‘Roadies’: Sonu Sood Finally Breaks His Silence On Replacing Rannvijay Singh Singha

Actor Sonu Sood's selection as the host of the latest season of ‘Roadies’ has elicited conflicting comments from fans. It has not been an easy thing for fans of the show to accept so readily because Sood is replacing actor Rannvijay Singh Singha who has been there with the show right from its very first season – first as a contestant, who went on to win, then as a host, and later as a mentor and judge. While many are delighted to see the 'real-life hero' Sood take on the role of mentor in the adventure reality program, others are doubtful that he will be able to replace Singha in full capacity. Sood said on the sidelines of the press conference for the 18th season of ‘Roadies’ that, while comparisons are unavoidable, the program would be extremely different.

In conversation with The Indian Express, Sood agreed that there had been mixed feedback on him being chosen to replace Singha. He said, “He (Singha) has been so good as the host. Of course, when you step into someone else’s shoes, there will be comparisons, and people will say ‘Kaisa hoga, nahi hoga’. I wanted to live like a Roadie with these contestants, be a host, a mentor and experience what they do. Also, somewhere we connected in a magical way. That’s what I want people to see. While the DNA of the show remains the same, the scale is larger and the journey is more real and raw this time.”

Talking about the first time when the channel approached him to be the host and replace Singha, Sood said, “It’s always amazing to see people living their lives on the show and watching their journeys. One has to perform tasks to survive. When you become a host, there’s a lot of responsibility on your shoulder. There are times when contestants get aggressive, and you have to tackle it. I did have doubts since it’s not my space, and I wondered if I would be able to handle it. But this was the magic of the new season. It’s revamped and something more adventurous.”

“The magical thing about Roadies is that you have to be real. You have to be what you are. On the very first day, I connected with the contestants. I knew I had to be a Roadie myself and experience what they were experiencing. We spent 45 days in South Africa, and every single day was a learning experience. We lived our lives the way we always wanted to in college. It was one of the most special experiences of the last 20 years. I have done so many movies, travelled across the world, and done so many stunts, but Roadies was the most special experience,” he shared while talking about his experience on the show.

The latest season of ‘Roadies’ will start airing tonight.