Actress Roshni Chopra is a favourite with the young contestants on 9X’s Chak De Bachche

Ravi Kishan, the superstar of Bhojpuri cinema, was almost unknown outside Uttar Pradesh and Bihar two years ago. That changed overnight when he invaded people’s homes every week as a contestant on the reality show Bigg Boss, the Indian version of Big Brother. Now, having tasted success, he’s leveraging the power of the small screen once again to make it big.

Kishan isn’t a contestant any longer — he’s anchoring a reality show, Ek Se Badhkar Ek, on Zee TV. And he’s clearly enjoying the spin-offs of being a recognisable anchor already.

Or take actor Swapnil Joshi, who has graduated from contestant to anchor even faster. Joshi won the title on Sony TV’s reality show Mr and Ms TV just last month. But he’ll soon be hosting an upcoming reality show, Arranged Marriage, on Sahara Samay.

Welcome to the new world of reality shows that’s turning contestants into superstar anchors. We’ve all seen how these shows have turned unknown faces from little-heard-of towns across India — and even known ones — into household names so far. Now, a new generation of contestants and actors is building a career around anchoring reality shows. In the process, they’re not only helping the channels to ramp up those TRPs but are also using the opportunity to fast- forward their showbiz careers.

Says Bhojpuri star Kishan: “Today, if you land up as an anchor on a reality show, half the job is done. It means greater visibility because the reach of the small screen is a lot bigger and people can connect with you instantly.” Adds Joshi: “In a reality show, the visibility is much wider than what you get playing a mere character in a serial.”

Former MTV Roadies contestant Ranvijay Singh Singha now hosts Splitsvilla on MTV

Take small screen actress Roshni Chopra, who has played the role of Piya in Kasamh Se over the last two years. Chopra switched tracks slightly and first participated in a reality show, Jhoom India on Sahara One. But now she’s co-hosting the kids’ show Chak De Bachche on 9X with Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tiwari. “I wanted to break out of that image [of Piya] and play myself. You tend to get bored playing the same character day in and day out. And I needed something more challenging than fiction to prove my talent,” says Chopra.

So what are the cardinal rules of anchoring in reality shows? “An anchor is first an entertainer and should not make the show boring. He should have a great screen presence and act as a mentor to the participants,” says Indrani Mukerjea, founder and CEO, INX Media.

Kishan, for instance, is leveraging his “ability to connect with Hindi-speaking masses”. He says, “I try to break the monotony of the show with my witty one-liners and voice modulations.” And Chopra has shown off her spontaneity and ability to connect with children on Chak De Bachche.

For the anchors, the spin-offs are huge. There’s the money, of course. That can vary from astronomical seven-figure sums at the top of the pyramid to smaller amounts for aspiring stars. The shows also provide a platform for anchors to show off their skills and widen their appeal. Says Joshi: “An actor is usually remembered by the character he plays in a daily soap. But in a reality show, people get to know you closely.”

Actor Swapnil Joshi is swamped with offers for Hindi and Marathi reality shows

Adds Kishan: “Before my shift to reality shows, I was limited to the Uttar Pradesh and Bihar circuit and was virtually a nobody in the Hindi film industry. But now thanks to these shows, I have strengthened my position.” Kishan is being chased by top Bollywood banners today and has bagged roles in films like Shyam Benegal’s Mahadev, Ganesh Acharya’s Money Hai To Honey Hai and Soham Shah’s Luck.

Being an anchor has given the much-desired push to Sunil Grover’s career in the entertainment industry. He has moved one step further now and is the spoof-anchor on the laugh riot on Filmy channel, Kya Aap Paanchvi Fail Champu Hain, a take off on Shah Rukh Khan’s Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain. But while King Khan is finding it tough to rake in the TRPs for Star Plus, Grover is climbing the success ladder quickly.

He says, as he dabs on his make-up on the sets of Paanchvi Fail: “Initially, getting into the skin of a superstar like Shah Rukh was difficult. But I’m relieved that people have loved the spirit of my show, which is all done in good humour.” Grover is now inundated with offers to host more reality shows.

Like Grover, Joshi and Chopra too are swamped with offers. Joshi has received offers to anchor shows in Hindi and even Marathi. And Chopra says: “Last month I got seven offers from various channels. And there are five film scripts lying in my house already. But I’m focusing on this show right now and won’t go on a signing spree.”

