Discovery’s latest India original series, Mystery Hunter, has already begun captivating audiences with its thrilling exploration of India’s lesser-known mysteries, astonishing legends, and hidden treasures. Hosted by the dynamic and adventurous Rannvijay Singha, the show takes viewers on exhilarating quests through India’s unexplored landscapes, uncovering astonishing legends and hidden treasures of great significance.
Speaking exclusively to India Forums, Rannvijay opens up about his experiences as the host, what makes this show a must-watch and much more.
Can you tell us what excites you the most about Mystery Hunter?
I’m really excited because when I first heard about the show, I was immediately interested. I’ve always been a big Discovery fan, but I’ve never worked with them before. I’ve been in this line of work for 21 years, and even though my brother and my father have worked with Discovery, this is my first time. When they offered me this show, I realized that everything happens for a reason. The kind of show they offered me was right up my alley, as I’ve always been curious about historical places and local legends. To actually explore these places with special permissions and interact with incredible minds who have dedicated their lives to topics like Mahabharata, dinosaurs, and Harappan culture, was amazing. The exposure I had to these experts was enriching, and it was physically tough but rewarding. I’ve loved every bit of it.
Not everyone in this country has access to these places, these humans, or the permission to do such things. So, we were all very happy and grateful for the experience
– Rannvijay Singha
You have a massive fan following, and with the announcement of both Mystery Hunter and the upcoming season of Roadies, the excitement seems overwhelming. How does it feel to receive such a response?
Oh man, every time somebody says it, I have to kind of make myself believe that it’s true. First of all, I don’t believe it because I am always away from all of this, because I am spending a lot of time with my kids and all that. And when we decided that I was going to do this show, I was very happy because I think everything that I am looking at now is like, man, when my kids watch this with me, when they see the weapons of Mahabharata or the dinosaurs episode, they will be like, ‘Wow, that’s so cool.’
Our friends, who are also parents, their kids are like, ‘Uncle, what do you do? What show have you done?’ And I am like, ‘Okay, watch this. Watch Mystery Hunter.’ So I think that, plus me coming back on the other show, because I am still that guy, I am still that guy who rides bikes, still that guy who loves adventure. I will jump into the deep side of any adventure any day.
In 4 years now, what happens is the whole generation kind of changes, from Gen Alpha to Gen Z to Millennials. Every 4-5 years, it changes. So I thought I was connect with the generation that now became, say, 25-30, and the new bunch of people who are becoming 15, who watch these other shows, why would they be excited? I will be reintroduced to them.
Sometimes I feel that when you are on the top of your game, you should leave before the decline
– Rannvijay Singha
But man, when it was announced, it was the last 3-4 years that I didn’t do 2 seasons or the other show on MTV. Also, every post of mine, there would be people just saying, ‘Come back.’ That makes you feel so good, but sometimes I feel that when you are on the top of your game, you should leave before the decline.
Many times you have seen cricketers that we love, and towards the last 2 years, there are so many young talents. ‘Please let them go.’ I don’t want to be in a space where I have been with one channel for 20-25 years, and then somebody says, ‘Please give someone else a chance, Dadaji.’ Before that, I want to reinvent myself while I am doing a web series somewhere else, while I am trying to reinvent myself somewhere else in this whole process, because I am not with one channel I think somewhere the discovery thing, ‘Hey man, Ranvijay seems to be our guy,’ and I think he will be available. That kind of conversation must have started. They reached me, me being available, me being in the space of reinventing myself or doing something different. So when these things happen simultaneously, it’s a bonus.
But I feel like I am not going to stop evolving with time. I can’t just sit; what’s next? So you’ve got to keep being that guy if you are authentically that guy, and I am that guy. So I am on a new adventure where I am not the Mr. Know-It-All in all of these historians, the paleontologists, the experts, the researchers. I am gathering from them. I am a curious little kid, in a way. And in the rest of the shows, I am the guy with whom people come and say, ‘Sir, one day I want to become like you.’ So, I am getting to be both at the same time. It is amazing. I feel very grateful, and I think I am very blessed and I am grateful every day.
