These days I am quite addicted to TV. Not in the real sense though. Quite some things are happening on TV and I guess for good! It’s a slow start but let’s see how it goes.

For one, we are kind of getting away from the gharelu stories and secondly there’s so much new content to be seen. I guess this is just the beginning. Beginning of some good quality based programming. Ok. If not quality lets say something different is being offered. Good for the viewer!

It’s high time that channels subscribe to what is needed by the viewer and show them rather than dictate what they want to show.

The soap operas are changing by the day. Some good and new contenders are Ladies special on Sony TV, Meera on NDTV Imagine, Is Jungle se Mujhe Bachao on Sony TV (What the tasks, real scary!), Rakhi ka swayamvar on NDTV Imagine (Though I don’t approve of the format, it makes for quite a viewing and some guts this lady has… to be in the news to say the least. People like me hate it but still watch it.) Up goes the TRPs!

Amongst the recent entries “Sach ka Saamna on Star Plus” stands out…

I used watch on/ off Moment of truth on Star world and many a times used to switch it off for its extremely gory projection of truth. I mean you can imagine the Americans can come up with any game show that is unimaginable! I was so put off with the progress of the program that I just changed the channel or just put it off!

Moment of truth
The Moment of Truth was an American game show based on the Colombian Nada más que la verdad format (“Nothing More than the Truth”). Contestants answer a series of 21 increasingly personal and embarrassing questions to receive cash prizes. The show was hosted by Hollywood actor Mark L. Walberg and aired by the Fox network. The show premiered on January 23, 2008. Howard Schultz is the creator of this show

Program Format
Prior to the show, a contestant is hooked up to a polygraph and asked more than 50 questions; there is no polygraph testing conducted during the actual show. Without knowing the results of the polygraph, he or she is asked 21 of those same questions again on the program, each becoming progressively more personal in nature. If the contestant answers honestly, according to the polygraph results, he or she moves on to the next question; however, should a contestant lie in his or her answer (as determined by the polygraph) or simply refuse to answer a question after it has been asked, the game ends.

Some questions are way too scary even to the viewer. And while watching it, I was quite happy and prided in being an Indian for such a format was not made in India. I thought we Indians are way too conservative and shelled to come out in the open and face our moment of truth!

But alas, that’s not the reality! We are suddenly open to various situations and I guess many of us still are extremely strong enough to face the most horrendous truth and that too in front of a nation-wide or should I say world-wide audience!

The questions posed during the course of the program are too much to digest and especially answering them in front of your mother, sister, wife, girl friend/ fiancée… I wonder to what levels the show organizers will go to explore the deepest and darkest questions…

• Did you feel attracted with your wife’s sister?
• Do you feel orphaned in spite of having your parents?
• Do you think you are smart and good looking compared to your siblings?
• Did you ever cheat your clients and made money out of that?
• Are you still attracted towards your wife?
• Do you like to see yourself naked in front of the mirror?
• Did you ever feel your wife cheated on you? Did you ever cheat on your wife?
• Are you still having an affair with him? Did you get pregnant with him? (asked to a wife)

And it goes on and on and on… With every level you scale up, the questions just go personal…

Imagine you are giving out answers in front of your family…

So, is the 1 crore question really worth it?

You build relations over many years with your family and friends. You build trust over the years and would you just let go of them by answering things that could give you enough money, but let go of all your relations?

I sometimes wonder, when the participants are introduced to the viewers, you see happy faces.
Proud parents, friends, siblings, kids who are happy to be on television for their few minutes of glory!

But when their moment is over, what would be happening behind the screens?

• Will the family behave again as normally they used to do?
• Will this be an end to their relationships?
• Will they have the same trust they had before?
• Will they be able to talk to each other eye-to-eye?

Strange no?

I was atleast thankful for myself for not being in their shoes.

I’d never be. Not for money and not in front of this world. Nothing is worth it. Really!

I don’t think its worth even with the richest of the riches to make it to this kind of a show although I admit it makes for quite a viewing…

To me this is like watching a psychological thriller and you just expect that you are not prey in the hands of this serial killer! Of course in this case it’s the show’s host…

At the end of if when all’s said and done, I guess you will be standing all alone with your bag full of money (If at all you make it, that is!) and the relations… well… once there is a question mark in your relationship its not worth anything in this world!

I would rather face the truth with the person in question, clarify and have a clear conscience for being truthful to thy self than show it to the world!

It’s so weird really. No one goes to the show to be truthful to begin with.
Moral cleansing on this kind of show is all bull shit.
Would the same contestant come to the show if there was no prize money?

It is only to do with the bag of money that they are ready to give you to face the truth.
This program is being in the news, in media especially for the kind of crude truth it presents. I am sure various sections of the society would love to pull off this one… Especially politicians

What I would really love to is to see politicians put to such tasks and see what they come up with? Celebrities being celebrities have got their name, fame and fortune through a certain process and that maybe through their talent or maybe through the couch! And they have already paid their price to get to this level. So it wouldn’t really matter.

But that’s not the case with politicians…they do everything and get away with everything… I wish as a viewer I could see them ripped apart with such questions.

With this some more questions come to my mind…

• Can the 1 crore question be any worse than this? I mean if these questions itself are so bad, what about the final 2 questions?
• Another reason for increasing no of divorces in the country? Atleast all the contestants!
• Is there any more such formats or rip-offs expected in the near future? Is this the new trend in entertaining people?

You know what just forget it…

Let me check what’s up the latest Hollywood release on psychologicall thrillers!

Atleast it’s fictional…