Reality Shows In India: January 2010

Saturday, January 30, 2010

Reality TV helps experiment

TV actor Ali Asgar, who shares screen space with Abhishek Bachchan in game show National Bingo Night, clarifies that he is not the host of the show. He says he is more like an entertaining element who comes on stage in various avatars.

"I can't really define my role in Bingo. I'm not really a host I am more of a entertainment element. You will see me interacting with the host and with the audience. I have been termed as Bingo Buddy by Abhishek Bachchan," Ali said.

"Bachchans are the first family of Indian cinema. I have been fortunate to work with Amitabh ji, Ashwarya and now Abhishek too. It gives me a high to be associated with them."

Ali says Abhishek never throws any tantrums on the sets. "Abhishek is a gem of a person, very down to earth. I did not have any attitude problems working with him. I feel comfortable working as he gives me freedom to share the stage. Not many actors are willing to do that," he said.

Commenting on the format of the show, Ali said: "Every individual's life has become stressful. Even while asleep we are stressed. The concept of the show is very relaxing and entertaining. We have tried to make it a task for everybody who wants to play. May that be the contestants, the studio audience or the audience sitting at home. Everybody can be a part of the show and they don't have to take much pain. It is total paisa vasool show."

The actor, who became a known name by working in soaps like Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii, feels reality shows give more space and freedom to an actor to experiment.

"After Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii I tried to explore my dimensions. I gained popularity from fiction shows, but I have realised reality shows give a lot of freedom. We don't have to be calculating and it is more fun. Winning Comedy Circus acted as a benchmark to showcase the funny side of my personality," he said.

Ali is currently doing National Bingo Night, comedy show FIR and Farah Khan's movie Tees Maar Khan.

Bingo: Abhishek pips Salman, Akshay in debut TRP war

Amitabh Bachchan wouldn’t mind losing this one. His son, Abhishek, who made his television debut on Colors, has managed the highest television viewership rating for any celebrity show with National Bingo Night.

The show has got a rating of 5.1, much more than the first episode of Bigg Boss (also on Colors a couple of months earlier) that the senior Bachchan hosted. In the process, Abhishek has outperformed the other celebrities as well — Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar, Salman Khan, et al. The ratings have been given by TV rating agency TAM Media Research.

But, the jury is out on whether National Bingo Night will be able to sustain its ratings. Experts feel weeks of hype created around the show has helped the initial rating. Also, the illustrious father can claim some credit. Amitabh Bachchan was the first participant at the show and came up with one of his best performances.

Celebrity	Programme	Year	TVR
Abhishek Bachchan	National Bingo Night	2010	5.1
Amitabh Bachchan	Bigg Boss 3	2009	4.6
Shah Rukh Khan	Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain	2008	4.6
Akshay Kumar	Khatron Ke Khiladi 2	2009	4.4
Rakhi Sawant	Rakhi Ka Swayamvar	2009	4.1
Shilpa Shetty	Bigg Boss 2	2008	2.5
Salman Khan	Das Ka Dum	2009	2.2

Amitabh also promoted the show big time during the finale of Bigg Boss 3. Big B called his son from the TV studio and asked him what classes he was organising. That’s how the viewers were introduced to the show after almost a month’s promotion running across the out-of-home media talking about ‘Abhishek’s Aarami Classes’.

“With the success of Paa, the father-son duo have been top of the mind for audiences. This has helped the show’s ratings. Colors has done a smart thing by capitalising on the show at the right time. Also the format is new. All these factors have helped in record ratings,” said Shubha George, MD, MediaEdge.

The show is based on an international format called Bingo and owned by Fox Television Studio. Here, not just the studio contestants, but also the studio audiences and television viewers can play. While the contestant plays in-studio games based on game ball numbers, the studio audiences predict the numbers and try to match these with their tickets. No special skills are required to bag prizes.

Ashvini Yardi, Programming Head, Colors, said: “There was a huge wave of interest amongst the viewers to play the game of Bingo with Abhishek. The format of the show is so simple, the ease with which Abhishek conducts the game and the Saturday 9 pm time slot is all so perfect, that it gives the entire family a chance to sit and play together, enjoy and win prizes.”

