So that was it.

Episode 1. (which we’ll get to shortly)

If Episode 1 (which I’m inching towards) is anything to go by, we’re in for a friggin’ ride-and-a-half with the new season of Splitsvilla… the brand spankin’ new romance reality show on MTV, where (and you’ll probably be sick of hearing this from me), love is war.

Before we get into the meat of what was EP1 (which I’m moving steadily closer to), let me tell you about the crew we have. Several of them are roadies stalwarts and old salts at shooting reality. Most are the sorts whose kneecaps will explode with the starin of standing behind a camera all day, but would still keep rolling tape on crutches. All are bloody insomniacs!

Then there are the production and art direction lads. 48 hours before the contestants were to arrive – the whole place was a shambles. The villa still had to be prepared.. the dumping ground mashaals were still being made, the new deck and arrival jetty was incomplete… and the damn beer that would keep us all going still hadn’t been chilled.

No panic. Nails were being hammered into wood and logs were being sawed right thru the frickin’ night. How do I know this? Because the noise and the halogen lights they worked under didn’t let anyone sleep.

No worries. By now the beer HAD chilled and several pints were quaffed at 6am while we watched a spectacular sunrise unfold across the eastern sky. The view at Splitsvilla (we’ve taken over the boutique hotel Casa Colvale) is ginormously magnificent. Dawn also brought with it the realization that the new deck was ready and painted!

And so began episode 1. Not with pints of amber liquid, but with the arrival of the girls at the villa. The boys followed (proving the ancient adage that whither girls, thither boys) and much merriment followed at the villa. Sadly, nobody made any move towards the pool, which I had personally ensured that none of the crew took a piss in. What a waste! Ah well, another day perhaps.

After I met the contestants and informed them about the party… the first signs of flirtation (and trouble) emerged. It’s name was Meenakshi. She has this innate quality that makes men hone in on her like bees to a bouquet. The frostiness between here and her Ex-boyfriend (the jury’s still getting clarity on that one) was however quite apparent as well.

Mohit and Joana were, by a twist of fate and a barrelful of luck, voted King and Queen and the Villa. They exercised their absolute power twice and 4 people were back on a boat ride they were hoping not to have to take, for quite a while.

I felt quite bad for Bhav Aman, Swagata, Sakshi and Varun… but that unfortunately was how the first episode was planned. 4 people dumped with the power to dump vested in the Villa’s new King and Queen.

But absolute power corrupts absolutely. And Mohit is soon going to make himself really, REALLY unpopular in the Villa. His actions come close to making some of the boys want to thump the living daylights out of him.

To find out what goes down with Mohit – make sure you catch Episode 2 of Splitsvilla next Saturday … on MTV.