Shabbeer Ahmed MS, the first RJ of FM Rainbow(AIR) who is now turned Author with his new book “Djinns & Kings- The Curse of Zoa” which belongs to the Fantasy fiction genre.
Shabbeer is a qualified engineer who turned a professional MC and RJ and now has forayed into an all new territory: Fiction fused with fantasy. His debut novel keeps readers engaged with a mix of multidimensional characters. The imagined world might seem fantastical but his writing ensures a grounded connect with the readers. The narrative is woven around characters who feel real and relatable, inviting the indulgence of even those who aren’t too keen on the fantasy genre.
Shabbeer’s literary universe is populated by djinn factions, perilous journeys and thrills. The magical interplay of love, heroism, responsibilities and duties in an imaginative landscape is designed to keep the readers hooked. The mysterious murder of Zoa, a magical aquatic creature in a factional djinn battle and Zoa’s curse just before its death sets the context.
Before his literary foray, Shabbeer had cemented his compering credentials 13 years ago as one amongst the most sought after MC for reputed entertainment and sporting events includin the likes of ICC Cricket World Cup. He had employed an engaging, interactive style, donning the MC’s hat for many big ticket events. Over the last two decades, he has hosted over a thousand corporate shows transcending genres.
“It was during those struggling days of travelling in a public bus to host housie-housie (Lousy-lousy as I called it) that I was approached to host a beauty pageant and the winner of the beauty pageant would be awarded by the Bollywood star, Bipasha Basu. It was my first big event, the event progressed smoothly and a winner was selected. I had to announce the name of the former beauty queen who along with Bipasha would crown the winner. I got the name of the former beauty queen wrong. She was aghast and refused to come on stage. Finally when she did come, she snatched the mic from my hand and announced her correct name. The dignitaries gave an embarrassed laugh, and I joined in and said ‘Trust me to get your name wrong, when I looked into your eyes, I forgot everything including my name…. you can call me Bipasha.’ It was lame but everyone burst out laughing, Bipasha smiled at me. It gave me a lot of confidence and I did not fear goofing up anymore. I am not embarrassed to say that over 20 years of hosting events I have gleefully goofed up more times than I even care to remember. I have always taken it as an opportunity to quip and add a dash of humour.”
“I am grateful to be an event host, I have lasted 20-odd years and still counting. To begin with, being an event host is a risky profession. When I discussed being an event host as a career choice with my family and friends, they discouraged me from actively pursuing it. It is fine to choose a career in media like radio and television, where you would get your monthly pay cheques but to work as an event host means you get paid for the day you worked. There is no guarantee for the next day and you are as good as your last event. Which means, you must constantly and consistently deliver. It is stressful sometimes because you always must constantly reinvent yourself and come up with new ideas to entertain and hold the audience’s attention. A good MC must be versatile enough to host various genres of events that span, product launches, award ceremonies, cultural, conferences and even weddings. Each event sphere is vast and requires different levels of skill sets and expertise.”
Read the full story that first appeared in Our Bangalore dated Jun 8-Jun14 here:
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