Slow, Soothing and Soulful!

Yes, this is about The Slow Interview with Neelesh Misra. I chanced upon it recently even though it has been around for the last few years. When one encounters a tsunami of online content, this comes as a serene island where weary sailors can take a breath and relish the scenery. The metaphor could not have been more apt as these interviews are often conducted in the sprawling outdoors of Misra's home set in a village near Lucknow. Featuring celebrities from different fields, the interviews not only introduce viewers to a never-before-seen side of the interviewee, but also treat them to an alluring audio-visual delight.

The interviews are more like a conversation between friends and not in a standard question-answer format. There is no grand entry by the host and no formal introduction of the guest. Instead, the dialogue could start with "kaisa lag raha hai?" or "Kya chal raha hai mann mein?" Most of the talking is in colloquial Hindi. As the title of the series suggests, the tone of the interview is laid back. The host and the guest could be sitting on a culvert amidst lush green fields, or at a stone picnic table, or on wrought iron garden furniture or they could even be standing on the terrace. The camera lovingly lingers on squirrels, rabbits, birds, goats, cows and peacocks that are very much a part of the rural milieu. Sometimes Misra walks with his guest to Bharatiya Gramin Vidyalaya, a school founded by his parents more than fifty years ago. The casual chat between his parents and the guest is very interesting and enjoyable. Also, everything about the show makes one long for simple, basic and uncluttered life.

What makes the Slow Interviews so special is the fact that Misra is a very good listener. He asks short questions and waits. The pauses allow the guests to reflect on their thoughts. Many a guest have confessed that they have never said the kind of things about themselves anywhere else as they have in the Slow interview. The rural setting, the open air surroundings and the genial Misra lending a patient ear turn the interview into a therapeutic experience for the guests (as some of them have admitted) as well as for the viewers. Misra makes it a point to ask the guests about their parents, their lives before they became what they are now, and the kind of bringing up they had...almost tracing their personal and career path from the past to the present. Guests have talked about their fears, their insecurities, their adolescent romances, their failures, and their teachers/role models...all thanks to Misra's friendly demeanour and non-judgemental approach. His unique style brings out the best from the guests and viewers start making an emotional connect with the guests' life stories.  

I have watched several Slow Interviews and enjoyed all of them, but did not discuss any specific interview here as that will make this post very long! Instead, I will leave it to those who are interested to find for themselves who and what appeals to them in this series of interviews. Hope to see many more guests getting featured here!  

Misra has donned various hats in his illustrious career. He has been a journalist, lyricist for Hindi films, scriptwriter, radio storyteller and author. The Slow Interview series is available on Youtube.