'We were told to scream...': What made Raghu quit 'Roadies'
What's the story
Former Roadies judge Raghu Ram has revealed that he quit the popular reality TV show because of excessive "interference" from its producers.
Speaking on Untriggered with AminJaz podcast, he revealed that the production house pressured him into yelling at contestants more often to create drama.
"Rajiv and I walked off because there was too much interference. We were told to scream at people. It's either that or you have to dance to their tune."
Contestant treatment
Ram's approach to contestant interactions on 'Roadies'
Further, during the interview, Ram revealed his philosophy while dealing with contestants.
He said, "I'll meet you how you meet me. If you meet us sweetly, if someone was bullied, we would treat them sweetly."
He also remembered a heartwarming incident from Roadies 9 where a contestant, Raju Babu Chaudhary, who ran a vada pav stall, came from an underprivileged background.
"We just gave him a hug."
Selection process
Ram's strategy for selecting contestants on 'Roadies'
Ram also shed light on his approach to the selection process on Roadies.
He admitted to intentionally intensifying the selection process at times, especially if he favored a contestant.
"If I liked someone, Rajiv (Lakshman) knew it, Rannvijay (Singha) knew it, then it's like let's go. We had codes, we used to write it down, 'I like, take it up.' .. It is our necessity, to cast a person we need to see how they react."
Departure reasons
Ram's unapologetic stance and departure from 'Roadies'
Despite admitting to his controversial behavior on the show, Ram was unapologetic.
He said, "In those times I have behaved in a manner with which people would have a problem with it. But I was doing a job, is it right, is it wrong, I don't know."
He added as the show became popular, so did the pressure to cater to certain expectations.
This led to his eventual exit from Roadies due to increased interference from producers.