Journalism of Courage
Raghu Ram,producer and host of reality adventure series Roadies,is hopeful of conducting auditions in Pune this year
He has been in the eye of the storm for his hotheadedness and for being outspoken,so much so that that the contestants would break down and show their true colours. And yet it is the popularity of the eight-year-old saga Roadies,which ensures that he finds a place in the minds and hearts of audiences across the nation. However for actor,producer and television host Raghu Ram,the Roadies installments are just extensions of his own persona,which he feels is the reason why the show has been such a hit amongst audiences!
The Roadies Battleground will also feature John Abraham,who will help contestants navigate through the various tasks of the game via a helpline. I worked with John in a film titled Jhoota Hi Sahi and his character Sid will be a focal point of this show. While he will not be the traditional guardian angel for the contestants,he will offer them a breather from the tasks that I have lined up for them.
Raghu,who had taken a hiatus from the seventh edition of Roadies last year,says that the 15-month absence helped him a lot as he was able to travel and gain newer experiences that he plans to make full use of during the show.
The first four editions of Roadies saw contestants from Pune and Raghu admits that Puneites were missed in the the last three seasons. He says,There are a lot of issues that need to be worked out while we audition in the various cities. There were several reasons why we couldn’t make it to Pune in the last three years,but this time it looks good and we might come down to Pune for the auditions. Ranvijay had been selected from Pune and we hope to choose many more contestants from the city.
Known for his violent temper on screen,Raghu says that it is not possible for him to act 24-hours a day. What you see on the television is a five or six-minute clip of the audition of the person. However,every time we audition,by default we run into some contestants who are fake or shallow-minded and ignorant. Worst of all is hypocrisy of any sort. I just hate it. And when I meet such people it is by default that I lose my temper. But overall,it also helps us determine the breaking point of the contestant and the chinks in their armour.
