There is no denying the fact that television is an inseparable part of our daily life as it brings all the action from across the globe into our living rooms.
Every year, October 23 is celebrated as National TV Talk Show Host Day to acknowledge the role of TV talk show hosts and appreciate their presentation skills, spontaneity, entertaining stories and humour. The date was chosen as it was the birthday of Johnny Carson, the iconic host of Tonight Show. Carson hosted The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson for almost thirty years.
The first Indian talk show was Phool Khile Hain Gulshan Gulshan hosted by Tabassum. Since then, talk shows in India have come a long way, and some of them have left a lasting impression in the minds of the viewers. Sunday POST asked some enthusiasts to share their thoughts about their favourite TV talk show.
Abhay Mishra, a young professional from Bhubaneswar, likes to watch the TED Talk India Nayi Soch show.
“Although I have watched many talk shows in recent years, this show has been specially conceived to initiate discussions on ideas and thoughts on a wide range of issues relevant in today’s world. That apart, it’s an international brand that is broadcast in different languages across the world.
“In this show, the host interacts with positive persons and discusses issues that are chosen with utmost care. So, we learn quite a few things that can help us improve our day-to-day life,” he says.
Lipsa Panda, a Bhubaneswar-based television anchor is all praise for Koffee with Karan.
She says, “The show presents interesting and witty conversations and lighthearted question and answer segments. Host Karan Johar offers a lot of insights on how to keep the guests on their toes with his creative questionnaire. I can’t wait for the next season to begin. There is no doubt that the popularity of the show has increased by the year courtesy its presentation style which also includes juicy gossip, scoops and scandals.”
Bhubaneswar based psychologist Smaranika Panda says, “The talk show that I liked to watch was Rendezvous with Simi Garewal. Simi in her signature white attire was always composed as she turned the focus on the life and career of a celebrity with a lot of respect for his/her privacy. Simi made her guests reveal their intimate details in such a dignified manner that it used to evoke empathy towards human flaws.”
Cuttack based radio jockey Aysan Mohapatra used to love watching Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai which was hosted by the late Farooq Sheikh.
He says, “This show was different from the celebrity talk shows that we see nowadays. Jeena Isika Naam Hai was one of those shows on satellite television that brought our favourite stars into our homes. We were not only watching them in the comfort of our drawing rooms, but we also got the opportunity to have a peek into the day to day lives of these larger-than-life stars. Be it the host or the topics, the show was simply awesome. I hold it close to my heart even today because I grew up watching the show.”
Koffee with Karan and Feet up with the Stars are the shows that Cuttack-based Ananya Patnaik likes to watch. She also watches a couple of talk shows in Odia. Ananya says these talk shows bring the other side of the stars to the fore.
“Often we get blinded by the characters they play and forget that they are also human beings. These shows introduce us to the real person behind all those characters,” Ananya adds.
Odia television personality Sulagna Routray loves talk shows because it brings the audience closer to people who motivate and inspire them. “We get to know so much about them, the inside stories and how they have made it so big in life. As an anchor, I love talk shows because they are considered one-man shows. The success of the show always depends on the presentation skill of the anchor. It is a chance to learn new things.”
Sulagna adds, “Rendezvous with Simi Grewal and Koffee with Karan are my favourite talk shows. I just love the way Simi dresses up in white and asks celebrities questions with a lot of sensitivity. She would take her guests down memory lane and thus their side of stories was revealed.
“These days, my favourite is Koffee with Karan because it’s full of humour. The way he presents the show and handles all those scoops, personal questions and rapid fire round makes the show very interesting. In fact, I would love to host similar shows on Odia channels.”
Shabiha Nur Khatoon, OP
