CYRUS ENCOUNTER

Cyrus Broacha “Rattles when he speak, but he stirs up even dead souls” and it turned out to be true with his incisive remarks and spontaneous humour. He is in fact one of my best buddies…

How did you enter TV?

I couldn’t get work anywhere. When it (MTV) started there were hardly 9 people. We used to carry out all the work, carried around the camera. It was just a few of us and it was fun.

Did you ever think you would become a VJ?

I had only planned to live till age of 18 after that there was no future. I wanted to be an actor. Had set up an entertainment company, worked hard in an Advertisement agency as copywriter, I was actually working at that time. When MTV happened there was Rahul Bose, Mohan Kapoor and Aditya .We used to always meet for MTV auditions. And all of us got work. All of a sudden, we have lots of people and some really talented ones….Those were the nice years.

Do you suggest others to become a VJ?

Become a VJ if you want be one. But it’s a Stupid job. Just think, one day you become a grandfather and what are you gonna tell your children? Your one brother is an Engineer and other a Doctor the other a Successful business man! On the parents day meeting your son would have to say “My father is a VJ” and trust me it will be quite embarrassing. We have no provident fund, no retirement benefits and once you lose all your hair there, nowhere to go.

VJ’s keep changing, how come you’re in MTV for so long?

They have this budget problem. They don’t have to pay me. Instead I pay them to have me. The new VJ’s, all in their 19’s and 20’s, some 10 years younger to me are a whole new group. They know much more about music and singers. MTV being a youth channel have to take up youngsters when we become uncles and aunties.

You model with Mallaika & Nafiza. Doesn’t your wife feel insecure?

No! My wife knows how they feel about me. She’s scared about the fact that I have many male fans. She knows that women have good taste and they wouldn’t waste time on me.

On what basis is VJ selection done?

There’s no question you have to pay money to company, political influence blah..!. (Joking) People have started taken VJ hunt seriously, nowadays parents get involved it has become something like beauty contest. Last July, people started crying when they couldn’t make it. There is nothing to cry. If you aren’t selected it doesn’t mean you are not good enough.

Apart from Bakra does u have any other programme in mind?

Couple of cricket programmes. For that matter we will aim any programme, whatever they (sponsor) want us to.

How do you handle Embarrassment?

I am an embarrassment to my family. So it’s easy. In fact I m not bothered. Rejection is a lovely thing. You are used to No and then this girl says ‘Yes’ and you don’t know what to do next. Bad moments are easy once you are used to it.

In the Pepsi advertisement Sachin/Cyrus who is the best?

Sachin represent the 10% of successful India and I the remaining 90 % losers. They even had an ad for me “Mere number kad Aayga” to represent the failure in the crowd.

How does corruption differ from begging? Which is better? Will u give money to beggars?

Yap! I will give money to beggars. Not studied about beggars all around India, I think I myself have to after this job. Corruption is an art form in India. South America has become very close. Pakistan is competitive. Everywhere there is corruption, actually it’s not others its government who should legitimize it. I am for corruption. Corruption Zindabad…(lol).

Assuming you are the speaker of Parliament how would you reach if the oppositions and ruling parties throw chains at each other?

Yeah, I know what you are referring to, the incident that happened…ok. I think that it should have been a feature film with a Rape Sequence, Coupled with songs and one fight at the end. If I am the speaker I would encourage, hit, hit, hit. More hit, less politicians around.

Don’t you think MTV telecasting programs like “Grinds spoils Indian Culture”?

Really! We all like members of the opposite sex. Question is whether we respect them or not. When England conquered India they left behind the worst thing 1. Bureaucracy 2. The Victorian Moral. The whole west comes here to learn about sex. And sex education is not just about Kama sutra but our temples and philosophies are just so cool about those things. Women and animals were given so much of respect, suddenly after the British we have become like the British Victorian mode. MTV has been from 1994. But you have I billion population, so who is responsible. I am 100 % sure our politicians watch Baywatch without the volume of course… they will come and say our Parampara and tradition and culture. So we should set off this hypocrisy.

Suppose the flight on which you board is hijacked. What would you do and how will you escape?

That’s a very interesting question. Let me tell you something, I am very scared of flying. Especially the take offs and landings. We had this Pilot from Bombay. He said come and sit in the cockpit. It’s very scary when you look down. All I can see was clouds and he said look down its Ooty. We were some 30,000ft high and he was showing me Ooty and all I would see was clouds. I am scared of terrorist and I will ask them to kill me first so that I can get off the whole thing. One thing of the few things I am scared of are flying and uniforms. When I see uniforms it’s like going to school and they goanna punish me.

