Since its inception in the nineties, the commercial television industry witnessed rise of a popular television presenter every five years. But only a few manage to transcend the boundaries and become known on different platforms. Manish Paul, who started off with live gigs and has worked in radio industry, has hosted a number of prime time reality shows. “I just want to entertain people, mediums do not matter to me,” he exults. Manish has a knack for creating humorous moments, which has become his USP. Here he talks about one of his television endeavours, “Science of Stupid”, as its new season is currently on air on National Geographic.
Excerpts.
Only a few shows manage to reach to many seasons. What has made “Science of Stupid” continue bringing up content?
The show’s popularity is in every part of the country and that is because of its universal content. I have seen people waiting for the next season to come not because they want to learn something but also they are in love with the way science has been taught to them. Unlike other shows, it has a unique way of presenting the facts which become likeable and they are easy to grasp. How to reach to such a level is a challenge and we try to attain that with every new season.
Most of the time it is inside a studio with lots of talking heads. Last time, it was more interactive where you shot with local people and real locations in Delhi. How are both different?
We always try to reinvent ourselves through various ways and the only reason to do that is to make it easy for the people. Talking heads are there so that the audience enjoys as well as learn and they are important because they have to link the information. When we shoot among people, as we did in Delhi last time, we receive people's reaction instantly and it is connecting directly to the people. It’s like outreach. I believe both are equally viable.
How important is humour in hosting?
Science is very simple and if I can express that through the language of humour then it becomes entertainment as well as learning. People usually associate science with the studies but it is part of our life and I try to present those things in a funny way so that it should reach to a maximum number of people.
Of late you started singing. Is it an extension of being a performer?
The only reason I came to industry was to entertain people and I always try different ways in which I can attain that. I go with the flow and I think that I cannot entertain people with strategies and planning. What I do is I go to the audience and understand their pulse. I made a single ‘Harjai’ which was loved by the audience and in ‘Indian Idol’ too, I sang a song. People got to know that I can go beyond hosting and acting. I think I did to expand my skills as well as to surprise my audience so that they do not put me in a bracket.
Your acting career is a mixed bag of success and failures...
No one can really predict the success and failure of a film. What do you do so that the audience may like something? You work hard. Film business is something unpredictable and there has been no formula for a hit film. I am happy that my films like ‘Mickey Virus’ or ‘Tere Bin Laden 2’ were very different. I want to be a dynamic entertainer. In my short film ‘Briefcase’, I didn't have any dialogues and people liked it very much. For someone who speaks too much on screen, it was it was a tough decision to go silent. I will be a farmer in my new Punjabi short ‘Banjar’ which will be a hopeful journey of a farmer and has a message of not giving up.