Three television anchors who dared to experiment – and survived to tell the tale

Three television anchors who dared to experiment – and survived to tell the tale

THEY ARE the coolest trio on the TV scene. Good looks, a generous dose of charm, a likeable personality and a sense of humour are a few of the qualities that characterise Hussain Kuwajerwala, Samir Kochhar and Manish Paul.
Okay, the three may not have put in the same number of years into the industry but the reason we’ve clubbed them together – apart from the above-mentioned ones – is that each of them is doing something different than what they started out with. If Kuwajerwala after a decade in modelling, perfecting the art of playing the ideal TV beta and anchoring, has got into theatre with the extravagant Bollywood musical, Zangoora, Kochhar started with films, moved to IPL anchoring and is now playing the third angle to Ram Kapoor and Priya Sharma’s love story in Bade Achhe

Lagte Hain (his first in fiction). This even as Paul, who began with waking up Mumbaikars with the ‘Kasa kaay Mumbai’ line on a radio channel, found his groove as an endearing host. He is spicing up the proceedings on India’s
Got Talent.
So over to the men!

HUSSAIN KUWAJERWALA ON A NEW STAGE

BORN INTO a middle-class family, Kuwajerwala lost his father early. His sister supported him in tiding over his grief and even as his elder brother moved into Direction, he began his long stint with the camera after studying commerce at Jai Hind College. “My father wished that one of his sons would become an actor,” he says. Modelling and acting soon followed. As the cliché goes, one thing led to another, and Kuwaje-rwala was introduced to TV viewers as the dutiful, ideal beta Sumeet Wadhwa in the long-running soap Kumkum. In 2006, his wife Tina and he walked away with the title in the dance
show Nach Baliye.
Kuwajerwala did some anchoring assignments till he found his groove in shows such as Shabaash India and Indian Idol.

In his third year with Indian Idol, he has been a friend and big brother to the contestants, as they shared their bitter-sweet memories with him.
“Idol is a great show. The timings suited me. I am still performing two shows of Zangoora in Gurgaon, so I shuttle between Mumbai and Delhi every week.”
For now, Kuwajerwala is happy with the money TV and theatre pay him, although he wants to do films too. “I am wait-

MINI MATHUR on Hussain Kuwajerwala

“It’s been three seasons of IndianIdol with Hussain. He’s relaxed, secure, laid-back and a happy person. I am the hyper one. Hussain knows the technicality of non-fiction shows. He knows how to make it high-octane, when to pull it a bit and make it tight. He also understands crowds and live shows, knows when to throw his voice and keep the entertainment quotient going.”
 

 

RAGINI KHANNA on Manish Paul

“I’ve known Manish since we acted in RadhaKi Betiyaan. And then I was pitted against him in Jhalak

DikhhlaJaa. He is quick-witted and I had to constantly be on my toes. You can’t plan a reality show. The lines are impromptu and there is a lot of give and take. It’s fun working with him.”