Colors brings cricket, Bollywood together

Plugging its weekend spot, Colors has unveiled a new dance based reality show with a difference. Titled 'Ek Khiladi, ek hasina', the show will feature six cricketers dancing with six television beauties in a dancing face-off. "It is not about their dancing skills," said Rajesh Kamat, CEO, Colors. "Each cricketer comes with a unique flavor and that is the differentiation we are aiming to tap."
The reality format of programming is growing rapidly as a genre and has seen its share expand from a mere 2% of the total content pie to 10% and is rapidly growing. While Colors has hosted its share of Western-adapted reality shows, with Ek Khiladi...they are moving into the genre of a made-in-India reality show. "Cricket and Bollywood are two things India thrives on. This is a risk worth taking," said Ashvini Yardi, programming head, Colors.
Ek Khiladi Ek Haseena will last for five weeks and will be aired every Friday and Saturday at 9 p.m. The participating cricketers include S Sreesanth, Harbhajan Singh, Dinesh Karthik, Irfan Pathan, Vinod Kambli and Nikhil Chopra - dancing along with television actors like Mona Singh (of Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin fame), Nigar Khan, Shama Sikandar, among others. Actor Sushmita Sen and former Pakistan cricketer Wasim Akram will be the judges.
 The show will launch on September 26.The channel has managed to rope in five associate sponsors for Ek Khiladi Ek Hasina including ICICI, Kohler, Parle Agro (Appy), Samsung and Hygine Research Institute.