Indian Idol
Mini Mathur has been the inimitable host of India’s first reality show- Indian Idol.
The first season of the internationally hit show in India saw an unprecedented TRP, unfettered popularity and an almost cult like following.
Mini, who had just finished a 4 year stint as an MTV VJ was picked as the host along with TV soap star Aman Verma to helm its first season.
Armed with her knowledge of music, artists and her strong command over both Hindi as well as English.. Mini charmed the audience, judges & contestants alike. She toured the country with the judges from Kashmir to Baroda, from Calcutta to Ahmadabad, from London to Dubai look for singing talent.. using her vast experience with MTV and her previous shows to engage musical talent from the most unexposed areas of the country.
She brought her special brand of fresh, cool energy to the gala stage.. breaking the clutter of clichéd TV hosting. Her compassion for the contestants and her connect with the singers and judges endeared her to the viewers. Mini’s fashion choices on TV were widely appreciated as well.
Mini followed the first season with a second and an extremely popular third season as well where she was joined by Hussain Kuwajerwala who replaced Aman Verma as her co host. The show grew from strength to strength and also spawned many me too shows with Indian Idol and its stylish presentation as a template. Her bonding with the contestants off camera prompted her to host Indian Idol Rubaru.. a chilled out off shoot of the main show that focussed on each of the contestants deepest traits. During this show, Mini researched & scripted her own contestant interactions.
With her unstudied, candid, spontaneous approach to hosting, her connect with each of the contestants and her constant quips with the judges on the show, Mini continued to be a favourite for 3 non-stop seasons when she took a break to have a baby.
Mini was nominated in 2006 for best anchor for ITA awards as well as Indian Telly Awards and has also won the best anchor award on Sony as well as the Lions awards 2006 for best TV presenter. She was also nominated for the Best TV presenter for the Indian Telly Awards. She recently walked away with the coveted Best anchor- media personality at Live Quotient Awards 2015.. an award that celebrates the best performers in the industry.
