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"Have
to go, get poked and made fun of by Shekhar Suman on Movers
and Shakers," wrote Khushwant Singh, renowned author
and columnist, after being invited for the show. Later,
he returned home in a gleeful mood after a session of wisecracks
made at each other's expense. "That's precisely the whole
idea of coming on the chat show. To explore your own funny
side and laugh at yourself," says Suman. "It's like when
I put a question across to you, don't complain as to why
was it done this way or that way? Just play," he quips.
Considered a blabber-box by some, Suman is rated one of
the best television personalities of the millennium by many.
A student of history before stepping into the television
world, he did theatre and movies - some good, some terrible
- before making his bow on television with Dekh Bhai
Dekh and Main. He has enjoyed tremendous success
over the past few years in television serials and now anchors
Movers and Shakers, a talk show, and Jab Khelo
Sab Khelo, a game show, which have further cemented his
claim to tele-fame. At this point he can be safely termed
the king of television, Amitabh Bachchan and his Kaun
Banega Crorepati gameshow not withstanding.
After every steep rise there is a sudden fall is the standing
wisdom but Shekhar Suman has his own take on it. "You reach
the top of one mountain, then there are other peaks waiting
to be conquered," he quips. And as if to prove this Suman,
who would "cringe" while watching some of the not-so-good
(that's putting it charitably) movies he's done, is back
to acting on the big screen with Kundan Shah's Kasam
Se after a nearly eight-year gap.
As if the self -proclaimed "greedy" actor's donning
the mantle of 'Personality of the Millennium' isn't enough,
the never-say-die actor wants to give the likes of Billy
Crystal a run for his money by hosting the Oscars. "Oh wish
I was there hosting the Oscars when I see it," he asserts
with typical Suman bravado. Indiantelevision.com's correspondent
Harsha Khot met Shekhar Suman at his residence in Andheri
and went away quite impressed by the experience.
Excerpts
from the interview:
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How
do you select a role? What sort of role appeals to you?
I
cannot exactly pinpoint what excites me. But I normally
get a feel of whether I'll like it or not after it is
narrated to me. A role of a blind man, a psychopath,
a comatose character would excite me. It would depend
on how the character is written and sketched and the
way it is going be presented. I suppose the excitement
occurs when the director reads out the story where the
characterisation is not too sketchy and it is a well-delineated
role. The excitement also occurs when I have to think
and re-think what effort it will take to bring out the
character.
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How
do you work towards bringing out a character?
It is an internal mental thinking process. It not something
that you put down on paper and say you would go from A to
B to C. It's an internalised process. I don't think first
of all that in India you have such complex characters to play.
But within the periphery you can play them in terms of shades
of attitude and circumstances. The attitude is very important
in the character. That should decide everything else. That
would decide the way he behaves, the way he dresses up, the
way he thinks and what sort of equation he will have with
others. These are some of the factors that decide how the
character would be like.
After I listen to the role, then I give a thought to fleshing
out the character. But then again I don't do a lot of homework.
I would definitely think about it, but I would not overdo
the whole thing, because I feel for a lot of performances
it is better to be an instinctive actor rather than a method
actor. Somehow, no matter how clever you are, the method starts
showing, while when the acting is instinctive, straight from
the heart, the viewers enjoy it. A method is well planned,
orchestrated as in well organised. It's a mechanised and robotic
way of emoting. For instance say my hand moves here in a certain
way, in a certain direction, just while talking facing the
lights in front. In this you are so conscious about the method
that somewhere the emphasis shifts from the role to the method.
There is nothing wrong in that.
There are a lot of people who rely on method. In fact Dustin
Hoffman's anecdote about method acting in Marathon Man
is a well know story. He followed this method, where he would
run for miles together and come exhausted to the set and promptly
faint. Exasperated, he asked his director what should he do.
To which the director replies: 'Try acting.' When you act
instinctively, the acting is straight and you are reacting
straight to the given situation or the character. I think
there is great honesty and truth in it which people relate
to.
Do you
follow any aspect of method acting at all?
