Movers And Shakers

Host: Shekhar Suman

Rating ***

It’s been 11 years since Shekhar Suman regaled us with his cheeky wit and funny take off on anyone and everyone who made it to the morning newspapers. Who can forget Suman’s perfect imitations of Laloo Prasad Yadav,Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Shatrughan Sinha among others?

Last Monday when Suman came dobaara on our screens,this time on another channel,we wondered if he had it in him to entertain us again. After all,a lot has changed on the television scene. Weekdays are meant for saas bahu soppy dramas so would anyone care for Suman and his brand of humour? But our doubts were soon laid to rest as the actor-singer-reality-show-judge-and-former-politician did what he did best — dole out clean,fun entertainment the way only he can. Yes,he talks a lot,is very bouncy which could put you off. Besides,he’s not exactly modest. For instance,he told Govinda,the first guest on the show that a good actor is who mimics well and promptly went on to talk like Shatrughan Sinha! A couple of his jokes are repetitive but what he brings to the table is far more than expected. His sense of humour,a knack for punning (though it can go awry at times…for instance,when hockey player Sandeep Singh spoke about his days when he was paralysed and on a wheelchair but soon sprang back to a normal playing life because of his “willpower”,Suman promptly said,‘’you mean,wheelpower” and we didn’t find it funny) and his sheer energy and enthusiasm makes the show watchable. At the time of writing,we had seen guests like Govinda (though we would have preferred the hockey stars on the inaugural episode),Bappi Lahiri (extremely enjoyable) and Sonu Sood on the show and Suman sure knows to put them at ease and get them to talk.

The half an hour episode passes like a breeze and we personally love Shekhar’s top five segment which has him say five things on one topic. Like the one he had on the Indian Railways where he said ‘Please carry a comb even if you are bald when you are travelling by our trains because the fans there can be started only with it!”

Seasons often come with a lot of baggage and expectations but rest assured,Suman has nothing to worry about!

Verdict: An engaging fun peppy show,a good breather from mundane kitchen sink dramas.