Anchoring a reality show is no mean feat, however. Beyond the veneer of fame and glamour lies a tale of grit. The schedules are punishing with round-the-clock shoots. Says Grover, “The biggest challenge is that even though you’re dead tired, your appearance shouldn’t reflect it.”

Former VJ Shenaz Treasuryvala is making a comeback on television as the anchor for The Great Indian Laughter Challenge 4 on Star One

Joshi feels anchoring is even more challenging than acting. He should know — he began acting at the age of nine, when he played Kush in Ramanand Sagar’s Luv Kush, though he shot to fame with serials like Des Mein Nikla Hoga Chand and Bhabhi. He says: “The schedule is gruelling and you have to constantly re-invent your lines as you have to go with the emotions of the show.”

Yet, there’s creative satisfaction too, which is why anchoring is usually a conscious career move. For instance, VJ-turned- actress Shenaz Treasuryvala, who took a sabbatical after her hit film Ishq Vishq, has chosen the anchoring route to return to the industry. Treasuryvala is anchoring The Great Indian Laughter Challenge on Star One currently. She returned to India from Los Angeles, where she was based, less than a month ago and began shooting for the show just two weeks later.

“I’m still getting used to the non-stop 23 hours of work as we shoot several episodes in a day without breaks,” says Treasuryvala, who hosted and produced travel shows for Discovery Travel Channel in the US. Yes, she’s open to doing Bollywood films. But she says, “I’m not single-mindedly concentrating on that. I will only go by the script.” She’s also planning her own travel and talk shows soon.

Ramp model Aparna Kumar ups the glam quotient as host on SAB TV’s Comedy Ka King Kaun

Similarly, dusky ramp model Aparna Kumar, who acted in the Hindi film Rok Sako To Rok Lo earlier and will now appear in Subhash Ghai’s forthcoming Yuvraaj, is mixing films and anchoring. She’s hosting Comedy Ka King Kaun on SAB TV currently even as she aims for a career in Bollywood. “Anchoring a comedy show is creatively satisfying. Both can co-exist at the same time,” she says.

That’s what MTV VJ and former MTV Roadies winner Rannvijay Singh Singha is also hoping. Singha vroomed into his VJ-ing career after winning the Roadies adventure-based reality show. He has anchored Roadies for the last four seasons and is looking forward to season six. Besides, he’s anchoring another youth-based reality-show Splitsvilla on MTV.

The good-looking VJ is ready to encash the fame his anchoring career has brought him with his first Hindi film, Toss, which is releasing next month. Besides, he’s contemplating offers from other film production houses and has even participated in a dating contest, White Mischief MTV License 2 Flirt, in which boys and girls are checked out for their flirting quotient with VJs. “The best thing about a reality show is that it’s interactive. I get to understand the emotions of the contestants better while I anchor the show,” says Singha.

In fact, the anchors often have to act as mentors to the contestants. Says Roshni Chopra: “Some of the kids are extremely talented and you develop a certain bond with them.”

FIndian Idol 3 finalists Meiyang Chang and Deepali are hoping their past experiences will help when they anchor the audition rounds of Indian Idol 4

For anchors like Singha, it helps that he was once a contestant. Similarly, Indian Idol 3 finalists Meiyang Chang and Deepali are hoping their past experiences will be useful as they move to the other side of the fence. Chang and Deepali haven’t got the main roles yet but they’re anchoring the audition rounds of the soon-to-be-aired Indian Idol 4.

Chang’s cute boy-next-door image made him hugely popular when he contested for the Indian Idol 3 title last year. In fact, the Dhanbad dentist has already released his own music album, Tu To Na Aye, and has even won a role in director Arindam Mitra’s film, The Seventeens. Anchoring shows, feels Chang, provides “a platform where you can bond and connect with a lot of people”.

His co-anchor Deepali too has already got her first break as singer — she sang with composer Anu Malik in Don Muthuswamy. Says Deepali: “I’m here to make a career as a singer. But anchoring the audition rounds of Indian Idol 4 gives me the opportunity to interact with so many other hopefuls.”

Are the anchors worried that the reality shows may only bring momentary fame that will fade out once the show ends? Says Grover: “In the fickle world of glamour, you have to play your cards well to endure in the long run. The trick is to devise your own strategies and not get lost in it.”