I have never had anyone offended by my statements or jokes! Manish Paul

Talk about being omnipresent on Indian television and the first name that comes to your mind is a host who has been there on almost every reality show. Be it Sahara Sports Awards, Zee Rishte Awards, Dance India Dance or Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Manish Paul spread himself thin last year on different channels. TellyChakkar spoke to the man of the moment in a freewheeling conversation. You were present on all channels in 2010… Thanks for noticing and counting the shows for me! I never thought about it. I just love working – be it acting or anchoring. I want to become an entertainer. If I manage to entertain my audience, I am fine with anything. You seem to be the most popular host on Indian television today. When did you discover the host in you? I don't think I, or anyone else for that matter, discovered the host in me. It just so happened I started hosting and then somewhere down the line started enjoying it. Believe me hosting is great fun when you put your heart and soul into it. But, now that you ask me, I think I started enjoying hosting right from my college days when I was actively into hosting and compering shows. According to you what are the requisites of a good anchor? If you ask me, there is no recipe for a good host. You have to be natural. When I host a show, I am myself. You have to establish that connection with the audience. You cannot afford to lose that. You have to be dedicated to hosting a show; you cannot do it as a part-time thing. For example, I don't do daily soaps when I host a show. I give my entire time and dedication to that project. Does that mean you won’t do daily soaps? (Smiles) I do not believe in the daily soap concept where you get paid on a daily basis! Jokes apart, if something substantial comes my way, I will definitely do that. But the concept has to excite me and my heart has to say ‘Yes’. There is talk of you doing a show with Asit Modi. Is it true? I can't say anything right now. I do get offers for many shows but nothing has been confirmed so far. You have tried your luck with comedy shows last year. How was your experience? Awesome! I had fun, learned many things and I guess people have liked me as a standup comedian. That is why I am again doing Jubilee Comedy Circus with Bharti Singh. Hope I can prove myself once again. Recently you acted in Farah Khan's Tees Maar Khan but never talked about your character. Any specific reason? I told everyone but no one trusted me! (smiles) I did this film because I liked the character I played. Though it's a five-minute scene, I had loads of fun. It was a character called Master India. Whoever has seen the film liked me. You have been an RJ as well. Does that help you in hosting television shows? Certainly, it helps me a lot. An RJ’s job is full of improvisations. You never know what to expect in the next couple of minutes while hosting a radio show or a live programme. You have to be spontaneous and active. I owe a lot to my RJ days. That again makes my belief – nothing is wasted in life – stronger. While hosting shows, there is a line one should not cross – be it while cracking a joke or a statement you are making. How do you maintain that? I agree there is a very thin line of difference between entertaining people and maintaining decorum and one should never cross it. By the grace of God, I have never had an incident where the celebrity got offended by my remarks. I have shared screen with many biggies right from Amitabh Bachchan to Hrithik Roshan and there has never been an untoward incident. But sometimes, it does happen that at the spur of the moment you say something without thinking of the consequences and only later you realize the consequences. Such incidents have happened to me and I have approached the concerned people and apologized to them. But never ever has anyone complained to me. Don’t you strain your voice after constant hosting of shows? Do you take any precautions? Well again, I don't believe this. I feel to the extent you can work, you should work. After that if you can't take it then leave it. If you don't do your work whole-heartedly you have no option but to stop. People say they eat tulsi leaves in between shots or do some specific exercises. I have never tried that. But I do agree whenever you are hosting outdoors, and specially for a finale, you have to reach out to the live audience and scream a lot despite the microphones. And after the finals, I have problems with my voice, but I guess that is natural. Does your wife complain about the long hours you keep at work? I am blessed to have a very understanding wife. Sanjukta is a teacher. We have been in love since our childhood. It's been three-and-a-half-years since we tied the knot. So we know each other too well to complain! Sometime I have to shoot outdoors for long durations. To make up for the damages, I take her for a holiday. And the other thing that always works with a woman is shopping. I take her out for shopping as and when possible. But being human beings, misunderstandings do happen but we resolve them immediately. What does an award means to you? As an actor no matter when you get an award, it is always an inspiration. But for me, hosting gives you instant awards in terms of audience feedback. That way I am very lucky. Looking back at your journey from Delhi to Mumbai, do you think you have achieved what you wanted? I started my journey with shows like Ghost Bana Dost and then Radha Ki Betiyan. Slowly and steadily I have reached this point and by the grace of God, last year I hosted most of the reality shows. So I guess I am fortunate for what I have achieved till now. I will work harder. My greatest reward is people from the industry calling me after my shows and congratulating me for my work! I feel humbled.