Laughter Chefs 3's Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi On Kids Using His Catchphrase 'Namak Shamak' In School: Always...

Celebrity chef Harpal Singh Sokhi was left surprised to see a video of a kindergarten class reciting his catchphrase, "Namak shamak daal dete hain." In the video, a teacher can be seen teaching her class three-letter Hindi words. When it comes to the word "Namak," the kids say the word out loud and add the famous catchphrase too. Though Chef Harpal always believed that the catchphrase would go beyond food, he was overwhelmed to see such young kids saying it.

He said, "It's so overwhelming that school children at an age when they are learning N, M, and K and then spelling out 'salt' and then getting into a chorus of singing 'Namak Shamak' is very heart-touching. I tell you, this is something that I did not expect that schoolchildren would be doing. But I have always had a belief that the 'Namak Shamak' jingle is a food national anthem. It is something that is growing, and this video where I saw kids singing 'Namak Shamak' and learning Hindi was absolutely heart-touching. And I'm sure it would spread across all schools."

"15-20 years back when I created this jingle, it had already become viral. When somebody says, 'Please pass the salt,' they would say, 'Oh, let's add some salt; let's add some salt.' "And people write back to me... that 'My father sometimes doesn't know how to cook, but he goes to the kitchen and does the salt jingle.' So this has been a blessing for me," he added.

Chef Harpal is full of gratitude and thanked God for giving him so much and creating this jingle. "It is now almost 20 years old but still going strong and is something that is here to stay. And in the culinary arena, if you really say, "This is something that has created a wave across the world and touched so many hearts," then I feel so happy about it. And I'm happy that I could positively influence so many people, right from kids to elders across the world," he said.

Asked if the video reminded him of his own childhood. He said, "I think our learning in schools in our time was not so playful; it was rather strict. And for us, those strict moments were discipline, which helped us grow into whatever we are today. I think that is important for me. I can only remember that, for us, teaching... learning was more discipline than fun."

"The fun element is a very new-age thing that we see. And nonetheless, for each of the ages that we have gone through, our generation has gone through some strict learning; the new generation wants to learn things with a lot of fun and in a very easy way," he added.

He stressed that the new generation wants to learn things in a lighthearted way and in an atmosphere that makes them feel happy. He said, "They are restless, but they want to acquire knowledge that stays with them through means that are very fun-loving and entertaining and yet educational, educating them with all the knowledge. They do not want strict discipline in terms of learning. And I feel the way the new-age children are being taught with examples, like this jingle, is going to stay with them for life."

"During my time, I think it was a very strict way of learning; the teacher tells, and you just go back home, and if you do not have examples, you mug up things, and those things do not remain with you for life. So when you add some fun elements and it is taught in such a way that it is easy and happy, those things remain with you for life," Chef Harpal concluded.