Method in many small doses, yes. Something
like when you have to cry; it's an emotional scene and you
do not want to use glycerine, you obviously bank on something
called emotional memory. An actor also has a bank of experiences,
which he can draw on from memory where you think of a situation
and those emotions. Other than than at times I really would
not mind taking a few rounds around the sets for a little
exasperated look but that's it. I would rather react instinctively
than do my homework on how do I say my lines differently.
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Do
you see to it that the characters you play are different?
I
guess so. There are people who have seen me closely
and have let me know that the character I played in
Dekh Bhai Dekh, his reactions were different
from those of the one in Reporter. In Reporter
the role demands a very unassuming, well meaning,
down to earth more intense investigative journalist.His
manner and attitude were more intense, more ponderous
and in terms of dialogue
quite
opposite
to the character in Dekh Bhai Dekh.
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Mandira
Bedi with Shekhar Suman in tele serial Main |
Samir
Hegde in Reporter was so different from Samir
Diwan in Dekh Bhai Dekh. They both were coming
at the same time and both had same name. Another serial
is Main where the character has lots of attitude,
a tinge of snobbishness and shades of arrogance. Meanwhile,
what I do in Movers and Shakers is my persona.
That is me. I don't play any character but I
am handling different characters. Like I said there
are not such strongly etched characters that would be
mind-blowingly different. The thing is that in India
you don't see strongly sketched characters. Take for
instance Amitabh Bachchan. In all his movies you would
see the basic Amitabh Bachchan ingredients: his voice,
his reactions, his looks are essentially
him.
Even actors like Shahrukh Khan and Dilip Kumar are not
so different. As against the situation abroad where
you get strongly etched characters. When Dustin Hoffman
is in different roles he is difficult to recognise.
It takes a couple of minutes to realise, oh, this is
Jack Nicholson, or Robert De Niro. So keeping in mind
the given situation; within limits, we try and give
different shades in terms of stressing on the character's
attitude. |
On your
chat show Movers and Shakers are you cautious about
rubbing your guests the wrong way. Has it ever happened?
Yah, of course I take care about that. So far I have interviewed
nearly 1,300 people and I never felt that I had rubbed someone
the wrong way but inadvertently, unknowingly, unwittingly,
it may just happen. In fact it happened only recently in an
interview with a famous poet lyricist who I will not name
and who has a terrific sense of humour. The interview went
off very well and it just sort of dropped out while we were
talking about how one should learn from mistakes and not repeat
them. And I said there are people who get married twice. It's
a mistake of every man who gets married.
See, basically this is a general statement. I think all of
us who are married make fun of our marriage, but it is not
taken seriously. All husbands make fun of their wives, but
it is only a sweet way of looking at it. If you read Shatrughan
Sinha's column in Filmfare most of the jokes are directed
at his wife. All people with a sense of humour will make fun
of their wives. Sometimes you might not want to hurt somebody
but it just happens. Sometimes, people become defensive. Maybe
they don't want to talk about it then I swing around to something
else because the idea is not to hurt but to have fun. Fun
but not at somebody's cost; I don't get personal on the show.
We are known for professional competence or incompetence.
But then again it is a matter of perception, what is good
for you may be bad for me, and vice-versa. Honey for me could
be poison for you.
Shekhar
Suman with communications minister Ram Vilas Paswan
in Movers and Shakers |
I have
interviewed nearly 1,300 people and I never felt
that I had rubbed someone the wrong way but inadvertently,
unknowingly, unwittingly, it may just happen.
________
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How did you handle the situation?
It wasn't that bad. The slips are there because you weren't
careful enough. Had I been more alert it wouldn't have happened.
At times on the show you manage to hit right on the button
and bring out a crucial point of view in a humorous way which
otherwise could have been taken in a different way. How do
you manage that?
It is purely the intention. Like I said, my intention with
all my guests is not to hurt them. I have high regard for
them. They are there because of their talent, and I obviously
respect their talent. All the people on my show are there
because I respect them, if I didn't they wouldn't be sitting
across talking to me. What makes it so special when they come
on Movers and Shakers is they know they are going be
in for a funny time. However their reactions also depend on
their frame of mind at that time. When they come on the show
they laugh at themselves. The idea is not to be derogative.
How
do you prepare for the show?
I don't.
Don't you read up to keep in touch with
news and such?
