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FRESH FACES With younger VJs on the bandwagon, MTV is all set with its fresher and madder line-up of new shows. ANKIT RAWAL

MTV, the most popular music channel and flag-bearer of youth and pop-culture in India, has yet again spanked us with new doses of programmes and newer faces to anchor them. NXg takes a closer look.Launching 7 @ 7, Ashish Patil, GM MTV India and VP, Creative and Content, says, “7 p.m. daily, six new shows, five days a week, four new VJs, three screens (TV, mobile, web), two hour block! It’s heaven @ 7 on weekdays and hell @ 7 on weekends”. Backing it up is an international graphics and packaging environment. Catch an insane line up of gossip, romance, humour, celebrities, and of course MUSIC! Some of the programmes launched are ‘G-talk’, ‘Fantastic-5′, ‘Loveline Reloaded’, ‘Dance Crew’, ‘Discover & Download’ among others. Dance, romance, gossip, humour, celebrities, thrills, and of course music are all up for grabs at 7 p.m. every day.

The hosts

Anmol and Shambhavi, buddies and the most controversial Roadies from last season, are unplugged again on a brand new show ‘G-talk’ aka Girl Talk. The one-of-its kind voyeuristic show that takes you right into their bedroom and kitchen where they bring home celebrity guests or shall we say unsuspecting victims as they gossip, take their case and more importantly bring the unknown part of your celebrity that you always wanted to know. From talking about Kamal Khan’s first date, Rahul Bose’s first kiss to Shibani Kashyap’s body odour, the gals have one wild Pyjama Party in the comfort of their homes. Shambhavi adds since it is all impromptu without any rules, “we try to have maximum fun on the set and try to bring out the many ‘firsts’ of a guest which otherwise you don’t come to know”.

Anmol who hails from Delhi and known for her outright cattiness and cunning ways says Mumbai city has taught her a lot. From her classroom desk at Stephen’s to MTV Roadies, from the chola batura at Chandni Chowk to the vada pav and pani puri at Church Gate, from being a nobody to somebody, life has changed a lot. From being Papa’s little girl, spending her pocket money recklessly, she now has her own bank account and understands the value of money. Though she is relishing her freedom, she acknowledges that with great freedom comes great responsibility.Quips Shambhavi, “All this appears so surreal. I just walked into the MTV Studios as I was scared of adventure tasks and wanted to challenge myself. I never imagined in life that one day I will become so popular that my every move, the way I dress and talk will be so keenly discussed, (and that) I will have so many fan and hate clubs!”

Shambhavi who can charm anybody with her flirtatious smile, wants to spread the message to the youth that always be confident, love the way you are and don’t be scared of anything. Both of them have got innumerable offers for TV serials but they are happy doing G-talk.Both gals owe their stardom to MTV Roadies, a show that’s been on air for almost ten years now. And all the road action has shifted to the computer screen with the launch of Roadies Battleground on the famous social networking site Orkut. Battleground provides an opportunity to gain entry into the next season “Hell Down Under” to be held in Australia by performing tasks and making a video while performing them.

And make no mistake, these tasks are no meaner than the ones you watch on TV. A guy dripping with cow dung walking a mile to a gal waxing her legs and squeezing lemon on it, these tasks has the same adrenaline rush as the online version. The popularity of this battleground can be gauged from the fact it has more than a lakh people are subscribed to these events. The drama unfolds every week as double trouble duo Raghu and Rajiv let loose on unsuspecting prey and crown *Moment of the week’ and ‘Roadie of the week’.

Love doctor

Adding more oomph and chutzpah to the evening shows is Deepti Gujral, famous for various ad campaigns specially ‘Bombay Dyeing’ and the sizzling shots in the ‘Kingfisher Calendar 2008′. Since her father is from the forces, she got a eclectic taste of the rich heritage of India before she made Mumbai her home.Obsessed with the colour red, this hottie definitely puts a soothing balm on all the modern day love hassles in her latest show ‘Loveline Reloaded’. Hosting the show with riotous Cyrus Sahukar, she gives you tips on how to connect with that cutie on Facebook or what to write on the SMS to that girl or how to propose to the guy next door you like so much – in short helping you find solution to all your love problems.

Bold, daring and an adventure sports freak, Deepti says she loves being on Loveline and giving emotional and relational counselling to troubled hearts. Though she is a complete novice to the television medium and has to fill the shoes of Malaika Arora Khan (the first host of Loveline) she has surely met people’s expectations; in-fact raised the bar. She says she never tries to imitate anyone and just remains self and lets her own personality blossom like the luscious red roses on the show. Also she is all praise for her co-host Cyrus Sahukar, a veteran VJ who makes her feel at ease on the show. One thing she always advices the youth on the show is to have passion be it your work, love or life.

Weird lists and weirder questions with the weirdest people; don’t miss MTV VJ’s Ayushman and new entrant VJ Jose on ‘MTV Fantastic 5′. Jose, known for his witty and quirky sense of humour, is also currently the lead anchor for ‘MTV Wassup’. A multifaceted personality, Jose also doubles up as a creative producer at MTV, where he conceptualises new MTV show formats and executes the end product. Get ready to discover a slicker MTV with loads of on screen innovations, international formats and plenty of action hitting your screens day after day. Tune in and experience Heaven @7 from Monday to Friday & Hell @ 7 on Saturday, exclusively on MTV!

Ankit is a II Year MBA student from S.P. Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai.

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