Actor Ranveer Singh made his television debut with Colors’ The Big Picture. The visual-based game show airs 8 pm on weekends.
Quiz shows are not a new concept on television, however, Colors has now pushed the boundary with a visual-based game show The Big Picture. Hosted by Bollywood superstar Ranveer Singh, this new quiz show tests contestants’ knowledge and visual memory and gives them a chance to win Rs 5 crore. With its swanky set and a very new format, The Big Picture is entertaining but it also looks like it has been made to strictly cater to Ranveer’s fans.
Launched on Saturday, the episode started with a sensational performance by the Gully Boy star on an original rap created for the show. Post it, the actor went on to share how pictures have become an important part of our lives. “Mummy video call pe daant lagati hai, girlfriend snapchat pe cuteness dikhati hai”, the host shared adding that the world has changed thanks to photos. Treading on the same line he mentioned that this innovative game show is all about ‘tasveer se taqdeer tak’, a chance to change your fortunes through pictures.
Sonipat’s Karishma Toor, a constable, became the first contestant to play the game and ended up winning Rs 20 lakh. After she quit the game having lost all her lifelines, Abhay Singh from Gorakhpur came on stage. A Ranveer Singh fan, the contestant channelised his idol’s popular character Ram completely, even sporting a similar mustache. Abhay was left emotional as the host matched steps with him on “Tattad tattad” on his entry.
The close to two-hour episode seemed quite fun as a viewer, given the new format, but one has to be completely attentive since the questions are based on pictures. Also, I felt that it lacked the electrifying tension that is an element of most quizzes. But for relief, the show gives enough time to contestants (a minute) to guess the correct answer. The lifeline, however, comes with a catch — the player will have to pay 25 per cent of their prize money to the ‘Indiawale’, if they seek their help.
Coming to the host, while Ranveer flaunts his energised side and even acts cute, he also seems too self-involved at times. From welcoming his old fans in the studio to calling himself handsome or even discussing his ‘mooch’, the actor was full of himself. It’s however heartwarming to see him gift a pair of sneakers to Karishma, who trains tough or even wipe his sweat, looking nervous in his debut TV venture. His fans would also be left ‘awww-struck’ to hear him speak about his ‘dharampatni’ Deepika Padukone. He also went on to reveal that seeing his wife’s childhood photos makes him want to have a baby girl. “I keep telling her bas aisi ek de do, life set ho jayegi,” he shared, and then even went on to borrow the name ‘Shauryaveer’ from Abhay, as a potential name for his future kid.
Adding a little sourness to the television viewing experience was the pigeonhole mindset of the contestants. The first one mentioned dowry and how she wanted her father to start working to raise money for her wedding. Abhay, on the other hand, spoke about how girls are materialistic and get their partners to spend money on them. It was terrible to see Ranveer agree with him and even share a laugh.