Srujan Lokesh on Maja Talkies: An old show returns with a new concept, but the focus is, as always, entertainment

It’s been 10 years since Srujan Lokesh launched the popular Kannada comedy talk show Maja Talkies, which was an offshoot of The Kapil Sharma Show. In this decade, though, he has, on and off, taken breaks to focus on other creative collaborations, like, for instance, Raja Rani or Nannamma Superstar, among others. He is now counting down to returning to Maja Talkies on February 1, with only a few like Kuri Pratap and Vishwa returning from the old cast.

In a quick chat with OTTPlay, a day before he was to shoot the first episode of Maja Talkies, Srujan, who serves as creative director, producer and host of the show, spoke about the possibilities for the season, celebrating the late Aparna Vastarey and more.

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“A return to Maja Talkies was always on the cards for Lokesh Productions; it was only a question of when. This seemed to be the right time to bring it back, given that the concept does not have the pressure of competition, unlike, say, Raja Rani, where there is a task for the participants week-on-week. Having said that, Maja Talkies comes with its own challenges; it is more than taking a story forward. We have to come up with concepts that are convincing for audiences and that is more important than the performances,” says Srujan.

Given that Maja Talkies was quite popular, with characters that audiences loved, a new cast will also come with challenges, one reckons. “That is something we have to try. 10 years ago, things were very different when we started off, today, team members have priorities and commitments, bosses have changed and they have a say. Change is the only constant in life,” he says.

Srujan adds that if he had repeated the entire team yet again, audiences were likely to say that there’s nothing novel about it and with a new team, they will question the decision and wonder why the earlier one was not brought back. “It’s a challenge, either which way. We are looking at overcoming all this and focusing on the entertainment quotient. It’s like an IPL auction; the players will keep changing year-on-year based on the requirement of the franchise,” he says.

This time around, the show will depart from the house concept to an apartment dynamic. “It gives us the leeway of introducing different characters, like kitty party members, welfare association, etc. Also, if you notice, it was always about Rani’s (Shwetha Chengappa) family. We could look at bringing in my family now. There are a lot of options,” he says.

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What will also be special about this season of Maja Talkies is that they will celebrate the late Aparna Vastarey, who was an integral part, until her unfortunate demise last year. “Maja Talkies will remember her and recognize the joy she brought to the show and audiences. Professionally and personally, she was a very good friend, so, we will pay obeisance. It won’t be a 1 minute of silence or so; we will celebrate her presence in Maja Talkies,” Srujan signs off.

Maja Talkies will be on Colors Kannada from February 1; it will also be available to stream on JioCinema.