Tears and a proposal for Salman? Here's what really happens on reality TV show...

It's 5pm and tears flow unchecked.

It appears one of the contestants picked a song that her current state of tonsillitis has not been very kind to; celebrity judges Shankar Mahadevan and Shafqat Amanat Ali are certainly not impressed.


As the on stage dressing down unfolds, the restless audience bristles amidst its whisperings and overdose of masala chai, prophesying whether the proverbial axe is about to claim its next victim.

Five minutes in and the teary-eyed contestant has returned to the dwindling team of hopeful singers, which has whittled down from 16,000 to the final seven.

Hosts Ahsan Khan and singer Shweta Pandit are having trouble injecting humour into this emotionally charged moment; it appears their teleprompter is facing the age-old 'technical difficulty'.

But wait, an old-fashioned telephone receiver has been brought out and the Pakistani contestant, who was in tears but a few short minutes ago, is now proposing marriage to Bollywood's Salman Khan in a fictitious one-sided conversation.

'Cut' shouts the director, clearly satisfied with this turn of events, and suddenly, chaos reigns.

Emirates 24|7 is hanging out on the sets of Zee TV Middle East's latest reality TV show, 'Asia's Singing Superstar' in New Delhi, which pits hopeful contestants from the UAE, India and Pakistan.




A 21-episode run for the show's first season has been planned, with producers canning two episodes every day in a grueling schedule.

This day's shoot involves three episodes and an elimination.

Behind-the-scenes

While the next contestant, nine-year-old child prodigy Sneha Shankar rehearses for her final take, the 50-odd member audience makes a dash to break its own monotony.

Twenty-year-old student Imran Khan confesses its his second day on the shoot.

"I was contacted by the contractor for a two-day shoot; Rs500 per day they told me. It was easy money, so I thought, 'why not'?," he mused.

Khan, who spent 12 hours on the previous days shoot, where two episodes were canned, confessed he was anticipating a long day ahead with talk of three to be filmed in one day.

He added: "We have all bonded now in the audience. This is my first shoot, but some of these people are audience veterans. Dada here has been on three separate shows already."

The Dada in question is Alok Sanghi, who claims the 'paid audience' industry is a full time business model for retired people such as himself.

Crowd favourites have already been selected, with some of the veteran audience members now priding themselves of their knowledge of picking out the winners amidst fresh hopefuls.

However, time for social chit chat is now over as contestant Sneha readies for her turn in the spotlight.

Mentoring contestants

Five minutes a soulful rendition of the ghazal 'Dil Dhadakne Ka Sabab' later, young Sneha has won a standing ovation even from the most cynical audience member, while judges Shankar and Shafqat sit awe-struck.

The music composer, singer, and show judge and contestant mentor, Shankar, would later tell us that he fears for Sneha.

"Sneha is a child prodigy, a genius," he confessed. "I fear that history should not repeat itself like for many before her who have lost their way when being discovered and exploited so early in life.

"It is so imperative that she retains her childhood, her innocence. Both Shafqat and myself have separately spoken to her parents to let her play; let her be a kid."

As the youngest contestant on the show, Sneha's tender age hasn't stopped her from opting for a complex ghazal that has been crooned by many maestros, including the legendary Ghulam Ali, who was expected to be the special judge on the show's grand finale.

However, due to the political climate and the controversial decision that saw his concert cancelled in Mumbai, the makers have now roped in National Award winning singer Suresh Wadkar as the special judge.

As Sneha safely returns to her seat with accolades and a guarantee she's down to the next round of competition, the next contestant squares her shoulders as she steps up into the spotlight....

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