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Ticket to ride

As the participants of MTV Hero Honda Roadies Season Four geared up for the action, LIZA GEORGE spoke to the host and the director of the show

PHOTO: S.R. RAGHUNATHAN

THE FIRST ROADIE Rannvijay Singh Singha, a VJ of MTV, is the host of MTV Roadies Season Four

They have got a ticket to ride. But how long the ride lasts depends on their grit and pluck. The 13 selected for the MTV Hero Honda Roadies Season Four and the channel's crewmembers were busy with shoots upon their arrival in the city on August 31.

"It's often a fight against time. Until the last shot on the final day is over, we can't relax. As it is we started late as one of the teams' flight got delayed. We are trying to can as much shots as possible before the light fades," says Raghu Ram, senior supervising producer, MTV and director, Roadies.

Travelling cross-country

MTV Hero Honda Roadies, which started in 2003, is an adventure-reality show that tests the spirit of a young group travelling cross-country on bikes. As the group will be covering almost 8,500 km in 40 days, working their way up through Kerala, Rajasthan, Punjab, Delhi and the North East (Meghalaya, Assam, West Bengal, Sikkim) and winding up in Gangtok, most of them will be discovering new places.

"You learn about the country; it's rich culture, history, food... ," says Rannvijay Singh Singha, the first Roadie winner, current host of the show and a VJ of the channel.

Eighteen rooms were blocked for this MTV team at Travancore Heritage, Chowara. An aarti and thalapooli greeted them on arrival at the hotel and then they tucked into a traditional Kerala sadya.

The Roadies did a bit of rock climbing while they were in town. A half-day trip to Kovalam formed part of their schedule. Cultural programmes were arranged as the Roadies danced away into the night to the beats from the DJ. However no shopping was possible.

Laughs Raghu, "I bought this pair of slippers for Rs. 200 when I stepped put for a stroll. The vendor claimed he had made it himself. There is no time for shopping due to shoots. Even if we did get a break, we would be too tired to."

So how do they find Kerala? Says Rannvijay, "I love Kerala. In fact I told Raghu to come here on his honeymoon."

Raghu adds, "I used to enjoy going to Goa, but it is too commercialised now. If I wanted to party I can do it in Bombay. Kerala is a great place for introspection. It has so much natural beauty. I enjoyed visiting Kochi, Thekkady, Munnar... In fact that is the reason why we are flagging off from Kerala."

The present group of roadies has people from all walks off life. "You have one boy who owns four bike and another whose dream is to own one," says Raghu. The group flagged off from the resort amid the beats of the panchavadyam on September 2. Catch the episodes on the channel in November.

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