After Roadies and Splitsvilla, Rajiv laxman will be seen honing photography skills of contestants of Nat Geo’s forthcoming show. He chatted with Pallavi Gupta
Rajiv laxman, known for his penchant for bullying people, is a thrill to chat to. TV audience is always curious as to what drives the anger mechanism in the twins (his brother Raghu Ram is equally furious). Just to get things clear, the so-called “pissed off” personality is a hype, as we discovered when we met laxman at CP’s Starbucks outlet to talk about his new show.
The Roadies star is all set to judge National Geographic Channel’s Mission Cover Shot, a show dedicated to breathtaking photography. The show is entering in its second season.
“There are two facets to a reality show. First, it entails the talent and struggle of the participants. Second, it encompasses the elements that align to create what we call the reality television,” said Rajiv. A lot of reality talent shows on dance, music, cooking and adventurous thrills have been on air for sometime now, but the talent of photography has been tapped for the first time. He further added, “Photography involves composition and communication. I am less experienced to judge the technicalities involved, the lighting adjustment, valuation of aesthetic capture etc but I am open to evaluate the communication message of the pictures.
His role as a judge involves mentoring the contestants, supervising their movements and keeping peace among them. Undoubtedly, with successes of his concepts such as Roadies, Splitsvilla and Masterchef, Rajiv has a forte for eye-catching shows. Sharing his ideas on what the audience itches to see, he said, “The concept behind my creativity is to tell the story of the people. The focus is on the passion, the desire and the talent of the individuals. In the background comes the theme of the show that communicates the affectivity to aspiring ambitions.”
It does cross your mind why he is judging a photography contest. He is an actor, a producer, a creative content developer but not a photographer. Rajiv curiously explained his passion with the show, “I click often. Clicking for me means to go there, feel the surrounding and bridge the gap between the lens and the viewer. I am not a professional photographer but I surely am a passionate one. I do not have an understanding of a balanced photograph. Balance for me is an imperfect word; but it is these imperfections that draw you to perfections. Photography is subjective. It is understood in a series of ways. You and your camera may have gone out with a mission to capture a dhobi ghat, but may end up clicking a mother wrapped around her baby and still feel contended with your clicks. The emotions captured speak a thousand words. And it is these emotions I identify with and look forward to judge.”