The usual standard bit. The kind of preparation you are talking
about is of course now second nature to us. We have completed
nearly 600 episodes. We have 12 writers working on it. I also
write, contribute ideas about how it has to be expanded. Every
day I am sent the matter (stand up routines) which I go though
and by the morning I am prepared. I rattle off about 12 minutes
of stand up. And I am given the information about the guest,
which I go through in five minutes before the show takes off.
You are in a position to choose any
project that comes you way. What prompted you to do the Zenith
computer ads which is a spoof on the talk show?
I
don't see anything wrong it. A computer ad is a computer ad.
The ad is a spoof on the talk show that's what the show is
all about. I think it is funny. It appealed to me that they
were doing it on the lines of Movers and Shakers.
You
have the reached the pinnacle in television, what next?
I
think when you scale one peak there are still new peaks
to be conquered. I have gone through the gamut and rigmarole
of all tele-serials. Television in terms of serials
doesn't interest me at this point because I have done
it all. Unless it is something different on a larger
budget. And that's why I shifted to theatre and film.
I
find these more challenging. An actor is always looking
for a new high. As for Movers and Shakers, the
talk show is of course challenging. We have to create
history everyday. It is very challenging like in newspapers
you have think of new headlines and editorials, you
have to come out with new ideas. As far as television
serials go, today it is only a money-making exercise.
I think they have run out of ideas. Writers are churning
out the same trash so it doesn't appeal to me. Films
are of course different. |
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Tell
us about your forthcoming Hindi movie Kasam Se.
I
am coming back in Hindi movies after nearly seven to eight
years with Kasam Se and only because finally I found
the right reason to do so. To an actor, the biggest excitement
is either the role or the director that he is going to work
for. Now I have both. The reason why I left films was I wasn't
getting this kind of excitement. I have always admired Kundan
Shah for the films he has made. He is a very easygoing director.
Unlike everybody else, he doesn't carry an air of non-existent
greatness. Since he is approachable one can understand him
on as well off the set. He narrated the story about two friends.
Sunil (Shetty) and I are friends
and the story revolves around a will that has to come through
a legacy and us trying to retrieve the will and the money.
What about
the role you play in the movie appealed to you?
I play a lawyer who commits one faux pas after another.
It's a fun character who makes more mistakes as the story
proceeds.
Are
you selecting only comic roles?
No, as a matter of fact the next movie that I am doing with
Kalpana Lajmi is a serious role. In the movie the characters
are quite serious, earnest, honest but yet keep falling into
trouble. So there is a lot of fun in the film as the situations
are hilarious. Then there is another movie about a cop and
a prostitute. That's a very serious drama. Actually, I enjoy
doing serious roles as much as comedy. It is just that people
tend to enjoy comedy more since it leaves the audience with
a pleasant feeling that lingers in the mind. Besides, nowadays
people are occupied with serious thoughts and are often times
worried and depressed so they look forward to lighter moments.
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Which
are the actors that you admire? Among them what is the
common quality you like?
Definitely
it's been Sanjeev Kumar, Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan.
They are very competent actors. Sincerity, honesty,
the craft they have shows through in their works. They
know the craft. You judge a good driver by seeing the
way the car is manoeuvred on the road. If the car chugs
waywardly and if there isn't a learner sign on the car
you know it is a women driver. (Suman has to get
one in sideways). The same is the case for actors.
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What
tests your patience?
Inefficiency, incompetence and people who lack energy. At
work I want things done right away and I presume that the
people around me understand this for we are there for the
same job. So if the assistant doesn't understand what I am
trying to say, or the cameraman doesn't catch the right angle
or the director doesn't know when to say cut, then I get angry.
And when I am angry I am really horrible. That is one side
of me that I hate. I lose my temper very fast and could be
terrible and use bad words. That's the only part I dislike
about myself.
Don't you intend to change it?
That is something a biological. I don't know what I could
normally do to avoid them but yes I should try and control
myself better.
What role would you be averse to doing?
Idiotic roles. That make no sense. The normal hero material
roles which you get to see in Indian cinema. The ones where
the actor is bouncing, dancing around trees in Switzerland
and other places. I don't think I could do that or buffoonery.
People think comedy is one of the easiest things to do, Especially
when people know you have a good sense of timing. They give
you anything stupid and expect you to make wonders out of
it.
