability in the kitchen.“We started by documenting recipes from my mother and grandmother's cookbooks, which became my guide,” he shares.“From there, I began experimenting with the process to create something affordable that could be enjoyed by everyone. These are first hand heritage Kapoor family recipes (like Yakni Pulao, Butter Chicken ), inspired by my grandmother Krishna Raj Kapoor and passed on from the time of my great-grandfather Prithvi Raj Kapoor ''.

Pricing, he adds, was a conscious decision.“The menu was designed so that anyone could order a Kapoor gharanay ki dish at home.” It took them a few years to formalise the operations and put standard operating procedures in place.“Initially, it was just me, my wife, and our cook in the kitchen. We prepared the food ourselves and even went out to deliver it, mainly to get direct feedback and meet customers in person. That interaction was very important to me. I wanted to see the happiness food brings. We were open to feedback and monitored it online as well because, no matter how big or small the name or lineage, at the end of the day one must deliver if one is being paid.”

Speaking about his deep rooted love for cinema and the decision to release the show on OTT, Armaan believes there was no better way to reach a wider audience at once than a platform like Netflix. The timing, he says, was equally significant.“2025 marks 100 years of Raj Kapoor, a towering name in cinema whose influence extended far beyond India, especially in countries like Iran and Russia. That global love deserved to be told on a global platform.”

Describing the project as simple and comforting rather than grand, he adds,“It is an easy watch, nothing legendary, but one that makes you crave family dinners, no matter how chaotic they may be.” Reflecting on the show's impact, he shares how it encouraged viewers to reconnect with their families through food.“People told me that after watching Dining with the Kapoors, they hosted their entire family at home this Christmas and New Year, something they had not done in years because everyone had become so busy. That is why I truly believe food is the best way to come together.”

Drawing from statistics, I raised the contrast between how women have traditionally been associated with kitchens, food, and recipes, while the top chefs in South Asia and beyond remain predominantly men. He reacted with visible surprise.“I do not believe that,” he said.“Love, sacrifice, and the very first feed all come from women. Men may have taken over and made it their own in the hospitality industry, but in our homes it is always our mothers and grandmothers whose traditions of serving we follow. If it were left to us men alone, we would turn the kitchen upside down without our mothers to guide us.”

He further revealed that while having lunch with his mother, Reema Jain, and discussing ideas for their next production venture, she suggested developing the show through his production company, which focuses on intimate storytelling rooted in shared memories.“My aim was to show how food, film, and family traditions have shaped our generations. I wanted to keep it natural and largely unscripted because that is what we are known for. If it had been staged, nobody would have believed it. This is how families actually eat together, everyone talking at once, food being passed around, eaten and served with hands. All of it is so relatable to an Indian household. At the time, my media company was about to produce another venture, but this idea clicked and we were all on board.”

What I found particularly inspiring about Armaan was his ability and courage to admit that it is okay if things do not work out exactly as planned, and that one must take it in stride and learn from those experiences.“I was only 23 when I joined films, and it was too much, too soon. Now, I am producing shows and films, and I am in a place where I am doing everything I am truly passionate about. That itself is a blessing,” he reflects.

With the show now released, Armaan says several other projects are already in the pipeline for production via his media company. While the current cloud kitchen model limits physical interaction with diners, the plan is to eventually build towards a dedicated physical space. The Junglee Kitchen has already expanded within Mumbai, and he hopes to take the venture to London and Dubai in the future.

Sadiq Saleem is a UAE based writer & can be contacted on his Instagram handle @sadiqidas.

MENAFN27012026000049011007ID1110658421