is back with Shekhar Tonite, a YouTube show directed by his son Adhyayan Suman. In an interview with LiveMint, the actor and television personality said the show is not an attempt to recreate Movers & Shakers. Instead, he sees it as a more deliberate, conversational format that allows him to explore stories, people and issues beyond politics.
For Suman, his new show is a more mature, deliberate and conversational space; one that allows him to move beyond politics and engage with stories, people and issues without the constraints of traditional television.
“It’s been a fruitful journey. I am having such interesting conversations with India and my audiences all over the world. I think everybody is a conversationalist. Everybody has a story to tell, and I think this is where I belong,” Suman said.
Suman said he had wanted to move beyond the format and limitations of Movers & Shakers. He described it as more “instant and intuitive” and said his intent with Shekhar Tonite is different.
“Right from Movers & Shakers, I wanted to go beyond the periphery without a script or the safety of a retake. I wanted to explore this space where I could speak to my audience in an honest manner. Shekhar Tonite has been an exhilarating experience. When Movers & Shakers was more instant and intuitive, this is more intent. This is wiser, has more depth, more stories to tell,” he explained.
According to Suman, the show aims to create something increasingly rare in the age of short-form content: a space to pause and have a conversation.
“It gives more time to me and the audience to breathe because we are in this age where everybody is just scrolling past and not pausing for anything. This show allows that space where I can look into the eyes and talk about what’s going on in their mind,” he said.
Suman hit headlines with his political commentary on the show. However, he said that politics is not the only central focus. In fact, he wants Shekhar Tonite to reach conversations to get beyond the surface.
“Politics is just one lens. India is built by storytellers. It has artists and athletes. Apart from monologue, I talk to people and get real stories. In today’s time, the audience is smart. They know when something is manufactured,” he said.
The veteran television personality is not very fond of identifying with the conventional description of a host. For him, the responsibility is to create an environment where both sides of a conversation can be genuine. He prefers to be a friend rather than being called a host.
“I don’t like the word host. But as it goes, the person on the other side has to be real too. Ask questions. Have conversations that matter. The guest has to feel safe to trust,” Suman said.
Suman marked his return with his show. Talking about it, he said that his decision to return was also driven by what he called a “hunger in the silence”. When asked why only YouTube, he answered that the popular platform offers him the freedom like nowhere else.
“The world has enough noise now. I came back because I felt a hunger in the silence, and on YouTube because of the latitude of freedom I get. I have my own channel. I have the liberty to say what I want to say, how I want to say it, as long as I want to say it,” he said.
That freedom also ensured that the show does not have a fixed duration. “So it can go up to one or two hours, or just end the show in 30-20 minutes because I don’t have enough to talk about. It’s an open format,” he described.
The show comes with feature segments such as becoming the Prime Minister, talking to the mirror and more. Suman believes that such fun ideas help audiences engage with the show honestly.
While Suman remains the face and voice of Shekhar Tonite, he credits Adhyayan for the vision.
“Adhyayan is architecting, directing and shaping the visual language. The teasers, tone and grammar of the show, he is pushing me. I am the voice; he is the vision. I sincerely think he is good at what he does. I am proud to take directions from him,” Suman smiled.
He also quipped that the show does not necessarily require a conventional director. “I am talking, doing everything in front of the camera, but his suggestions are valuable to set the tone,” he said.
Following a conversational format, Suman said the show is partly scripted. He works with a team of writers to decide what’s worthy for the show.
“It is partly scripted because I know what I am going to talk about. I have a team of writers. Throughout the week, we go through the news. As the tagline of the show goes– if you are in the news, you are in the Shekhar with the Views,” he said.
The topics covered on the show can range from political developments to academic issues and even serious news events such as the .
“It’s a mix of everything. It depends on the mood of the day. It’s not an interview or a podcast,” Suman shared about its USP.
Political satire forms a key part of the show. Suman was also asked whether he believes there is enough space for such commentary today. He answered with a laugh, “I am there. I am doing the show, and I am alive. I have the freedom to say things the way I want to.”
Suman recalled that after the first episode, some people warned him before he went forward.
“In the beginning, after my first episode, people were like, ‘Oh my God, there would be trouble for you’, ‘You wouldn’t last till the second or third episode’, but none of that happened,” he shared.
Suman says there is room for criticism and dissent within India’s democracy.
“I think there’s a vessel of democracy still left out there; it’s not so bad as it’s made out to be. I was reading somewhere that PM ji has said, ‘I am open to criticism, and the media should do its part’. The media that wants to do its part, it is allowed to do it. There might be a few restrictions here and there, but also there’s a space to talk freely and fearlessly,” Suman said.
He also sought to distance himself from propaganda and personal agenda.
“I am not anti-anyone. I am not anti-Modi or anti- I am pro-people. I am representing what the masses are facing. If the system is failing, we need to talk about it. We are doing a fine job of it,” he said.
“A lot of people told me, ‘You really have the guts to do it’. I don’t think you need the guts to do it. You need sincerity to do it. A good democracy needs all of this. As an honest citizen, I am just contributing to it,” he said.
As the conversation shifted towards the success of the YouTube-based show, Suman briefly spoke about the restrictions that can come with the television industry.
“The fact that you have no halfwits telling you what to do or someone from the channels walks up and tells you, ‘You can’t do this. You cannot take this person’s name.’ I need that freedom. I need to have my own show where I can be my own boss,” he said.
“This freedom is important for everyone. I have moved on from Movers & Shakers. It has some traces of it in Shekhar Tonite, but quintessentially it is very different,” he wrapped up.
