Sampada: Contestants make passes at me!
Sampada Vaze isn't an easy woman to get in touch with. With her busy schedule as an actress and host of Comedy Ka King Kaun, it's a wonder that we managed to get her to talk to us in the middle of her takes.
Here's what Sampada revealed to Buzz18.com over the phone in Mumbai.
Buzz18: What are the biggest challenges you've faced so far as a first time host?
Sampada: You know the thing about being the face of Comedy Ka King Kaun is that it's a lot of pressure at times. You're up there on stage and you're the one who needs to run everything. There are major expectations from me. It's different from what I was initially used to, as you're reacting more than acting here. And I have what you might call a bleeding heart. I feel really bad when contestants get eliminated or if they're in the danger zone. And worst of all it's me who has to give them the bad news.
Buzz 18: Sometimes people feel that anchors on shows are simply paid to look pretty and announce the winners and losers. What do you think about that?
Sampada: I would say that it might sometimes seem like that. But honestly there's a lot more to it. I'm personally judgemental of performances. I tend to look at presenters on shows and pick out the things they did or didn't do right, so I'm overtly conscious about it myself. As the host you don't have to connect with just the audience, but also the contestants and the judges. It's different from acting where you at least have a script. Here, you don't have a script and you must be quick on the uptake and always make sense. It's very challenging work.
Buzz 18: Could you tell us about the contestants.
Sampada: They're a really talented bunch. I've come to realise how tough comedy and making people laugh really is. The 12 contestants we have are a nice eclectic mix. Six are from India and six are from Pakistan. People in general tend to be a little judgemental about people from certain communities being funnier than another. Like they're constantly saying "Oh, Punjabis are so funny." But here we have a good communal mix of people and they're all absolutely hilarious. There's also a very interesting contestant called Raja Rancho who is a ventriloquist and performs with a life-size doll.
Buzz 18: Do you sometimes feel pressured to come up with funny one liners because of the theme of the show?
Sampada: I HAVE to be prepared at all times. You know they're all constantly pulling my leg on stage either about my clothes or something or the other. I always give it back to them so you know, we have quite a nice interaction going while we're on stage.
