Dadagiri

Monday to Thursday,

7.30 pm, Bindass

Rating: **

Who is in it? This show is all about surviving the challenges that three ‘bullies’ or task masters—Vishall Bhosle, Srman Jain and Esha Bhaskar—give to the four contestants. While Vishall is a brawny guy, introduced as ‘The Beast’, Srman looks more like a nerd and is known as ‘The Mindstein’. Esha on the other hand, plays a snooty girl who always seems to enjoy demeaning participants. She is known as ‘The Goddess’. There’s another character known as Juicy (Quaiser Ahmed), the in-house chef, who supposedly makes abhorrent dishes like fly curry. Contestants who fail the task have to go to his canteen and eat his repulsive food. The only sane person here is the host, Akash Beri, who always cheers the participants.

What’s it about? The tagline of Dadagiri says it all: TV’s meanest game show. There are three rounds. Whoever successfully completes them gets a cash award of Rs 50, 000. While Vishall gives physical tasks to the contestants like monkey crawling on a rope and jumping from one hanging platform to another, Srman gives mind-games and tests their basic general knowledge. Esha on the other hand challenges the contestants with revolting tasks such as separating noodles from earthworms using mouth.

What’s hot? The physical tasks and the mind-games are fun to watch. Especially in the latter, instead of pressing the buzzer, contestants are asked to break an egg on their head or slap themselves with sandals smeared with colour. The faster, the better.

What’s not? At times, the round with Esha is too revolting to watch. Though it has been scripted like that, with the intention to put psychological pressure on the participants, it’s actually gross. Juicy appears melodramatic. Abuses, though beeped out, don’t make any value additions.