9X’s Talent hunt for bollywood’s next superstars to air from 6 July, every Sunday at 8 pm

Media News

Mumbai, July 03, 2008

9X, the mega Hindi GEC from the INX Network, is all set to unleash a spectacular and dramatic talent hunt that will not only provide talented Bollywood aspirants the opportunity to win a dream Hindi movie debut, but will also see four of the biggest Bollywood stars locked in battle for their zonal teams in this nationwide hunt for the next Bollywood Superstar!

Come Sunday, the 6th of July 2008, at 8 pm, 9X will air the mega reality show, Lux Kaun Jeetega Bollywood Ka Ticket. The show will feature Bollywood superstars Zeenat Aman, Shabana Azmi, Amrita Singh and Mahesh Manjrekar slug it out amongst themselves in support of 12 talented shortlisted contestants whom they are supporting for the ultimate prize.

And that’s not all. The four superstars Bollywood mentors will be accompanied by 12 exciting Television stars, each of whom will be paired with one of the 12 shortlisted contestants who have been identified after extensive auditions across four zones – West, North, Central and East.

From the 6th of July, every Sunday night at 8 pm, each engrossing two-hour episode will present riveting performances by the 12 ‘couple’ teams of one TV star plus one shortlisted contestant. Each team will be judged for its acting abilities along with the ability to perform a song-and-dance sequence -- both of which have been staples of Bollywood from Day One. These performances will be rated by the permanent jury of the four mentors plus the TV-viewing audience from home.

Lux Kaun Jeetega Bollywood Ka Ticket is powered by TATA Indicom, which will take the telecom activity on the show to a new level.

Once eliminations start, each week, one team (pair) will get eliminated, till the votes of the jury and the home audiences ultimately identify the winning pair. Ultimately, the show will hunt for that one ‘Superstar Couple’ who have it in them to take Bollywood and the nation by storm. The Superstar Couple will get a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be one of the lead pairs in a blockbuster movie produced by Ekta Kapoor’s Balaji Telefilms and Suniel Shetty’s Popcorn Entertainment and to be directed by Apoorva Lakhia. The film will also feature some of the biggest stars from Bollywood.

Indrani Mukerjea, Founder & CEO, INX Media, said about Lux Kaun Jeetega Bollywood Ka Ticket, “Bollywood is a national craze and most people aspire to become movie stars. I am delighted that this show will provide an unknown aspirant the first real opportunity to become India’s next superstar. With Bollywood stalwarts like Shabana Azmi, Zeenat Aman, Amrita Singh and Mahesh Manjrekar, 12 TV stars and 12 new talented actors, along with all the entertainment of its exciting format, this show is yet another extension of 9X’s promise of ‘9 times more’.”

Ekta Kapoor -- for whom Lux Kaun Jeetega Bollywood Ka Ticket is a foray into reality shows -- says, “Since this is the first reality show being produced by Balaji Telefilms Ltd, we wanted it to be associated with a channel that could share our vision. This unique reality series on 9X will bring to the viewers the biggest celebrities and the best of talent from across the country. I am also getting the most controversial people from films as judges for my show. More than judges they will be mentors for the four zones, and it’s going to be a zonal war. It’s not going to be a sweet reality show but an outright war!”

Bollywood superstar Suniel Shetty, whose company Popcorn Entertainment Ltd is co-producing the show with Balaji Telefilms Ltd., said, “I think every second person in India dreams of being in Bollywood. It’s a destination that promises instant fame, glory and fortune! Lux Kaun Jeetega Bollywood Ka Ticket provides this opportunity to all Bollywood aspirants. The next Bollywood superstar will have not only the talent but also the X-factor that will be a crucial differentiator. This reality series on 9X will bring the best of talent from across the country, and it’s up to the audience to decide who gets the ticket to instant stardom.”

Shabana Azmi, who will mentor participants from the Eastern zone, said, “I am happy to contribute to the efforts to identify fresh talent for Bollywood. The USP of this show is that it offers equal opportunity to contestants from different parts of the country. We are looking for an all-round package. Since the couple will be launched in a commercial film, they won’t be judged on their acting skills alone but their dancing skills and screen presence.”

Zeenat Aman, “This show is about discovering new talent, and hence needs to be treated with special care. I am particularly excited about helping in the process of discovering fresh talent, and so am more than willing to go that extra mile.”

Amrita Singh, “There’s no dearth of good talent in our country; we just haven’t been looking for it so far. It’s a great platform for youngsters to come forward and display their talent. I am sure this show will guarantee fresh talent to Bollywood.”

Mahesh Manjrekar said, “I am delighted to be associated with this show. People from all walks of life can participate in this show, and the winner will be signed to play the lead in a film. I am hoping that someone will surprise me. People who come from acting schools know a set of only five expressions. But someone who hasn’t been taught anything can surprise you with something absolutely unexpected. People who come from filmy families can prove to be absolute duds, and someone like Shah Rukh Khan can be an inspiration to millions. I am sure this show will help us indentify some great new talent for Bollywood. I may sign the good ones for any of my forthcoming projects even after they are out of the show!”

Lux Kaun Jeetega Bollywood Ka Ticket promises to provide engrossing, enthralling entertainment with the war for real and achievable dream of making a talented aspirant a Bollywood Star; its scale and sweep, its array of Bollywood and TV stars, and its strong appeal to the entire family. Another key takeaway for TV viewers will be the opportunity to hear the star mentors' views about the fine nuances of great performance.

The 12 TV stars, each of whom will partner the shortlisted contestants, are:

INXMedia

Pavan R Chawla, Head Corp. & Channel PR

9819293932

pavan.chawla@inxtv.in