Sunil Thakkar
to Take Part in Great Laughter Challenge
By Haider Kazim
Last Updated: May 23, 2008
HOUSTON – Sunil Thakkar of Masala Radio, one of the leading entertainment figures in desi radio shows, has been selected to take part in the Great Indian Laughter Challenge hosted by Star One television channel.
Sunil T is one of the 20 contestants chosen from applicants from all over the world. He is the only contestant selected from North America.
Masala Radio 1480 AM will postpone its celebration of its 15th anniversary on May 22 until Sunil Thakkar returns from the Laughter Challenge…and maybe it will turn in a victory party as well… The other 19 contestants are from India and Pakistan.
“I am honored to be representing Houston in the show,” Sunil told Indo-American News. “To reach where I am representing the city in something back home can come with the help and support of the family and Houston is truly a family.”
This will be the fourth season of the Great Laughter Challenge by Star One Indian television channel. The previous seasons of the show, launched in 2005, have pioneered humor on Indian television and discovered new comic talent.
The jury of season 4 constitutes of veteran actor Shatrughan Sinha and wit wizard Navjot Singh Sidhu with a new host and anchor. The jury will select top 10 finalists from the contestants and begin recording later this month for the shows expected to be telecast next month.
Sunil T will be adding an international dimension to the humor show dominated so far by the talent in the subcontinent. His selection was based on the comedy routines he submitted last month.
Sunil left Monday for Mumbai to take part in a 10-day camp and shootings scheduled to begin May 25. He is optimistic that he will do well.
“I was not trained in India, I was trained in Houston,” he said. “Everything I have learnt and have, I owe it to the city.”
Sunil said that he came to Houston to study engineering and make a living. It was in Houston that he took the mike for the first time. “My abilities in this field have kind of grown with the city. When I came to the city, I was quite new to all this.”
Sunil’s Music Masala show on 1480 AM is a major source of entertainment for the desi community in Houston. He and his Masala team operates Masala Cruises to various destination round the year. He has also produced and co-written the script of Where’s the Party Yaar, a film based on his own experiences with the “fresh off-the-boat” Indians and more fashionable Americanized Indians. |
