Hussain Kuwajerwala

Small screen heartthrob Hussain Kuwajerwala is back where he belongs — as the host of Indian Idol 5. A t2 chat…

On anchoring Indian Idol for the third successive season…

I started my journey with Indian Idol in season 3 and I can’t believe that it’s been three years since. There have been so many young kids who have come with stars in their eyes and with the determination and talent to succeed. There might have been only one winner per season, but I believe that every participant in every season of Indian Idol has gone back a winner. Even for me, hosting Indian Idol has been a great professional move, but the personal gains have been far greater. Interacting with people who come from different parts of the country wanting to show their talent and make a name for themselves, their emotions, their determination and diligence, I have been a part of all that and it has been a truly enriching experience.

On the talent of Indian Idol 5…

Although I am not saying that we haven’t had great talent before, I have to say that the singers of this season are a class apart. Chahe woh voice ho ya stage presence, all the 16 odd contestants that have made it to the gala rounds are a bundle of talent. Kabhi kabhi toh woh mujhe bhi complex de dete hain! I am sure that Indian Idol 5 will be one of the most memorable seasons.

On his approach to this season…

My approach doesn’t change from season to season. Rather it varies from contestant to contestant. Each of the boys and girls that we have is a different person who reacts differently to praise and criticism and so it is essential to know how to handle them. My role is to create such a comfortable and easy atmosphere so as to enable a contestant to perform to his or her potential. Main unka host bhi hoon aur dost bhi. I should be able to cheer them when they get good comments from the judges and to share their disappointment when they are criticised.

On the judges of Indian Idol 5...

Two of the three judges on this season are new. Sunidhi Chauhan gets a lot of life into the show. Being a product of a singing reality show (Meri Awaaz Suno), she has been through the entire grind and can empathise better with the contestants. Salim (Merchant) is of course one of the biggest music directors that we have today and he has personally paid a lot of attention to handpicking the talent on the show. Anu Malik is, of course, the grand old man of Indian Idol having been there in all the seasons. All the three judges are serious about choosing the right voice this time and they make sure that the vibe on the show is extremely positive.

On co-hosting with Abhijeet Sawant…

Being the winner of Indian Idol 1, Abhijeet is another person on set who understands what each and every contestant is going through, whether it is nervousness or triumph. I think he’s a great guy with a great stage presence and is doing extremely well considering that this is his first shot at hosting a show. Last year, I had a great time hosting Idol with (Meiyang) Chang and from the way Abhijeet and I have vibed right from day one, I am sure we are going to rock this season too!