T2 GOT A RINGSIDE VIEW OF THE SHOOT OF ROADIES XTREME IN SHILLONG

It was F.R.E.E.Z.I.N.G! As I motored up to the beautiful hills of Laitlum, a two-hour drive from my hotel in Shillong, I was excited. After all, how often does one get a chance to watch the action of a Roadies episode play out live, and that too in a landscape as eye-catching as this? But it was 11°C and I had on four layers of clothing. And I was still freezing.

Laitlum is an endless green expanse surrounded by hills. I reached to find that the stage was set and the battleground ready. Contestants and gang leaders took their place, all set for some high-octane action. 

The task for the day? ‘Rang Dheela’ — balancing rainbow-coloured bricks on a wobbly table with the help of a rope. Sounds easy? Well, it wasn’t, especially with the heavy fog and the strong cold wind blowing in. 

The taping of the entire episode — including breaks for the truant weather — took almost three hours. Which team won at the end of it all? Well, watch the episode to find out. 

Shillong is the first stop for Season 15 of the show —  called Roadies Xtreme. The show will travel to other parts of the Northeast like Kaziranga in Assam, and Bhalukpong, Itanagar and Ziro in Arunachal Pradesh. 

NEHA DHUPIA IS ‘BOSS LADY’ EVEN OUT OF HER COMFORT ZONE

The last time we spoke, you had told us that you were single. Has that changed?

Absolutely single! If I wasn’t, my phone would be ringing incessantly.

This is your third year as a Roadies gang leader. What are you bringing to the table this time around?

I definitely bring a certain amount of credibility, just like the other gang leaders. We are all self-made and we stand for never giving up. I would never say that I stand for being the face of the show as far as women are concerned. I actually tell all the roadies that nobody is a man, a woman, a girl or a boy... you are all here because you are roadies, we are here because we are gang leaders. So it isn’t a gender thing that I bring to the table. What I do bring in is a strong voice, someone who has a strong opinion, somebody who is self-made… I put my money where my mouth is. Tomorrow, I may fail or succeed but I won’t give up. I have a sense of adventure and this whole experience is something that money can’t buy. We are living in tents and I am testing myself. 

This season will see the gang leaders competing too. That must be exciting...

It’s intense. Right now I am putting up a brave front but I have everything — my stomach flying off the charts to my back hurting, fever… I have to time my hair wash to when the sun comes up! Water here is freezing cold... I don’t remember the last time I had a shower with cold water. Roadies Xtreme is all about taking everyone out of their comfort zone. I have decided that I am going to focus on the positives, live in the present. I must have done something right in my life to call this my job. If a day at work looks like this, I am okay with it. 

How have you been preparing yourself, physically and mentally, for the tasks?

I do yoga every day for one-and-a-half hours, no matter what. And I am always on the move so I am not really worried about following a diet... I am just staying away from sugar. Yoga is a great way to work out. You carry a mat and put it out anywhere. 

I have done yoga in the weirdest of places… once when there was a flight delay, I had my mat with me and this was at an airport in Germany. I have done yoga at a base camp on a mountain, on top of a boat in Varanasi, inside my vanity van during shoot breaks and definitely on Bandstand (in Mumbai). I am addicted to yoga. I am even encouraging Nikhil (Chinapa, gang leader) to do yoga. He is actually pretty good at it. He has a sense of balance.

Is this your first time in Shillong? Have you tried any local food?

It’s my first time here. Oh my god... it’s so cold! I have six layers (of clothing) on and I have goosebumps. I always believe in eating local, I don’t do organic or vegan. Pineapple is a big local fruit over here, so I got lots of fresh pineapple. There’s a lot of emphasis on rice being a staple so yes, I had a little bit of the local rice. Because it’s so cold, your body digests everything so fast.

You are quite the ‘girl boss’ and criticism doesn’t seem to faze you. Is that something you have learnt over the years?

I think it’s the most beautiful thing about growing old. You are so self-assured as a person. When I was in my 20s, I was still the same person but I was trying to ape a lot of people and I just thought that it was wrong at all levels. Whereas now, it’s almost like I feel what makes me happy isn’t defined by what other people think of me. As long as I am not hurting anyone, I will continue to do what I think is right.

Decode your looks on Roadies for us...

Flats! Eight layers of clothing, all warm clothes and flat boots in different shades.  I am wearing a Givenchy sweatshirt today to pay tribute to him. I really don’t follow trends and especially on a show like Roadies, comfort has to be the most important thing.

You are all set to star in Pradeep Sarkar’s Eela where you will be sharing screen space with Kajol. Can you tell us about your role?

I play Padma who is a drama school-teacher. I am excited to work with Kajol... I have always been a fan. I am excited to get to know her on set. As soon as I go back, I go into that. 

Will we ever see you being a part of a fiction show?

Non-fiction is something that interests me… I may not be spending all my energy on doing television. I will keep shuttling between television, film, digital, production… but I am the kind of person who does one thing at a time and I like to stay focused. But I will invest my time in things that are worth my while.

You’ve come fresh off hosting BFFs with Vogue. Who’s your BFF in Bollywood?

I am close to Karan (Johar), Soha (Ali Khan), Konkona (Sensharma)….

Last year we saw you in some interesting roles in Hindi Medium, Qarib Qarib Singlle and Tumhari Sulu. Is there a change in the way you are approaching your Bolly career now? 

Your film career is defined by the opportunities you get and choices you make. Some of the opportunities that I have got have been very interesting, some of the choices I have made have been great and some not so great. So I am a realist about this. Being a part of Eela is something that I got even before Tumhari Sulu was going to release. I can’t thank Atul Kasbekar and Tanuj Garg (the producers of Tumhari Sulu), Vidya (Balan) and Suresh (Triveni, director) enough for giving me Tumhari Sulu because it had the impact that I wanted it to. 

All I am trying to do is play good roles in films. Am I going to be dancing around trees or play a college girl? Not at all!

Text: Nandini Ganguly
Roadies pictures courtesy MTV