Harpal: I would laugh on sets and cry in my vanity
Celebrity chef Harpal Singh Sokhi recently opened up about the most emotionally challenging phase of his life during a heartfelt conversation with Siddharth Kannan on his podcast. Known for his joyful personality and infectious energy, Harpal revealed how he balanced his professional commitments while dealing with a devastating personal tragedy.
Recalling his struggles, Harpal shared, “There have been moments which have been emotionally very tough. Roughly in the past 15 years, it has been very difficult for me. Every year, I would lose one of my family members. It was very tough. I would lose someone back there, and I would be performing here. In life, television shows… performing here also means performing for your family because you have a family here.”
Speaking about the darkest period, Harpal revealed how his elder sister’s sudden illness shook him completely. “Last year, in September, my elder sister called me. I had previously lost my jijaji and bhanja. She was having stomach ache and loose motions while I was shooting for Laughter Chefs. She went to a cardiologist, who gave her some medicines and said she would be alright. But two days later, her condition worsened so much that she couldn’t even walk to the toilet and had to be hospitalised. The doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong,” he said.
Harpal would shoot on Tuesdays and Fridays and immediately fly out mid-week to be with his sister and speak to doctors. “They couldn’t even track her BP. My didi looked fine, so I kept telling her not to worry. But her health kept deteriorating. I reached out to my old friends for help and finally managed to get her shifted to another hospital. We found a nephrologist. When the test results came out, we found out she was in Stage 4 of Stage 4 cancer,” he recalled with deep pain.
Balancing work and personal grief was extremely challenging. “Imagine, I would shoot and laugh and crack jokes on Laughter Chefs, and then I would cry in my vanity. It was very difficult. That has been the toughest phase, but I have overcome it,” Harpal said, crediting resilience and inner strength for helping him through one of life’s most painful tests.
Recalling his struggles, Harpal shared, “There have been moments which have been emotionally very tough. Roughly in the past 15 years, it has been very difficult for me. Every year, I would lose one of my family members. It was very tough. I would lose someone back there, and I would be performing here. In life, television shows… performing here also means performing for your family because you have a family here.”
Speaking about the darkest period, Harpal revealed how his elder sister’s sudden illness shook him completely. “Last year, in September, my elder sister called me. I had previously lost my jijaji and bhanja. She was having stomach ache and loose motions while I was shooting for Laughter Chefs. She went to a cardiologist, who gave her some medicines and said she would be alright. But two days later, her condition worsened so much that she couldn’t even walk to the toilet and had to be hospitalised. The doctors couldn’t figure out what was wrong,” he said.
Harpal would shoot on Tuesdays and Fridays and immediately fly out mid-week to be with his sister and speak to doctors. “They couldn’t even track her BP. My didi looked fine, so I kept telling her not to worry. But her health kept deteriorating. I reached out to my old friends for help and finally managed to get her shifted to another hospital. We found a nephrologist. When the test results came out, we found out she was in Stage 4 of Stage 4 cancer,” he recalled with deep pain.
Balancing work and personal grief was extremely challenging. “Imagine, I would shoot and laugh and crack jokes on Laughter Chefs, and then I would cry in my vanity. It was very difficult. That has been the toughest phase, but I have overcome it,” Harpal said, crediting resilience and inner strength for helping him through one of life’s most painful tests.
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