Talent sitting

When working with children on reality shows,contestant managers have to double as their nannies and friends

Inside the Play Room a temporary retreat for the contestants of the Indian edition of Junior MasterChef on Star Plus it is all chaos. The contestants,all under 14,are animatedly talking while throwing at each other single-seaters made of thermocol. The pandemonium ensues until Kusumita Tiwari and Aabha Padgaonkar enter the scene,a roll of chart paper tucked under one arm and a big box of colours in another. Soon,the children get busy with the crafts session,closely following the duos instructions. It is easy for these children to get carried away but it is upon us to make sure that,among other things,they dont waste their energy,especially on the day of shoot, explains Tiwari. Over the last few weeks,ever since the show went on air,both Tiwari and Padgaonkar have been spending almost every second awake with these children. They manage their schedule,attend to their needs,keep them entertained and act as both friends and guides.

While it may seem that Tiwari and Padgaonkar are nannies to this bunch,they are,in fact,contestant managers with the show. A thankless job,it is,however,a crucial function without which,say the producers,theyd find themselves at loss while dealing with the children. They are in charge of managing their schedule,right from when they wake up to their studies,extra-curricular activities,training sessions with the chefs and the shoots. On the sets,they have to accompany the child when he or she demands to use the washroom or make sure food and water is provided before the child realises the need for it, says Nikita Balasubramanium,creative producer Junior MasterChef India.

Dealing with minor contestants,however,isnt restricted to these aspects alone. These children also go through intensive sessions with psychologists who talk to them to identify signs of depression. But the first indication of any such cases,says Satish Dutt,project head of the recently-concluded Indian Idol Junior,comes through the contestant manager. It is important that they remain close to the child and watch out for signs of stress or even of cold,cough and flu, he explains. The job profile doesnt necessarily require a specialisation and most contestant managers in the industry have chanced upon it. Jatinder Anand,48,was a drama teacher in a school before he started working with Zee Entertainment 13-years-ago. I started with coordination-related jobs on the sets but when the reality show boom happened in 2005,I began managing contestants. Since then I have worked on all reality shows that have aired on Zee, explains Anand,who worked on Indias Best Dramebaaz recently. All of 31,Alphreda Antony came on board Indian Idol Junior due to her love for children whereas Tiwari,mother of two,chose to switch from assisting in production to managing contestants because she connected with kids.

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While one may believe a bunch of children is capable of driving one crazy,the contestant managers assert they are easier to deal with than senior contestants. They are free of the complexes,baggage and ego that grown-ups bring. Children feel competitive too,but it is easier to channel it into something positive, says Anand. Padgaonkar believes children can be more philosophical and attached to one another than the older lot.

Indian Idol Junior winner Anjana Padmanabhans mother Kalyani Padmanabhan adds that the lives of parents accompanying the contestants is made much easier thanks to contestant managers. They not only guide us about the show but also familiarise us with the city. Eventually,they almost take over,not only helping our children improve at their skill but also managing their daily needs,especially in matters where children dont listen to us, says Kalyani. For their part,the contestant managers face the biggest challenge when its time for the children to leave. The inevitable emotional attachment seeps in,but it is important for them to put a brave front and let the parent take over. Some of them stay in touch years after they have left. Divakar Sharma won the Sa Re Ga Ma Lil Champs in 2006. He keeps me informed even today of what he is doing. That is the biggest reward for us, Anand says.

dipti.nagpaul@expressindia.com

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