Fear is his factor

Mukul Dev has hit the bull?s eye as the anchor of Fear Factor India

His is one of the few shows that have clicked on the Sony airwaves in recent times. Along with the Archana Puran Singh-hosted Kandy Floss, the Mukul Dev-anchored Fear Factor India is the only new show that the general entertainment channel seems to have got spot on. No wonder the actor, who could never make it big in movies, is not regretting having given up all his other commitments to hop on to a two-month shooting schedule in Malaysia.

?I have watched the international version and Fear Factor has always been one of my favourite shows on TV,? Mukul tells Metro. ?So, I felt it was a big enough platform to get on to. I am happy that people are finding the show so exciting. But I would like to tell them that if they think what they have seen is scary, then they can?t be more wrong! It will get much more scary in the coming weeks.?

Having been a big hit in more than 106 countries, the Endemol-owned Fear Factor has come to India to be played mostly by telly celebrities, a la Nach Baliye. The likes of Achint Kaur, Rohit Roy, Swetha Salve, Mandira Bedi, Nausheen Ali Sardar are trying out the stunts every week, from taking a tightrope walk between skyscrapers to a blind scramble through a rat-infested underground tunnel.

?They are usually a bundle of nerves before getting into the act,? reveals Mukul. ?I am their friend, philosopher and guide on the sets. They all look to me for those wise words of advice. I don?t force or encourage them to do the stunts, but just try to calm their nerves.?

Mukul himself has never tried any of the Fear Factor India stunts. ?As per the format and procedure of the show, I being the anchor cannot try the stunts,? he rues. ?But I really love adventure sports like river rafting and trekking. I am also a commercial pilot and have done a lot of flying in seven to eight different types of aircraft.?

The actor, who debuted in the Sushmita Sen launch film Dastak and then tried in vain to make a mark in Wajood and Kohram, feels Fear Factor India will finally give him the recognition he has been seeking. ?In the middle I had done some television work like Bhabhi and K. Street Pali Hill,? he says, ?but with this anchoring job, I feel more at home.?

While he is enjoying his status on the Sony show, Mukul hasn?t exactly given up on the big screen. Bollywood might or might not take another look at him now, so Mukul has his hands fairly full on television. ?I will next be seen in a 45-episode serial on STAR Plus called Na Jaane Kyon,? smiles the man who should no longer fear failure.