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PHOTOs (COVER AND ABOVE): SHAJU JOHN

TIME FOR SOME MORE BREW Anu Hassan

After a successful 100-episode run, the Second Season of ‘Koffee With Anu’ hits the small screen today (Vijay TV). And Anu spills the beans — about Koffee! “We’re hoping to get a better mix of personalities and also look at talking to two generations of people. We will go beyond cine stars and cover famous people from varied professions as well,” she says, during an interview at Taj Connemara.

As the photographer goes clickety-click, the chilled-out host continues, “Koffee is about getting beneath the surface and discovering people — their personal beliefs, strengths and weaknesses. I don’t put them on the hot seat. You are supposed to walk away with a smile after a cup of coffee, isn’t it? People love talking about themselves. I simply hear them out and ask questions in such a way that viewers get rare insights into the lives of celebrities.”

Chatty, not catty. Fun, not flippant. Koffee had become as addictive as coffee during its Season One, what with its impressive line-up of personalities from the tinsel world and high TRP ratings. Anu, who had started out rather apprehensively admits, “I thought a host had to be glamorous. But soon I understood the show wasn’t about me. I was neither the subject nor the star of the programme. I was merely controlling and balancing things on the sets. That’s when I thawed. Besides, I enjoy the company of people and love talking. Yak, yak, yak.”

On a serious note, she adds, “Basically, I’m comfortable with myself. I’ve accepted my flaws. There are things that I can change about myself — like my waistline. There are things I know I can’t — like my temper. I can’t let people offend me. There have been times when I’ve been rubbed the wrong way. That’s when the actor in me comes out. For me, it’s a big challenge to make guests feel comfortable in such circumstances and carry on with the show. You have to wear a mask!”

Talk about a change of look for the Second Season, and Anu smiles, “You know I’m not a pancake person. I hate make-up and dressy outfits. This season’s look is simple and unpretentious. Earlier, my costume department went overboard. Imagine matching a green outfit with pink footwear! But I wore them, claiming it was a fashion statement! This time, the look is more real, more me. In reality, I still use the tiny earrings I used to wear in class two!”

Switching from looks to emotions, Anu who has smiled and cried with her guests during her rapport talk, says, “Personally, Koffee has been an interesting journey for me. Each episode is an abridged version of people’s lives. I’ve learnt important lessons from them. I can’t forget SPB’s humility, Satyaraj’s ideal of not thrusting his beliefs on people around him, the confidence levels and never-say-die spirit of young singers. Besides, I’ve learnt that what goes up will come down and vice versa. Success is transient — particularly in showbiz. So I don’t take it seriously.”

Talk about her other careers — as actor and entrepreneur, and Anu smiles, “I have a couple of films coming up including “Dhaam Dhoom”. As an entrepreneur, despite my BITS Pilani background, I’m a Phase One person. I like creating concepts and executing them. But I can’t get into the expansion phase. That’s where I failed with the all-woman juice chain Squashed too. When I launched, I tried four models. Now, only the shop-ins remain. I’ll be happy to give it away because I’m time-strapped. Honesty and scruples are my strengths and weaknesses.”

A fitness freak, her face lights up when she discusses her regimen at YMCA. “Now everybody asks me about my Project 89J. Which actually means knocking off pounds till I get into the jeans I bought in 1989! Every birthday, I set a target and achieve it. It’s my birthday gift to myself,” smiles Anu, who is also trained in kalari and silambam.

Having hailed from Kollywood’s illustrious family, a copy with Anu isn’t complete without getting her to open up a bit about her background. With characteristic candour, she says, “Growing up with celebrities helped me see them — not as celebrities but as people. So today, I’m extremely comfortable connecting with famous people. Except for Sean Connery, I don’t think I’ll be tongue-tied if I met any celebrity. Besides, we are all free spirits who have never compromised on certain convictions. And there was absolutely no gender stereo-typing at home. Even as a child, if I was told not to do something, it was not because I was a girl, but because it was wrong.”

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