Sach Ka Samna on tv
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s the conservative Indian audience ready to bare all and face the consequences in ‘Sach Ka Samna’?
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o you believe your parents favour your sibling more than you? Do you currently owe a friend money that you have no intention of paying back? Would you cheat on your partner if you knew you wouldn’t get caught?
Just plain questions. But certainly personal. And very, very embarrassing! Probably the only way you’d answer them honestly is if there was a prize money to the tune of $500,000 awaiting you at the end!
It is with these dynamics in place that US producer Howard Schultz created the gameshow – A Moment of Truth. While it was first aired in Colombia, it has now become a worldwide rage.
The format is simple. Before going on the gameshow, a contestant is hooked to a polygraph and asked around 50 questions (the results being withheld), 21 of which are repeated on the gameshow. If he answers correctly as per the polygraph, he moves to the next level. But if he is found to be lying, the game is over. A contestant can stop before any question and return with the money he has collected up till that point.
But the catch lies in the questions, which get difficult and personal with each level. And which have to be answered in the presence of family, friends, colleagues, sometimes even ex’s and bosses! Reportedly, the Colombian version was axed when a female contestant, Rosa Maria Solano, was asked if she had ever hired a ‘hit man’ to kill her husband. She answered ‘yes’ (The person she hired tipped off her husband, who then fled) and walked away with US$25,000!
This peek into people’s private space seems to be a winning formula, what with the format being exported to close to 45 countries across the globe. And now, it seems all set to make an appearance on Indian television too!
After The Moment of Truth being telecasted on Star World, its desi version seems all set to hit our small screens post IPL, in what may be titled – Sach Ka Samna. The show, which is reportedly being produced by Siddharth Basu’s Synergy Productions, is touted to be aired on Star Plus.
While the prize money in the US amounts to $500,000, our sources say that the jackpot in India will be to the tune of Rs 1 crore. Another exciting news is also that reportedly, heartthrob Rajeev Khandelwal has been roped in to host the show.
With a mix of celebrity and common contestants, the show is sure to get people talking. But the thing that remains to be seen is whether it can retain its excitement value in the face of the conservative Indian audience. It is but obvious that the questions that are asked abroad will not be met with the same nonchalance in India. Will they then be ‘tweaked’ to appeal to a larger population? And will the show still be ‘shockingly exciting’ enough for the audience to tune into? We’ll find out soon enough…
Surbhi Sheth
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