Overview
Shekhar Suman is an Indian actor, television presenter, singer, and producer who has worked across Hindi cinema, television, and theatre. He is widely recognised for hosting the satirical television show Movers and Shakers on Sony Entertainment Television in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which popularised the celebrity chat-and-mimicry format on Indian television.
Key facts
| Full name | Shekhar Suman |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 March 1962, Patna, Bihar, India |
| Occupation | Actor, television host, producer, singer |
| Languages of work | Hindi |
| Spouse | Alka Suman |
| Children | Adhyayan Suman (actor), Ayush Suman |
| Notable show | Movers and Shakers (Sony TV) |
| Notable film | Utsav (1984) |
Background
Shekhar Suman was born in Patna, Bihar. He pursued higher education in Patna before moving to Mumbai to enter the entertainment industry in the early 1980s. His elder son, Adhyayan Suman, also works as an actor in Hindi cinema. The family lost his younger son Ayush in early childhood, an event Suman has spoken about in public interviews.
Career
Film
Suman made his Hindi film debut with Girish Karnad's Utsav (1984), an adaptation drawing on the Sanskrit play Mricchakatika, in which he played Charudatta opposite Rekha. He went on to appear in films across the 1980s and 1990s, often in supporting roles, including Tridev (1989) and Anubhav. In later years he has appeared in films such as Bhoot Uncle (2006), which he also produced, and Heyy Babyy (2007).
Television
Suman became a household name through television work in the 1980s and 1990s. He featured in serials including Dekh Bhai Dekh (1993) on DD National, where he played Sameer, a role that contributed significantly to his popular image as a comic actor. His other television credits include Reporter, Wagle Ki Duniya appearances and Andaz.
His most influential television contribution was as host of Movers and Shakers, a late-night celebrity chat show on Sony Entertainment Television that ran in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The show, modelled in part on Western late-night formats, combined topical satire, mimicry of politicians and film personalities, and celebrity interviews. He later returned with similar formats including Carry on Shekhar and Poll Khol.
Suman has also served as a judge on reality and comedy talent shows on Indian television, including Comedy Circus.
Theatre and music
He has performed in stage productions and has occasionally recorded as a singer, releasing ghazal-oriented albums.
Production
Through his banner, Suman has produced television and film content, including Bhoot Uncle (2006), in which his son Adhyayan also appeared.
Public life
Suman has periodically engaged with politics. He contested the 2009 Indian general election from the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha constituency on a Indian National Congress ticket but was unsuccessful, with the seat being won by Shatrughan Sinha of the Bharatiya Janata Party. He has at various points commented publicly on social and political issues through television and print media.
He was among the public figures who actively raised questions in the media regarding the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in 2020, leading a sustained campaign for further investigation.
Awards and recognition
Suman has received several Indian Television Academy Awards and Indian Telly Awards for his work as a host, particularly for Movers and Shakers, which is frequently cited as a landmark in Indian late-night television.
Timeline
- 1962: Born in Patna, Bihar.
- 1984: Film debut in Utsav.
- 1989: Appears in Tridev.
- 1993: Stars in Dekh Bhai Dekh on Doordarshan.
- Late 1990s–early 2000s: Hosts Movers and Shakers on Sony TV.
- 2006: Produces and acts in Bhoot Uncle.
- 2009: Contests Lok Sabha election from Patna Sahib on a Congress ticket.
- 2020 onward: Active in public commentary on entertainment industry issues.
Significance
Shekhar Suman is regarded as one of the early Indian television personalities to successfully adapt the late-night satirical chat-show format for a Hindi-speaking audience. His work on Movers and Shakers influenced subsequent celebrity-interview and political-satire programming on Indian general entertainment channels.