Khatron ke khiladis are back after a month-long hectic shoot in South Africa where they had to brave all kinds of unimaginable odds. The stunts were horrifying and the conditions awful but what kept these bravehearts going was a hard task master-cum-playful mentor in Rohit Shetty. Deebashree Mohanty speaks with the stars to bring you all that went into the making of this rough and tough show on TV
It was very much darr ke aagey Rohit Shetty hai for contestants of Khatron Ke Khiladi 5 on Colors as they performed his daredevil tasks to impress the master thrasher. After all, who wouldn’t want to make it to his A listIJ
Count funny man Ranveer Shorey in because he strongly believes that he is Shetty’s biggest fan! “Rohit is going to give all the other ex-hosts of KKK a reality check and a terrible complex. He is so super and motivating that most of us pushed ourselves to complete his tasks out of sheer respect. I know he has a huge fan club but I consider myself one of the greatest. His sense of style and direction is out of the ordinary,” actor Shorey who braved injuries during the shooting of KKK, says. Shorey better known for his comic timing than his action moves feels he is ready to take that big plunge and step out of his comfort zone.
“A few months back, I would have frowned at the idea of a stunt-driven role in Bollywood but now I am totally prepared. I don’t think the level of danger on this TV show was any less than a film. We were made to hang from a high cliff, dangled on a rope from an unfathomable height, made to jump from choppers, had various encounters with various jeev jantus from the wild in South Africa, had to be underwater for hours — we were made to do everything that was not easy,” Shorey tells you.
Kushal Tandon might have been in the show only for eight episodes out of 20 when he had to back out due to a nagging shoulder injury, but that doesn’t stop him from going ga-ga over his darr experience. “It was fun. But it was mighty dangerous. I liked the way we all bonded over our common fears. I may not have struck the right chord with my housemates in Bigg Boss but I made many friends on the sets of KKK. These are going to remain all my life. That is my takeaway, apart from being Rohit’s blue-eyed boy in the show. He makes me give my 100 per cent. I would love to be a part of his film. I don’t care even if it is a cameo!,” Tandon says. At present, he is nursing his injury and enjoying the break. Will Gauhar Khan be a part of his this relaxation phaseIJ “I have no time to sit back and relax. I am tired after this shoot but I have commitments that I cannot refuse. So no breaks for me. As for playing with danger, I think I have had my share and I am quite satisfied,” Gauhar Khan tells you, adding that this was her first brush with danger and she is proud of what she has achieved. Television rockstar, Gurmeet Chaudhury on the other hand has just discovered his passion for stunts.
“I was loving it. Through the show, I came face-to-face with a new side of me. I had no idea I could scale heights and balance on a string! The conditions were nerve-wrecking but the fact that I managed to reach the top three says a lot,” Chaudhury says.
As for model-turned-sports anchor, Rochelle Maria Rao who entered the show to get a feel of what TV was all about, it was an unforgettable experience. “I had not revealed that I had a phobia of snakes but somehow the production unit got wind of it and made me perform a stunt involving snakes. Guess whatIJ I completed the task and now I can eat snakes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. This is what the show does to you,” she says.
Dancer Salman was the coolest one on the set. “I had nothing to loose. Plus my swift moves gave me an edge. There are some amazing stunts that the viewers will get to see,” is all he reveals.
For Rohit Shetty, TV is a completely different ball game but that’s what he likes to do — take that blind turn and navigate well. Tune into Colors at 9 pm for Khatron Ke Khiladi every Sat-Sun.