The Gana Mela traces its origin to the Koothu Patrai of Tamil Nadu, a combination of music, dance & acting, enacted in the temple premises before  a small  crowd of devotees who flocked around the performers for a  rare evening of classical entertainment.

This temple oriented art  form evolved to its present ‘music orchestra group’ over decades, absorbing along  the way the impact of technology as well as  the changes in popular taste . When loudspeakers & audio systems widened  its reach to bigger audiences, the Gana Mela moved out from the temple to the Utsav grounds & auditoriums  ; as playback singing  caught the public fancy, the content of the concerts shifted from  devotional music to film songs.

Singing icons of the caliber of Yesudas, Jayachandran, A.M Raja etc took to the Gana Mela platform, using its stage as a reliable barometer of audience preferences . Their entry into the fold enhanced its image further and troupes began to spring up along the length & breadth of the State from Trivandrum to Kasargode, providing affordable & wholesome entertainment in every type of venue from temple utsavs , Church festivals ,weddings, birthdays to club events. Its appeal spiraled to unprecedented heights and the Gana Mela emerged as the most popular form of mass  entertainment& recreation. But soon the tide turned & TV singing  stars who became overnight celebrities, started edging out the older & more experienced Gana Mela singers from the field.

Super Troupe is an attempt to revive an art form that has been sliding into decline and to help it to recover lost ground through the highly popular medium of a reality show.