Features: Magazine | Literary Review | Life | Metro Plus | Open Page | Education Plus | Book Review | Business | SciTech | Friday Review | Young World | Property Plus | Quest | Folio |

TOO MUCH ON FILMS?

Have game shows on TV become too film-based? Take a look at some of the questions asked on popular game shows in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam? They are all film-based _ Where was the song "Kuch Kuch Hota Hai" picturised? What was the profession of Rajnikanth in "Chandramukhi"? In "Udayananu Tharam", what is Mohanlal's name? These days, questions on art, geography, sport and literature are hardly asked. Says an exasperated research programmer who prepares the quiz format: "Recently, none of the participants in one of our shows could answer the question _ where is the Eiffel Tower? Now, we have been told by the producer and channel to have more film-based questions." KBC had popularised the concept of asking simple questions on Hindi cinema in the beginning to make the participants feel comfortable before the tougher questions followed. Now using the Big B's formula, all top actors-turned-anchors are trying to help the contestants by asking simple film questions to make the programme more entertaining rather than academic. The bottom line is _ the show has to entertain and get TRPs.

SREEDHAR PILLAI

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail