“Hosting ‘The Traitors’ Was a Thrilling Experience, Like Watching a Mystery Thriller”: Teja Sajja
Prime Video, a leading streaming service known for its unique originals in India, is going to entertain with ‘The Traitors Telugu’. This reality format, which has created a sensation worldwide, is being brought to the Telugu audience with a unique local twist. Star hero Teja Sajja is hosting the show. 20 celebrities from different fields are participating in this game. In this series, which consists of a total of 10 episodes, the contestants will enter a world where trust becomes a danger. Who should be trusted? Who should be suspected? Who are the traitors? The game revolves around these questions. ‘The Traitors Telugu’, produced by SOL Production, will be streaming exclusively on Prime Video in Telugu and with English subtitles. A new episode will be released every Thursday at 12 noon from the 15th of this month. On this occasion, Teja Sajja shared the features of the show at a press conference.
You’ve been making super hit movies in a row.. How did it feel to become the host of The Traitors? -The Traitors is a huge hit franchise globally. It has been made in over 20 countries and over 25 languages. When Karan Johar made it in Hindi, I didn’t have much idea about it. I started watching one episode and finished the entire season in two days. I immediately loved the concept and the show.
-After the completion of Mirai, Amazon Prime Video approached me. This is the project that I got the nod for very quickly in my career. The format of this show is so strong that it has been successful in all languages. With that confidence, I immediately said no.
-It was a great pleasure to collaborate with an international platform like Prime Video. I have never seen a reality show on such a large scale in Telugu.
-The format of this show is very different. It’s really like watching a murder mystery thriller. I really enjoyed hosting this show.
How many days did you shoot? What kind of experience did the host character provide?
-We shot for 11 days. A total of ten episodes. When I was watching the Hindi version, I didn’t have any emotional connection with the participants. I didn’t even know who they were. But here, Pragati garu, Harshavardhan garu, Chinmayi garu… all of them are people we know. It will be very interesting to see how they behave.
- The host character is also very important in this. It is also like a character played in a movie. I have to behave like that host character. It seemed very interesting. A character like a class leader. (Laughs)
What is the game show going to be like? This will include the first three episodes. After watching those three episodes, clarity will come on this game show. All this will be like a murder mystery. .It has no comparison with any reality show seen in Telugu so far. A very new format. It will really be like a real game. Football, chess.. How come they are like a complete game according to some rules.. This reality show will also be like a complete game.
They say this is a new game show, right? Will the audience understand it easily? The first three episodes will be released. After watching those three episodes, there will be clarity about what is going to happen. Who should we trust? Who should we suspect? Who are the traitors? Who are the innocent? This game will be like a thriller.
How were the contestants selected? -Game players are very important for this. They must be able to manipulate, convince, and know the rules of the game to move forward. People from almost all fields were selected one by one. Being a celebrity is not their priority. Playing the game is the priority.
They say the prize money is one crore rupees, right? How will the prize money be distributed? -You should watch the game show and find out.
How was it like hosting? -I enjoyed it a lot. Because I like this show a lot. I spoke without any hesitation. I thought it would be very easy. They gave me four or five pages on the first day. They wanted to tell the participants all the rules. I thought it would be easy. Otherwise, those four pages should also be told in a single take. There should be no difference anywhere. Actually, in a reality show that is done in a studio, you can cut it. But in this, the contestants are right in front of me. Everything should be told in a single take.
Don’t children like you too? Will children like this show too? This show will appeal to everyone, from 7-8 year olds. Everyone will enjoy it. This show is very popular and has a following among children all over the world.
What about Zombie Reddy 2? We recently started shooting. We are trying to make a very crazy entertainer.
All the best -Thank you
