"I blindly trust my CA"

Money. That's what drives everyone in the final analysis, whether in the glamour world of acting or the hard grind of scripting and producing. Cashin' In sits down with TV celebs to know well they handle their financial matters, and tracks their spending patterns. Suresh Menon is quite a character on screen. He is known to churn out wisecracks at the drop of a hat...but don't be duped by his funny disposition, the man keeps a keen eye on his finances! The most wanted gagster of Star One's The Great Indian Comedy Show cannot be tagged a miser but it's intelligent investments that keep him afloat! Riya V Anandwala chats up Suresh Menon in what is perhaps the actor's most serious interview ever! How do you handle your money? I invest only in mutual funds. Earlier I used to invest a lot in fixed deposits, but now they have lost their charm. It offers very low rate of interest, before it used to give nine percent interest per annum. Mutual funds are very beneficial that way. What about other investments? Well, I don't invest in real estate because I need to have something to invest (laughs). So I just stick to one. Property, yes, my house. I bought it for Rs 4.5 million. What about gold? Gold? I just have a gold chain given by my mom and a wedding ring, of course by my wife. How do you plan your life financially? Well, I have my CA who looks after everything. And I trust him blindly as he is my childhood friend. He knows me since I was a pauper. Do you blow a lot of money on yourself? Oh! Not at all. If you see me someday on the road, you will find me the worst dressed person around. Other than that, I spend on my cell phone and petrol. I don't spend loads on eating out, but yes, I like to go for movies and quiet dinners. And what about insurance? What all has been insured? I believe in life insurance. And other than that, vehicle should always be insured. So my car and my family are insured, which includes me too. Who is the benificiary of your insurance? Of course my wife How do you deal with your tax? The best way is to invest a lot, so that the money gets deducted automatically. And that's when mutual funds are really advantageous. But, I don't understand one thing, where does the money go? I have been trying to figure this out. How did you manage the tax when you got your first assignment? Well, that time too it was not a problem, because of my CA friend. Which car do you own and is it on loan?/ I own a Skoda and Chevrolet. And obviously they are on loan. Has loan ever been a problem for you? No it hasn't. One should always be very careful about it. I buy what I can afford to. How are you by nature when it comes to finances? You must be aware of how South Indians are, conservative (laughs). Do you bank on any other profession than acting? I too am trying to figure that out (laughs). Well, jokes apart, I was into marketing prior to this. I don't time to do anything else, but yes I can fall back on marketing. As this line is very uncertain, one should be prepared for the worst. Are you a part of share business? I don't believe in risking my money, so no share business for me. No playing with money!