Don't label India as tolerant, intolerant: Actor-comedian Cyrus Sahukar

Actor-comedian Cyrus Sahukar believes it's not right to label India as all kinds of people -- intolerant and tolerant -- are part of its multi-cultural set-up.

The video jockey-turned-actor, who is headed to the small screen with a new comedy TV show "Challenge Accepted", told IANS: "How can they say that India is intolerant? India is so varied...there are so many sub-Indias in the country. It is a large country. There are highly intolerant people in India, but there are tolerant people as well who react strongly against absurd comments."

Multiple Bollywood celebrities got embroiled in the 'intolerance' debate when they expressed their views.

Commenting on the 'intolerance' issue, Cyrus said: "There is a group of intolerant people, but there is also rebellion to that. Nobody can label India as an intolerant country as it is a wide country with different castes, views, beliefs. So, it is difficult to say that it is an intolerant country."

On the professional front, Cyrus, who made a name for himself as an actor, theatre artiste and a comedian, will be seen throwing challenges to contestants in his new show, which will air on Comedy Central channel from Saturday.

Cyrus, who has also featured in Bollywood films like "Rang De Basanti", "Delhi-6", "Aisha" and "Khoobsurat", shares that one of the things that attracted him towards the show was the fun element.

"It is a very fun idea because the concept of the show is that there are five comedians and we get them to do the most awkward and embarrassing things. But the catch is that they have to get away with it... Through an in-ear, I tell them exactly where they have to go and how they have to do something and what they have to say.

"I never really had so many people listening to me so it is fantastic fantasy of the whole world listening to you, plus I think it is fun to see how it turns out, it is improvisational and it is quite a lovely experience," said Cyrus in a lighter vein.

Asked about the list of bizarre things that he asks the contestants to do, he said: "All the things that we tell them to do is in real realm. The simplest of things are the most bizarre."