I want the performers to only entertain : Sajid Khan

He has always been a host but, now for the first time on Colors Sajid Khan will be seen judging India's Got Talent with Sonali Bendre and Kirron Kher. TellyChakkar spoke to him about his journey in the television industry, judging India's Got Talent, his favourite performers on the show and more. You started your career with the television industry and then moved on to films... Talking about television, I was the first one who started criticism on Indian television with my shows. I started my career in '94 with Zee TV. The channel had launched Zee Cinema and they came up with this show called Top 10 and they wanted me to host it but I wanted to do it my way so I told them I would critique the films and I won't listen to anyone and they agreed. I also did Ikke Pe Ikka which was the longest running show, it was a weekly and I did 750 episodes of that show. What are the benefits of television? TV brings instant popularity. TV helped me create an image for myself. Everyone knows I am a brat but then they can't avoid me. Did you see the first season of India's Got Talent before accepting the show? No, I did not. Actually the producer and the director had asked me to see the first season but I refused to see it. I didn’t want to be influenced by the other judges. I want to have my own way of judging it. A few things I will not want to see on the show are kids doing seductive dances or holding weapons in their hands. I think little kids who are just five and six need to play and go to school and not be on that stage. Why did you take it up? People always knew me as a host. But, I think it's got a lot to do with my second film becoming a hit. When my first film Heyy Babyy became a hit people felt it happened by fluke but my second film assured it wasn't that. People understood I wanted to entertain the audience and I knew how to do it. When the channel approached me I felt maybe it was the right time to take that chair. I am 38 now and I think I can be a judge. Don't you think judging these performances is not fair, as everyone has a different talent to show? Let us take the Oscars. We get all kind of films from all over for Oscars, there is horror, romantic and offbeat movies. But the selection is for the best entertainer. In the same manner we have Kathak dancers, sand painting, hip hop and singing but we have to select the best entertainer. So, while we have judged one performance we cannot use it to judge the second one as there is no comparison. The buzzer in our hands is like a remote if we like a performance we keep it or else we move on. Who would you want to win? Personally, I would want the rag pickers, mechanics and street performers to make it to the top. Because they are the ones who actually need the money and they shouldn't win because they are poor but because they have talent in them. I feel it is talent that takes you to the top. Don't you think the SMS system is influenced? Yes, many a times it is influenced by a few contestants. They ask their friends and relatives to vote for them and they do get a good number of votes. But, what about these rag pickers, mechanics and street performers, who are going to SMS for them? It's going to be the genuine viewers only who will. Which performers have touched your heart during the auditions? There was this group of about 10-12 belly dancers who performed beautifully. There was this boy who did break dance and he does not have legs. And there was this group that did sand painting. What is going on at the back of your mind while you are judging a performance? The only thing I think about is if that particular act will entertain the audience. Even while I make a movie I think about my audience and not myself.