Shekhar Suman On Bal Thackeray, Parveen Babi, AB Vajpayee, His New Talk Show, Acting Academy And More | FPJ Exclusive

In 1997, India got a taste of its own desi late-night talk show in the form of Movers And Shakers, hosted by Shekhar Suman. The show format included interviews with celebrity guests, comedy routines, and performances — and Suman’s impersonation of various personalities, the most famous of which was that of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Suman, who debuted with Utsav, which starred Rekha, was more successful in the TV space, the most memorable one being the comedy show Dekh Bhai Dekh (1993-94). He continued with the talk show format with Simply Shekhar and Carry On Shekhar, and was also one of the judges on The Great Indian Laughter Challenge (2005), along with Navjot Singh Sidhu, which he later left. Now, after a gap of 14 years, he’s back to the late-night show format with Shekhar Tonite, which debuted on YouTube on May 15, with his first guest being Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari.

That’s not all, though. He’s also launched the Shekhar Suman Film Academy, a new-age institute built for actors and storytellers of today, with an intensive three-month acting programme designed and conducted by Shekhar Suman, complemented by masterclasses with actors, casting directors, and filmmakers. The curriculum focuses on voice, speech, emotional access, body awareness, camera readiness, and character building.

“Movers And Shakers was not a comedy show. That’s what I’ve been trying to explain to the whole of India, that it was a late-night, laid-back talk show. It was basically conversation, on which I made socio-political satirical comments. So there was no emphasis on trying to make you laugh. I mean, that was purely coincidental. But the idea was to awaken people in a lighter vein. And so we used the craft of satire because then it's easily understandable. Politics is a very dull, pedantic subject, so just to make it lighter, we would use satire to talk about the ills of the system. Also, there was a touch of irreverence. With the guests, especially politicians, we would ask slightly uncomfortable questions, but there was no intention to degrade or run them down. It was in a manner which was both likeable and even tolerable. But I left it at a point because, as an actor, I could not have just sat in the chair and been a host,” Shekhar explained to us.

Being more successful on TV than in movies

“I started right from the top, with Utsav, that I still feel is one of the most unprecedented breaks that any newcomer can hope for. I got some good films and did a couple of very successful commercial films. But then it's a question of getting the right opportunities and picking the right films. And then there's destiny. So you have to be prepared for all kinds of eventualities. My son was terribly ill, and I had to pick up films, and I picked the wrong ones because of economic necessities. Once you make one wrong choice, that leads to a couple of other wrong choices, and then most of the A-list directors will shy away from you, so you lose out on a lot of opportunities. It's a constant struggle that you have to be prepared for. Even if you are successful, to just hold on to your position and be there is another struggle. People go up and come down, and you have seen that in the case of so many stars who have gone up and fallen from the sublime to the ridiculous.”

Meeting Atal Bihari Vajpayee

“I had gone to attend an industrialist's son's marriage, and he was there as a chief guest. While his motorcade was moving, I ran ahead so that he could see me. Mr Vajpayee stopped his car, stepped out, and walked towards me. He hugged and patted me and said, "I was looking for you for a long time. I record your show and watch it every day. And when you take off on me, I laugh the loudest. Never ever stop the show. I love it.”

Bal Thackeray calls up at 3 am

“Balasaheb Thackeray had once called me at 3 am, complimenting me about some interview I had done. I asked him if he loved the show, would he come on it? He accepted, and we shot the very next day. Those were goosebumps moments interviewing him; that man had an aura about him. I remember looking into his eyes and asking, ‘Are you a fascist?’ And he replied, ‘Yes, I'm a fascist because India needs one.’ Wow. That was the moment we all clapped, and I said, this is the man who has the gumption to say something like that.”

A tricky interview with Parveen Babi

“When she was talking about ‘certain individuals’ in the film industry, I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. I was in a soup at that time. This was in 1999, when I was the only one she gave the interview to. We had a common life insurance agent who spoke to her about me. She had then called me, and I invited her to be on the show, which she accepted. However, at the last minute, she said she couldn’t come to the studio to shoot, as she feared people were out to kill her. Anyways, I don’t want to get into all that. (Context: Parveen Babi had schizophrenia.) That’s the only time when I shot outside the studio. But what an interview it was — fantastic. She had also made French onion soup for us, but I was a bit sceptical about tasting it because of the things I had heard about her. I only tried it after my unit people had tasted it!”

On film-makers following PM Modi’s speech regarding international trips

“They better listen to Prime Minister Narendra Modi if they know what's good for them! If the PM is saying that, we need to pay heed to it. There have to be some strong, serious reasons behind it — not to buy gold, use less petrol and diesel, and work from home. There is probably a crisis lurking around the corner because of the war that was going on. So he has a point there.”