A whole new role
Noreen Aslam

BOMBAY—There WAS a time when actors would only act and directors only make films. Today, however, film folks host and judge quiz, reality and celebrity talk shows, own cricket teams, and go on world tours. And while filmmakers try their hand at acting, actors are getting behind the camera.
They are jacks of all trades as well as masters of their own. Says actor Chaya Singh, who is currently judging a reality dance show, “I said yes to the channel because it was a 26-episode show. I only needed to shoot a couple of days every week for 13 weeks.” She says that these ‘alternative careers’ work when you don’t have any great film offers in hand or while you wait for a project to start. “It’s a good opportunity to interact with the public minus the star tag. Besides, TV has become very popular. It has a greater reach now. It’s good exposure,” she adds.
So, while Shah Rukh Khan and Priety Zinta own IPL teams, SRK is hosting another quiz show. Ishaa Koppikar and Malaika Arora Khan were part of a celebrity dance show. Musicians like Javed Akhtar and AR Rahman and directors like Mahesh Bhatt and Kunal Kohli were part of a reality show as well. Director Karan Johar hosted a talk show, which was redone with a local flavour with actor-turned-director Ramesh Aravind as anchor. There’s also a new show to pick young filmmakers for Hollywood that Anurag Basu and Rajat Kapoor are judging.
“We are just aping American television,” says actor Malavika Avinash. “They started the never-ending soap opera tradition and we followed. Now, it’s the turn of game shows. They’ll reach a saturation point soon,” says Malavika, who hosted a game shows a few years ago. “I needed the money. I had no work, but after a few episodes, I realised the show and I had both reached saturation point. It was fun while it lasted. But actors should stick to acting,” she says. As for film buffs, the more they see of their favourite star, the happier they are. So an Amitabh Bachchan or a Shah Rukh Khan can be on any number of ads, quiz shows and talent hunt shows and can buy any team, and their fans would love them more.
Definitely not less. “I got to see the true, fun side of Shah Rukh in the last season of Kaun Banega Crorepati. It felt like he was one among us and not a star. His ads are a class apart as well,” says Rajesh Kumar, a marketing professional. Techie Puja Singh agrees, “We get to see the real side of celebrities, how they react to people, situations and handle real pressure. And if someone from the industry is hosting a celeb talk show, the guests are more comfortable and the episode becomes interesting and fun.” So what if they are making more money in the process? “If they are in a position to make more money, good for them. We expect our filmi idols to entertain us”.