Cyrus Sahukar strikes a pose at the Taj Bengal poolside on Sunday afternoon. Picture by Aranya Sen

Mission Impossible: not laughing when Cyrus Sahukar is around. MTV’s second-generation funny man ? VJ Cyrus S to most, Piddhu to some and now, of course, Semi Girebaal to a few ? Cyrus is quite as mad across the table as he is on screen.

In town for the promotion of Pepsi & MTV Youth Icon 2006, Cyrus S was busy all Sunday spreading the word about the hunt and the final six nominees.

In the race are the likes of President APJ Abdul Kalam (science), Mahendra Singh Dhoni (sports), Navjyot Singh Sidhu (television), Vijay Mallya (business), John Abraham (films) and Abhijeet Sawant (music). “It’s such a phenomenal list, I think the President will win?” he rattles off.

So what was the turning point that set him on track to the funnyman’s hall of fame? “I don’t really know my real claim to fame? But yes, playing a shepherd in my kindergarten play did turn my life around,” he quips, before adding on a somewhat-trying-to-be-serious note: “Oh yes, I think winning the MTV VJ Hunt was a huge moment too.”

Incorrigible? By habit. So when “fans” Surabhi and Rishabh walked up to him at Chinoiserie, Taj Bengal, to tell him how much “they love his work on TV,” Cyrus asked them if they would then “buy him lunch”, without batting an eyelid, but not without an impish grin.

Ask him about being the rib-tickler and he says: “Really, I don’t think I am all that funny. I would instead call myself plain observant. It’s India that is completely hilarious ? we are just yet to discover it. We don’t eat non-vegetarian food one day, next day we do? Funny na? And you know, I have this friend who wears only blue, head to toe. His father had once told him that if he gets lost, it would be easier to look for him in blue!”

It doesn’t take much for Cyrus to make us laugh, but who can make him laugh? Cyrus Broacha, VJ Gaurav, Sajid Khan and Suresh Menon, to name the first four.

Making fun may be his forte, but Cyrus’s dream project would be hosting a “really good game show with some super comedy sketches”.

MTV is keeping him more than busy at the moment but Cyrus is also looking at a few good character roles on the big screen, something that would probably give him more screen time than the struggling RJ in Rang De Basanti.

Mention his role in Rang De? and he perks up: “Oh, you spotted me? Was anyone really able to spot me? They should have announced a prize for all those who managed to!”

No rendezvous with Cyrus S can be quite complete without a mention of Miss Semi Girebaal. The show is on air and going by the popularity meter, it seems to be here to stay for “a couple of seasons” at least.

How many times has he watched Rendezvous with Simi Garewal?

“Not more than two or three episodes really,” he admits. “But I picked up all the nuances from mom, who’s not as melodramatic but fast getting there?” he bites his tongue, but not too hard.