Good things you loved in Bill Clinton?

He is fascinating. He calls you by the first name. Talks about all countries and when this person from Zambia raised a question, he was well informed to speak about that country. It’s not on Africa but also on each country that he spoke. He is fond of India but found it hard to believe when our politicians refused to talk about sex. (A country of 1 billion and not ready to talk on it??). He is either the perfect PR program or a genuine guy or maybe a mix of both.

Your Opinion about Sonia Gandhi becoming PM ?

Actually I was thinking about that. Initially I was against that. We are all born in India. We didn’t have a choice. What a lesson of democracy. Someone comes here by choice, becomes citizen and then the leader. We are born Indians and not given choice to be one. Someone who comes to be in India it’s a higher form of citizenship. It’s actually like consciously you want to be in this country. She married a very rich man who is very connected is another story let just romance the story a bit. The power she has all over India is tremendous, I think if it goes to the electorates Sonia will win.

According to you what is “humour”?

Oh God that is pressure question. I remember meeting some friends of mine from college and they said you are so much behaving as badly as in college and making money. That’s why I keep telling people not to listen to everyone. If you really got something so for it as no one really know what’s good or bad for them. Just go with whatever talent or lack of latent and hopefully something will come out of it.

Why don’t you enter politics, so that you can make a usual Bakra of India?

Yap! I don’t have a dhoti to fit me, but language would be a barrier. I don’t think I am that corrupt for politics.

Why is your channel North orated and not South?

Eh! It is a Political question. It’s like; the people who take our market study place 60% over Hindi music, 40% English and are more confident in Hindi speaking belts. In the south there are quite a many strong channels to complete with. So it’s more like North-oriented. Even people in the North-East form a bulk of our audience, but very little cover there. We are trying to be more of an international channel.

Your first crush? Have you had any problems related to love and who would you consult?

My first crush was …. & literally she sat on me and hence crushes. When I was 16 I was in Xavier’s. I was interested in this girl. I got a card for her for valentines, wrote some lines. I saw her and she saw me…. Cyrus I’ve got this card will you write for me & she got away with that guy. Any young guy who has this crush just says it; don’t take a rejection, personally. Just try. Don’t have regrets later.

Is there anyone in this world speak faster than you?

I never realized I speak fast until the crew asked me to speak slowly. There’s a guy called eh! The one who hosts “Who wants to become a Millionaire in America”, he not only speaks fast but looks like he is going to hit the person he is talking to. Karan Tapar, has exactly the habit. I did one interview with him and landed at the back of the studio by the end. Have you seen Simi Agarwal show, looks as if she’s doing some classical dance form while talking to you, feeling pain when there is not any. Karan Tapar is a nice guy but he keeps bending forward and by the time he reached Vinod Kambli he was nearly on my lap. So I said Karan Tapar next interview on phone.

If channel V offers you more money would you switch into it?

Three years before they offered me a little more money than MTV, but I am happy with MTV. If they had offered lots more I would have switched. After all I am an Indian.

Vj’ing is short career. What next?

After this may be I will get into some sports channel. Dr. KKR has said that they don’t have a watchman here and provided I bring my own uniform, I would be offered the job. Dodging, at least he would let me enter the campus once in a while.

How does it feel when you get one tight slap?

That’s my favorite show. Once it got really bad. A guy, some baba was sitting in the barber’s shop. I was scared but went on with my production manager’s demand; I started putting the cream on the head, then on his chest. In the end I got this tight hit and the fly cam costing about Rs. 50,000 fell off and broke. My crew was shocked about the cam and not me.

AN UPCLOSE

ABOUT YOUR SELF  : Still searching for relevant body parts

SECRET OF YOUR SUCCESS? So for what success

YOUR ASSET  :I am used to failure

GOD’S GIFT TO YOU :Sending my sister to USA, so I had my own room

YOU BELIEVE IN: ICC regulations

YOUR MOTTO : Free your mind

YOUR MENTOR: My liftman, for letting me learn about heights

YOUR MAJOR SUPPORT : My underwear

YOUR STAGE SHOWS: The good ones were really bad, the bad ones were awful

YOUR PASSION  : Sleeping, I am an Olympic level sleeper

BEAUTY TO YOU: All women, most animals, no men