The Producer of Colors India's Got Talent- Khoj 2, Siddharth Basu, CMD, Big Synergy, bares all on what makes him tick, worried and work as a producer. How much does it matter that a production house is working under foreign banners and what it means to Indian producers. This man has abundant knowledge and knows the details of the industry to the T.

Read on for a share of his gyaan…

We've heard that this season has included more places for audition…
Yes, the chunk of northeast is one big addition. We have this big and beautiful Acapella group which attempts to bring a flavor of Indian music through western instruments. We have been going deeper into the country trying to get out as much more talent as people.

What's new this season?
Well, I don't know what to say to that because this show has always been about performing arts. Jawaharlal Nehru said – 'We are not a country, we are a continent'. It's true because we have such diverse yet rich culture. This show aims to shine light on all of it…to make us realize what a rich treasure of talent we got. Yes, I'd definitely say that this time, the logistics are mind boggling. Also, people knew about this show this time around thanks to the popularity of last season, so we had an advantage.

Can you brief us about the format of the show?
Well, we have in hand 19 episodes. We have 8 audition episodes, one culling episode, semifinals and finals. There will be seven people in the finals.

What's your inspiration to come up with such a show?
My roots are in theatre. However, television gave me livelihood. The different kinds of performances, be it theatre, cinema or small screen, have always excited me,  which is why as a production house Big Synergy came forward with Jhalak Dikhla Ja. Mumbai is more Bollywood oriented. We have so many art forms out there that have nothing to do with Bollywood but yet are so beautiful. Our aim is to bring them out. My love for art forms is what basically drives me to do such performance oriented shows.

How different is the Indian version from the original British version?
The British version is crisper. They have less than 10 episodes for the whole season. They try to bring out the human story related to each performance. Here we are trying to exhibit more and more art forms because we are a huge country and we have that much variety. We want to show as much of this as possible.

Does working under foreign banner increase pressure?
To some extent it does. It comes from all over because a lot of people have their stakes at hold- advertisers, investors. But there's the advantage of recognition too. Plus, you have a good financial backup. It's a classic give and take situation.

Will the winner be entirely chosen on audience poll?
I think it's pretty much up to them. The judges can only guide them as to who is the eligible winner…

Do you think India's Got Talent will help Colors get back on its number one position?
As a producer I can only give my best and hope for the best. My commitment is mainly with the show not the channel. If the TRPs help the channel then I'm a happier person!

Is this TRP too much of a pressure?
It's sad that the television industry is taking this benchmark too seriously. We have 129 million viewers and how many sets are taken into account for TRP measurements?  Just 7000 odd!   Our 25,700 Crore industry is living day to day under the tyranny of TRPs. Now I'm not against sampling. But people need to understand that it's just one dipstick. I say, also take into consideration research and feedback.

Reporter and Author: Susan Jose