Remo D'Souza says even his close friends believe his reality shows are 'scripted': They keep asking me 'sach bol'

Remo D'Souza talks to HT about talent on Hip Hop India season 2 and how he ensures reality shows remain ‘real’.

Published on: Apr 3, 2025, 06:01:18 IST

By Abhimanyu Mathur

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Remo D'Souza is no stranger to reality television. Over the last 16 years, he has served as a judge or mentor on a number of shows such as Dance India Dance, Jhalak Dikhla Jaa, Nach Baliye, and India's Best Dancer, to name a few. He is now judging Hip Hop India season 2, a hip-hop-based dance reality show. While promoting the show, Remo speaks with Hindustan Times about his experiences and navigating questions about reality shows being 'scripted'. (Also read: Malaika Arora says she often calls out reality show contestants trying to be extra for camera: 'Yeh drama mat karo')

Remo D'Souza is currently judging Hip Hop India season 2.

Remo on Hip Hop India

The second season of Hip Hop India is a level above the previous one, says Remo, "The thing I am learning this season is that there is no end to it. The moment you feel that you have hit a ceiling, something new comes up and surprises you. India has no dearth of talent, I always knew it. But what we are seeing right now makes me believe we are among the best in the world."

Remo acknowledges that the current generation of dancers have a lot of avenues and platforms, but he feels his struggle was worth it. "If I had to back and tell the 20-year-old Remo to change something, I don't think I would want to change anything. Do what you are doing," he says with a laugh.

Remo addresses ‘reality shows are scripted’ charge

Over the years, reality TV shows in India have been accused of scripting moments and adding drama for TRPs, sometimes even rigging the result. Remo answers these accusations. "Even my close friends ask me, 'sach bol, scripted tha na yeh (tell me the truth, this was scripted, right)'. And I always tell them, what I have done in the last 15 years, all reality shows have been real. None of the shows is been rigged or manipulated. It's as real as me sitting here," says the choreographer-turned-filmmaker.

Hip Hop India season 2 is currently streaming on Amazon MX Player. Along with Remo, Malaika Arora is judging this season.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Abhimanyu Mathur
Abhimanyu Mathur is Deputy Editor, Entertainment at Hindustan Times. With almost 15 years of experience in writing about everything from films and TV shows to cricket matches and elections, he inhales and exhales pop culture and news. Currently, he watches movies and TV shows and talks to celebrities for a living, while occasionally writing about them as well. A journalism graduate of Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, Delhi University, Abhimanyu began his career with Hindustan Times at the age of 20, swapping classrooms for newsrooms at an early age. He began his journey in the early days of digital journalism, later switching to the madness of print journalism. Work has led him to far off places like Japan and Jordan, as well as to the interiors of Haryana and the Indo-Pak border. He dabbled in city reporting in places like Meerut, Gurgaon, and Delhi, covered the Olympics and Cricket World Cups, before finding his calling in entertainment and lifestyle during the pandemic. A Rotten Tomatoes Certified Film Critic, he is equally at home covering stories on ground as he is interviewing celebrities and studios, and sometimes prefers to shepherd teams in delivering traffic through the day. Even as his role has evolved from reporter to supervisor over the years, his first love remains writing (and of late, talking on camera). With a good understanding of cinema and its trends, and a keen eye for detail, he continues to spark conversations around showbiz for readers around the world.Read More

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