The international show Rising Star - is all set to get an Indian version in early 2017 on Colors, and singer-composer Shankar Mahadevan has been roped in as a judge for this interactive show. When it was aired in the US in 2014 the judges were Kesha, Brad Paisley and Ludacris. The format is based on an Israeli show, HaKokhav HaBa, meaning 'The Next Star'.

Speaking to Mirror, Shankar said, “This one stands apart from the many singing-based reality shows as it is high on audience engagement, giving viewers the power to select their favourite contestants. The fact that it's a unique concept and it's core lies in pure, unadulterated music are the reasons I agreed to come on board.“