"Anchoring gives me an opportunity to showcase my real side which is witty": Gunjan Utreja

Dashing actor Gunjan Utreja who has knack of hosting shows will be seen hosting a new show on Zee TV. The show Spirit of India focuses on its cultures, traditions and also highlights on varied festivals. Having hosted a crime related show Aamna Saamna - Investigative on Colors, Gunjan's fans surely must be happy to see him on screen again. 

Well he is remembered as Abhay Kapoor from a popular show Madhubala - Ek Ishq Ek Junoon after his show ended the actor was busy traveling to a few places and now he is all set to be seen on-screen with a travel show.

Let's hear it from Gunjan what he has to say about his show...

How did the show happen to you?

The makers were looking for an anchor who is spontaneous and witty along with having a command over the language. Since it's a travel show there is no script. The content has to be created on the location. Not many people know that I have been an anchor for the past six years and I have been hosting a lot of live shows across the globe. So it was a perfect match I guess.

Share your excitement for the show...

I am as excited as I am for any other project of mine. I also had my own Bollywood talk show titled as See Taarein Masti Mein where I would have a candid conversation with all the actors from the Hindi film industry. So anchoring gives me an opportunity to showcase my real side which is witty and funny.

Besides I have always believed that our country has so much to explore that it takes more than a lifetime to experience it. I myself have learn't so much on this show. So I am very excited as people will get to see our nation like never before.

Tell us the concept of the show

We have such a rich and diverse culture. There are so many festivals, rituals, traditions, delicacies etc. so we are not focusing on the destination but will bring out the true spirit of the largest democracy in the world with the most amazing and fascinating country India. The Season 1 of the show will focus on Festivals.

You have done acting and hosting which is more difficult according to you?

I have been a host for long now. And both the formats have their own challenges. In a fiction show you are dependent on a script as you are living a character. You are running against time to deliver a daily soap.

In this travel show we continue to shoot for 18 to 20 hrs. since we are shooting on real locations and the moment cannot be recreated so there is very little margin of error. I remember I was in Amritsar and the director decided the sequence to be shot at a temple during the prayers and I could not take any retakes as it had to go with the flow of the prayers. So I only had one take to do that link because if I would have fumbled then we can't recreate the same prayer sequence. I am glad that I have been hosting live shows from six yrs now. All that experience has come handy.

Lastly what are your future plans, will the audience get to see you doing a fiction show or something else you are looking for?

I am giving six days a month to this travel show. So I am very much capable of doing a fiction show along with this. I am also hopeful that this anchoring stint will open more doors for me to host reality shows. Till now I have only been approached to participate in reality shows.

We wish you all the best Gunjan for your new travel show!