How MJ Rakesh, the Mic Jockey weaves his magic at Pro Kabaddi matches

Watching a sporting event at home is an entertaining way to spend one’s evening but watching the said sports, in-person is an unmatched experience. The thrill of the match is enhanced by the cheers of the crowd, the passion running in everyone’s veins makes the atmosphere charged.Hosts and match entertainers like MJ Rakesh create this phenomenon at every match; and let us let you in on a little secret- many times he is the one who works his magic to keep the match alive and the spectators happy.

MJ Rakesh has been hosting the Pro Kabbadi League for 6 seasons. All sports-loving Indians tune-in to watch ProKabbadi and have surely seen how he keeps the spectators at home and in the stadium hooked to the game. With his captivating presence and welcoming personality, he has mastered the art of audience interaction. We were very intrigued by his talents… how does one keep such a large audience entertained without interfering with their match viewing experience? Does it get tiring or does it come naturally? We had a lot of such questions and by a stroke of luck, we were able to secure a conversation with the man himself and sate our curiosities.

Read on to find excerpts from our interview with MJ Rakesh

You’ve been hosting the IndiaVivo Pro Kabbadi for a long time and even hosted the Kabbadi World Cup in Ahmedabad! Is the match entertainer role, a routine now? Or does it retain the thrill you felt when you first started?

Oh, it can never feel like a simple-old-routine. The game is never the same twice. Our boys always leave us on the edge of our seats. And apart from the game itself, it’s an absolute sea of people who come to watch these matches - and every time it’s new faces! So every match I host is like a first match all over again, because everything is new every time! I think the only thing that has changed for me - when it comes to hosting and entertaining- is my confidence. It’s years of experience now, so I am little more self-assured but nonetheless, it’s far from feeling like a routine.

You have to interact with the crowd, be in front of the camera and also be there for the players. How do you manage all of this in the limited time frame of the game?

 It’s a hustle but a hustle I love! I won’t reveal all my hosting secrets (chuckles) but it’s all about timing. You have to identify the different spaces in a match, is there a lull in the match? Did something out of the box just happen? Should I shed more light on the happenings for our viewers at home? I need to stay attentive, but hey, I won’t complain about getting to watch my favourite game! It’s all in the timing and you have to catch the pulse of what is going on and act accordingly.

Well, you catch the pulse every time! Speaking of your favourite game, how was the Bigg Boss Kannada - Kabbadi experience!

 If there was a highlight reel of my life, that would surely be there! No but, it was so touching that they organised a Kabbadi match with me in mind. I was actually missing from the Pro Kabbadi season at the time because I was on Bigg Boss and I missed hosting so much, so the “Bigg Boss Kannada Kabbadi experience” is now a fond memory for me.

 In it’s 6-7 seasons, Pro Kabbadi matches have had a plethora of celebrity spectators, whom you have interviewed on the mat. What is experience with them like?

 It’s always been a lovely experience with them. Hritik Roshan, Sunny Leone, Irfan Khan, Venkatesh, Sudeep, Rishabh Shetty are the ones off the top of my mind. Oh, and Abhishek (Bachhan)! He’s always there to support his Jaipur Pink Panthers. It’s been an incredible experience full of laughs and a good pinch of feeling starstruck.

 What’s your biggest takeaway from your experience?

 I’d say that the most heartwarming thing that I have learnt is that people have big hearts. It’s such a simple but profound discovery. Everyone you see at the matches is full of so much sincerity, the players want to put on a great show, the crowd is sitting intently and supporting their teams and I am here to pump energy into the stadium and make people happy. Everyone is here to enjoy and I even came up with a new gag to make the audience feel more included! I do a “Kabbadi Rap” where the audience chants Kabbadi and I fill in the lyrics. I localise my lyrics to reference the places I am in and pay homage to the city and it always leaves everyone in splits and smiles. Kabbadi matches bring everyone together in inexplicable ways and I am so happy I get to be a part of this magic. I owe it to DNA Entertainment Networks & Star Sports for believing in me and putting me on that stage.