MUMBAI: In a first of its kind face-off, Indian singers will take on their Pakistani counterparts in upcoming reality show- ‘Sur-Kshetra’. The show which has been produced by Sahara One and Sai Baba Telefilms will  be simulcast on general entertainment channels (GEC) ‘Colors’ and ‘ Sahara One’ from 8 September (7.30 pm) every Saturday and Sunday. It will also be telecast in Pakistan’s Geo TV channel simultaneously.

The teams will comprise of six singers each and will be led by Himesh Reshammiya (India) and pop singer Atif Aslam (Pakistan). Representing the Indian team being mentored by Himesh Reshammiya will be singers Indrani Bhattacharjee (Kolkata), Shahzad Ali (Bikaner), Yashraj Kapil (Delhi), Aman G Trikha (Mumbai), Diljaan (Jalandhar), and Budhaditya Mukherjee (Kolkata). Competing with them and showcasing their international singing talent under the guidance of Atif Aslam will be the Pakistani team with singers Ameer Ali (Karachi), Imraan Ali (Lahore), Mulazim Husain (Rawalpindi), Nabeel Shaukat Ali (Lahore), Sara Raza Khan (Karachi) and Nadeem Abbas (Lahore).

Judges for the show will be Asha Bhosle, Abida Parveen from Pakistan and Runa Laila from Bangladesh. The USP of the show will be the marking system in which the judges will have to grade the contestants with either a ‘0’ score or a perfect ‘10’ mark with no score allowed in between. Bollywood actress Ayesha Takia will host the show.

The marking system of ‘Sur Kshetra’ will put pressure on the legendary judges who will preside over the competition, Reshammiya said. “I think the format will be very difficult for the judges. They are expected to give the singers a‘0’ or a perfect ‘10’ which will make it difficult for them to decide. 0-10 marking system was adopted to take reality sing show to the next level. Audiences could expect to see high quality performances from the contestants (6 in each team) as all were experienced playback singers and had been mentored by their captains.”

The show will cover the auditions rounds conducted in India and Pakistan to the final rounds in Dubai. Celebrities from the world of music- both from India and Pakistan- Ismail Darbar, Alka Yagnik, Suresh Wadkar, Janab Ghulam Ali Sahab among others will scout for talent during the preliminary rounds.

In addition to the singing competition, the show will also have face-off of singing legends from both countries including Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan vs. Mohammed Rafi, Abida Parveen vs. Asha Bhosle and captains Himesh Reshammiya vs. Atif Aslam. Other episodic themes include ‘Evergreen Old Melodious Numbers’, ‘Best Romantic Songs’, ‘Qawwali Special’, ‘Retro Special’, ‘Shaadi Special’, ‘Folk Special bringing alive the Colours of their Nation’, and ‘AR Rahman Special’ among others.

“We have a lot of new talent and I used my experience of being a music composer/ director for 105 films and having sung for 550 songs to help my team. We are on a war platform and the tune and expressions of the contestants will be important. But there will be a lot of pressure on the judges- their decision of being right is paramount. I wish all the contestants sing well and India wins,” he said.

Bollywood stars like Anil Kapoor and Sri Devi will also make guest appearances. “Sur-Kshetra could be the biggest TV show launch ever in terms of viewership with audiences of two contemporary channels along with one from Pakistan. We believe the future is ‘collaborate to compete. There will be a 360 degree marketing and promotion campaign covering print, outdoor, and digital and radio spaces. Our budget for promotions will be around Rs 7-8 crores, an amount allocated for our big shows,” Colors CEO Raj Nayak said.

He said Sur-Kshetra launch could rival the launch of its mega-show ‘Jhalak Dikhla Jaa’ and would strengthen Color’s weekend content.

" This is my first reality show. What got me interested was the quality of the jury and the fact that I wanted talent from Pakistan to come on some stage where they can represent themselves as they are. We have trained hard and have worked with Rustam fateh Ali Khan a noted classical singer. I think Himesh is a brilliant artist and as a music director he is there. I think he gets excited whereas I am not aggressive at all- I believe in love and peace. But we were not there to make relationships," Pakistan team captain, Aslam said.

The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has warned TV channels Colors and Sahara to stop airing the programme 'Sur-Kshetra' that features Pakistani vocalists or face 'consequences'. "We are against (TV) channels who invite Pakistani singers. It is their tactic to create controversies and hence gather more TRPs. We have written to Colors and Sahara not to air the show, otherwise we will disrupt their shoot schedules. We have also written to Asha Bhosle, who is among those who will participate in the programme alongside Parveen and Laila. I have requested her not to be a part of the show as a diva like her is looked upon by many, and hence she should not be sharing stage with Pakistani vocalists," said Amey Khopkar, president of Maharashtra Navnirman Chitrapat Karmachari Sena, a group affiliated to the MNS.

"When Pakistan is inflicting injuries on us, why should we entertain Pakistani artistes?" Khopkar asked. Reacting to the MNS stand, Bhosle said she was a proud Maharashtrian who believed in the idea of "atithi devo bhava" (a guest is like a god).

"I don't like politics because I don't understand it... But I love Raj Thackeray. In spite of whatever he thinks about me, I still love him. I am a singer and I understand the language of music," Bhosle said.