More than the lifts and spins,the latkas and jhatkas on television show Jhalak Dikhla Jaa this season,audiences would tune in for a one-of-a-kind host jodi that of Manish Paul and Kapil Sharma. With comic timing,wit and wisecracks,Paul and Sharma delivered paisa-vasool entertainment. Paul,as he stopped by the town on Tuesday to talk about his debut Bollywood film Mickey Virus,credited his Punjabi genes for his incredible sense of humour a filmi mother for the actor in him,and a prolific raconteur of a father for his grasp on language. He added that Mickey Virus,which releases this week,is an extension of his hardcore Dilliwala personality. For as long as I can remember,I was always into films. As a kid,I would get up on the stage and entertain people,sing,dance and host I was quite a nautanki, said Paul,who,after completing his education,moved to Mumbai. It wasnt easy. It never is. And Paul prefers it that way. I was juggling between hosting,radio jockeying and television till I gave up acting in television serials and was out of work for eight months. But whats the fun if you get it easy? Anchoring for Jhalak Dikhla Jaa proved to be a turning point, added the actor. For now,its his debut film that has him running around for promotions,which has him showcase his six-pack abs,sing the quirky Pyaar China ka maal hai song and romance Bigg Boss fame Elli Avram on screen. I was told by my director that I would be doing some action,running a lot,and without a T-shirt sometimes,which made me transform my look,and I got into a strict regime for six packs, says Paul,who is extremely particular about his look,so much so that during his Jhalak days,he had his tailor Sandesh Navlakha deliver bespoke suits to him. And actor Ranveer Singh has his eye on them, said Paul with a laugh. Directed by Saurabh Varma,Mickey Virus is a comic thriller set in Pauls hometown,Delhi. Paul plays Mickey Arora,a lazy but street-smart hacker who runs his mothers grocery store during the day and creates viruses for anti-virus companies at night. He will do anything to avoid work,and is soon hired by two Delhi cops to crack a case. But the case runs deeper and there is more to the story, said Paul. Its a masala film. There is no social message per se and nor have we made it for Cannes, he said. In real life,Paul is anything but a geek. I can only operate my iphone and iPad, said the actor,who doesnt like to be called a stand-up comedian. This is one of the reasons I chose Mickey Virus. It establishes me as a lead actor,who can carry a film on his shoulders. I was being offered the roles of a comedian,a sidekick or even the heros best friend,but I will take projects that have me as the lead. Period, he said.
