Nikhil Chinapa on being a gang leader, “dreading” Rannvijay and fatherhood....

Congratulations on becoming a father! How are you adjusting to the new role?

I have only spent two weeks at home. As soon as I go back, I am setting aside some quality time.

What are you dreading the most in this season of Roadies, given the gang leaders will also be competing?

Rannvijay! It’s very simple. He is one of my closest friends in the whole world, but he is also good when it comes to Roadies. And he is going to take a lot of pleasure in making life difficult for all of us. So it’s going to be extreme for the gang leaders. And the thing about him is that since he knows the game so well, he can make up new rules as we go along if he sees that things are becoming too easy for us. So he is my biggest concern this season.

What about the tasks?

It’s always good fun to get down and do these things. These are the kind of things that we wanted to do when we were kids and we couldn’t do. But now we are doing it on a much larger format, so it’s really a lot of fun.

You gang leaders seem to share a certain camaraderie. Can you share some BTS secrets with us?

Honestly, Neha is much better than I am at yoga! I am trying to get to her level. Prince is much younger than I am, but his game sense is like nothing I have seen. Raftaar is a fellow south Indian, so we bond over dishes cooked in coconut oil! 

If you had to describe each gang leader in one word, what would it be?

Rannvijay is ‘don raja’, Raftaar is like a brother, Neha is sophisticated. There are so many layers to that woman. Prince is a beast!

After all these years, do you think the Roadies spirit is still alive? Or has it become more of a platform for budding actors and models? 

I don’t think so. For the past couple of years, the quality of people that have been turning up for the auditions has gone up considerably. There’s no prize money on the show… you aren’t winning a car, a crore… there’s certainly an element of winning respect on the show. There’s also no doubt that Roadies has served as a launch pad for different types of careers. So yes, many people see this as an opportunity to get seen and noticed. I think if you do well on Roadies, fame is a by-product. 

How are you going about choosing your gang members?

I am very clear about one thing — for me it isn’t just about winning. To win will be great but what’s more important is the entire journey. There’s a great line from a song by Aerosmith — Life’s a journey not a destination. I am hoping that everybody in my gang has a great journey together. So I am trying to pick people who will get along well with each other and support each other when the time comes. 

Rannvijay Singh Singha is back with a new role in the milestone season of Roadies Xtreme...

You won Season 1 of Roadies 15 years ago and have been associated with the show ever since, in different roles. How has the transition been?

The transition has been ever-changing. Now I am at a place where I know what it takes to win as a roadie, what it takes to win as a gang leader, what pressures a roadie or a gang leader goes through. So if I have to make life extreme for them, I will also know what buttons to press, what are their weaknesses and what are their strengths. And that’s why it’s the right time for me to be in this role. 

What will we see you doing this season?

My job requires me to make sure that these guys are on the edge. I have worked in every capacity here, including picking up lights and building scaffolds. So when I tell a gang leader that this has to be done, they have a choice to either do it or not but it won’t change. 

Over the last few years, a lot of people wanted to be in my gang and I couldn’t be fair to just my gang because I feel for every roadie. And now I can be there for every roadie. I can tell them how to do a task, how to survive without thinking that my gang is at a disadvantage because I am there for everybody. 

Do you think most of the participants in the show are in it because they want to be another Rannvijay?

It has been happening for a long time. The thing is, that true Roadies spirit is not defined by one person... it’s different for different people. For some people it’s about putting themselves in a situation which they couldn’t in life, while some people want fame and use it as their platform. And it’s okay. 

The reason why I came for it was different… it wasn’t a platform in 2003. It’s not okay to judge somebody’s reason as right or wrong. It’s how badly they want to come here, how badly they want to survive — that’s important. So what if somebody wants to come on Roadies for fame? They still have to stand in the audition, they still have to say something in the group discussion, they still have to express themselves in the personal interview. At least the reason they are doing it is truthfully out there. What’s wrong is when you want it the easy way. And then it’s shortlived. If they can’t sustain the fame, it isn’t our fault. 

You have always been very fit. What’s your daily fitness regimen like? 

I really do tell people to play sports, go on treks and be active. Just going to the gym is boring. Being fit doesn’t mean that you have to have a certain kind of body. 

You host Splitsvilla too. Which format do you like more — Roadies or Splitsvilla?

Roadies because I was a roadie. But as a host, I like both because they are both different. With one, I get to travel and with Splitsvilla, sometimes when I watch it, I get entertained because I don’t believe what’s going on! I don’t believe what young people can actually do… what extent they can go to. 

What else is happening on the work front?

I’m doing a fashion line, I have a men’s grooming product line, a few brands that I endorse. I am making some content with my production house. I have a festival called Soledition which is the first sneaker festival, another festival called Bombay Cool and Vintage. So I do a lot of these properties. 

I have a couple of football teams, one in the I-League and one in an amateur league. I am part of a poker league. So workwise it’s busy. I am making my own line of shoes, hats… I already have bags. I have invested in a burger place. I just did a web series called Kaushiki....

Nandini Ganguly