MUMBAI: Zee TV's reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Challenge 2009 has changed its 13 year old format. The show will now eliminate four contestants per week after hearing them out over two episodes.

This decision was taken after a heated discussion between the four judges Pritam, Adesh Srivastav, Himesh Reshamiya and Shankar Mahadevan. According to the judges, viewers would forget about the singers from one week to the next, since whoever sang in the current week would be top of mind. They also believe this sort of an arrangement is appropriate from the SMS point of view, wherein the viewers will also have a better tuning to the show and the participants.

The first episode of the changed format will be telecast this week on Friday.
Veteran artiste Asha Bhosle was invited as a Mahaguru in the first three weeks of the show. On other episodes, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Khayyam and Ravindra Jain too have made their appearance as Mahagurus.

The contest is taking place between 32 contestants selected from across five regions and 25 countries. The mentors enter the battlefield armed with their respective teams in the quest to find the deserving winners.