Here comes another imported show. Or rather an Indian version of a foreign show. Called Kisme Kitnaa Hai Dam, the show is being brought to India by Star Plus, the channel which seems to have specialized in adapting and Indianising internationally popular shows. First they bought KBC (remake of Who Wants To be Millionaire?), followed by Khullja Sim Sim(Let’s Make A Deal) and more recently Kamzor Kadii Kaun(The Weakest Link). Kismey Kitnaa Hai Dam (KKHD) is a remake of the internationally popular Endemol format, Night Fever, which will premiere on Star Plus on March 7.

Anchored by popular television host-cum-playback singer-turned-actor Sonu Nigam, KKHD is the first karaoke show on Indian satellite television, promising to be filled with fun, punch and panache. Here celebrities will descend on a grand and magnificent set to test their vocal skills in the midst of unabashed cheering and jeering. Produced by Optimystix(makers of Khullja Sim Sim) and directed by Vipul D. Shah and Sanjeev Sharma, KKHD is all about the battle of sexes as a team of five charming woman take on the challenge of five charismatic men in singing along to some evergreen songs. A studio audience of 300 takes sides quite literally, with men backing their heroes and women cheering their role models. The highlight of the show is the group singing along and creating a strong, inter-active link between the stars, the studio audience and viewers.

The two celebrity teams, consisting of boys and girls, has no precise formula for the mix. It is a sprinkling of actors, comedians, models, anchors, singers and so on. There is no preparation for the participants as they are not prepared with questions or the songs they will be singing during the show whose USP is to keep everything as surprising and spontaneous as possible. Instilling some order in the boisterous proceedings is the host Sonu Nigam who plays a gentle ringmaster to a crowded and chaotic set and encourages shy participants into playing along making sure no one is forgotten among the participants. In the audience area, ex-Miss India Gul Panag cheers the boys and challenges the girls who are supported by the male presenter Husain(Chirag of Kyunki Saas Bhi Kahbi Bahu Thi). And last but not the least, the audience also does more than just swing to the melodies as a lucky few who get their moment in the limelight to compete for the karaoke king and queen titles respectively.

"It’s a show for everyone who has been touched by a musical note and is willing to just sing along," says Vipul D. Shah adding that since KKHD is a karaoke show, the lyrics of the song are scrolled across television screen for viewers to hum their favourite songs. "It’s a feel-good energetic show." Adds Sanjeev Sharma, "It’s a show about celebration and every episode is like a new year party where you sing and dance and forget all your worries for that moment."

Elaborating, Sharma says each episode has ten songs and includes 30 acts. The key rounds are boys’ solo, girls’ solo, duet and medley. "So far we have shot 13 episodes and it’s been great fun for us as well as the celebrity participants and studio audience." But ask Shah and Sharma why are they adapting a foreign show instead of making an indigenous musical karaoke show and the duo point a finger at the channel. "It’s the channel’s decision. They have done the homework and asked us to make it," says Shah who handles the script and other creative inputs that go into the making of the show whereas Sharma, an ace ad filmmaker is in charge of the technical aspects. Ask the same question to the channel and Star Plus’ programming vice-president Tarun Katial says, “All over the world, knowledge and formats are shared. If you find the original goods there is nothing wrong in adapting it. After all, why reinvent the invented wheel?". Night Fever is a popular show in all the European countries."

Whether it’s Shah, Sharma or Katial, they are unanimous on Sonu Nigam as the ideal host of KKHD. "For his sheer knowledge of music he makes an ideal host for a musical show," says Katial adding that there is no other singer who is also a television celebrity. But how did Sonu Nigam agree to anchor a television show? After all, he quit Sa Re Ga Ma on Zee because he wanted to work in films and concentrate on playback singing. "Actually I quit Sa Re Ga Ma because I wanted to explore new horizons," says Nigam who is presently doing two films, Jani Dushman and Kash Aap Hamare Hote, which have him playing the lead. "I was definitely not keen on working in a television show. But then Vipulji and Sanjeevji approached me for this show. I was quite reluctant because it’s a musical show again. But they convinced me that it’s a different kind of show and they will present me differently. What attracted me most is the bigness of the show and the format."

Nigam further says he saw the English format of the show and he found it to be absolutely different from Sa Re Ga Ma. "The latter was very serious but this is pure fun and party like," says Nigam who doesn’t sing in KKHD but carries the show on his shoulders. He admits that not only was he attracted by the show’s format and bigness but also the channel and money. "Star Plus is a leading satellite channel and it’s a great pleasure to work for it. Besides the money is also very good," he confesses. As for the show’s format, the channel as well as the makers are following the original but Nigam says it’s a bit flexible. "There will be changes later depending upon the response," he discloses. To start with, KKHD has been planned as a 26-episode show and it will be extended if its TRP is good.

—AL Chougule