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Talking point with manish goel

The small screen star makes a comeback as a reality show host on Star Plus’ Mahayatra

Your show Mahayatra is positioned as a very different reality show. Can you tell us a bit about it?
Mahayatra has a very unique concept in that unlike most other reality shows, there is no singing or dancing or comedy, certainly no judges and SMS voting. It is based on the mythological tale of the ideal son Shravan, who was taking his parents on a pilgrimage of the four holy centres of Puri, Rameswaram, Dwarka and Badrinath — the four dhams— before his life, and mission, were cut short by King Dashratha. We’re trying to reignite that kind of filial devotion. We have on our show four young people who’ve sworn to take their parents on this pilgrimage and we’ll be following their trials and tribulations.

If there are no judges and no SMS voting, who decides which contestant stays and which one leaves? Where does the drama come in?
Since this is a pilgrimage-based show, we’ve literally left things to God. Before arriving at any of the four dhams, the contestants have to pass a number of difficult tests and solve many problems. We give them many chances, but ultimately, we leave it to destiny. The person who’s left behind or fails to complete the tasks, will have to leave the show. As for the drama, these are very real people who’re uninhibited in front of the camera. They’re not afraid to show their real emotions and if they feel like singing or dancing or crying, they’ll do just that.

Shreya Ghoshal on Mahayatra

Shreya Ghoshal will be interacting with contestants on the first episode of Star Plus’ Mahayatra…

Shreya Ghoshal, the sweet singer with a mellifluous voice, will be there to encourage the participants of Star Plus' reality show Mahayatra.

According to our source, "Shreya has such a voice that if she sings requesting the gods to land on earth, they will appear for her. Therefore on such a religious show, it is perfectly suited for Shreya to make an appearance."

The source adds, "Shreya will make an entry when the contestants are doing a Maha arti of Lord of all the beginnings – Lord Ganesh. The contestants will surely get a pleasantly surprised at that."

The source further tells us, "Shreya would be wishing the contestants good luck for the journey they are going to undertake. The contestants and host Manish Goyel along with Shreya will then proceed for the sthanpana of Sri Ganesh."

Mahayatra- Risshton Ka Anokha Safar to scout for ‘Modern Shravan Kumars’

Testing the commitment and dedication of 12 youngsters hailing from various parts of India to take their parents on a ‘’dream pilgrimage’’ will be ‘Mahayatra- Risshton Ka Anokha Safar’, a new reality show on Star Plus beginning tomorrow.

To be anchored by famous television actor Manish Goyal, 'Mahayatra', will be aired from Monday to Friday at 1900 hrs, it will take the audience through the journey of 12 participants while they compete against each other to fulfil their parents' dream to visit the four ''dhaams'' and prove their love, dedication and supreme sacrifice towards their parents in a race to emerge as the 'Modern Sharavan Kumar'.

'Mahayatra-Rishton Ka Anokha Safar' will have 12 teams comprising three family members each (son or daughter with their parents or parents-in-law) embarking on an exciting journey covering 25 key religious shrines across India as each of the child attempting to fulfil their parents' dream to visit the Chaar Dhaam.

In course of the visit of the contestants to the religious pilgrimages, they will be visited by celebrities from the world of music, films and television.

Infact, the very first episode of the show tomorrow will have Bollywood singing diva Shreya Ghoshal visit the contestants on the sets of 'Mahayatra' to lend them support and give them her best wishes.

After the ''Chaar Dhaam Yatra'', not only will the contestants have earned good for their next life but also would have pocketed good prize money - a whopping one crore as a reward for their dedication and love for their parents.

The show will also offer viewers the opportunity to witness pujas and mahaartis performed at the largest shrines in our country form the comfort of their homes.

Rakhi gets rid of her breast implants

Known for her antics both on the screen and off it, actress and reality show star Rakhi Sawant is in the limelight again, this time for the hot new look she’s sporting in her latest videos with rapper Ishq Bector.

And while her chiselled features and toned stomach has given rise to speculation of her going under the knife yet again, Rakhi has a different story to tell. The actress claims that not only is she “100% natural”, she has even gotten rid of the breast implants she got when she started her career.

