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| India's Got Talent stars set to eclipse Susan Boyle? |
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 Susan Boyle may currently be the world's most famous reality TV star, but could her crown be about to be stolen? On Saturday, singers and dancers across India (and those with less mainstream talents, such as a man who combs his armpit hair) will gather around the television for the first episode of India's Got Talent. They will, however, be spared the sparkling teeth of Simon Cowell, Amanda Holden and Piers Morgan - but the judges' three red buzzers will remain. Behind them will be film director Shekhar Kapur, and Bollywood actors Sonali Bendre and Kirron Kher. There will, naturally, be the crooners and the hoofers but the show will also feature Dandiya, a traditional folk dance; Shayari, a type of poetry, and Mallakhamb, a traditional sport in which gymnasts perform poses and feats while hanging from a vertical wooden pole or rope. And, of course, there will be the man that sets his hair on fire as well as the one who combs his armpits. But will they eclipse Boyle? The Scottish singer has made a big impact on the subcontinent, says Rajesh Kamat, CEO of Colors, the channel that will air the show. "That has really helped our show and its promotion." Kamat says the huge growth in Indian TV channels, with 12 general entertainment outlets now battling for viewers, has made international formats much more important. "A lot of new players have come in over the last six months, which has meant consumption of international formats has gone up," he says. "The battle at the top has intensified." Colors, which has around 35m subscriber households and is owned in part by Viacom, parent company of MTV and Nickelodeon, is not a total stranger to the sort of western whirlwind that surrounds reality TV shows - the channel previously aired the Indian version of Big Brother, Big Boss, on which Jade Goody appeared when she discovered she had cervical cancer. - Courtesy: Guardian Related Articles:
Last update: 22-06-2009 12:59
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