DIMAPUR — A
potential scam targeting the food and beverage community in Northeast India has
come to light, falsely claiming to organise auditions for Season 2 of Hills on
a Plate, a popular cooking competition currently streaming on JioCinema.
The scam was first flagged by Assam-based chef and
entrepreneur Annie (name changed), who received a WhatsApp message from a
person identifying herself as “Sayantika.” The message enquired if Annie was
interested in auditioning for the second season of the reality show, which
reportedly “did not bring the publicity we wanted” during its first season
filmed in Meghalaya.
According to the message, four participants had already been
“locked in” for auditions. Annie was asked to fill out an online form and later
received a contract stating that the show was produced by Viacom18 to “showcase
the unique culinary heritage and culture of the eight Northeastern states of
India.”
An email accompanying the contract listed the main judging
panel, allegedly featuring acclaimed chefs Sarah Todd, Asma Khan, and Ranveer
Brar. It also claimed that each episode would include guest judges from the
Northeast to provide regional culinary insights.
However, a red flag emerged when Annie was asked to make a
refundable security deposit to confirm her participation. Sensing something was
amiss, she decided to reach out to Naga chef Aketoli Zhimomi, who was listed as
a special guest judge for Episode 4 of the purported season.
To Annie’s surprise, Zhimomi was completely unaware of the
event. Speaking to Eastern Mirror, Zhimomi confirmed that she had not been
contacted by the show’s organisers.
Restaurateur and entrepreneur Ardahun Passah from Meghalaya, who was part of the
judging panel for Season 1, also told this newspaper that she had no
information about the second edition. Although she was listed as the guest
judge for the new season’s finale, Passah said that she was not contacted by
the production team.
“There is a possibility this is a scam,” she said.
Jason Manners, founding CEO of Rockski EMG and senior
executive producer of Hills on a Plate, acknowledged the issue and advised
caution.
“We have been receiving several messages about this scam
from various places. Please note that unless information comes directly from
the production team, consider it a scam. All legitimate audition calls or
show-related updates will be relayed by us,” he said.
He also said that the production team is consulting with
stakeholders and would be coming out with an official statement.