“I had got a breast enhancement surgery at the beginning of my career — for glamour and because people suggested that I should. But I’ve removed them (the implants) now because they used to cause discomfort while dancing and even sleeping,” she says, adding, “Abhi mein totally normal aur natural hoon – na maine face ki surgery karayi hai, na aur kuch karaaya hai.”

While other actresses work on attaining a size zero figure all the time, Rakhi, who was labelled overweight during her last show, Pati, Patni aur Woh, says she can “turn size zero whenever I want”. “I did a hard workout for my videos with Ishq. I did power yoga and I got a size zero body for the time the video was being shot. I stopped eating and survived on juice. I was also size zero at the time Rakhi Ka Swayamvar was on. Whenever I have a project in hand, mein patli ho jaati hoon aur project khatm ho jaata hai toh mein normal khaana khaane lagti hoon.”

Rakhi, who is not on talking terms with her mother, says she will patch up is she goes in for another swayamvar, something she is extremely keen on. “Elesh (her ex beau) didn’t have the means to support himself, and was even in a debt of Rs 50 lakh. I had gone to marry him, but he wanted to use me and get publicity. Does he need a wife or a secretary? But this time, my mother will look for a groom for me. I will patch up with her for that. Main channel pe vishwaas karke dhokha kha chuki hoon ek baar.”

Rahul Mahajan gears up for swayamvar

Why did you get involved in selecting the finalist probable brides?

I fortunately didn’t have to sit through the initial processes. I only sat through the auditions of the top 60 girls out of 16,500 girls. And then, I took the profiles of the top 15 girls to my mother. She approved of them. That’s how they made it to the final list. I sat through the process because this marriage is a life altering decision for me.

You seem to have a liking for Bengali women. Five of the 15 participants are Bengalis.

I love their language and culture. It’s so rich. Their language sounds extremely sweet. They are educated girls. They’re into one art form or the other. But let me be honest, I didn’t choose them just because they are Bengali. Their personalities are such that I couldn’t have ignored them.

You were anxious before the auditions began.

(Smiles) Not anymore. Now, I am looking forward to tie the knot by the end of the next two months. I’ve already planned my honeymoon. Now, I just need my honey to realise that dream.

What’s the plan?

We’ll set off to a tropical place, with beaches and breeze. I would ideally not want her or me to carry mobile phones with us. Even laptops are banned on our honeymoon. It has to be a beautiful process of getting to know my life partner, better.

Your earlier relationship with Shweta Singh went kaput. Any lessons learnt?

No one would ever want his or her marriage to end. Mine ended for various reasons. But I’ve learnt to move on because you don’t stop because you failed. I know a few things that may not work with a woman. This time, I’d want to spend ample time setting up my grihasti with my lady-love. Ensure that she is always happy and renew my marriage vows every year with a honeymoon.

You’ll choose one out of the 15 girls. What about the remaining 14?

I admire the guts these girls have. The world will always remember that they wanted to marry me. They will all have to marry someone in life. I just wish that after the show, I stay in touch with them and become their friend for life. I’d be more than willing to help them.

Wouldn’t your wife be jealous, given that she competed with them to marry you?

You know, jealousy is something that connects girls faster than any other emotion. Even if you had two girls competing, they would both be jealous of each other. Here, I am dealing with 15.

What is it that you are looking for in your ideal partner?

She should have a dynamic personality. She should be able to outdo me in almost every respect. Defeat me, win me. I’m looking for an equal.

The audience, after the last season, felt cheated because Rakhi Sawant didn’t marry Elesh Parujanwala. Her engagement didn’t last either.

Rakhi and I are not related. She never promised to marry. I am. The finale will be replete with a detailled marriage ceremony, mangalsutra, sindoor and the pheras. I am not going to leave the girl stranded.

What about your mum and sister Poonam?

They are busy doing up my house. They want to welcome the new bride of the family into a furnished new house.

Have you asked for dowry yet?

(Laughs) I will accept everything that the channel gives me because they are the girl’s side. But ideally, I would accept her in a single joda. Her husband will get her the rest of her wardrobe.

