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‘The Player' adds another slice to reality shows

Geared up Rajiv Lakshman

Television personality Rajiv Lakshman will now host The Player on Channel V. Promising to be a test of grit and persuasion, the show has 10 contestants vying for one crore rupees. However, there is a twist — the contestants have to unanimously vote a winner from amongst themselves. Each time they fail to come at a unanimous decision, the prize money comes down.

“The show is about winning against all odds. It's about being a player in life with a killer instinct,” says Rajiv. The contestants include the son of an auto-rickshaw driver who wants to make it big in the glamour industry and a woman who wants to treat her epileptic brother.

Refuting claims that the show is like

Big Boss , Rajiv says, “Staying in a house is not a similarity but a requirement of any reality show. However, in this show, the participants are not restricted to the house . They can move about. There is no viewer voting or eliminations.

The Player is all about having the winner attitude. It is ‘game theory' where your chances of winning are dependant on the choices of your opponent. Somewhat like chess. I can only win if I anticipate the opponent's moves, neutralise his strategy and on the parallel, launch an offensive.”

His shows like

Roadies and Splitsvilla have often been criticised for the foul language used in them.

“I did not invent these abuses, nor did I learn them from reality shows. To all those who say that reality shows are teaching bad language to children, I have to say that I learnt mine from school. So if at all, close down schools first and then talk about reality shows,” he says.

“A reality show portrays what's happening in society. It's the story of the youth. As producers, we just create a high tension situation and then let them play. If we try stopping them, they will feel directed,” he says. “Abuses are just a form of expression and nothing more than that, so let's not blow it out of proportion,” he says. The show is aired on Channel V every Saturday at 7pm.