Actor and host Vighnesh Pandey, rose to fame by hosting the show “The Happy Hour”. A few know that acting or hosting was not his first career choice, it was ventriloquism.
Vighnesh’s puppet Anna is quite popular. In an interview with BT he talks about ventriloquism and shares, “I decided to take up ventriloquism only as a hobby in my first year of college and back then I wasn’t much of a fan of show business. My father and my brother are ventriloquists and we had been through a lot of ups and downs in life, I always wanted to make a stable career. Despite this, I decided to give ventriloquism a shot. My first paid show was a flop show, I went as my father’s substitute and came back disappointed. I thought the profession wasn’t for me,” Vighnesh tells IANS.
The actor adds: “I had nearly decided to stop pursuing this art until my father got a call from the same event planner whose show had flopped, asking if I was available for another show. He said the show was a hit and the audience loved watching me! That’s how my journey of ventriloquism began.”
Talking about Anna, he shared, “When a lot of women-related issues were given light, that’s when Anna, the female character, was born. Initially, my organisers or clients hinted to not put her on stage but I was keen on having a female character who would speak about relevant issues and not shy away from them. I made videos with her online and before I knew she was famous. Ever since, the journey hasn’t been harsh. People love Anna and Vighnesh’s arguments and I owe a lot to her. Like they say, behind every successful man, there is a woman!” he sums up with a smile.
