Mini Mathur: I feel we aren’t building our own host brands anymore

A few days ago, actor-host Mini Mathur criticised reality show makers for choosing popularity over credibility in their hosts. Mathur, who has hosted six seasons of Indian Idol, points out, “I can safely say that we stayed true to the ‘reality’ of the human drama. We had no playbook, no preconceived ideas of how to manipulate the audiences and there was a complete lack of artifice. We simply did what a TV host is ‘supposed’ to do. Our connect with the contestants was real. We cried and rejoiced with them spontaneously- it wasn’t scripted.” Also read: Mini Mathur was asked to ‘create a moment’ between Dharmendra-Hema Malini on Indian Idol
Having been a host for 28 years, Mathur insists that there was time when the industry invested in making TV host personalities. But things have changed now. She says, “We are looking for short cut numbers. There seems to be zero skills required, you just pick whoever has a big social media following or is acting in a popular daily soap, shove scripted words into teleprompters and prop them up. And because these presenters aren’t primarily committed to being TV hosts, the show producers need to constantly populate their shows with noise- low brow gimmicks that appeal to the lowest common denominator. I recently saw a major opening ceremony being hosted by an inept influencer. That drew so much flak.”
As the 48-year-old if she has been ever replaced for a more popular name and she shares, “When I was pregnant, I was told by my producers on a big show that I had been hosting for many seasons that Indian audiences don’t like seeing pregnant women on TV and that broke my heart a little.”
She added, “Umpteen times, I have shot brilliant pilots for an Oprah like signature show, only to be told that the channel will hire a film star instead to justify the cost of the show. Did those shows work? Do you remember any? Because actors act. Surgeons perform surgeries, Bakers bake. TV presenters Host.” However, she does appreciate what Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Karan Johar and Salman Khan bring to the table.
Talking about present offers, Mathur says that she has had a great run as a TV host and money has never been an issue for her. “But I look at it as climbing the highest ladder on a fairly short building. There is no way of climbing higher, however good you are. For me, mass entertainment just doesn’t work anymore. I don’t want to keep going at the hamster wheel. I have to start producing my own niche, unscripted content for OTTs now if I want to grow,” she ends.