His tongue-in-cheek takes on politicians and celebs not only earned him the title of ‘king of satire’ but also labelled him arrogant. Meet Shekhar Suman — actor, TV star and dreamer.
Shekhar Suman, a small screen icon who revolutionised the genre of humour and satire for Indian viewers, needs little introduction. In the midst of applause and controversies, we saw his popularity rise as TRP ratings went through the roof. But like most other Bollywood aspirants, the going was pretty tough for Suman during his early years.
After graduation from Delhi University’s Ramjas College, it was not an easy decision to make a career on celluloid — more so for someone with an elite lineage. However, his passion for acting got him his first television serial, Wah Janab with Kiran Juneja. Then came his ‘lifetime’ break in Shashi Kapoor’s film Utsav, which unfortunately did shoddy business at the box office.
What followed was a series of failures — enough to demotivate a beginner but not Suman. His perseverance soon saw him in the unforgettable, comic role of ‘Chachu’ in Jaya Bachchan’s multi-starred serial Dekh Bhai Dekh. In ‘Chachu’, Suman discovered his gift of the gab, which gradually helped him morph into his next profession. The rest is history.
Be it Movers & Shakers, Simply Shekhar, Pol Khol, or The Great Indian Laughter Challenge with Navjot Singh Sidhu, his tongue-in-cheek takes on politicians and celebrities made viewers rock with laughter.
But when he's asked about how his experience as a television show host affects his acting skills, he quickly protests, “I never thought of myself as an MC nor did I ever think that I would be one, one day. I have been an actor all through.” I carefully rephrase my question and ask: "How does an actor play the part of a television host?" (I’m careful of not to call him an MC again.) “Well, it is pretty interesting.