Holi with Little
Champs
5/3/2015
It is 5 pm on the sets
of Zee TV’s shooting of Saregama’s Holi episode at Famous Studio in
Mahalakshmi and I have been invited by the mahaguruAlka Yagnik of
Little Champs to watch the Little Champs perform live. The last time I visited
Famous Studio was decades ago when it was not centrally air-conditioned and
there was plenty of parking space in the compound. Today, cars block the
passage as all the three floors of the studio are blocked for an advt/ TV and
film shooting.
An assistant leads me
to the set sprawled with wire rolls running all over the set. In a corner is a
Ganpati idol with flower garlands and a lamp that lasts till as long as the
shooting packs up. From where I’m seated I can watch Alka Yagnik and the other
jury members get ready for the take. All the contestants and the jury members
are dressed in Indian clothes for the occasion and the contestants I’m
informed actually played holi on the sets before the actual shooting began.
The set is dressed in
flowers and vibrant colors to match the mood of the moment and the songs that
the contestants are to sing are chosen accordingly as well.
Contrary to what I had imagined the contestants are far from
tense or competitive with each other and treat the exercise more as fun filled
experience rather than as competition. They are laughing and playing with each
other moments before their names are announced to come on the stage particularly
little Aishwarya who is just five years old.
At 7pm and the episode
is canned and the unit packs up for the day. As I’m leaving the Little Champs
come and colour me, say ‘Bura na mano aaj holi hain’.
Bhawana Somaaya/
@bhawanasomaaya
No comments:
Post a Comment