Posted:
http://sify.com/indianidol/interview/
Husain on fitness and his new co—host, Meiyang Chang Hussain maybe missing the camaraderie he shared with Mini Mathur on the last season of Indian Idol, but he is not too upset. Instead, he is looking forward to working with his new 'partner', Meiyang Chang. He feels the two guys can bring in a whole new dimension of fun to the show. We catch up with the dapper host on the sets of Indian Idol and, in a freewheeling talk, he discusses the new talent, the new host, the new judges and his new six—pack. How does it feel hosting Indian Idol with Chang and not Mini? I certainly miss Mini, who couldn't be here with us because of certain personal reasons. But Chang is also a great person to work with. I shared a good rapport with him during Indian Idol 3 and when I met him the other day, it was like nothing had changed. He is a very sweet, innocent boy who is loved by our female audience. He and I had a lot of fun on the shoot today. Two male hosts—are there any negatives or is it all positive? Let's not talk about the negatives. That never comes into play until things go wrong. But certainly there are positives. The very fact that two male hosts have not been seen too often on the stage is a positive. And the sort of nok—jhok that Chang and I can do will certainly be different from what Mini and I would do. Like for example, both Chang and I can compete for Sonali's attention—we can both run to her, give her roses or serenade her—but that would not be possible with a female co—host. Also, we are sitting together and devising ways to better the rapport. The whole 'partner — buddy' relationship that you see on TV is a result of this. What do you think of the new bunch of talent on Indian Idol 4? I must admit that until the Piano round began I was of the opinion that they were all just ok. I mean, we can't always hope to better the talent year after year. But the Piano round stumped me. After two months of practice these kids are fantastic. Some of the girls who performed here today just blew my mind. Now I will definitely say that they are on par if not better than the earlier seasons. You have hosted several shows. How different is it hosting this one? Each show is different. I am not too connected with music. I can't even sing a line to save my life. But on this show that is not the criterion. Here I am a friend as well as a host. That is what is special about Indian Idol. These kids come to me with their problems and their tensions, and I try to help them. I try to bring out their true selves. There are two new judges this time. How do you rate their observations on the singers? Kailash Kher is a great singer. There is something about his voice that appeals to all of us at a deeper level. If you noticed during the auditions, six out of 10 contestants sang his songs—not because he is the judge but because his music is so loved. What is great about Kailash's observations is that he speaks from knowledge. Just like Sonali, who as an actress is the ideal person to comment on a contestant's X factor. Kailash had to struggle to get to where he is now and so he can identify with the struggle of these contestants, too. Also, unlike a music director, because Kailash advices them from the sensibility of a singer—something which is of great help. American Idol has not changed either its judges or its host since it began, while Indian Idol has changes made every season. Do you think that affects the overall experience? No, I don't think so. American Idol is the same format, but you have to understand that the country, the audience are all different. We can't say that just because they haven't changed their format, we shouldn't change ours. A change in the judges or the host lends a sort of freshness to the show. After all this is season 4—the audience need to be given something new to look forward to. You have joined the six—pack gang. Was it just a fitness call or did you do it because it would help your career? [Laughs] How did you hear about that? It is not certainly visible through this dress. But yes, I did get a six—pack. Firstly, it was because I wanted to be fit. I was working out pretty regularly, and I suddenly realised on the sets of... when I had to go bare—chest for the finale that 'hey, I look good'. And being fit is also very important in this industry. What is new on your career front? Any plans of joining Bollywood? Well, Bollywood is never far from an actor's mind. Yes, I am looking at films. There are a few offers in hand, but I can't talk about them until something materialises. I will slowly have to cut down my work on TV and concentrate on films. But nowadays, there is also a sort of merging happening between TV and films—TV stars come on the big screen and film stars come on the small screen. So the time is ideal. So what should fans expect from you and the show in the next four months? [Laughs] I don't know what to expect of myself! But the audience can definitely look forward to an energetic and fun host. The show has the promise of being great. The contestants, the judges, Chang and I will rock it! Do you think we'll have a male or female idol this time?We are all hoping that a girl will win the title this time. This was a hope we had earlier, too, but we've had three boys snapping up the title. Let's see—if a girl has all the right qualities, then surely she will win. |
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