Weren’t you allured to the show because of the big bucks?

No way. I was getting a chance to start my life afresh. The channel is arranging for us to fall in love and marry. What more could I ask for?

Have the girls been talking to you about your backstories?

They all have come to the show, knowing everything about me from before. The media had exploited all the happenings in my life for news. So, they don’t have those things to ask me.

Before the show was launched, you said that you would be consulting a pandit for the kundlis of these girls. What if he disapproves of the girl you choose?

The pandit is purely for consultation. I would still marry the girl of my choice, even if he doesn’t approve. I would weigh my feelings over astrological predictions. They can always go wrong. Your feelings never mislead you.

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Star Plus ready for 'Mahayatra' from 18 January

Even as "reality" continues to get a firm pat from the Hindi general entertainment
players for helping create just the right buzz needed to spread brand awareness, Star Plus is ready to launch yet another new reality show, come 18 January.

Star Plus, the flagship Hindi general entertainment channel from the Star stable, will launch Mahayatra…Rishton Ka Anokha Safar to replace Shraddha in the 7 pm slot. The show will be telecast from Monday to Friday.

Mahayatra is a religious adventure that will take the audiences through the journey of 12 participants while they compete against each other to fulfill their parents' dream to visit the four dhaams (pilgrim spots) and prove their love, dedication and sacrifice towards their parents.

Said Star India EVP marketing Anupam Vasudev, "Mahayatra promises to be the first of its kind reality show with a never-seen-before combination of adventure and spirituality. It aims at bringing to the fore the special bond that exists between a child and his parents and puts to test his commitment and dedication to fulfill his parents' ultimate dream."

Mahayatra-Rishton Ka Anokha Safar will have 12 teams, comprising of three family members each (son/daughter with their parents or parents-in-law), embark on a journey covering 25 key religious shrines across India as each of the children attempt to fulfill their parents' dream to visit the "Chaar Dhaam". After the "Chaar Dhaam Yatra", the winner will pocket Rs 10 million as prize money.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Shraddha to make way for Mahayatra

Shraddha which airs on Star Plus at the daily slot of 7 pm will end on January 15th; Mahayatra, the reality show with a novel concept starts 18th January at the same time slot.

Siddhanth Cinevision's Shraddha on Star Plus, which focused on the girl of the family being the only support to her old parents, in fulfilling their dream of getting a darshan of the 'Chaar Dham' did not live up to its expectations, and never got a decent rating ever since its launch.

As a result of this, Shraddha which launched on the auspicious day of Dussehra, on 28th September 2009 will be soon taken off air!!

According to our source, "Shraddha will end on 15th January 2010. And replacing it will be the much-anticipated reality show with a novelty, Mahayatra".

Well, the coincidence here is that, Mahayatra the reality show is also based on the concept of 12 doting sons taking their parents on a pilgrimage to the 'Chaar Dhaam'. The show will have an emotional connect with the audience as they will get to see the hurdles undertaken by the sons to fulfil their parents' wishes. The show will also witness various celebrities walking their way along with the 12 families. Manish Goel who was last seen in Zara Nachke Dikha will be seen hosting the show. Mahayatra is produced by Miditech.

Mahayatra launches on Star Plus on January 18th at the 7 pm slot and will be aired from Monday to Friday, the promos of which are already on air.

What happened to Ishmeet asks father

It's been almost two years since his son, reality show "Voice of India" winner Ishmeet Singh, died in suspicious circumstances in the Maldives, but Gurpinder Singh is still seeking justice from the authorities.

"Nothing has changed. I want the media to ask the CBI about what happened to Ishmeet's case. What actions are being taken to find the truth about his death? What did the CBI do? Why are they quiet? Why is no one asking them now?" said Gurpinder Singh.

He recently underwent past-life regression therapy on NDTV Imagine's show "Raaz...Pichhale Janam Ka" to find a connect with Ishmeet's death from his own past life. Ishmeet died at the age of 19 under mysterious circumstances in the Maldives. He had gone there for a performance, but drowned in a swimming pool at the Chaaya Island Dhonveli beach resort July 29, 2008.

