by Subhash K Jha

Sony Entertainment stands by its decision to replace Tamil superstar Madhavan with Mandira Bedi on their game show.

Said a spokesperson of the Channel, "It wasn't as though we didn't plan it. The show is doing well. But we wanted to move it to another level in terms of look, feel and attitude. Obviously the anchor needed to re-acclimatize herself to fit into Madhavan's shoes.

We selected Madhavan for his ability to connect with the audience and improvise on an unscripted show. Not too many anchors can do that. He's not a big star among the audience Sony caters to...

Now we've Mandira Bedi who also connects with the audience and has had considerable experience hosting shows. She also has the time to get into the role. It's three times a week, and it requires time."

But hasn't she been hosting a game show on Sahara One ? "Mandira, if you remember, did our Fame Gurukul. And the Sahara game-show was going on then.

We always had a problem co-ordinating her dates. But she's a lovely anchor and has a very charming personality. She empathizes with the contestants."

But from a male to a female host is quite a jump. "Mandira has done it successfully in the past. She broke into cricket commentary which is a male domain. Hopefully she'll do the same in our game show."

The other big happening is the return of Fame Gurukul. "It's coming back in mid-2006 in more-or-less the same format. We'll probably have the same team again."