'Fear Factor offers something for all in the house' - Ashvini Yardi

COLORS is all set for the launch of Season 3 of Khatron Ke Khiladi, their flagship show!! The show gets underway with a slight tilt in balance, this time with the gorgeous Priyanka Chopra at the helm of things with 13 bold and handsome hunks trying their best to survive 'tiguna terror' from 6th September, 2010 at 9 PM from Monday – Thursday.

Talking on the occasion, Ashvini Yardi, Programming Head, COLORS tells TellyBuzz, "This time, it is a woman who leads the group of men. Since men will be performing stunts, the danger level will obviously be much more than what we saw in the previous seasons. We have roped in celebrities from all walks of life, and with what I have observed in Brazil, they form an attractive mix. We have also gone to a new location this time, in Brazil. If you see, the adventurous locales of Brazil haven't been explored much in our films too".

On the stunning host, Ashvini says, "Priyanka Chopra is doing an amazing job. She has been training for three months now to get to her adventurous best. Top top it all, she will be seen in a fabulous new look".

Ask Ashvini about the wrapping up of their fiction shows Bairi Piya and Yeh Pyaar Na Hoga Kam in order to accommodate Khatron Ke Khiladi, and she quickly states, "See both Bairi Piya and Yeh Pyaar were love stories, and we had to give them a logical ending sooner or later. If it were a family drama, we would have had the option of extending the show with a generation leap, but it was not the case with these two shows. Also, we had to clear two fiction shows for Fear Factor".

When we told Ashvini about the lot many petitions filed by loyal viewers of Bairi Piya and Yeh Pyaar Na Hoga Kam to not end the shows, she averred, "Yes, I have been reading the various mails and messages that have been coming in. It is good to know that viewers are fighting for their shows even today. It is always better to end a show when the audience wants to have more of it, rather than drag it for long. As I have already said, when we are working on a love story, you cannot do much with the story line. You will either have to keep the couple separated, or unite them. Both the shows will see a happy ending".

Ask her about the wrapping up of Saanjhi Dopahar show Agnipareeksha Jeevan Ki Ganga, and she states in the affirmative, "Yes, we are winding up Ganga too. The show started well initially, but the track was changed many times and this was a mistake from our side".

On the shift of Laagi Tujhse Lagan to the 8.30 PM slot, Ashvini chides, "Laagi Tujhse Lagan has very strong characters and we are confident that viewers will switch to the new slot in quick time".

When asked whether the channel had thought of launching Fear Factor at a weekend slot, Ashvini said, "India's Got Talent has done wonders for us at the weekend band. Similarly, as regards Fear Factor, viewers are designed to watching it daily at a prime time slot. The time of 9pm is family time, with kids too watching television. So we can say, Fear Factor offers something for everyone in the house at this time slot".

About her Brazil experience, and as a preview to what one can expect from the contestants, the lady said, "This season's Fear Factor will be a treat to everyone; all the contestants are highly competitive and there is a positive vibe all around. There will be a lot of freshness too, as the balance has been changed. The boys are training vigorously and all look to be in great shape".

Ask her to name the hotties on the show, and pat comes the reply, "I have not been there for a long time. But with what I have observed, the racer Armaan stands out. He is not that well known in the entertainment field, but I am sure girls will like him. He has a great smile. I have heard that women are waiting with bathed breath to see Milind Soman in action (smiles). Same with Dino too, he is awesome. Manjot is cute and innocent. And obviously, Karan Singh Grover gets popular wherever he goes. I guess his fans will love him when he is shown coming out of water; he really looks good.

Last but not the least, when asked about the difference in the level of hosting between Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra, Ashvini stated, "Akshay is the original Khiladi. There was no questioning him when it came to the stunts. Priyanka on the other hand, is a friend who leads the boys. So the entire positioning for Priyanka is different this time".

Reporter and Author: Srividya Rajesh