3 Reasons Why Zor Ka Jhatka was Totally Wiped Out!

Zor Ka Jhatka - Total Wipeout has been 'totally wiped out' by the viewers! Here's why:

1. Pathetic programme packaging.

2. Contestants - Totally washed out contestants whom nobody wants to watch.

3. Host/Commentator - Shah Rukh Khan! WTF was he thinking to host a show like this(no guesses...it was the money). He can be a good host (KBC-2) but he is not a good commentator. 

The concept was not innovative at all. Indians have been exposed to a similar concept in the form of Takeshi's Castle on Pogo TV. And the only thing that made it popular was Javed Jaffery a.k.a. JJ! 

Takeshi's Castle got the above 3 parameters perfectly right.

1. Packaging - Just the plain video with no unnecessary added animations. Crisp Editing. Only the hilarious and painful endeavours made it to the show.  

2. Contestants were the common people. No 'known' faces. (Because it was an old show where reality shows had real people, not faded nobody's who once appeared on TV!)  

3. A concept like this requires smart commentary, not star power. JJ had us in splits with his hilarious comments. (He was not required to stand in shiny suits. His voice talent was the 'Pulled' the audience ) I still catch the re-runs on Pogo and still laugh on his comments. His commentary was the reason that people loved a stale Japanese show!

The show has not been able to garner TRPs and will soon be called a failure. I have heard the knell.

The channel 'Pushed' the show very hard and tried shoving it up by garnishing it with Shah Rukh Khan. The ever intelligent viewer just moved aside (did not watch) and the channel, itself, shoved the show into oblivion!  

The Curious Case of Mr. Unfortunate

Last week I was very busy for a change. There were a few things that I wanted to write but slipped out of my mind. But this didn't.

On the 9th of November 2010 at 9pm on Sony TV Mr. Amitabh Bachchan was there as usual. My mother was super excited because this common man on the hot seat was about to win Rs. 1 crore. And like always, my mother's enthusiasm rubbed on to me and I sat to watch the show.

It was an exemplary show of composure by the gentleman from Meerut who managed to win a crore rupees and faced the ultimate question of Rs. 5 crore! He didn't know the answer to the Rs. 5 crore question. The ever gracious Mr. Bachchan asked the contestant's parents and the expert of the episode whether he should go ahead with the question or not. Both the parties rightly said a NO, to which the contestant wrongly acted and went ahead and lost and eventually took home Rs. 3,20,000! 

Being a common man I felt very hurt for the gentlemen and out of sheer frustration I said, "Chutiya saala!" 

When the episode wrapped up my father shared a story he heard from someone and in turn I'm sharing it with you. I think the story was an excellent explanation for the unfortunate man from Meerut.

There was a poor but ardent Shiva bhakt. He never failed to offer his prayers to his favourite Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva's wife, Goddess Parvati was extremely happy with this particular fellow. She requested Lord Shiva to grant this poor soul some worldly treasure for his piety to which Lord Shiva replied that he is destined to be unfortunate and remain poor. Goddess Parvati requested if that be the case, then at least the Lord should bestow some treasure at least once in the poor man's life. Lord Shiva gave into the request. (like every husband I guess : p) The Lord placed gold and other precious metals wrapped in a piece of cloth on the poor man's daily path. The poor man traveled through the same path everyday. The day when the Lord placed the bundled treasure on his path, the man was in an adventurous mood. He decided to close his eyes and walk the path as he had been traveling the path for years and remembered it in the eye of his mind. As a result, he failed to see the bundle in his blind revelry. 

To this Lord Shiva told her wife, "Some men are destined to be unfortunate. Even if they have the greatest treasures to be merely picked up, they will fail to do so." 

This gentleman notionally earned a crore rupees with a Michael Schumacher like precision, full of calculated risks. But for the the last question he failed to calculate the risk and the effect of not calculating the risk was his failure where he lost almost everything he won! 

He reached the summit, but toppled down to the base. Maybe his destiny was just to reach there; not to hoist the flag!