Contestants Journeys - your opinion

Since its finale week, have the finalists lived up to what you thought of them in the beginning?

I liked Faisu and Gaurav from the beginning, though I never thought Gaurav would reach this far. Here’s what I thought of each one.

1. Faisu - I think he did really well initially. He was bringing international ideas, even though they were mostly middle eastern. Towards the end he slacked off. He’s now making proper desi khaana which is not a problem, but the wow factor from the initial weeks is gone.

2. Gaurav - he always had great ideas but they didn’t translate to good dishes initially. He’s improved and how. I never thought he’d reach the finale, let alone win. He’s pleasantly surprised me.

3. Nikki - in the first few episodes I didn’t mind her, her attitude started putting me off soon after. I thought she’d run out of steam, but she’s still around. She’s literally been making the same stuff from day 1. Has she ever made dessert on her own (not a replication or chosen by judges)? It’s chicken and thecha all the time.

4. Rajiv - I didn’t think he’d last beyond 2-4 eliminations, so I’d say I was surprised when he started doing well. After the outdoor challenge where they had to use coconut, I think his performance has only gotten better. Right now, I find myself rooting for him (after Gaurav).

5. Tejaswi - she was good in the first few weeks. She made a lot of different stuff, a lot of innovation but then stuck to her comfort zone. Somewhere in between she was slacking off, but was lucky to be saved.