Mastermind India, to be shown on the BBC World television channel, is a quiz show based on the classic British series Mastermind in which participants are tested on general knowledge as well as a subject of their choice. In the present format, recording for which will begin in the first week of August, the 48 finalists have been broken up into 12 different rounds; the winners of each and the best four runners-up move into the second round and the four group winners to the final.

Mastermind is generally reckoned to be the toughest kind of quiz, because the participant is grilled non-stop on his own for two minutes, sitting directly under the spotlight and in front of the camera. The British series made a legend out of the quiz master, Magnus Magnusson, and the black chair the participants have to sit in.

Talking to Express Newsline, Sreedharan said he was not nervous: ``It's too early to be nervous now''. He has an enviable quizzing record, having taken part in Basu's venture, Quiz time , among other contests. He was also part of the State Bank team that came third in Ecorporate, the quiz organised by The Indian Express and ONGC last month.

He has chosen, as the special subject for the first round, `Impressionist Painters'.