Indian television lacks the culture of late-night talk shows in the vein of American TV. In the West, The Tonight Show and The Daily Show have continued for decades. Late-night talk show hosts like David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel, Jay Leno, and Conan O’Brien have successfully mixed politics, showbiz, and pop culture with satire for years. If India ever had a close parallel, it was when Shekhar Suman took on the high and mighty on Movers and Shakers in the 90s. The actor-cum-anchor is back with a new show, Shekhar Tonite. The first episode, released this weekend, saw him deliver some sharp jibes at everyone from PM Narendra Modi to MP Raghav Chadha. That is despite the fact that his first guest was Union Minister Nitin Gadkari.
Ahead of the show’s launch, the veteran actor and talk show host spoke to Hindustan Times about Shekhar Tonite and how it extends the vibe he brought to TV through Movers and Shakers. Excerpts:
Growing up, my introduction to late-night talk shows was Movers & Shakers. Then I watched (The Tonight Show with) Jay Leno, and many at the time felt you were better.
Shekhar Suman: You know, so many times people said, ‘You are better than Leno’. I said, ‘Who do you keep talking about?’ I said thank you so much. I don’t know who he is. But he was very good when I saw him later.
How is Shekhar Tonite different from Movers & Shakers, and how is it similar to it?
Shekhar Suman: It’s an extension of that. We move on, we become more mature, we become wiser, we know what to do, what not to do, how to become sharper, and edgier, and probably more balanced. So, Shekhar Tonite is a mature, more modern version of it. Even the conversations that I would have with my guests will be more mature. You should know where to begin. You should know when to stop and how far to push the envelope. And then a lot of things happen on the set intuitively and instinctively. Things are not designed.
I read a comment on the teaser (on YouTube) that said: ‘I hope you still make fun of the powerful people of the country like you used to back in the day’. You made jokes about Prime Ministers, chief ministers, and governments. Will we see that here, too?
Shekhar Suman: I’ve been reading that, and that, of course, is a huge responsibility. I have been known for being fearless. When I say that ‘the voice is the back’ (the show’s tagline), that voice has to be fearless. And that I will maintain, otherwise I wouldn’t have done the show. If you have to be meek, if you don’t have the gumption to talk, then get out of the way. So, I have read all these comments. I hear you, so I hope I stand true to those expectations, and I’m doing my best.
But do you think it is challenging to do parody and satire in a time when social media is so prevalent, people are quick to jump the gun, and people get offended more quickly than they did 30 years ago?
Shekhar Suman: We will have to play it by ear. It’s going to be almost like a litmus test. There will always be some people who will be offended no matter which way you do it and how you do it. If you just do it with the intention of bullying, insulting, or humiliating people, they’re bound to take umbrage. But if you do it in a manner which seems rational, logical, where it’s witty, then they take it with a pinch of salt and with a sense of humour.
I remember you used to mimic the late PM Vajpayee so well, and he watched it, and didn’t take offence. He was the country’s Prime Minister, a very powerful man.
Shekhar Suman: When he met me, he had actually stopped his car when he saw me at one of the functions. He stopped the entire motorcade and got out of the car. He hugged me and said, “I was looking for you for a long time. I record your show, and I watch it every day. When you take off on me, you do my impersonations. I laugh the loudest. Don’t ever stop the show.”
I should have just hung my boots that day because an actor cannot go beyond that. This is the ultimate compliment that an actor can get. Here was this statesman who had the courage to say this. Otherwise, most of them feel offended. So, we had this small conversation where he was so encouraging.
I know you don’t want to reveal your guest list for Shekhar Tonite, but how are you determining them?
Shekhar Suman: I’m handpicking my guests. These are people I have admired and wanted to speak to. They are coming from diverse fields and walks of life. It’s a very interesting cross-section of people.
Shekhar Tonite is streaming on YouTube with weekly episodes, each featuring a new guest. A promo for the show hinted at guests like Manoj Bajpayee, Bobby Deol, Farah Khan, and Ali Fazal.