You'll hear purring of engines, shrieks of excitement, cries of frustration. You'll see high fives, wheelies, stoppies and more as the adrenaline junkies are back with ‘Pulsar MTV Stuntmania Underground'. And leading the pack this time is VJ Rannvijay as the host of the show.
In its third season, Stuntmania has undergone a few changes. “This time there was no open audition. We selected nine best riders from across the country. Joining them will be three participants, who deserved to win, from the last two seasons. Also the scale of the stunts is much bigger this time,” says Rannvijay. The bikers will have to encounter monster trucks, fire, floating ramp, pneumatic cannons, bullet trains and buzzing helicopter to win the title. The winner gets to go to France and train under the master of freestyle stunt biking — Jorian Ponomareff.
The show has eight levels and whoever fails to perform goes out of the show. So, it's a performance based show minus the usual back biting, plotting, voting elimination that most reality programmes thrive on. And it's not just the contestants who'll set your hearts thumping with their antics; Rannvijay will also give you a demo as to why he was chosen to be a part of this show. “I have been an avid biker from the time I was 14. Motor sports give me a high. I even try out the stunts before the contestants perform. They are all mavericks and for them to listen to you, you have to be a point of authority,” adds the VJ.
Apparently, there is a lot more to being a stunt biker than just being able to perform flamboyant tasks with your two-wheeler. It requires discipline, practice, a balanced diet and exercise. Along with preparing the body, the bike too needs to be looked after and maintained well. “It's a rather expensive sport.” The aim of Stuntmania is to promote stunt biking as a sport and the VJ feels in the recent past the popularity of the sport has increased. “Parents now support their children participating in this contest, which is a big deal.” he says.
So, is it tough hosting a programme which involves risks? “Nothing is tough. Everything is hard work.” And what keeps him busy when he is not on the bike? “I am working on a couple of movies…one is Nagesh Kukunoor's ‘Mod' and the other is ‘Ekant'. I am also looking forward to the auditions of the next season of Roadies.
Stuntmania airs on Sundays at 7 p.m. on MTV.
