Alia nahin, we need a professional! India's popular hosts dive into the nuances of the craft

When Alia Bhatt debuted as a host at Chetak Screen Awards 2026, critics asked why a professional emcee was not given the opportunity instead. PIC/INSTAGRAM@aliaabhatt

The night had all the makings of a perfect awards show. Glamour, big names, and a stage built for spectacle. But somewhere between the scripted jokes and slightly awkward pauses, the Internet did what it does best. It noticed. When Alia Bhatt took on hosting duties for the first time at Chetak Screen Awards 2026, the reactions were quick and divided. Some cheered her on. Others wondered why someone so new to the craft was handed a job that, at its core, is anything but easy. Because, that's the thing about emceeing - it looks simple, until it isn't.

Holding a room is a skill. Reading a crowd, recovering from a joke that didn't land, filling silence without making it louder; that's instinct built over time. It's not just about being famous or comfortable on camera. And yet, increasingly, the stage is going to those who already have the spotlight.

Zerxes Wadia, an influencer and host, says there is always a pro at having a celebrity face because that puts the event at a forefront. PIC/SATEJ SHINDE

Zerxes Wadia stumbled into the world of hosting almost by accident. He began as a copywriter in 2009, before a chance recommendation landed him at MTV. What followed was six years of producing digital content, in a time when branded videos were still finding their feet. Hosting came later, almost as a budget fix. When the channel couldn't afford big names, they turned the camera inward.

"Why don't you just do this?" they'd say. And he did. That's how many real emcees begin. Not with a spotlight, but with a mic handed over in the moment. By the time Wadia left MTV in 2017, he was hosting his own shows. So what happens when that journey is skipped? Wadia is pragmatic about it.

In an industry driven by numbers, hiring celebrities makes sense. They bring eyeballs, engagement, and a ready audience. "If it's not a high-octane gig that requires engaging the audience at all times, it does become quite easy especially with teleprompters involved," he points out. "There is a pro to having a strong following as well because that puts you at the forefront of being considered. There's nothing wrong with that. I mean, you built it. You've built an audience." For Wadia, getting movie stars to do award hostings is not new. "I mean, that's something we grew up watching, right?" he says, highlighting the ever-famous duo of Shah Rukh Khan and Karan Johar at Filmfare awards and more. It was never done by conventional emcees.

And that's the problem at hand. We are at an age where your fan following decides if your talent is worth a shot. Because somewhere between strategy and spectacle, the craft of emceeing risks becoming an afterthought.

‘Popularity and face value makes a difference'

Raj Bhanushali, the founder of Black Hat Talent Solutions & Consulting, explains how live events require different skillset from scripted public events

For Raj Bhanushali, the founder of Black Hat Talent Solutions & Consulting, the choice between star power and skill is a calculation shaped by the event itself. When audiences are there for a headline act or performance, the emcee becomes more of a connector than a centrepiece. Still, the demand for anchors remains high. "It is one of the most essential and consistently booked talent category," he adds, simply because someone has to "stitch the entire thing together." But when things go off-script, the difference shows.

"Live is a different ball game," Bhanushali says. While a celebrity may be comfortable on television, handling a live audience requires spontaneity. There are no retakes here. "It's about how eloquent you are, how spontaneous you are. All that makes a difference."

In many cases, seasoned emcees thrive here since, "Close to 80 per cent of professional anchors or hosts learn on the job through years of experience, with only a handful of formal training institutes truly making a difference."

That said, celebrities still sell. "Popularity and face value makes a difference. Sometimes a client wants a celebrity value to excite the audience," he admits. But that comes with its own limitations. Because while popularity can draw attention, holding it, especially live, is a completely different skill.

‘Acting and hosting are two different things'

Freelance emcee and host, Priscilla Godwin says it is a bit unfair when fan following gets more attention than the skillset of an emcee

When former journalist Priscilla Godwin shifted into event management, she slowly carved her own space on stage. "Anchoring became a job," she says, but not without struggle. With no initial portfolio, getting hired was tough. So she created her own opportunities. "I started my own company where I gave hosting to myself."

