Kozhikode (Kerala), Aug 23 - They have been singing on trains and in other public places to make a living all this while, but now 17 families of street singers in Kerala will find themselves in the spotlight, showcasing their talent on TV.

'VKC Street Light' is a new reality show with a difference - its 100 episodes will not have any competition or elimination. It is being aired on India Vision TV channel here and got off to a flying start Saturday.

'This is certainly unique in more ways than one because the 17 participating families are people who eke out a living singing on trains and street corners and who do not even have a shelter of their own,' Sudheer Ambalapad, a journalist turned ad filmmaker who is directing the show, told IANS.

'By the end of the show, all the 17 families will have a home for them.'

Calicut Landmark Builders have volunteered to build two bedroom houses free of cost for each of the 17 families.

The programme became a reality after Ambalapad broached the subject with businessman V.K.C. Mammed Koya, a former Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) legislator.

'When I first heard of the idea, I felt really happy (and I thought) let me do something for a good cause,' said Koya who has met the entire production costs of around Rs.