MONDAY, JUNE 16, 2025
Scam alert: Fake auditions target Northeast India food community
Published on Feb 3, 2025
By Veroli Zhimo
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- 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.
Nagaland Districts
