A part of actor Padmaraj Ratheesh’s Instagram bio reads, “Biriyani > Everything, Chef mode: On.” A casual scroll through his profile, and you'll see why the description makes sense. Over the past year, Padmaraj has fully embraced his ‘chef mode’, regularly posting videos of lip-smacking dishes, many of which consistently cross the million-view mark.
Padmaraj, the son of the late actor Ratheesh, traces his love of cooking back to his childhood and his parents. “My mom’s a great cook, so I naturally became a foodie. I’ve also seen Dad cooking whenever he was home. In fact, Mom started cooking only after they got married,” he recalls. “He would come up with unique dishes and even name them himself. He loved feeding people, so our house was always full of friends and guests. Growing up in that environment, it’s hard not to be drawn to food.”
So deep was this fascination that Padmaraj strongly considered pursuing hotel management after school to become a chef. Though that plan didn’t materialise, the passion never faded. “I wasn’t into cooking until my mom fell sick and I started taking care of her. I’d take recipes from her, follow her inputs, and try something whenever I had time,” he says.
Content creation, however, was never part of the plan until a spontaneous decision to post a video of cooking his all-time favourite dish: biriyani. This was exactly a year back, in March 2025, and since then, he has amassed over a lakh followers. “Maybe it’s because I started auspiciously with biriyani,” he laughs. “That’s my any day, any time dish, both to cook and eat. Tamil Nadu-style biriyani,” he stresses. “Within that, there are many varieties like Thalappakatti, Ambur, Chennai style, but I prefer Ambur for the spiciness.”
Having spent much of his childhood in Tamil Nadu, his culinary preferences are steeped in that culture. Dishes such as sambar sadam, thayir sadam, chinthamani chicken, and chettinad chicken varuval frequently appear in his videos. “There’s a strong sense of nostalgia. My friends used to bring these dishes for lunch, so I grew up around them,” he says.
Cooking, Padmaraj says, stirs up mixed emotions in him. “Firstly, it’s therapeutic. A typical cooking session lasts 2-2.5 hours, and during that time, I’m completely focused. It also brings back memories. And then there’s the joy of serving, which is a big motivation.”
Except for occasional videos of making burgers or pasta, most of Padmaraj's content revolves around his comfort food. “Most of my recipes come from my mother. I also take inspiration from creators like Shan Geo and Hema Subramanian. I haven’t experimented much yet, but I do have my own recipes lined up. I’m planning a series around them,” he reveals.
Interestingly, his culinary journey is now finding resonance within the film industry as well. On the sets of his upcoming film Disco, Padmaraj recently cooked for the crew at Chemban Vinod's insistence, who produces the film. “He wanted me to make biriyani, which is my A game, but my schedule was erratic. A few days ago, after pack-up, he asked if I could stay back and cook,” Padmaraj says. “It was my first time cooking for such a big gathering, but I didn’t feel pressured at all. Maybe my alter ego as a chef kicked in.”
Instead of biriyani, he made beetroot rice and his mother’s signature potato chicken roast, both of which were a hit. “Chemban chettan even said we should go on an all-India trip someday, just cooking and eating along the way,” he smiles.
While Padmaraj inherited his father’s passion for food and cooking, the same influence didn’t quite extend to acting, perhaps because of his humble upbringing. Even when Ratheesh was at the peak of his career during the 80s and 90s, the family largely stayed away from the glamorous world of cinema. “My strongest memories of my father are of him as an agriculturist, running a farm in Cumbum. As far as I remember, Commissioner is the only film set I’ve visited. Staying away helped us remain grounded,” he says. Yet, the pull of cinema was inevitable. “My dad used to say I’d become an actor, but as a kid back then, all I wanted to be was a driver. But eventually, by high school, the acting bug bit me.”
Years later, a magazine interview with family after moving to Kerala landed Padmaraj his first film, Fireman. And that, too, as Mammootty’s villain. “They were looking for fresh faces. When they mentioned me to Mammukka, he immediately agreed,” he recalls. The two later collaborated again in Acha Dhin, and Padmaraj fondly remembers the superstar’s warmth. “During a fight scene, I mistimed a move and hit him on the face. He was very calm and even joked, ‘It’s fine, I’ve given your dad a lot of these.’ He kept reassuring me.”
Though he acknowledges the privileges that come with his lineage, Padmaraj admits that he often feels its pressure. “The legacy is also a burden. I can’t do something just because my dad did it. I’m not here to repeat him, but carve my own path. It's also not easy being a ‘nepo kid’ as people believe. In fact, nepo kids are the ones who feel the most pressure than anyone else,” he says. “Yes, you get access, but after that, it’s a different game. And it’s harder when the person you’re compared to is no longer around.”
With over a decade in the industry behind him and a lot of learning, Padmaraj now finds himself in a space of quiet contentment. “I’m happy where I am. I can now choose what I want to do, which wasn’t always the case. People say I should network more or chase roles, but I believe in destiny,” he says. “Life has taught me that. I'll continue with my work. Be it acting or cooking — with utmost sincerity."