Though his father approached Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to request a Criminal Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the death, he hasn't got a concrete response yet. Recently, when Gurpinder Singh underwent regression therapy on "Raaz...Picchale Janam Ka", he found that he had a son named Ishmeet in his last birth too - and even he used to sing.

Singh traced himself back to London somewhere during the 1930s. His name was Raunak Singh and he was a singer by profession.

"I saw Ishmeet in my last birth. We were from a well-to-do family. But due to one incident, he died at the age of 16. There was a point during the regression when I felt that I was being told that - 'You will have a son in the next life but he will live only till he's 19', and that's just what happened," said Singh.

"As a common man, I think that the pressure on the CBI is no longer there. They have just written it off as just any drowning case and are not following it up. They told me that whenever they will reach some conclusion about it, they will go to the media... But I want to ask them that it's been almost two years, what have you done?" he said.

Ishmeet's father on Raaz Pichhle Janam Ka

Losing his young son, famous and talented singer Ishmeet Singh at a very tender age has been a shock for Gurpinder Singh. The grief that he and his family experience is irrevocable. Upon learning about Raaz Pichhle Janam Ka, Gurpinder approached Imagine with the sheer intention to find out why this unfortunate incident knocked on the doors of his once happy family.

Our source from the sets informs, “During regression, Gurpinder traced himself back to London somewhere during the 1930’s. His name was Raunak Singh and was a singer by profession. He was married to a woman named Raj Kaur and the couple was childless for a long time. It was after a long wait that they were blessed with a beautiful baby boy whom they named Ishmeet.”

A shocking co-incidence as in this life too his only son was also named Ishmeet. He along with his wife Raj Kaur and son Ishmeet had gone for a holiday to a hill station when another tragedy struck them, shattering their lives forever.

A shocked Gurpinder said, “Ishmeet was our only child. He got our family a lot of fame and respect. Initially, I was apprehensive to undergo hypnosis. However, in the quest of seeking answers to the death of my son, I decided to participate on Raaz Picchle Janam Ka and approached Imagine on the same. What I saw during my hypnosis shook the core of my heart. I am now relieved and have accepted this as God’s will as was written in my destiny.”

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Reality show kid commits suicide in Mumbai

A 11-year old girl, who was a reality TV show participant, allegedly committed suicide at her home in Mumbai's Dombivali area on Monday.

According to police, the girl - Neha Sawant - wanted to participate more in the show but her parents were against it. Desperate, she allegedly committed suicide using a dupatta to hang herself.

The class VI student was a dance enthusiast and had attended TV reality show Boogie Woogie last year. Upset with her parents' decision to stop her from attending dance classes, Neha allegedly committed suicide.

Headlines Today spoke to well-known singer and reality show judge Shankar Mahadevan over the issue. He said that it was the drama involved in reality show competitions that is responsible for stress on the children.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Raaz Pichhle Janam Ka will be winding up this Friday, on 8th January

Do Hanson Ka Joda and Devi are the next two fiction shows that will launch on NDTV Imagine on January 18th...

NDTV Imagine's unique show on past life regression, Raaz Pichhle Janam Ka will be winding up this Friday, on 8th January. And with this, the vacant one hour slot will be taken over by two new fiction shows.

According to our source, "Do Hanson Ka Joda, produced by Rajshri Production will launch on January 18th at the 9.30 PM slot, while Shakuntalam Telefilms' Devi, based on a real life story will launch on the same day at the 10 PM slot".

"Raaz Pichhle Janam Ka's overall good response might force the channel to come up with a Season Two sooner or later. But as of now, the channel is looking forward to launching their next two promising fiction shows", adds our source.

Producer Kavita Barjatya confirmed that her show Do Hanson Ka Joda launches on 18th January at the 9.30 PM slot.

When contacted Producer of Devi, Shyamashis Bhattacharya said, "I have no clue about the time slot I will be getting. I have not got any confirmation from the channel. All I can say is that I will be happy with whatever time I get".

Do Hanson Ka Joda has Shaleen Bhanot, Shubangi Atre, Ali Merchant, Nupur Joshi, Vineet Raina as the principal cast. The show talks about the manner in which dream and reality can be very much different.

