Sonu Sood – The real-world Roadie

Ever since its launch in 2003, ‘Roadies’, a youth-based reality show that is a nationwide hunt for the ‘roadie’ – the one who has it in him or her to become a hero – has been attracting the youth TG. Aired on MTV India, the show had earlier courted controversy due to the offensive language used by both the judges and the participants and the provocation by the judges who goaded the participants to do some extreme action, including slapping each other.

The show had started off with the duo of Raghu Ram and Rajiv Laxman as the judges, while Cyrus Sahukar was the host. The two heavyweights Raghu-Rajiv were known for cutting down contestants to size with their sharp comments and gruelling tasks. The Raghu-Rajiv duo quit ‘MTV Roadies’ in 2014. Their exit came after some Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) activists blackened their faces when the brothers and Rannvijay Singha, the show’s host, were at a promotion rally in Pune. According to reports, the activists took the step to protest against the usage of offensive language on the show.

Following this, the show underwent a change in format and four new people were roped in as judges – Esha Deol, Vijender Singh, Karan Kundra and ex-Roadies winner Rannvijay Singha. Over the years, the show has undergone several changes in the format, with the channel trying out several permutations and combination of judges and hosts to keep the show relevant to the youth.

Rannvijay was the winner of the first ‘Roadies’ season and has been a part of the show ever since. He was earlier the host of the show and later on was seen as one of the judges or ‘gang leader’, as they are called. Now, after 18 years,

Rannvijay has announced that he will no longer be part of the show.

In the meantime, MTV’s YME division is all set with new launches and reinvention; and ‘Roadies’, too, has donned a new avatar, with actor Sonu Sood brought on board as the show’s host. While Sonu Sood’s fans are excited to see him host the new season of ‘Roadies’, there are some who are a tad bit sceptical about whether he should be doing a show like ‘Roadies’. Sood, who has played negative characters in several films, earned a lot of praise for his philanthropic activities during the pandemic and lockdown period, where he helped several people reach their homes as well as mobilised essential items for people severely hit by the pandemic crisis. This has led to Sood being held in high regards by people of all walks. Hence, there is some apprehension of him taking up the mantle of being the ‘Roadies’ new host, given the content of the show.

When Adgully reached out to MTV to know more about Sonu Sood being roped in for ‘Roadies’, Anshul Ailawadi, Head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18, said, “The format of the show is undergoing a slight change. It is a new format, a new show and you will hear a lot about it very shortly. Sonu is a real-world Roadie; he is an icon for so many young people. He has done so much good work in his professional life and in his personal life. So, he is the right kind of person to give young people a certain direction and you will see it in this show what he brings to the table. It also adds to the value of the show.”