Television has increasingly become a space where personalities from different fields are stepping beyond their established identities. From cricketers such as Rohit Sharma to Bollywood actors including Ajay Devgn, familiar faces are taking on hosting roles in formats that allow audiences to see them in a different light.
Sony Entertainment Television has a range of shows across genres, including Kaun Banega Crorepati, Indian Idol, India’s Best Dancer, Shark Tank India and the recently introduced Indian Game Show. The network has also brought personalities from outside traditional television hosting into its programming, with Rohit Sharma hosting Family Full House and Ajay Devgn associated with Crime Patrol.
But what makes audiences respond to these combinations, and has the person hosting a show become as important as the format itself? In an exclusive chat with India TV, a spokesperson for Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) shared the network’s perspective on the growing appeal of celebrity-led television.
Why familiar faces from different fields are finding a place on television
Explaining why audiences connect with personalities they already know, the SPNI spokesperson said familiarity gives viewers an initial point of connection. However, the appeal goes beyond simply seeing a known face in a new setting.
“Viewers today already have an existing relationship with personalities they follow through films, sport or popular culture. That relationship creates familiarity, which can be a powerful starting point for a new format. But what makes the cross-pollination interesting is what happens beyond familiarity. When you put a celebrity in an unexpected environment, audiences get to discover a different facet of someone they thought they already knew,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson cited Rohit Sharma’s association with Family Full House as an example. While audiences have followed the cricketer for his performances on the field, the television format offers an opportunity to see another side of him.
“Our recent association with Rohit Sharma is a key example. Audiences know him through cricket, but seeing him in a family-friendly entertainment format allows them to experience a different side of him. His humour, his relationship with people, his spontaneity and, importantly, his ability to connect with families,” the spokesperson added.
For the network, the idea is not simply to bring a celebrity on board but to understand what that person can add to the programme and the viewing experience.
“So for us, it’s about asking what new experience can this personality create within this format? The personality can create the moment; the moment can become an experience; and if that experience resonates, it can create fandom and conversation around the show,” the spokesperson said.
Are celebrity hosts becoming as important as the format?
With television networks experimenting with established names across genres, another question is whether a host’s identity and public image now carry as much weight as the format of a show. According to SPNI, the two work together, with a host bringing individual qualities that can shape how viewers experience a programme.
“The format gives you the skeleton, but the personality brings their own world into that format with their humour, credibility, cultural references, relationships and a certain way of connecting with viewers. The right personality can therefore become part of the proposition itself,” the spokesperson explained.
The network’s approach, the spokesperson said, involves placing personalities in settings different from those audiences usually associate with them. Their presence can influence how an existing format is received, provided there is a clear connection between the person and the show.
Citing Ajay Devgn’s association with Crime Patrol, the spokesperson said his presence brought a particular sense of credibility to the awareness-led franchise. Rohit Sharma’s Family Full House, meanwhile, combines the cricketer’s sporting identity with a format centred on families and shared moments.
“Ajay Devgn and Crime Patrol is one example. His association with the genre brought a particular sense of credibility and trust to an awareness-led franchise. With Rohit Sharma and Family Full House, the proposition is very different. We’re bringing together his world of sport and entertainment with a format built around families and shared moments. And that’s really where we see the opportunity: not simply using a celebrity to host a format, but allowing that personality to influence the experience of the format and vice versa,” the spokesperson added.
Ultimately, the network believes the success of such a pairing depends on whether it creates a lasting connection with viewers. “The ultimate test is whether the personality creates moments people want to remember, an experience they want to participate in, and conversations they want to continue after the show ends,” the spokesperson said.
For SPNI, the opportunity lies in allowing the personality and the format to influence each other, rather than treating the celebrity as just the face of a programme.
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