Sanjeev is a comedian, actor, presenter and writer who first reached our screens in sketch show Goodness Gracious Me. He won an entirely new audience as the host of The Kumars At No 42 and has appeared in films including The Guru and Anita And Me, as well as an acclaimed documentary series that saw him explore his family origins in India and modern-day Pakistan.

After being made an OBE in 2005, he has gone on to make his musical-theatre debut in Monty Python’s Spamalot and written and starred in ITV sitcom Mumbai Calling. In February he was appointed the University Of Sussex’s new chancellor.

Do you remember the first record you bought? What was it, and where did you buy it?

My first single was Kung Fu Fighting by Carl Douglas and the first album was Moody Blue by Elvis Presley, both bought at a tiny record shop about a 100 yards from where I lived in West London [Sanjeev was brought up in Ealing]. I’d walked by this shop, staring at the Top 40 chart pasted in the window for years, but it took us a long time to be able to afford a record player.

Tell us about any guilty pleasures lurking in your CD or film collections. Something you know is a bit naff but you can’t help yourself...

As a big Elvis fan, I have most of his films on DVD. Some of them are pretty good – the first four films and King Creole in particular. But there are some seriously crappy ones that he made in the mid-1960s, notably Harum Scarum – oh dear, oh dear. But hey, it’s still Elvis and he still looks cool.

Is there a TV programme you couldn’t you live without?

Frasier. The writing and characters were consistently brilliant over a decade. M.A.S.H. proved you could combine humour and great drama in 22 minutes. But since they’re on the Paramount comedy channel and I have them on DVD I don’t have to live without them.

As for things that are more contemporary, Harry Hill and Family Guy always throw out a couple of gems.

Is there a song or individual piece of music you always come back to?

Lots of Mozart (Amadeus is a fabulous film), particularly Piano Concerto Number 21, there’s sheer beauty in its simplicity. Also Waters Of March by Sarah McCorkle – a song about lists of moments in life, which encapsulates my philosophy about life being stepping stones. And Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life which as a lesson has held me in pretty good stead.

How about a favourite film?

It’s a difficult question as I love films, but among the best would have to be Some Like It Hot... funny, great music, jeopardy, it has it all. Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon are superb, Marilyn Monroe was never sexier and it has the best last line of any film ever. As film spectacle, Lawrence Of Arabia is hard to beat and, for out-and-out great satire, Life Of Brian still holds my attention every single time.

What are you reading at the moment?

Dreams And Nightmares by Bob McCabe. It’s an on-set diary of Terry Gilliam’s trials and tribulations while directing The Brothers Grimm. I’m drawn to a lot of biography-type books at the moment.

Do you have a favourite album?

Probably The White Album by The Beatles. Best band ever! The range and confidence of their talents come together (no pun intended) in a fusion of surrealism, musical invention and storytelling. I’m still amazed they were only around for about eight years.

Is there a live music or theatre experience that stays in your memory?

My theatre experience has to be performing in Monty Python’s Spamalot. I’d never done a musical before, so I was petrified at the prospect of singing and dancing eight times a week. The material was a joy, the songs incredibly catchy and the rest of the cast, from directors down to the ensemble, a total joy to work with. It’s one of the best jobs I will ever have.

My most memorable gig was seeing Bruce Springsteen in concert at Sydney Cricket Ground. The tickets were arranged and I ended up sitting about ten rows from the front. There was no flashy stage show, no shiny, all-tooting set. Just a guy singing his guts out like he meant it.