Raghubir Yadav on acting: why every actor must head to the kitchen first
Synopsis
Raghubir Yadav's advice to actors isn't about scripts or workshops — it's about cooking. The veteran star says the kitchen is where he goes every time he gets a new character, calling it the ultimate ground for learning proportions, multitasking, and staying humble. A masterclass hiding in plain sight.
Key Takeaways
Raghubir Yadav advises actors to learn cooking as a core part of character preparation.
He says the kitchen builds situational awareness and teaches an actor to manage multiple things simultaneously.
Yadav traces his hands-on philosophy to his theatre training , where he chose to learn every backstage skill.
He also does his own plumbing at home and runs a personal workshop, stressing the value of practical, grounded learning.
The remarks were made during promotions for his show 'Hunkkaar – The Roar' alongside Fatima Sana Shaikh and Zoya Hussain in Mumbai .
Veteran actor Raghubir Yadav, currently drawing praise for his performance in the show 'Hunkkaar – The Roar', has offered a candid and somewhat surprising piece of advice for aspiring actors: learn to cook. Speaking at a promotional event in Mumbai, Yadav argued that the kitchen is one of the most powerful training grounds an actor can find.
The Kitchen as a Character Workshop
Yadav, who built his craft through years of theatre, explained that the discipline of cooking mirrors the discipline of performance. “First of all, an actor should enter the kitchen. Cooking is very important, you will understand the proportions there. You have to work hard in the kitchen, and manage so many things all at once,” he said. He went further, drawing a direct line between culinary technique and character work: “It also gives you situational awareness — ‘How do you cook? Are you cooking in medium heat or high heat?’ It’s a learning ground. Whenever I get a character, I go straight to the kitchen.”
A Philosophy Born in Theatre
Yadav traced this hands-on philosophy back to his formative years in theatre, where a director’s open-ended question set the course for his entire career. “The director of one of the plays asked me, ‘What do you want to do?’. I said, ‘I want to learn everything’. So, he brought me in, and that’s how training backstage started, and because of that, I got so many benefits,” he recalled. That approach extended well beyond the stage — Yadav revealed he does his own plumbing at home and maintains a personal workshop. “My son used to call me a plumber. So, I enjoy doing all this,” he said with characteristic warmth.
Staying Grounded: The Other Half of the Lesson
For Yadav, the kitchen metaphor is also about humility. He cautioned against the hubris that can accompany early success. “No one will come there to bother you. Your world is yours. It’s your character. And what you’re making is yours,” he said. “Also, it’s very important to stay on the ground. If you go up 4-5 steps, you’ll stop learning. So, it’s fun to stay on the ground.”
The Promotional Context
Yadav made these remarks alongside co-stars Fatima Sana Shaikh and Zoya Hussain at a five-star property in Mumbai during promotional activities for 'Hunkkaar – The Roar'. The show has been receiving considerable positive attention, adding weight to his reflections on the craft that has defined a decades-long career. For a generation of actors navigating auditions and workshops, his advice distils something rarely said aloud: that mastery is built in the mundane, and that the best preparation for a character may well begin with a pot on a stove.
Point of View
Camera technique classes, and method-acting lore. His real argument is about tactile, repetitive, unobserved practice, the kind that builds instinct rather than performance. In an industry where young actors often chase visibility before mastery, the image of a celebrated veteran doing his own plumbing and heading to the stove before a shoot is a quiet rebuke. Whether the next generation is listening is another question entirely.
NationPress
6 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Raghubir Yadav say actors should go to the kitchen?
Raghubir Yadav says the kitchen teaches actors proportions, multitasking, and situational awareness — skills directly transferable to character work. He says every time he receives a new character, he goes straight to the kitchen to prepare.
What show is Raghubir Yadav currently promoting?
Yadav is promoting 'Hunkkaar – The Roar', which has been receiving strong positive response. He made these remarks at a promotional event in Mumbai alongside co-stars Fatima Sana Shaikh and Zoya Hussain.
How did Raghubir Yadav develop his hands-on approach to acting?
Yadav developed this approach during his theatre years, when a director asked what he wanted to do and he replied that he wanted to learn everything. That led to comprehensive backstage training, which shaped his craft philosophy.
What other practical skills does Raghubir Yadav practise?
Beyond cooking, Yadav does his own plumbing at home and maintains a personal workshop. His son reportedly called him a plumber, a label he embraces with pride as part of staying grounded.
What is Yadav’s broader advice for actors on staying grounded?
Yadav cautions that if an actor rises ‘4-5 steps’ above the ground, they stop learning. He advocates humility and solitary, focused practice — the kitchen being one such space where no one disturbs you and your creative world is entirely your own.
