For Maniesh Paul, his birthday becomes special when he can do something for the people around him. A couple of years ago, TV’s popular host brought in his birthday at an old-age home in Gurgaon by spending time with them and gifting them necessary items. One year, he was at a Gurudwara where he served as a volunteer serving langar that day. This time, since the Sultan of Stage, as he is called by his fans, would be in Singapore on a holiday with his family, he decided to celebrate his big day in advance. As he has a huge following among kids, thanks to his show Science of Stupid, Maniesh decided to celebrate it with children.
On July 31, the actor took around 40 underprivileged children from an NGO to an entertainment hub where he played with them and treated them with goodies. “I feel good spending time with as many people as I can, and I always want to do something special on my birthday. This year, the idea came from the NGO, who got in touch with me and I was more than willing. Kids really like me, touch wood. My show Science of Stupid was quite a hit with them,” says Maniesh, who played cricket and video games with the children.
And for once, the host found himself on the other side of the spectrum with the kids questioning him non-stop. “They were really chatty and wanted to know all kinds of things about me,” laughs Maniesh, adding, “They asked me how I was as a kid, did I play pranks, how was I as a student, etc. One kid wanted to know about my journey from Delhi to Mumbai! I told him, 'Look at your size and look at your question’. I was impressed that they knew so much about me. I even questioned the teachers if they had prepared them, but I was told, the children were excited to ask. I had a wonderful time with them,” he says.
When asked about his holiday plans, Maniesh said his wife Sanyukta was keen that he take a couple of days off. “It is a short holiday and I know my wife has planned surprises for me. Even my daughter, Saisha, has been giving me a small gift daily since the past 15 days. She plays treasure hunt and after I solve a clue, I get a gift. I do that for my wife every year and she has taken it from there. My cousin from Singapore told me she called him and has planned something there, too, and I look forward to it,” smiles the actor, signing off.
