9 September, 2025: “Paisa bolta hai, lekin power chillaata hai…” with his trademark one-liner, Ashneer Grover started his new show ‘Rise and Fall’ borrowing the format heavily from Bigg Boss and The Traitors.
A mysterious guiding voice dictates contestants’ moves, just like its predecessors, while there is a “red room” that serves as the arena for making tough decisions. Divided into two groups, Rulers living in luxury penthouses, and workers, who struggle in a resource-starved basement. Starting with 15 contestants, they have to choose between a golden suitcase worth ₹6 lakh and a silver one worth just ₹1 lakh. The ones who choose the golden one, become the ruler and the rest are sent to the basement as workers.
Six participants can become the rulers, beginning the game with a prize pot of ₹38 lakh, while the workers starting at zero. Their mission is to preserve or grow this pot while the workers attempt to climb the social ladder and the rulers try to backtrack them to retain power.
The concept of showcasing economic disparity is really timely and thought-provoking, though the total storyline struggles with clarity, according to critics. The initial tasks are overly complicated, biased, or designed more for a spectacle than good strategy. The confusion started when the Workers had to sacrifice beds to earn back ₹7 lakh, only to lose a bizarre amount of ₹5 lakh immediately.
Ashneer Grover seems to lose his much-hyped presence. It really doesn’t deliver the punch audiences expected. Stern and Authoritative, yet uncomfortable with the contestant clashes. He is known for his sharp and commanding persona on Shark Tank India but here he seems so unsure about what to contribute leaving the audience, well underwhelmed.
Rise and Fall is yet to find its footing as of now but the show has its potential buried under a slow pace, skewed gameplay, and a host who appears lost in his own wonderland. Maybe we will get to see a tighter narrative and stronger role for Grover and the show will make a strong comeback and make it the disruptive reality show it aspires to be.