The scenes have to be conceptualised very well and written
very well. An actor can only improvise and make the scene
look better. He cannot make a sad scene look good, but he
can make a good scene look better.
Has theatre helped you?
Yeah, definitely. Theatre is something that is right there
in front of the audience. It gives you a terrific sense of
confidence, to go out on a limb. Take risks as an actor. If
you want to improvise, you should take a lot of risks.
How do you improvise on your skills?
My improvising is a reflex action. You just know how to go
about it like if a person crosses the street and you are driving
you don't know how you are going to brake you just hit the
brakes.
What
does it take to be a good actor?
Only
God makes good actors. You have to be born with the
art. It's like the difference between a real plant and
an artificial one. You can make an artificial plant
resemble the real one but nevertheless it remains artificial.
Similarly you can be an actor. But the good actors are
naturally gifted. |
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How
would you define God?
Nature. The unknown powers which govern you. Genes.
Destiny.
So
what makes a good actor?
Imagination, mental sense of observation, honesty and a
tremendous sense of recall. As an actor you have to be honest
with yourself and your work for if it's a half-hearted attempt
it won't help. Acting is not like homework that you do in
bits and parts. A little now, a little later. You have to
give it the whole. An actor is somebody who can imagine
himself to be like that. I imagine myself to be a doctor.
If I came across the doctor and have a sense of observation
then I observe the way they behave, talk, walk and to be
able to recall that and reproduce that needs a tremendous
amount of imagination.
What is your opinion of critics?
It is their job, I suppose to each his own. Everyone has
an opinion. You are there and successful because there are
more people who are there and have a good opinion than the
ones who don't. What matters is people think good of you.
How do you react to criticism?
Then again you are your best judge. I think you have to
view it very objectively . And in the process re-analyse
yourself whether it is said in the right context in the
right way. You have to ask yourself 'Is he right about you?'
and you can definitely find the answer in yourself. Then
you could speak to your near and dear ones and do something
about that.
Do
you do that?
Yes, a lot of things that were said and not done it in a
particular way, I have corrected my shortcomings. A good
actor is also someone who more than 'what to do' knows 'what
not to do.' And that 'what not to do' is important. If a
good critic writes these are the things he should not. So
when a person says something that makes sense that I tell
myself, 'oh I shouldn't use that much of hand movement too
often, yah, I think I blink my eyes and move my eyebrows
a lot, I should control them. I tend to speak too fast and
I lose on the clarity, but if I can speak fast and retain
the clarity.' Yes, then he is wrong.
I realised my ability is to speak fast and retain the clarity.
People say they relate to it. They come up to me and say,
'you have a lot of energy, you speak so fast.' Then I say
I don't know. 'You must stick to it we like that about you,'
they say. When you are able to be something, do something
and people like it you have reached a point in a right way.
People tell me I tend to squirm too much, and my wife said
'yes, they are right' and I realised 'yah, I look very ugly
doing that,' so I make a conscious effort not to do that.
What are the things you would love to do but haven't
been able to?
As an actor first of all, I should be in all the Hollywood
movies. All those Oscars that go to Al Pacino should come
to me. I should be there standing there making those speeches.
I think one should be greedy. If you don't have that greed
then the actor is not man… man enough.
I wish to read up a lot on economics, politics, help the
underprivileged and society in any way that I am able to….
and play a musical instrument.
Are these just fantasies or are you doing something about
it?
I am in process of keeping time aside where I could arrange
for a tutor and learn the piano. So maybe in five years
I could be playing a music instrument. It is not something
utopian. I will do it.
So how do you see yourself?
From the way I look and see myself I think I am a fun-loving
guy. I pass a lot of cracks at everyone, myself included.
I think the first stone should be hurled at yourself, and
I feel humour is imperative and an integral part of our
life. You must learn not to take our life seriously, there's
always a fun-filled side to it and you should see that.
And I don't take anything too seriously either. Neither
my success, not my failure and not my fame, for it is not
here to stay. I think what is not to stay, what is transient,
should not be taken seriously. But the way I react in M&S
is not always me. In the interview section that is more
of me, the way I react, I think those mannerism are mine.
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