“I don’t want audiences to get used to me or feel monotonous,” says Jay Bhanushaali.
Jay Bhanushaali, who has been hosting reality shows for eight years now, says people aren’t bored of watching him on TV yet
Given how good Jay Bhanushaali (above) is at hosting reality TV shows, you’d think he’s been doing it forever. However, Jay’s first job in the industry was as an actor in 2006, and he tasted success in Ekta Kapoor’s Kayamath a year later. He then worked in a couple of serials, but veered towards hosting reality TV shows, with his first stint in 2009 on Dance India Dance. And there has been no looking back for Jay. In an interview with HT Café, Jay talks about his new hosting job on the reality show Sabse Bada Kalakar, how a host needs to be entertaining, and his probable return to acting on the small screen.
You have been hosting reality shows for eight years now. How has your journey been?
It has been fantastic. Since I entered the industry, I wanted to be an anchor and I knew I’d be able to pull it off. I am glad that it has been so long but people are still interested in watching me host a show. It is an achievement for me. I am selective about the shows I take on and I also make sure I take long breaks between jobs. I don’t want audiences to get used to me or feel monotonous. Moreover, I think I seem to have a karmic connection with kids. They love me, and my last three shows have been kids’ reality shows. Maybe I look like a nanny (laughs). On a serious note, it has been fun. I am excited about the new show.
After more than a dozen shows, what are your criteria when you sign a show?
The first thing I look at is the cheque. That is the most important. It should be enough to pay the EMI of my house (laughs). I also look at the team and production house, as they make the show. An anchor can make the show entertaining, but he needs a team, including a good writer, as content is the king today. People want entertainment in between the performances.
You haven’t acted on the tube in the last couple of years. Do you plan to?
I would like to. I don’t mind doing a daily show today, especially with finite shows. Today, the shows have lavish production values and interesting storylines. Finite shows take less time to shoot than a film, which usually needs an eight to ten-month commitment.
Your last movie was Ek Paheli Leela (2015). What’s happening on the film front?
I am not in a hurry to take up anything. I don’t believe in quantity; I believe in quality. Even on TV, I do fewer projects. When your film is a success, you’ll get sent from the first floor you are sent to the tenth floor, but one wrong film and you are brought down to the second floor. You have to work hard to attain that success again. I would rather do a film that people would remember me for.