If You Are Not Creative, The Entire Show Falls Flat

Chandini Sehgal's journey into the world of hosting and entertainment began with an opportunity during her engineering studies. Throughout her journey, she has witnessed transformative shifts in the industry, noting the growing influence of social media in shaping an emcee's profile. As a female figure in the entertainment sector, she has navigated unique challenges, addressing aspects like security. In this exclusive interview with Everything Experiential, Sehgal shares her experiences, challenges and the intrinsic qualities that set an exceptional emcee apart from the rest.

Excerpts:

Can you share with us how your journey as an MC began and what inspired you to pursue this career path?

I was studying engineering and in my first year, I had this feeling that I wanted to do something with my life, something creative. Also, I didn't want to depend on my parents for my finances. There was this thing called BBM broadcast and you would get these queries on those broadcast messages the way you get in today's time on WhatsApp. There was a broadcast, an interview where they were looking for an emcee for a video shoot. I went to the office, it was the Home Shop 18 and that’s how I started doing videos for Home Shop 18, Naaptol, and more of these tele brands.

I networked with people there. They told me there is a live emcee host also needed for live shows. I did a few corporate events from there. The rest is like a chain reaction.

What are some of the most significant changes that you've observed in the industry since you started your career as an emcee?

I think people are more informed right now and with the way social media is booming, people are not just satisfied with your work profile, they want to see how active you are or how much you're trending on social media. A lot of people ask me for my Instagram profile link and my social media handles. Earlier, people were the least interested in your social media profiles. Now, people have become influencers, people have been creating their own audiences online. Those are audiences who are engaged with your content, who are involved in your lives and potential clients who want to see how authentic you are as an artist.

What role does creativity play in being an effective emcee and how do you infuse creativity into your own hosting style?

If you're not creative, if you are not able to engage with the audience, then the entire show falls flat, irrespective of the language that you're using. You should be able to connect with the audience in front of you. For instance, if I'm dealing with the employees of the company, I know they are young and laid back. So, I would try to connect with them in the same tone in which they talk, which they understand, keeping things casual. If I'm hosting a high-profile event where there are a lot of bureaucrats and there are ministers coming in, you can't do much creativity there. I think creativity comes from connecting with the audience. At the end of the day, you have to see whether the person whose event it is that you're hosting, whether it's a social event or formal event or semi-formal event, whether they're enjoying it or not.

What are some of the biggest challenges that you've faced as an emcee and how have you overcome them?

I think being a female in the entertainment industry, I feel it has been hard to make people understand certain things. For example, in terms of security. Anytime you get a query, the client is never going to ask you how you are going to travel late at night or what time the event ends. I have to take care of my own security, computation and travel. Not everybody's going to think about it. The other person doesn't really care about how the artist is going to manage.

Another challenge is about payments. In weddings particularly, sometimes checks bounce. What action can you take? There is no authority that you can go up to and ask the client to clear your dues.

So, a lot of emcees say this as a rule that you should always have 100 per cent of your payment cleared before you get on stage.

How do you keep yourself updated with the latest trends and techniques going on in the industry?

I feel you should always be active on social media. You keep seeing a lot of these new trends being circulated on social media itself. You see a video, of what the other person is doing and you see it's connecting with the audience, now you can take that and do a similar thing or modify it further. I feel one should always see what's new in the market, what is connecting with the clients and see how best you can portray the same or deliver the same. Add value to your work.

What do you think sets apart an exceptional emcee from an average one?

I personally think everybody has a lot of potential to groom themselves and become their best versions. The differentiation comes from your own thought process. How you can deliver a good event to a client. If you want to be exceptional, then you have to do something which is out of the box. Your own creative mind will lead you to that and for example, there are certain games and activities that I have curated myself. I know these are my signature activities. This is what defines me apart from the other people. And I try to modify those activities and make a nice experience for a potential client.

As a seasoned emcee, what is your vision for the future of the profession and how do you see it evolving?

I think it's going to grow further with time because even with technologies like AI coming in, a live emcee or a live host cannot be replaced. Having a live host will never go out of style.

Events are not something that is going to stop any time soon. You need an emcee to host an event. It is a profession which is going to go up the ladder.

What advice would you give to aspiring emcees wanting to make a mark in the entertainment and events industry?

I think most of us are tuned to get a secure job by our parents. Go for the government job, become an engineer, become a doctor. I think breaking away from this routine is a challenge. If you're choosing to be an artist. Always try to break such stereotypes and instead of choosing what the herd mentality is doing from that, take away from the clutter. Have a niche for yourself that's most important. It could be hard, but you have to work towards that. Work towards becoming a better version of yourself as an artist. It will take a lot of hard work and will involve a lot of self-doubt moments, but just believe in yourself. Don't run after something, let that thing come to you.

Always stay humble if you want to sustain for a long time. There will always be someone prettier than you, who's newer than you, who's younger than you. There will always be someone out there to replace you. The way you are with people, the way you conduct yourself and your relationships will make it sustainable for you. You should always be humble and kind to the people you work with. Whether it's someone who is a small sound tech engineer a big event manager or a huge client. If you're humble and kind and you do your work with grace and dignity, they will call you again.