Chang with the spiritual healer in the horror reality show The Chair

He may not be in The Chair, but he is the one hosting the horror reality show by that name, on UTV Bindass. Yet Meiyang Chang says he does not believe in ghosts.

Dentist to singer to ghost-hunter…. Would The Chair rank as your most wacky assignment?

I guess so. This show is extremely unusual. Nothing like this has been attempted in India before. It is meant to question one’s belief and investigate.

How did you react when this show was offered?

There was a mixture of scepticism and excitement. I asked myself “Are we doing something believable?” Friends urged me to go ahead as the concept of the show, they said, made them very curious. They said it would give me a chance to find out about the supernatural.

What is your role here?

I am the host. I give the background of the place, interact with locals if needed, speak to the spiritual healer who would be having her own set of procedures before the connection is made (with “the other world”). She will make sure it’s safe. The contestants will also be evaluated mentally and physically before they are left on their own. We do not want any untoward incidents. I will also be the voice of the audience as people will have questions on superstitions. I will be posing those questions to the healer.

How have contestants fared?

The reactions have been varied. It’s so dark in the dead of the night and the locations are so spooky that many have freaked out. But some have also stayed unfazed. It’s been a good study in human behaviour. But all have emerged stronger from the experience. Let me make it clear, we are not promoting the supernatural.

What kind of participants have you got? Are you telling them about the supernatural background of a place?

Most are students about to start their careers. We tell them everything they can expect. The show is so tough to shoot as we have decided to do it at the actual locations.

How did Monali (Thakur, his girlfriend) react when she heard you were doing such a show?

She wasn’t too happy as she is superstitious. I assured her that nothing would happen. When she saw me coming back unharmed after a few episodes, she relaxed.

What’s coming on the big screen after the rave reviews you got for Badmaash Company?

I am discussing two scripts.

Do you think you could get typecast?

You mean, as a person with Chinese looks? Jo hona hai woh hoga. I have always seen myself as an Indian and I’m optimistic. A lot of things are happening in my career without keeping ethnicity in place. One of the projects I am considering may be in the same space as my role in Badmaash Company but in the other I’m not someone from the Northeast.