The Greek version of the show was banned in June. Now its desi spinoff, called Sach Ka Saamna, might meet the same fate if politicians have their say.
Some snippets:
- Samajwadi Party MP Kamal Akthar raised the matter in Rajya Sabha today, alleging that “obscene questions” were being asked about contestants’ personal life in front of their family members. He said the show was against the “Indian culture”. [Link]
- 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. [Link]
- Participants on Sach Ka Saamna — based on the highly popular but controversial American show The Moment of Truth — answer 21 questions on their personal and professional lives, with their answers matched against results of a polygraph test carried out before the filming. The prize money for an all-correct score is Rs 1 crore. The show, hosted by TV star Rajeev Khandelwal, runs Monday through Friday, and has boosted the channel’s TRPs in the very first week. Cricketer Vinod Kambli recently said on the show that he believed his friend Sachin Tendulkar could have saved him from self-destructing. [Link]
- The SP’s Kamal Akhtar raised the matter in the Rajya Sabha today, saying contestants were being asked “obscene questions” about their personal lives in front of their family members. The show was against “Indian culture”, he said, and cited an instance where a woman was asked in the presence of her husband whether she had thought of committing adultery. The woman replied in the negative, but the polygraph test showed she was not speaking the truth, Akhtar said. [Link]
Well, if this particular woman did not have a problem, why does Akhtar have one? What right this MP or any other politician have to decide whether an adult wants to participate in a show which is likely to drill holes in their masks of honesty? Or is that they are mortally scared that they too might be put through a polygraph test in full public glare?
