MUMBAI: Actor Ankit Bathla, who is now quite a pro in anchoring events and weddings, says that he loves to interact with people. He adds that his experience in anchoring, right from his school, has led him to this day.

“I think I was a born anchor because my dad has been the voice of Yug Vani Radio, All India Radio and that's where it's coming from. I love talking to people, especially making them feel important and happy, and that's where my love for anchoring is coming from. When you're anchoring somebody's wedding, it's a once in a lifetime event for them, and you want to make sure that the couple and also the entire family has a great time,” he says.

He adds, “I have done some tiny bits of anchoring on television. I host the show called Ludo King, and I simply love it. I also host a lot of weddings and corporate events, which is again something very interesting. I get to learn a lot when the senior management of the company is talking or a political figure is talking, and I get to witness it.”

Ask him when he realised his flair for anchoring, and he says, “I have always loved anchoring, even as a kid. When I was in school, I remember wearing these tiny little shorts and being on stage to read the news. I think that's where it's coming from. So, I'm grateful to my teachers and my school St. Marks for giving me this opportunity then.”

Talking about wedding anchoring, he adds, “It's a very funny story. I always wanted to get into anchoring and then one day a fellow anchor fell sick and he couldn't attend the event. So, at the last minute requested me to do the event. I said, "yes', with no preparation at all. But by the grace of Devi, it went flawlessly fantastic and that company on the spot gave me 4 events. The company is called Rising Events.”

Being a celebrity anchor gives him an edge over others, he says. “There are some amazing anchors today and the whole concept that a female is a better anchor or looking for more female anchors and less male anchors has changed. Some of the top wedding anchors are men. So, I feel that being a celebrity adds a lot of value to the table. People have seen me onscreen and they have loved and adored some of the characters that I have played. At weddings, we would be making them have fun and play games and kind of dance with them. So that's a great thing. They already know me from the screen so it makes my life easier to make them have fun and they also connect with me better.”

He adds, “The biggest strength of an anchor, I feel, is awareness because the anchor needs to be well aware of the audience, the pulse of the crowd, what games need to be played and when, what songs to play, when what he needs to do on stage. There are a lot of times when the next actor is not ready yet and you need to fill in the gap immediately. So your presence of mind and your awareness is extremely important, and with that of course comes a lot of energy, a lot of flair for the language.”