Rannvijay Singha: Upbringing, not content, changes society

Singha with the gang leaders and contestants at the shoot in Shillong

"I'm the boss here," Rannvijay Singha smiles, moments after chiding a crew member for causing disturbance while revving up a bike metres away from us in the midst of this interview. We tell him the fact is evident, for, only an hour ago, he took us off-guard by yelling at a crew member on being bothered by the disturbance in his earpiece while shooting for the Shillong leg of MTV Roadies Xtreme. The calm and composed host - or "ring-master" as he is now called - of the long-running stunt-based reality show isn't particularly known to lose his temper. "He needs a Xanax," someone whispers in our ear, but before we could nod in agreement, a voice louder than his retorts, "Okay, enough! Get on with the shoot." The agitated director, running against the clock, yells at the bevy of celebrated names - apart from Singha, also including Neha Dhupia and Nikhil Chinapa - filming for the task. Popular though they all are, they merely quiet down and get on with the work.

The tents where the leaders reside

Screaming, we learn, isn't a parameter to judge tempers on this show, which banks heavily on the camaraderie that the crew members share. Attending the filming of a task in the cold climes (alternating between 11 - 12 degrees) of Shillong, Rannvijay Singha, we learn, enjoys the unwavering adulation of his co-hosts, gang leaders, as they're called (Chinapa, Dhupia, rapper Raftaar and Prince Narula). There is a distinctiveness with which he addresses the gang leaders and participants; composed with the former, a sense of power evident with the latter. He confesses, it's a front that he must put up to bring out the best in the contestants. "To put somebody under pressure, you have to press their buttons. To see your true character, I have to say something to you that will get you out of your comfort zone. I may be harsh because there's a message I want to send out. But you [participant] don't give up. You might not be as capable as the other person, but your intention behind doing it [the show] should be equally strong," he says.

If Singha continues to test their grit, the gang leaders emerge as the mentors that the participants can turn to, for comfort. At odds with the brash dialogue that defined the show's format under the watch of then hosts Raghu Ram and Rajiv Lakshman, the four are constantly involved in a friendly banter with the participants, whilst continuing to test their intention. Chinapa aptly emerges as the captain of his team in the Rang Dheela task, rendered "lame" by those witnessing it until he captures their attention with a crackling performance at the climax. A 25-year-long career behind him, one which saw him juggling positions between host and performer, Chinapa establishes his place as a bankable gang leader owing to the mental and physical grit he puts into his act. It is due to the effort put in by those who are now the faces of the show that people appearing on it garner instant fame, Singha says. "Today, if a participant becomes famous because of his appearance on the show, it's not because s/he has worked hard, it's because of what we've built. We have worked hard, and they gain the fame," he says, highlighting that the desire to instantly garner attention is now the ulterior motive of those turning up at an audition. "When I started off, I didn't know if Roadies was going to be a show, a five-minute shoot, a journey or an event. I just wanted the winning prize, which was a bike. But when it became big, and people saw the kind of fame that I, Ayushmann [Khurrana] and Bani J [previous participants] achieved, they wanted it too. So, the aspirants today come here for success, popularity and media attention, as opposed to simply being part of a journey."

Quiz him on how this trend depletes the quality of a reality show, given that donning a front to acquire fame is hardly uncommon, and he says, "That too is interesting. It will be noteworthy to watch somebody pretend for 40 days. If s/he does it, it implies the win matters to him/her. If someone pretends to be aggressive, even though he isn't, he is putting in the effort to portray that for 30 days. So, it works for us. If on the 29th day, he reveals his true nature, that's also great."

Anyone who grew up in the '90s would agree that the series was among the most celebrated of the era, given that it appeared to urge the youth to find their identity. Yet, an array of other offerings, including The Big F and MTV Grind, featuring skimpily-clad dancers grooving to old ditties, were criticised for being cringe-worthy. But Singha argues that the "youth-based" channel did not struggle to establish an identity. "A lot of decisions are business-oriented, not emotional," he says, adding, "But, you have to understand that today the reality of our young generation is at odds with what it was then. Kids in the '90s didn't struggle with the pressures of Instagram, and acquiring likes [on social media]. So they can't relate to the youth today. But the channel has to stay current. It is current, [the kids of the '90s] are not. Do I watch some of these shows? No. But they do well. So, there's a certain group of youngsters that I can't relate to."

Poor quality of content, whether released online or on television, has been criticised, even upheld as the reason behind the follies in society. However, Singha argues that it is one's upbringing, not the content on TV that alters mindsets. "If you say such shows ruin society, let me ask you, when was society great? Mob films were made even in the '80s. Did people pick up guns and shoot each other? Entertainment can reflect the goings-on in society, not affect it. Society changes due to upbringing. People criticise content, but don't question their own faulty actions. This is the kind of upbringing that changes society. Content makes you happy. It should be given credit. Also, content is given too much importance. We're not in NASA, we're not building bridges. It's just content. Why take it so seriously?"

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