Receiving end

The 38-year-old VJ may have shot to fame for his show Bakra on MTV but Broacha has explored almost all media — theatre,writing,live shows and radio. This time,it’s cinema,as his film 99 releases next week. “It’s supposed to be a fast-paced thriller with Kunal Khemu and me in lead. But don’t ask me the story because I didn’t read the script beyond the first eight pages. All I remember is that I was made to wear a fat suit for the movie which was way too inconvenient.”

He makes a face when we look surprised at this information,exclaiming,“It’s the biggest irony: People don’t even realise I’m looking overweight; they think this is how I am!”

Fruit N Nut,his next film,brings him together with his pal Kunal Vijaykar who’s also the director. “This one’s an infantile comedy — you’ll see us falling,cracking one-liners. Even Andaz Apna Apna seems serious when compared to it,” he blabbers on as he bribes Sandy,whom he adopted in 2000 after her injured mother delivered a litter,with another biscuit to pose for a picture.

Broacha,however,doesn’t seem too optimistic about either of the films. “I signed them in 2007 when anyone with Rs 5 crore became a filmmaker and there were more small directors than tigers in India. If even one of these films does well,I’ll seriously consider a career in acting. Else,I’ll work to make money till I can make my own film.”

Despite having spent over a decade with MTV where he started his career as a VJ,the chap hasn’t moved on. Often,viewers hope that he could re-invent his brand of humour. But Broacha laughs off the suggestion,attributing it to his laziness and lack of ambition. “Besides,I’ve done some of my best interviews for MTV. I remember,the first time I was to interview Amitabh Bachchan,we were all nervous because he was going through a low phase in career and was known to be moody. Upon introduction,he pulled out two pairs of glasses — one must have been from Shaan and the other from Yaarana — and asked me which one looked better. When I told him that both look ugly,he said he thought so too and laughed out loud.”

An avid cricket fan,Broacha gets animated when we start talking cricket. Even Sandy,who is now beginning to get bored,can sense it. As the host of IPL Live Updates for a channel,the VJ has been waking up at 6 am for an early morning shoot. So which team is he supporting? “Technically,I am supposed to promote Mumbai Indians but I haven’t even flown to South Africa,so I’m not sure I want to support them anymore,” he says,refusing to part with his wisecracks. “But I must say,Dr Vijay Mallya must be really happy. With his Royal Challengers in form,finally,something’s working out for him in sports.”