The journey to Karjat, on the outskirts of Mumbai, on a summer afternoon was anything but pleasant. The airconditioned interiors of the SUV we were travelling in did help make the two-hour journey a bit comfortable, but not enough to make you feel fresh.
What made one feel fresh, interestingly, was the awesome view of Nitin Desai's studio, aptly advertised as 'Where Dreams Come True.' And on that April summer afternoon, dreams were coming true for two of four participants of the second season of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge.
Once you enter the studio, you have to travel for a few minutes to reach a crossing. Before you start wondering how come there is a traffic signal within this studio, you notice the paan shops next to it, and the bangle shops, and another pub and a hep coffee shop!
Confused, you wonder what's going on, only to realise later that these are permanent sets to make life easier for producers, directors and actors. Modelled on the lines of Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, Desai's studio has everything that a filmmaker would require.
The Great Indian Laughter Challenge Dwitiya is being shot in one of sets inside. The set reminds you of a Roman amphitheatre. There is a huge clock behind the seats of the judges, which tells you the time is 10 o' clock at night. You have to check your own watch to realise that you are in the make-believe
world of Nitin Desai and Star One, where even time can stand still.
Just in front of the judges' seats, there is another graffiti of the show's logo on the floor. Ahead of that is the famous stage where the audiences perform and the corner where the live band in the show performs. The winner of
GILC Dwitiya will drive home in a Chevrolet Aveo.
And, of course, how can one forget the live audience. Enquire about them and you will come to know that they have been brought in specially from Mumbai in a bus. Nothing is real in this studio, except for the participants, judges and the crew!
The technology used in the show is pretty high-tech though. Each member of the audience uses an electronic voting machine, which is connected to the master machine hosts Navjot Singh Sidhu and Shekhar Suman carry.
Says Shekhar Suman, dressed in an all-black suit, "The second part of The Great Indian Laughter Challenge is the perfect extension of a good show. What makes me even more happy is the presence of my Pakistani brothers in the show. In the last few episodes there were an equal number of Pakistani participants pitted against Indians. It was nothing short of an Indo-Pak cricket match!"
The runners-up special episode was being shot that day. All the participants had been runners up in their respective episodes and were now pitted against each other. The participants -- Akesh Parth, Aamir Rambo, Ahmid Kamal and Subhani G, Vinod and Rajendra Malviya -- were fighting it out amongst themselves. Akesh, who hails from Jaipur, and Aamir from Karachi were the best participants of the day.
Says Rambo, "We have a hero in Pakistan called Afzal Khan, who looks like Rambo. People in my country feel that I look like Afzal Khan and thus have given me the nickname!"
However, the jokes that day were bordering on obscenity. Admits Sidhu, "There are good and bad times for each serial. Today was not the best day when it comes to quality of jokes."
Like most reality shows, was the first part of Great Indian Laughter Challenge better? "This is not the right time to comment. There is a long way to go in this competition. There can be splashes of brilliance in the later half of the competition as well! But, like your first love, you can never forget the first part of this show," says the in inimitable Sidhu.
Sidhu and Suman seem to have that perfect on-screen chemistry. How did that happen? They are from totally different backgrounds.
"We have had differences while judging the show. For instance, Sidhu is from a totally different background and praises all participants more than what is required. I had to explain to him that while encouraging is good, it doesn't mean I will praise the participants for whatever they do! I also do the same while watching a cricket match -- praise every shot! But that is not justified as Sidhu explains to me. But we complement each other very well."
Adds Sidhu, "We have very healthy arguments. But there is every chance that they get blown out of proportion! Because when two men talk to each other, it becomes a debate, but if two women talk - it is an interesting discussion!"
The day's contest was won by Aamir Rambo from Karachi. To know more about the serial, watch it on Star One every Friday at 10:00 pm.