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Exploring India’s lesser-known mysteries must have given you a fresh perspective. How did it change your view on the country’s history and culture?
I already know that the history and the culture are very rich. No matter how much effort or time you spend, it’s still never enough. I know this because even on other shows, I get to travel a lot, visiting many places and really diving into the culture. But when you do that, you’re usually meeting a local guide, someone from the area, or reading about it when you visit a monument.
However, here, I met people who excavated the monuments themselves, telling me stories from 1975 about how they discovered what was there.
They described seeing a mound and working for 18 hours or more, which was mind-boggling to me. What it takes to preserve history, to discover, and to unravel mystery—it’s not just a simple process. When we watch a story, we consume it over popcorn and sandwiches. But meeting these people who have dedicated 40 years of their lives to preserving history was eye-opening. It made me realize how small we are in this grand system. Without us, the information might not reach millions, but without these people, we wouldn’t have the information at all.
Being okay with being a small part of the system and understanding your place is where the beauty lies. It was so intriguing, and at times, I was just blown away by the facts.
I don’t want to be in a space where I have been with one channel for 20-25 years, and then somebody says, ‘Please give someone else a chance, Dadaji.’ Before that, I want to reinvent myself
– Rannvijay Singha
Were there any myths or legends that you initially thought were exaggerated but turned out to have a fascinating historical basis?
I was amazed to learn about India’s rich history with dinosaurs, something I didn’t know. We’ve always been bombarded with Western content about dinosaurs, but it turns out they existed all over the world, including India.
I visited a dinosaur museum in Balasanur, and the number of dinosaur eggs and fossils discovered there was unbelievable. It was a reality that I never expected. Then there’s the history of the Deccan traps—the lava flows that happened for four million years, creating layers of fossils. The history is so clear when you look at it from a scientific perspective, and some of the visuals I saw just blew my mind.
These experiences make you realize the depth of history and how we’re just a tiny part of it. It’s humbling. It also makes you reflect on how, throughout history, there were kings and queens who believed they were doing something incredibly important. Yet today, their deeds might not matter much in our everyday lives. So, whatever we’re doing today, we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously. We should enjoy our lives, do our jobs, and be kind to people.
If my role is to be an instrument of information, entertainment, or motivation, I’ll do it. We shouldn’t take it too seriously because in the grand scheme of things, people will forget. We’re talking about the history of 50, 100, or even 1000 years ago. It really puts things into perspective.
Meeting these people who have dedicated 40 years of their lives to preserving history was eye-opening. It made me realize how small we are in this grand system. Without us, the information might not reach millions, but without these people, we wouldn’t have the information at all
– Rannvijay Singha
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What’s the most not ancient thing you carried in your backpack? Snacks, a Wi-Fi router, or maybe a pillow?
I carried snacks because there is one thing I have learned from the kind of work that I do: there might not be good food or proper nutrition when you’re on the go. So, I always carry protein bars, lots of chanas (chickpeas), nuts, dry fruits, and blueberries. I keep a mixture of all of these in my bag. I also make sure to carry enough water. As a crew, we always stocked up before heading to the next location. I wasn’t really worried about Wi-Fi and things like that because of the kind of journey we were on.
Did you actually use a phone or something like that?
Of course, we had phone connectivity to contact places, check in with family, or call each other. But when we were shooting in remote areas, we all had walkie-talkies because some places had no network at all. And I think all of us were actually happy that there was no network. Once the sun would go down and if we had time off, we’d sit and discuss the people we had met throughout the day.
What kind of discussions did you have?
We would talk about the people we met and share our experiences. We would reflect on the day, reminding each other not to take things for granted. Not everyone in this country has access to these places, these humans, or the permission to do such things. So, we were all very happy and grateful for the experience.