Devi is the tale of a girl who is considered divine from the day she is born. As reported earlier, Nimay Bali and Hemant Pandey are the known faces in the show.

Raaz Pichhle Janam Ka will be winding up this Friday, on 8th January

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Shows to watch in 2010

SEVEN
AYRF show, it is said to be India's first cutting-edge special effects, actionadventure show. Inspired by mythology, this visual extravaganza will see seven ordinary people from different parts of India with extraordinary powers fight the ultimate battle of good vs evil and save the world.

RAHUL DULHANIYA LE JAYEGA
The controversial Rahul Mahajan will search for his prospective bride in the second season of the swayamvar show. This time, the show will be called Rahul Dulhaniya Le Jayega. The suitor entries have far exceeded the ones that came for Rakhi Sawant. Moreover, Rahul himself is taking a keen interest in the audition process. He will only consider those prospective brides he has shortlisted. Hope he too doesn't develop cold feet like Rakhi did last year.

VISARJAN
This is an ambitious project by Tony and Deeya Singh, makers of Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi. Unlike Jassi... this one is male-centric revolving around two brothers. The plot is how the younger brother ditches the girl who is in love with him and the elder one marries her to save the family's reputation from being tarnished. Despite coaxing from the elder brother, the younger one still refuses to marry her. The story is set against the backdrop of the raj mahal tradition in Madhya Pradesh, with the same values and traditions. The elder brother is played by Anas Rashid who played the eldest Prithviraj Chauhan. The younger brother and the jilted girl (the female lead) are yet to be cast.

MAHAYATRA
How far can you go in order to take your parents on a pilgrimage? Twelve doting sons will get into the act. Manish Goel will host this reality show. We hear that reaching the destination is not going to be easy. There will be many hurdles along the way. As Karan Johar would say, it's all about loving your parents.

DO SAHELIYAAN
The plot of the show revolves around two best friends who belong to different communities of Rajasthan. Their friendship starts off on a strong note, but it slowly begins to disintegrate after the girls happen to get married on the same day. Due to some quirk of fate, their husbands get swapped. Yet, they remain trapped because the elders in their respective families (inlaws) are gravely ill and a marital discord will only endanger their lives. This creates further complications in their friendship and it begins to sour. The two characters are played by newcomer Ankita Srivastava and Sulagna Panigrahi who played the character of Dhaara in the show about conjoined twins, Ambar Dhara. Director Anubhav Sinha's wife, Ratna Sinha produces the show.

Ravi Kishan was Naga Sadhu in his past life

Shekhar Suman is all set to replace Ravi Kishaan as the host of unique reality show ‘Raaz...Pichhle Janam Ka’, for one episode which will see the official host Ravi Kishan undergoing past life regression therapy with the help of therapist Trupti Jayin.

As rumours have it, it is revealed that Ravi was a Naga Sadhu in Manali during the 1890’s. His parents had forced him to marry against his will at a very young age.
The show will telecast on Monday, Jan 4.

Ravi Kishan was Naga Sadhu in his past life

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Shekhar Suman to replace Ravi Kishaan

Well-known TV actor Shekhar Suman is set to replace Bhojpuri star Ravi Kishaan as the host of unique reality show Raaz...Pichhle Janam Ka, but only for one episode.

The special episode, which will feature Ravi undergoing past life regression therapy with the help of therapist Trupti Jayin, will be telecast Monday on NDTV Imagine.

While Shekhar has already undergone it on the show, Ravi had been waiting to get a first-hand experience of the therapy that helps people in understanding the reasons behind their present-day fears, phobia and physical ailments.

Ravi says he has always had an angst of leaving everything and going away from his family. On the show he found out why.

According to a press release from the channel, during the course of his regression, Ravi revealed that he saw himself as a 35-year-old Naga Sadhu in Manali during the 1890s. His parents had forced him to marry against his will at a very young age.

He also revealed that there were certain circumstances that led him to commit three murders in his past life, which changed his life forever.

"I am completely amazed by my regression and feel relieved about my fear. I now have a positive attitude towards my negative feelings and look forward to a better life ahead," said Ravi.