Touch of empathy

Ashish Sharma on hosting “TNNZ”

May 20, 2015 08:05 pm | Updated 08:05 pm IST

Ashish Sharma.

Ashish Sharma.

Ashish Sharma is not new to television. He has been seen in Gunahon Ka Devta , Chandragupta Maurya and Rangrasiya. Of course, he won Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 7 . Then he proved he had two dancing feet. Now, he shows a new layer to his personality as the host of Tujhse Naaraz Nahin Zindagi . “I was on the lookout for something different as I was exhausted with the fiction space. When I was asked to host Tujhse Naaraz Nahin Zindagi it was not as an actor but as an individual and on beingexplained the concept I found it interesting and accepted it since it was about real people and real life.”

Did it entail any special preparation on his part? “I had to unlearn being an actor and be normal and humane. Be the way I am. Here the focus is on the guest and their story and my job is to bring those stories to the people.” It has been widely observed that Ashish is not overbearing and on the contrary his expression is subtle and simple, virtually making the guest feel at home and express himself/herself freely. He describes it as being natural since he simply reacts to what he hears as he would in normal life. “The format consists of pointers allowing the guest to talk on them. There is no script and it is just plain conversation which takes place. My questions are not written. They are impromptu.”

Revealing how he strikes a rapport with the personality, the actor reveals that he spends some time with them before the shoot to make them open up and express their feelings. “I try to make them unfold their life in a manner that the audiences relate to it. In this, a professional attitude or approach does not help but love and compassion does. At the same time I am sensitive when they breakdown while reliving their past and calm them before resumption.”

“When I finish shooting an episode it takes me a day to settle down since the story and the emotions of the narrator affect me considerably. We tend to idolize successful personalities but these are people who have faced things we can’t dream of. They have had to fight for their very existence. It has changed me as I have stopped complaining and cribbing about life. Now I feel blessed with what I have,” remarks the actor on a personal note.

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