World’s first-ever Military Reality Show by Tri-forces

In what is termed as ‘a first of its kind in the world,’ men in uniform belonging to the Army, Navy and Air Force participated in a reality talent show displaying their hidden talents to the public. The show known as “Ranaviru REAL Star” was launched on Wednesday (13) with the full backing of the Ministry of Defence and the sponsorship of Dialog Plc and the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation.

By Deepal V. Perera

Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa who was the chief guest at the launch said that the talents of the Sri Lankan security forces were not confined to the battle fields alone and if given the opportunity they were capable of showing their talent in any field of activity.

“In that sense the ‘Ranaviru REAL Star’ will give them an opportunity to showcase their talents. What matters here is not the weapon but the person who is behind the weapon. He is a very much talented person and the launch of this reality show will give him an opportunity to show his talents off the battle field”, Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa said.

He said that the Sri Lankan armed forces delivered the dividends of peace to the nation and the people, and their service to the country did not end there.

“They now  form  a large  part  of our development  force  and are engaged  in  numerous  expansion programmes  all over the  island. We welcome this initiative from Dialog that will highlight their numerous talents and give a place and face for our heroes” he said

Director General Ministry of Defence and Media Centre for National Security Lakshman Hulugalle said that the launching of the Ranaviru REAL Star would showcase the hidden talent of the tri-forces.

“There are so many reality shows in the country and the Ranaviru REAL Star was proposed by the Defence Secretary who had served in the security forces for the past two decades. He has seen and knows the talents of the people in uniform and their skills in performing in the battle field and on the stage. So on 19 May next year we are going to see the grand finale of the real talent star when we celebrate our second Victory Day” , he said.

Chief Marketing Manager Dialog Group Nushad Perera said that the launching of the Real star is the first of a kind show in the world with men in uniform displaying their talents at the show.

Ranviru Real Star will be restricted to members of the Army, Navy and Air Force of Sri Lanka and will comprise officers and soldiers both male and female on the same stage. The preliminary rounds will kick off on Friday, 15 October in the respective camps of the tri-services and the first telecast will take place at 10 p.m on Saturday, 6 November on Rupavahini. Ranviru REAL star will culminate in a grand finale during Ranaviru Week on 28 May 2011 at the Sugathadasa indoor stadium

According to the organisers the Ranaviru Real Star is another tribute to the heroic efforts of armed forces personnel. As they embark on the development drive, Ranviru REAL Star will serve as a platform to highlight the musical talents of the soldiers on a national stage.

Chairman of the Sri Lanka Corporation Sarath Kongahage addressing the media said that Ranviru Real Star will be a unique production as it will happen on land, sea and air.

“The show will be produced and choreographed in a manner that would set a new standard of entertainment for reality TV in Sri Lanka. We have a dedicated team working on Ranviru REAL Star and the audience is due for the best in entertainment,” he said.

He also assured that the event was going to be the best show that the Rupavahini Corporation ever produced and expressed his confidence that it would gain its place as the best show among the general public.

The organisers also said that the voting could be done via SMS from mobile phones from any network. The unique feature of the talent show is that it would be that the judge’s scores would carry greater weight in the final results.

According to Dialog a house worth Rs.10 million is to be offered to the winner and the second and third prizes would be Rs.2 million and Rs.1 million in cash respectively.

At yesterday’s launch the Air Force Commander and Joint Chief of Staff Air Chief Marshal Roshan Gunathilaka, Commander Sri Lanka Navy Vice Admiral Tisara Samarasinghe, Sri Lanka Army Major General Udaya Madawala and Additional Defence Secretary Wickremasinghe were also present at the ceremony.