Now an Urdu singing reality TV show

New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS) After a string of music reality shows, a new Urdu singing reality show 'Talaash...Ek Roohani Awaaz Ki' is set to hit the small screen.

The show, to be aired on Urdu infotainment channel Zee Salaam, will be launched Saturday.

'After our initial phase of introductory content offering, the channel now enters year two with programming line-up that showcases reality content, which is the most popular genre in television programming today. The huge response of thousands of kids at the auditions reveals how much young talent there is in India,' Anil Anand, business head, Zee Salaam, said in a press statement Tuesday.

Comprising 26 episodes, the talent hunt show has participants in the age group of seven to 14 years chosen through auditions held across Muslim schools and madrassas in Delhi and neighbouring towns.

'Talaash...Ek Roohani Awaaz Ki' will be hosted by Urdu genre TV personalities Fakhir Adeeb and Shagufta Yasmin.

Eminent Muslim personalities like filmmaker Iqbal Durrani, Islamic scholar Sadia Halima and Bollywood music director-singer Ali Ghani, would be the judges on the show. Urdu writer and poet Abrar Kiratpuri is the programme mentor.

More than 1,000 kids auditioned for the show in the Nation Captial Region, and 26 were short-listed. They will compete on the show for the final title of singing 'Hamd-o-Naat', and the winner will be chosen through an audience poll and SMS voting for the top 10 finalists.

The top three finalists will get a chance to be brand ambassadors of Zee Salaam, while the winner will record his or her own album.