I did part of my schooling in the US. My brother and I were pushed into playing sports during the weekend. That's how I developed a love for football. When I came back to India, I pursued sports as an after-school activity. Those were the times when we were also watching a lot of football, checking out the European leagues. An all-girls football league had been set up and I was asked to manage it. I did it as a part-time gig, but that got attention. A channel was launching back then and they were looking for girls who were interested in football. That's when I was roped in. It's not something that I had intended to pursue, I was just a fan eagerly watching the sport. But a lot of things came together.
I began with football as that's a game I'd really loved. In fact, I didn't want to do cricket until I was forced to by my network. So, the only template for me was to be natural. When I started hosting, I started with T20, which had just started then. Over the years, I have worked with a good team of producers, analysts and commentators, who not only talk about the nuances of the game but also relive their own memories on the ground. As a presenter, I need to facilitate a story, which is the match, introduce the characters and talk about the heroes and the villains (laughs).
I have studied English literature, and love to read about the history that goes into the writing. That's something I am able to apply to this profession as well. I read up on the history of the game. It's homework that one needs to do.
I am not sure if it's important to be a good listener. It's more about negotiating a conversation. If I am a viewer, I'd much rather listen to Sunil Gavaskar talk on an India-versus-Pakistan match. What's the use of just me recounting that? Experts have memories and perceptions that add to the conversation.
For us, as broadcasters, we are very excited about the build-up to this rivalry. We may or may not have witnessed the best of it over the past decade. For me, the most exciting part is to have commentators relive their memories of playing the match - the whole talk of the camaraderie and the friendly banter. India-Pakistan matches are also about bragging rights - you can view those encounters in so many different ways. I have seen players hug each other and then when they play, there's intense rivalry. This range of emotions is what I appreciate most about witnessing these matches from close quarters.
Definitely! The fact that a sport like kabaddi gets such high numbers (in terms of viewership) is extraordinary. The Asian Games were fantastic, especially in athletics, which is where we hadn't seen desired results in a long time. This is where social media helps. Because players feel comfortable sharing their journey on social media, fans gets to know them closely. So, there is a familiarity and people are more aware of who's doing what.
I don't think I have a huge social media following as compared to other people in the industry. I think I am a social media target. I am a little old school when it comes to handling social media - I feel it should be used as a tool to spread positivity and information. For the most part, I am quite reserved there. All I do is promote our show and that's a collective effort. I am a fairly private person, and I don't think I have used social media to promote myself. Having said that, yes, it's the new way forward. A lot of people have been able to make careers by just being on social media.
It's going to be a short answer - I ignore it! I believe I am mentally strong enough to tackle it. I think we all understand that a lot of people are just there to garner attention, and social media is a great tool for that.
I haven't read the article. If it was written about me, I wasn't asked for my opinion, my voice is not there in that article. I don't think I bear the brunt of fashion and sexiness. I don't represent either industries - I am just a sports presenter who's mostly talking about cricket or football matches.
I don't view myself as a woman sports presenter. Gender does not play a role in the way I host a show, my responsibilities don't change. They're actually the same as my male colleagues. You're fronting a team and it doesn't matter whether you're a man or a woman. If I have to send out a message to any young women who would like to enter the profession, it'd be this: the way people say "female sports presenter" is not nice. It gives you an automatic disadvantage. We never say, so and so is a male presenter. We are sports presenters first, and everything else later.
For me, having to host the 2010 Football World Cup alongside John Dykes was huge. I grew up watching him, and to be given the same responsibilities as him was surreal. That is when I began to believe that I could handle big tournament responsibilities.
I don't think you can talk cricket all the time. We are building a life together and have what you'd call a 'normal, married couple' relationship (laughs).
anamika@khaleejtimes.com
Anamika Chatterjee is Associate Editor, Features at Khaleej Times. A senior journalist, she helms arts, culture, entertainment and lifestyle verticals for the print and digital platforms of the publication.