Let’s face it

What’s it about? Reality TV these days is all about facing one’s fears and challenging one’s physical and mental limits. No show does this better than Khatron Ke Khiladi,the desi version of the global hit Fear Factor. The first level of the show was instrumental in establishing TV channel,Colors as a major player in the Indian entertainment market. With its second level,the show hopes to keep the channel reigning at the top,with a potent mix of chills,thrills and very few frills. The format of the show remains unchanged. Thirteen women— minor celebrities— are paired with people in need of money. The idea is for the pairs to complete two difficult tasks,involving both creepy crawlies and physical challenges,with the weakest performers being eliminated at the end of the day’s tasks. As the show likes to keep stressing,it’s not just plenty of moolah that hangs in the balance; it’s also a chance to confront and defeat one’s darkest fears.

Who’s in it? Action star Akshay

Kumar is back as the host on Level 2,played out in lovely South Africa. Other actors may have failed to connect with the formats of their shows,but with Kumar,there’s no such complaint. As the original daredevil of Hindi cinema and a martial arts champ,Kumar perfectly fits the profile required to host the show. He talks straight,is witty and sympathetic when required,but is also a tough taskmaster and doesn’t suffer fools gladly. As for the contestants,they include such diverse names as model Sushama Reddy,TV host Mandira Bedi,actress Nauheed Cyrusi and even,strangely,actor Saif Ali Khan’s ex,Rosa Catalano. Also getting their stomachs churned are reality show veterans Carol Gracias and Anushka Manchanda.

What’s hot? There’s a reason why this show is called Fear Factor. While the tasks are all carefully monitored,with safety harnesses and first aid always in place,there’s still enough room for the contestants to make dangerous mistakes. What makes the challenges even more exciting are the extra elements,calculated to make the tasks tougher than would appear at first glance. For instance,in a task that required the contestants to be suspended from a beam and swung around,taskmaster Kumar made the proposition more interesting by stipulating that those who performed the task after drinking milk would be given additional points. The result doesn’t make for pretty television,but it does make it much more compelling.

What’s not? While the concept of a safety belt is probably important to make the best performer of the day feel like they’re earned some respite,Level 2 seems to be handing out way too many of them. Maybe it’s because the contestants this time are genuinely better than last seasons. But we believe it has more to do with wanting to save time on the tasks by having fewer people perform them.

Should you be watching it? Watching the same task being performed over and over may seem a little tedious in the beginning,but we assure you; a few minutes into an episode and you’ll be hooked.