Decoding the khel behind the khatra

What is life without a little danger especially if you are paid a million bucks for it Thatrsquos what the makers of Khatron Ke Khiladi will tell you Kicking off in India in 2008 the reality show over its subsequent seasons has shown us the varied forms of daredevilrymdashfrom being tied underwater on a wheel in season 9 to lying under a moving train in season 10 In July the 13th season kicked off with contestants Daisy Shah Shiv Thakare and Arjit Taneja among others But what does it exactly take to create a show like this Itrsquos with this question that we sit down with Malaya Pradhan Project Head Fear Factor ldquoThe planning has many components location being the most critical one and the feasibility of doing the show in that localerdquo says the showrunner Itrsquos all about the locationUndeniably stunts are the most important part of an adventure reality show But they largely depend on the showrsquos location Which is why Pradhan says the design team begins scouting for destinations almost a year in advance ldquoIn 2017 when we did the Spain edition my team landed in the country in June 2016 and then again in February 2017 before the host and contestants came down in Mayrdquo he recollects While doing recce three things are taken into accountmdashcamera angles possibility of stunts in the location and finally the animals that the region acts as a habitat to ldquoAny location has to look great on camera even if it is to capture the sunset Since we are investing so much money and effort into the show it is important to capture locations that the country is known for The next thing we look at is if at least 30 to 40 stunts can be pulled off there For example we see if there are two buildings of the same height and whether a stunt can be arranged between them Or whether there is a water body and whether a helicopter can be flown over it We also have to check if the lakes are deep enough so that if someone falls into it they donrsquot hit the bottomrdquo When it comes to wildlife different regions satisfy different criteria While lions are easily available in South Africa tigers and bears have a dense population in Spain ldquoAt any point we have to make sure at least 150 types of snakes can be used So we check whether the location can provide that A lot of paperwork goes behind everything we dordquoOne also has to consider whether the locales chosen can accommodate the huge shooting team At any given time the location has to accommodate at least 200 people ldquoProduction logistics is key We may find a beautiful location but if there is no place to park at least 150 vehicles for the production artistes hosts and the cranes it cannot be usedrdquo he explains adding that they take multiple trips before zeroing in on a destinationSetting done stunts shuruAfter finalising the location the design team addresses the heart of the showmdashthe stunts Pradhan says all stunts can be broken down into four broad categoriesmdashheight water speed and reaction ldquoHeight could be a stunt from the top of a building or in a chopper We sometimes intersect it with water wherein you have a contestant on a rig jump into water Water stunts include anything from going underwater or performing a task in a swimming pool Speed stunts involve cars or long container trucks The reaction stunts vary from animals to shock This season we did about 84 stunts with a forest theme at the openingrdquoThe executionPutting together close to 80 stunts every season is not a cake walk Season on season the Indian team has been working with either the Argentinian or South African stunt teams While Pradhanrsquos team designs and ideates the stunts the foreign counterpart is trusted with gauging their executability and ensuring the contestantsrsquo safety ldquoFor instance this year we decided against introducing contestants one by one We decided to have the contestants holding on to a reverse balloon structure under the chopper The South African team executed it They determined what is the maximum weight the chopper can carry what will be the structure what material it will be made of and so on They took every individualrsquos weight into account before building the structure under the chopperrdquo shares PradhanSurprises and setbacksIn a show of this nature there are bound to be surprises Pradhan emphasises that the key is to be thoroughly prepared So what is the biggest challenge The weather he says promptly Summer in Europe is the best time to shoot because there is no wind or rain ldquoIn 2018 the weather was a huge issue in Argentina during season 9 It was extremely cold When you are doing a height stunt involving a rig that is 25 storeys above the ground and one has to walk on a table plate disc shaped things which is placed on a ladder or from one building to the other the wind plays a huge role In such a scenario we have to wait for the wind to subside or cancel the stunt Similarly once we had planned a chopper stunt But because of gusty winds we didnrsquot get the permission from local weather traffic control to take offrdquo Malaya PradhanWeather isnrsquot the only spoilsport Sometimes the team has had to cancel stunts involving animals ldquoIn Bulgaria in season 10 we had to push a stunt because the ostriches were running amok Likewise in Spain in season 8 the animal handler told us to wait for the lions to calm down before shooting with them We donrsquot take safety lightlyrdquo The team keeps backup stunt designs ready in such situations Present on location are the safety team medical team local production the Indian production technical directors creative and commercial teamKKKrsquos scariestChopper stunt season 11Pecked by hen season 11Rotating wheel underwater season 9Under moving train season 10Fire cycle season 9Battling with ostriches season 11Wax on body season 10Tear gas chamber season 10Breathless in vacuum season 9