He loves the local kabadiwalla, and can recycle almost anything; creating robots from tyres, animals from wires and palaces from cardboard paper. ROB — that’s his name — is iconic on TV channel Pogo, whose Music. Art. Dance. a.k.a. M.A.D. is one of the longest-running shows on any Indian children’s channel. At the moment, not surprisingly, Rob is completely immersed in planning the show’s seventh season, as he tells Abhilasha Ojha.
I always wondered what your home was like. Is it littered with stuff that people otherwise prefer to throw away?
(Laughs) Not really. Thanks to the channel, I have my own studio where I end up doing all my work and so, thankfully, my home is spared. It’s actually a wonderful studio where I think and experiment to come up with interesting stuff for the show.
The show has been immensely successful. Did you ever think you could have scripted such a success story?
Honestly, no. I knew for a fact that it would be an interesting show because the channel gave me a lot of independence and allowed me to do my own thing. That made a huge difference, and gradually it just kept moving from strength to strength.
I got many positive comments in the beginning and soon we realised that we had a winner on our hands.
How is it that you’re able to keep introducing interesting new craft sessions?
It’s obviously not as easy as it looks on television. For each episode, we cull some DIY tricks, edit episodes so as to fit in two or three interesting segments and make the show truly engaging. But, I suppose, since experimenting with art and craft works is something I really love, I do manage to engage my viewers every time.
Did you ever think that you could actually carve out a career for yourself with tyres, cardboard and other items that people consider trash?
(Laughs) I don’t think so, but I was very lucky to have very supportive parents who believed in my dreams. As a kid, I used to fool around with materials and create a lot of stuff with — and for — my cousins. But when I grew up, my interest continued to develop and I realised that I was very keen to have a career in the field of art. I have been constantly driven by my passion for art.
Okay, tell us about the new format of M.A.D.
I’m thrilled that we have a brand new season. This time around, viewers will get to see a lot of new art techniques and methods as well as a brand new segment on dance and music. We also have a new co-host called Rumana, who will introduce children to some intriguing dance forms from all over the world. That will also have the M.A.D. touch.
