Neena Gupta, a well-known television actress-cum-director, has made her debut as a show hostess with Kamzor Kadii Kaun. The most important aspect of the game show is the hostess who has to play the role of a steely-eyed taskmaster to perfection and according to Sameer Nair, executive vice-president and head of content and communication, Star Network, Neena was their undebatable choice. We spoke to Neena about her new job and how it has been to walk into the shoes of Anne Robinson, the famous hostess of The Weakest Link whose acid delivery and verbal put-downs have given her the reputation of the rudest person on television in United Kingdom. Neena also speaks about her latest production Saanjhi which she is directing besides playing one of the leads, Experts:

What prompted you to take on the job of a hostess who is supposed to be a bitchy and nasty woman? Won’t it give you a negative image?
No, my job doesn’t require to be bitchy and nasty but stern, tongue-in-cheek and businesslike. As a ringmaster I mean business. If the contestants fare poorly they are shown the door and the ones who do well get a verbal pat on their backs. It’s a funny-rude show which combines humour and a bit of venom. As for the image, well I really don’t care. It doesn’t matter what image it gives me because an actor should not be scared of an image. I have played so many roles, different characters and have always been accepted. People also accepted me as Priya in Saans though I was expected to play the other woman. It all depends on how you play the role. I have approached this role like any other in the past and have worked hard on it. I am hoping for a better result.

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But isn’t the hostess of KKK expected to be a humiliating and wicked tongued lady a la Anne Robinson?
No, the hostess is not required to be humiliating and wicked tongued. She is required to be stern, her dialogue has to be lightening-paced, clipped and no-nonsense. The quizzing has to be rapid-fire, crisp and businesslike.

Won’t the negative tone put off viewers since they are used to seeing an appreciative and supportive host?
KKK is a different show and an entirely new viewing experience for Indian viewers. So far we have seen the host being sweet and kind to the contestants primarily because the format of the show required the host to behave the way he did. But as I said before KKK is different. It’s high time we tried something different even if it causes a deluge of hate mail. Television programming has to break barriers and the moment you break the conventions you get negative response.

How are you coping with this new role of a TV hostess?
I was a little apprehensive in the beginning about accepting the job. But then I thought of trying it out as a new challenge. I rehearsed and worked on it for almost a month and Siddhartha Basu, the director helped me a lot to prepare myself for the job. Of course it’s pretty taxing to do the show but I am enjoying every bit of being a hostess. It’s an impromptu show, so I have to be very alert all the time to strike at the right time. I am growing with every episode, concentrating a lot, becoming more alert, humorous and witty.

Do you feel it has the potential to be a long-running show?
Yes, it has. I think it can go on for a long time.

But the initial response is not encouraging enough.
But that’s what we had expected and wanted because it’s not a sugary-sweet goody goody show. We were not expecting viewers to digest the show immediately because it’s different, tongue-in-cheek and combines negative under-current with humour, threat and thrill. So it will take some time to settle down and am confident viewers will gradually love to watch it. KKK is a teekha meetha chatpata show. It has sarcasm and masti.

But people are saying in KKK you are the weakest link. Comment.
The response I have got personally is very positive. People have liked my anchoring and the way I conduct the show. Still if some people feel that I am not doing a good job then they are entitled to have their opinion. But it’s too early to pass a judgement.

You are back with one more production. What’s Saanjhi all about?
It’s about a man and two women.

Sounds like Saans?
No, it’s absolutely different. I am saying something different in Saanjhi. Often two women fight for a man who moves to the third or fourth woman and has the best of time whereas the women keep fighting between themselves. It is a subtle drama about small but very important moments of life and has jealousy, tension, conflict. The treatment and ambience is also different.

—AL Chougule