Age is just a number for Bollywood actor and TV show host Manish Paul, who will turn 35 on August 3.
Paul, who was busy responding to his birthday wishes from the likes of producer-director Karan Johar, took time out to send a brief message to Gulf News tabloid! about his big day.
“This year, my birthday plans are simple. I am not throwing any big party, but I get the feeling that my wife and friends are planning a surprise for me,” said Paul in a voice message.
Known for his jovial style of hosting award ceremonies and his acting role in the comedy Tere Bin Laden 2, Paul has enjoyed a mixed bag of a year.
During the filming of Baa Baa Black Sheep with actor Anupam Kher, Paul suffered a shoulder injury and was advised rest for several weeks. But the doctor’s advice to take strict bed rest for three weeks was ignored as the actor resumed filming after four days. Paul was also a part of Salman Khan’s recent dance tour, Da-Bang, a gig that he got when the superstar saw him hosting an awards ceremony.
“The tour with Salman Khan was very good. I was personally very happy when he said that I should open the show with my dance. It felt great to dance with Salman Khan, Prabhu Deva and Bipasha Basu because we had such a wonderful time,” said Paul in an interview while he was holidaying in Dubai recently. He was accompanied by his wife and his two children for a well-deserved break in the UAE.
Paul, who began his career in show business with television, is the master of re-invention.
When he realised that he wasn’t happy with the roles that he was being offered on the small screen, Paul took a sabbatical from the world of entertainment and waited for inspiration to strike. His wife, a teacher, supported him through that bleak phase. But things looked up once he discovered the joys of hosting and realised that he genuinely enjoyed interacting with the stars and the crowd during award ceremonies and reality shows such as Jhalak Dhik La Ja.
“When I came to Mumbai, I struggled a lot. I used to have a bag of mine filled with dry fruits, water, juice and I used to carry it everywhere in search for work. I still have that bag with me. Whenever I feel that I am not being grounded, I look at that bag. I like to keep myself grounded and normal at all times,” he said.
Paul, who found fame in 2009 after hosting award ceremonies for Zee TV, believes that hosting isn’t as easy as it looks though. He’s often called the Sultan of Stage and makes it his business to stay away from controversies. He also ensures that he doesn’t stoop to demean anyone on stage.
“At times I make it [hosting] look easy. At times, I feel I am the most underrated person of the show but the truth is that he [the host] is driving the show forward. I enjoy hosting because I don’t stick to tele-prompters and I love to engage the people or the actors around me, making it more spontaneous,” said Paul.
While brevity is his signature during hosting, acting in films felt like a different ballgame.
In Baa Baa Black Sheep, Paul plays a Casanova with grey shades.
“Baa Baa Black Sheep is not just a comedy. I am doing a lot of action in the film too and so I had to beef up for the role. I play a character from Kolkota who’s slightly selfish and will go to any lengths to get his job done … But looking back I have enjoyed a wonderful year,” he said.
