Success decoded

Achiever’s Club by Teacher’s Achievement Awards, is back with its second season and a new host, versatile actor Boman Irani. He will interview personalities across industries, from Narayana Murthy to Priyanka Chopra, Mary Kom and Sabyasachi Mukherjee. Unlike the earlier season, where journalist Vir Sanghvi interviewed his guests at different locations, the format has now been confined to a studio, making it “more intimate.” There will be video contributions from friends, families and close associates as well.

Personal touch

“The ambition of the show is to inspire people. All of them (personalities) have unusual stories to share,” says Irani, who made his debut on the small screen with Bollywood Ka Boss on Sahara in 2008. How is this talk show different? “It’s more about the person behind the achiever. For instance, when we speak to Murthy, we are not talking numbers, but his philosophy, take on life, ethics, worries and concern for the country,” answers the actor. While Irani is personally acquainted with most of the personalities (read Vidhu Vinod Chopra and Priyanka Chopra), anchoring the show put a different spin on it, he confesses. “When we meet at parties, we don’t sit and talk about life,” he explains.

Behind the scenes

About the making of the show, Irani says, “We have an excellent research team. We prepare a list of questions, then do a mock rehearsal.” The actor, who counts James Lipton from Inside The Actor’s Studio as his favourite host, also took pointers from television-producer and host, Siddhartha Basu. Recalling Mira Nair’s interview, he says, “She refused to direct Harry Potter and the Order of Phoenix on the basis of what her son told her - ‘Anyone can make a Harry Potter movie.Only Mira Nair can make Mira Nair movies’.” He is also looking forward to interviewing female boxer Mary Kom. “She has a marvelous story to tell,” he says.

Trick question

A special segment, Proust Quest, highlights the guest’s personality. “We ask if there’s a book, movie or song which has brought any change in their lives, on what occasions they lie and the best advice they have received so far,” explains the actor, who will be seen in Jolly LLB with Arshad Warsi in March and later, Rajkumar Hirani’s Peekay with Aamir Khan and Farah Khan’s Happy New Year. A question he enjoys asking in every episode? “One reason why you have made it to the achiever’s chair? It sums up everything and makes the person judge himself,’’ chuckles the former photographer, who counts Mash and Seinfeld as his favourite TV shows.

Achiever’s Club Season 2 premiered  on Star World last week.