India’s Best Dramebaaz will continue legacy of creating stars: Deepak Rajadhyaksha

Celebrating the dramatic flair and histrionic abilities of India’s youngest acting prodigies in its first two seasons, Zee TV’s acting talent hunt show for kids – ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’ is back with an all-new third season. Premiering on June 30, 2018, the show will air every Saturday and Sunday at 9 pm. 

Produced by Essel Vision Productions Ltd, the format of the show remains the same with the little kids from across the country showcasing their wit, stage presence, mischievous spirit and acting talent. Guiding, grooming and mentoring the young acting prodigies through their journey and teaching them various nuances of acting will be a panel of industry experts, including Sonali Bendre and Vivek Oberoi, who return to the show a third time. Filmmaker Omung Kumar will make his debut as a mentor on the show. Dancer and actor Shantanu Maheshwari and ventriloquist Vighnesh Pande will turn hosts for the season. 

Auditions are being conducted in cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Guwahati, Ranchi, Patna, Jaipur, Amritsar, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Bangalore, Indore, and Ahmedabad. The shortlisted contestants will get the opportunity to perform in front of the mentors’ panel and make a mark with their acting mantras. 

Commenting on the show, Deepak Rajadhyaksha, Deputy Business Head, Zee TV, said, “With a strong legacy of celebrating the talent and creating stars out of India’s common man through our varied homegrown non-fiction formats, Zee TV launched ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’ back in 2013. True to our brand philosophy – Aaj Likhenge Kal – it is the first and only platform in the country that enables young talent to leverage their acting skills and build an extraordinary future in the field of entertainment. Today, as millennials, we want our children to discover themselves from an early age and work towards an extraordinary future. In the current context, we encourage our kids to think on their feet, be resourceful, use their smarts and find their own solutions.” 

Continuing further, he said, “Bringing you the latest brat-pack of funky kids who’re adorable, street-smart and can wriggle their way out of anything with their nautanki is the latest season of our popular franchise – ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’. The format of the show not only allows the kids to sharpen their performance abilities, but also gives them the right kind of exposure to shed their inhibitions and become names to reckon with in the entertainment industry. This season, we also salute unsung heroes who have sown the seeds of an extraordinary future through proactively contributing to society in a humanitarian way. In each episode, our kids will pay them a tribute the best way they can – through their dramebaazi.” 

‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’ has opened up a world of opportunities for previous participants and winners like Kartikey Raj, Kartikey Malviya, Tamanna Dipak and Praneet Sharma. 

Speaking to Adgully, Deepak Rajadhyaksha further elaborated on Season 3 of ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’. 

How will Season 3 be different from the earlier two seasons?
The format of the show remains the same, but we are adding some new things in the plot to keep things new and fresh. In this season, we will pay tribute to various unsung heroes through this stage, which was never done before in the earlier seasons. This time, we also have a ‘Padmavati’ character, who will be the voice of the common people. It’s is an additional fun element that we have added this time. This time too we have opened a ‘ginormous’ platform for kids to come and showcase their talent in front of the viewers and get a new kind of exposure and experience. 

What kind of traction did you get for the earlier seasons of ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’?
People have appreciated the talents a lot. After a gap of 3 years we are back with the show, where we are getting to see a new kind of excitement among the people. This excitement is further ignited with the launch of the promos for the show. People have started approaching us with so many questions around the show. 

With the launch of ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’, what would Zee TV’s weekend line-up look like?
‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’ will air at 9 pm. Later on we will have ‘Fear Files’. We are planning to launch a new show in the 8 pm slot, which is still in pipeline. We will be sharing the details on the new show in due course of time. 

Who are the advertisers on board for ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’?
Currently, we have Tata Ace Gold and Gold Winner Oil on board as the sponsors. We have seen a lot of interest from advertisers for this show. We still have time before this show goes on air and our sales team is in talks with different advertisers. 

How are you helping out the winners after the show is over?
If you look the participants of the last 2 seasons, all are trying their luck in different mediums. We created fresh talent and now they are everywhere – be it cinema, TV, theatre or events. Zee TV has been doing this for the last 25 years and will always continue to do so in the future as well. 

Mentor Speak 

Making a comeback as a mentor on the show is actor Sonali Bendre, who said, “A different kind of excitement builds up whenever a new season of ‘India’s Best Dramabaaz’ is announced. I have always loved the show as it brings out the best acting talent hidden amongst the kids of our country. Their infectious energy, undying spirit and dedication towards the craft inspires and motivates me. I can’t wait to be back on the show.” 

Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi, who has been with the show since its inception, said, “It feels great to be associated with ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’ once again. The show is very close to my heart as I get to watch and mentor some of the best talents across the country. The show has already given us some young superstars and there are many such hidden gems who are yet to be discovered. More than mentoring and guiding the kids, I am looking forward to having lots of fun in the company of India's acting prodigies.” 

Commenting on his TV debut as a mentor of ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’, Omung Kumar said, “I started my career as a television show host about 25 years ago with Zee TV’s show ‘Just Ek Minute’. Life has come full circle for me as I am back this time as a judge on ‘India’s Best Dramebaaz’. I have been an avid follower of the show’s previous seasons and thoroughly enjoyed the innocence and energy with which the kids put forth their talent. The show has been instrumental in shaping up the lives and careers of many young acting prodigies and I am looking forward to mentoring the fresh batch of acting enthusiasts with my expertise.”