Anand Vijay Kumar better known as VJ Andy who shot to fame after his short but meaningful stint at the Big Boss House, is back at what he does best — talking and adding mirch to masala. As the co-host of the Box Cricket league on Set Max, Andy tells Deebashree Mohanty that he is having the time of his life.
Imagine getting paid for what you love doingIJ VJ Andy as host of the Box Cricket league (BCl) , a one of its kind reality show on TV, is living his dream and that too kingsize! “I love talking, so this is an icing on the cake. There are many celebs involved in this show and I am involved in a lot of idhar ka udhar,” Andy who is the co-host of the show with Kavita Kaushik, says.
So what is so enthralling about this reality cricket leagueIJ “There were many things that attracted me towards this project — first, something like this has never happened on the Indian television before and I feel BCl could set a trend of sorts. Second, there are way too many popular celebs attached to this show and I wouldn’t miss a chance to chat them up. Third and most importantly, I am having fun adding the fuel to the fire. There is a lot of politics happening in the field and off it and I am going to bring it all out for the audience,” he says. The show produced by Balaji Telefilms and executed by Marinating Films will see more than 150 celebs (eight teams) coming together to play cricket and churn out masaledar content.
Apart from it being a serious sport with each one wanting to beat the other, Andy tells you there will be piping hot drama off the field too. “What is a show without mirchiIJ I am here to do exactly that. Just add a dash of spice to heat things up a little out there,” Andy says. Although they have gone through with some preliminary shoots, the exuberant host says, there is a lot to look forward to. The rules of the game for one, he says, are what add zest to this show. Apart from the said and done ones, there are a host of other rules boosting the tempo of the game.
But is this show going to attract eyeballsIJ Everyone in the production team certainly thinks so. “Cricket is a passion in India. Everyone follows it religiously. And so are TV soap and celebrities. Combine the three and you have a heady cocktail. I am sure the BCl is going to be a super hit across all platforms and age groups,” he says. Ask him if there will be any serious game at all and Andy tells you that if you don’t know how to hold the bat or spin the ball, there is no space for you in any team. “The team captains have made a conscious decision,” the 37-year-old, says. So serious are they about their game that all those celebs who were not aware of the intricacies of the game have gone through with rigorous training modules to better their knowledge of the game. For the hosts, however, it is all a matter of poking fun and bringing out the inside khabar.
“I had a lot of fun hosting India’s Got Talent with Bharti. That’s when I realised that my special attribute was talking and chatting up people. I am blessed that Balaji thought of me as an ideal host for the show. Kavita and I make a brilliant team and we have a lot of bouncers coming your way,” the ‘funny host’ who has also handled anchoring for Dare to Date, tells you. For Andy, Kaushik is the ideal partner as she is sensible and always reminds him about the job! “On a serious note, she is extremely talented and a whole lot of fun. And no one can come close to Kavita’s extensive knowledge of the game and the art of playing cricket,” he says.