Indian Television getting Bolder and Bolder — Sach Ka Saamna
Posted on July 27, 2009
Filed Under CONTESTS, East meets West, STAR TV | Leave a Comment
The new television reality Sach Ka Saamna show which is aired on Star Plus is already surrounded by controversies and has stirred a reasonable amount of curiosity . The reality show is an Indian variant of America’s well-known show “The Moment Of Truthâ€. The show is telecasted at10.30pm from Monday-Friday and is anchored by television and film actor Rajeev Khandelwal. Sach Ka Samna’s first season will have a combination of celebrities and non-celebrities with their family members also accompanying them on the show. The questions will be very personal that could embarrass the contestant and if the truth surfaces many relationships will be put at stake. The show is ready to set the fire of truth and hope it does not burn houses. And the million dollar question still remains- Is India actually ready to face the moment of truth?
The game is played at 6 levels with a fixed amount for each level and if the contestant successfully discloses truth to all the 21 questions will finally win a cash prize of 1 crore rupees. There will be a set of fifty questions posed to the individual prior to the actual show with the polygraph machine attached that determines the truth based on various biological factors that indicate if the answer is true or false. During the actual show the same 21 questions are fired at six levels and if the participant gives out the true answer for each question he will continue with game and if he/she lies to any of the question, the polygraph machine will detect and they might have to leave the game or if they are not willing to answer a particular question they have to step down from the show and will lose their prize money won until then.
Indian television has never managed to successfully replicate the American-style intimate, confessional chat show format, a genre powered by Oprah Winfrey, arguably one of the world’s most influential women. Indians just aren’t brought up to confess on prime time television that they were raped by their uncle/neighbour when they were 11, or that they are having affairs with their wives’ sisters. Family secrets, we believe, should be buried in the darkest recesses of our emotional selves.
Star India’s sensational new show, Sach ka Saamna, manages to smash through this barrier with its deceptively simple format. All a contestant has to do is answer yes or no to any question the host asks. Twenty-one right answers and she’s a crorepati. A lie detector test, taken prior to the show when the contestant is asked 50 questions, confirms whether the answer is right or wrong. How difficult can that be, right? And how dramatic can it be when she has already answered all the questions that she is going to be asked on the show?
It’s tougher than you think. Especially when your family is sitting on the same stage, watching you spill your guts with a simple yes, no. “The best part about this show is that you know all the questions and you know all the answers. The channel screened people with interesting lives, those who had been through a lot. Nearly 50% of the contestants backed out when they realized how far they would have to go-some of them quit after the lie detector test. Only the bold ones stays on.
Giving you some clue of the questions –
Can you forgive your mother for not being there during the birth of your second child? Do you live in fear that your husband will become an alcoholic again? Do you think your mum-in-law was a better mother than your mother? Do you believe your parents love your brother’s children more than yours? All this, while her husband, mother and two more family members watch from 5ft away. At what age you started having sex?  What age you started to drink alchoal? Were you kicked out from the college due to your pregnency? Did you had an affair with your sisters hubby? Would you ever cheat on your spouse if you knew he/she would never find out?
The Indian version of the show will have less sex and more emotion. But maybe that’s the smart approach considering the show was recently banned in Greece on grounds of decency/taste. I’m almost certain that no contestant has won the big prize since this show went on air in the US last year. Incidentally, the US show was inspired by a Colombian show which also ran into trouble after a contestant said yes when she was asked if she had paid a hitman to kill her husband.
Government has show cause notice to the TV channel. The Information and Broadcasting Ministry, which issued the notice, has sought a reply from the channel by July 27. Ministry sources said the notice has been issued as the channel allegedly violated the clause 6 (1) ADIO of the programme code which says it offends the good taste and good decency. The content of the show was raised by Kamal Akhtar of Samajwadi Party in the House during the Zero Hour. He said obscene questions are asked by the anchor of the programme and gave a recent example when a woman was asked in the presence of her husband whether she would have physical contact with another person. When she said no, the polygraph test said the answer was wrong, Akhtar said asking what impression would be created on the husband.
one of the participant of the show
It seems in this cut throat competition  the Indian Channels are ready to go to any extent in order to give any thing juicy and meaty to the audience as most of the channels are coming out with enterprising ideas.
Any ways good for the masses! Let’s have some fun.
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