Double trouble

Having heard him scream at contestants on the reality show, “Roadies”, apprehension ran high as I prepared for the interview. It has been a hectic day and with nearly 10 contestants to interview, Raghu Ram looks tired. He is, however, eag er to talk about “Roadies”.

He says, “Roadies has been my baby. I had conceived and executed the first season of the show. I did most of the pre-production work as well. It was enjoyable as well as tiring.The attachment with the series has grown over the years and is now an integral part of my life.”

Is his off screen self different from his on-screen avatar? Raghu laughs, “My behaviour depends on the situation.”

“For the series, I want to choose unconventional contestants. You need to be interesting to be in the show. People are hooked to the show, because it is unpredictable and exciting.”

“Surprises are what makes ‘Roadies’ click. This season, my twin brother Rajeev will also be a judge. Those who though that they only have to deal with me during the auditions, are in for a big shock,” he says with a grin. Unlike other shows which look for inspiration abroad, Raghu says “Roadies” is original. “We have patented the show, which has been borrowed by eight countries.”

Talking about the new season, Raghu says: “We had revised the format during ‘Roadies 3’. Another revision is on the cards this season. The numbers of contestants has been increased to 20.”

Ask him to select his favourite season and Raghu says: “The first season will always remain special, since it was the beginning of the long journey. The response and feedback we received after the show spurred us on. I also enjoyed the last season, as with ‘Roadies’ going global, the show achieved an international feel.”

Talking about Bangalore as a venue, Raghu commented: “During the last season, we got mails asking for Bangalore to feature as an audition centres. We have been quite impressed by the level of maturity and awareness youngsters have in this part of the country. I lived in Bangalore nearly 10 years ago. We hope to have a roadie from Bangalore on the show this year.”