Neha Dhupia takes over the mic

After acting in films and turning style director for a web-portal, Neha Dhupia is now exploring newer shores. Only this time, instead of being in front of the camera, she’s going to get behind the microphone. Neha is set to host a podcast, titled #NoFilterNeha, in association with Saavn. The music streaming service has earlier hosted original podcasts like Cricket Wallah Chronicles with Ayaz Memon, Trial by Error: The Aarushi Files with Nishita Jha and Cyrus Says by Cyrus Broacha.

Neha’s audio talk show will feature 12 celebrities, including Karan Johar, Yuvraj Singh, Vishal Dadlani, Sonam Kapoor and Ranbir Kapoor. Talking to us about the concept of her show, Neha tells us, “Initially, I was in two minds in doing show, because if you think about it, celebrity chat shows are not a new concept. We’ve had Rendezvous with Simi Grewal, and Koffee with Karan for the longest time. But what’s new with us is the honesty with which we approach our guests.” Incidentally, Neha’s first guest on the show was Karan Johar himself.

The actress says that the conversations on her show will be candid, compared to the ones telecast on TV. “We don’t ask any questions — our conversations are far more candid,” she reveals. “These celebrities have so much more to them than their on-screen characters and public appearances. The main agenda of the show is to have candid conversations. We were clear about not wanting a question-answer format. When we recorded the first episode with Karan, Alia Bhatt came in midway through the show. The phone call was part of the show too! It was hilarious. This is what listeners can look forward to — honest chats and tongue-in-cheek jokes.”

Each episode is set at around the 45-minute mark and will be aired once a week. Neha claims that the episodes won’t be edited beyond a certain extent, since it will showcase celebrities in a completely new and raw avatar. The new host says that this conversational take on a chat show is bound to be its USP. “Audio shows are yet to take off in the country. Although, a lot of people are fond of the medium — you can listen to the show over lunch, while running chores or while driving. Listening doesn’t really require a lot of concentration,” she signs off.