'Kya Aap Panchvi Pass Se Tez Hai' is based on the international Mark Burnett format 'Are you smarter than a Fifth Grader', where grade school level questions are put to adults from all walks of life. The format is a rave in 50 countries worwide currently.
'Kya Aap Panchvi Pass Se Tez Hai' will witness Shahrukh Khan act as a teacher of class five where adult contestants will be asked ten questions from grade level one to five, the right answers to which would entitle them to a mammoth prize money of Rs 5 crore. From the look of it, Kya Aap Paanchvi Pass Se Tez Hain is an intelligent show in terms of content and the actor host.
So how will this be different from Big B’s or King Khan’s version of, let’s say, KBC for that matter?
The first is that this has the biggest prize money — Rs 5 crore — which has ever been offered on Indian television. Secondly, the contestants will be judged on the basis of their knowledge from a fifth class student’s textbooks. Most of us feel more enlightened than fifth class students and dismiss what their books have to offer. If the contestant wants to quit the game at any stage, he or she will have to confess, main paanchvi pass se tez nahin hoon. This show is also an attempt to bring the family together before the TV around dinner time and is already being touted as the most exciting and ambitious TV show in India.
The Rules of the Game
Each game is played by an individual contestant, who is presented with the chance to win up to Rupees 5 Crore by answering questions taken from the syllabus of a fifth grade level or lower. The contestant is presented with 10 subject cards, which he may answer in the order of his choice. Each correct answer moves the contestant higher up the ladder of money values. If a contestant answers all 10 questions correctly, he is given the chance to answer an 11th question which on answering correctly will get him Rupees 5 Crore.Each time a question is answered, the contestant must ‘confirm’ the answer by saying it out loud. As each new question is read, the contestant is given the option to drop out with the amount of money currently in his bank. If the contestant chooses to answer the question, but gives the wrong answer, he walks away with nothing (during questions 1-5) or with Rs. 200000 (question 6 or later).
The above mechanism varies on the 11th question, if the contestant should reach it. The 11th question is drawn from a separate pool of five fifth-grade questions. However, unlike previous questions, the contestant must commit to answering or walking away, based on subject alone—he will not be allowed to hear the question before making his decision.
Cheats
The contestant is also provided three cheats to use over the course of the round. All of these cheats involve his classmates, which is a group of children seated on stage who are answering the same questions as the contestant. Every two questions, a new classmate joins the contestant and becomes his teammate for those two questions. The contestant can use his cheats at any time during the first 10 questions.
Three lifelines
Taank Jhaank: Here, the contestant has the opportunity to review his current teammate’s answer before submitting his own.
Nakal: Here, the contestant may opt not to answer the question at all, but rather, let his current teammate answer for him. Unlike the ‘copy your classmate’ cheat, in this instance, the contestant may not reject his teammate’s answer, but is stuck with it.
Bachao: This cheat is triggered automatically if the contestant gives a wrong answer. If the contestant’s current partner turns out to have the correct answer, the contestant is then saved. The only instance in which two cheats can be used on the same question is if the contestant opts for Taank Jhaank, rejects the kid’s correct answer, gives a wrong answer himself, and is then saved by the kid. Other than this one scenario, the cheats must necessarily be used individually.
The twist in the game
If the contestant makes it to the 11th and final question, he must tackle that question without help, even if he has not used his cheats.
Upon leaving the game either by quitting, or answering incorrectly, the contestant must profess to the camera, “I’m not smarter than a fifth grader.” While the kids will have fun watching the elders admitting that they are not smarter than a fifth grader; elders will be put to a lot of embarrassment.
A Money-Spinning Show
Slated to be aired on Star Plus from April 18, the quiz show is already magnetising advertisers. The brands in the queue as associate sponsors, who will spend upto Rs 10 crore, include PepsiCo India, LG Electronics,General Motors and Cadbury. Indian telecom giant Airtel has offered about Rs 40 crore as pesenting sponsor for the quiz show. The 36 episode show will have around 700 to 800 seconds of commercial time per episode. Around 10-15 per cent of the 700-800 seconds will be sold as spot buys.
Besides, the Star Plus is also expecting revenue of over Rs 18 crore from mobile and landline calls and through SMSes for the show.The Call rates will be around Rs 4 per landline call and Rs 6 for mobiles. The amount is higher than the Rs 10-12 crore which the channel earned during Kaun Banega Karorepati (KBC) last year.
