Shambhavi steps into films!!!

Shambhavi Sharma, a finalist on MTV's reality show 'Roadies' who was known for her flirtatious and cunning ways, has now stepped into Bollywood with 'The Little Godfather'.

The film, being produced by Ekta Kapoor and Suniel Shetty, was offered to Shambhavi while she was featuring in the fifth edition of MTV 'Roadies', an adventure reality show.

'I was offered the film during the second or third episode of 'Roadies' through MTV,' Shambhavi told on phone from Mumbai.

The 19-year-old law student was also selected to participate in the international leg of the show, but was voted out in its very first episode.

So how did the 'The Little Godfather' come her way?

'I was not expecting it at all, it just happened. I used to love facing the camera and now that I am doing it, I am very excited about it,' she said.

Asked about her character and co-actor in the film, Shambhavi said she could divulge any details.

A self-confessed controversy queen, she feels she has become more confident after her stint in 'Roadies'.

'I used to be very shy before being a part of 'Roadies'. But after that, my whole perspective towards life has changed and I have also become more expressive,' she said.

Shambhavi describes her experience in the show as 'outstanding'.

''Roadies' is an awesome show. I enjoyed each and every bit of it.'

She stole the limelight on the show for her conniving, forthright and flirtatious ways. She now proudly admits that it was her well-thought strategy.

'I don't gel very well with girls. So when I used to be with the boys, people started thinking wrong about me. Besides, yes, my scheming was a part of my strategy to survive in the show,' she explained.

When Shambhavi returned to Mumbai, she realised that she had become a popular figure.

'When I came back, my friends and parents were very happy with the way I performed and people even started recognising me on the streets. I also signed a few autographs,' she said excitedly.

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Rodies use abusive language

Packed with pulsating stunts and tough guy acts, MTV's weekly reality show 'Roadies' has managed to hook millions of Indians, from college goers to school kids to housewives.

Five years after it came into being, MTV's 'Roadies' has proved to be one of the most popular programmes on Indian television today and thousands across the country send entries to participate in the adventure show.

'I relish the show. You cannot predict what is going to happen next. Every episode treats you to new adventure,' said Kalpana Bajaj, a Delhi-based housewife who has been following it for the last three years.

'And the best part is that it is in Hindi. Had it been in English, I might not have enjoyed it so much.'

According to TAM (Television Audience Measurement) data of February 2008, MTV commanded the highest audience share among all music channels during the telecast of the first episode of 'Roadies 5.0', the fifth edition of the show, telecast March 22.

This year 13 contestants were selected after being auditioned for attitude, tolerance and patience. The selected 'Roadies' are given bikes to travel on a pre-decided route and assigned difficult physical or rational tasks.

A vote-out takes place at the end of the show and whoever survives till the end is declared winner. And of course it's all captured on camera.

The winner is rewarded a cash prize of Rs.500,000 and a bike.

''Roadies' has a cult following today and the fact that it has at least equalled the popularity of (MTV's comedy show) 'Bakra' is an achievement in itself,' Rannvijay Singh, the host of the show, told on phone from Mumbai.

Rannvijay, who sees himself as a confidant on the show where the physical and mental calibre of a person is tested, is a winner of the first season of the show.

The show started in 2003 with seven contestants biking across the country to win a bike and is raging on even though it costs about one tenth the cost of other reality shows.

Among the general entertainment channels (GECs), MTV succeeded over the big boys like Zee TV, STAR Plus and Sony with a share of 9.83 points. And much of this is credited to 'Roadies'.

Raghu Ram, the brainchild and producer of 'Roadies', said: 'I think that the popularity of the show has increased by almost 2,500 percent from the first season and has built a global appeal'.

The show believes in making a contestant's life miserable so that only the deserving person makes it to the end.

When asked about the age limit, Raghu said: 'They have to be 18 years old to participate in the show. We haven't fixed the upper limit.'

Raghu maintains that the show has evolved over the year and tried to introduce a new format every year. 'This year, we have gone a step ahead and gone international,' he said.

In its fifth season, the 'Roadies' journey has gone beyond the Indian shores and been extended to Thailand and Malaysia.

But what makes 'Roadies' so popular?

Raghu believes the main draw of the show is the honesty with which it is shown. 'Nothing is rigged on 'Roadies' and, in fact, now we are even showing behind-the-scenes clippings. So nothing is made up and that is the real punch,' he explained.

'We don't give the contestants a TV, they don't have a mobile phone and they aren't even allowed to speak to strangers,' he said.

More often than not, the show has been criticised for influencing young minds with offensive language and by showing outrageous tasks.

'People send me hate mails saying that we are aggravating the use of foul language and spoiling children. But since we don't want to offend the sensibilities of the general public, we add beeps wherever abusive language is used,' said Raghu.

Despite the controversy, it's raging on.

Ashish Patil, general manager and vice president (Creative and Content), MTV, said: 'Nothing like this show exists on TV. It is wary of melodramatic judges and every emotion on the show is real.

'Besides, the thrills that the audience gets from the show are incomparable to those in any other Indian show.'

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