That grind, she believes, is what defines a real emcee. "To connect with the people, you need to be one with the crowd," she says. And that's where the frustration with current hiring trends creeps in. "In terms of emceeing, I think it is a little unfair," she admits, pointing to the growing preference for influencers and celebrities. "The first question a lot of the hiring event planners ask me was how many followers I have."

Godwin is clear about the difference between skill and visibility. "Acting and emceeing are two different things," she says. "Hosting is very much about living in the moment." When that spontaneity is replaced with rehearsed delivery, it shows. Referencing Alia Bhatt's recent hosting, she admires her stage presence but notes the criticism, "It did look scripted."

And beyond the performance, there's the emotional toll. "When the crowd passes remarks, it stays with you," she says. "It does mentally affect me as an emcee." Because unlike a scripted role, there's no cut, no retake. Just the weight of the moment, and the silence (or laughter) that follows.

‘If the crowd is huge, a public figure makes it easier'

Founder of Kkings Events, Monil Shah, tells us why events opt getting two hosts for a big show - one professional and another, a public figure

For event planners, the choice of an emcee is about what the event needs at that moment. And that changes drastically from one setting to another. "Different kinds of shows require different kinds of skills," says Monil Shah, founder of Kkings Events. At intimate destination weddings, for instance, the role is less about performance and more about presence. "You definitely need someone to orchestrate it because without that people are lost," he explains. But even then, the approach is subtle. "It is more of being a co-host, becoming a family member," he says, adding that the focus is on guiding the flow, "not just interactions, but more of driving people about what's happening next."

Scale, however, changes everything. "When the number of crowd goes above 500 or 600 or about a thousand," Shah points out, "we need elements that can tie the entire event together." In these cases, familiarity and visibility matter. "If that one person is a public figure, automatically to get the attention of the crowd, it becomes easier." It's not just about logistics, but perception too. "When it comes from the mouth of a public figure, that gets even more value," he says. Which is why, increasingly, the solution isn't either-or but both. "We would opt for co-hosting - one public figure along with a professional."

‘Emcees are really hired to do crisis management'

Cyrus Sahukar, actor, VJ, host, and comedian, points out that the problem lies in mixing up everybody's professions based on popularity

Well-known video jockey, host, actor, and comedian Cyrus Sahukar draws a firm distinction many tend to blur. "A VJ is not an emcee. An emcee is not a VJ," he says plainly, because the two professions demand very different skill sets. And despite the growing visibility of film stars and influencers on big stages, he doesn't see it as a disruption. "My market hasn't really dramatically changed whatsoever," he notes, adding that he still hosts "70 to 80 live events a year. There are too many awards and too many shows happening for anyone to lose anything."

In fact, he's quick to push back on the idea that the industry is losing out. "The event company is still going to get hired and they will still do all the work. So I don't see that as a major problem at all, according to me," he says. What often goes unnoticed, however, is where the real work lies. "A lot of the work and hard work goes into event companies," he adds.

But when it comes to the stage itself, Sahukar is clear about what defines a true emcee. "What you're really hired to do is crisis management," he says. Because live events rarely go as planned, "the mic won't work, some guest speaker is delayed. It's Murphy's law." Murphy's Law is a popular adage that states that "anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." And in those moments, instinct matters more than image. "You need the composure and the years of experience to make sure that the show runs like clockwork."

That's where celebrity hosts fall short, he argues. "They are a celebrity first, and a host second. In our country, the biggest problem is that we mix up everybody's professions based on popularity." While their presence may bring attention, it doesn't replace training. "You shouldn't mix up marketing optics with the craft of anchoring, just like with stand-up. There are many times that a brilliant stand-up comedian will not necessarily be a very good sketch comedy comedian and vice versa," he says, calling hosting "an art form." Because the real skill, he insists, lies in making sure "nobody in the audience ever figures out what's wrong," even when everything is.