‘Fear Factor’ + Priyanka Chopra + cricketers, but will the audience bite?

Colors has decided to bring some glamour into this year’s special IPL Edition of ‘Fear Factor – Khatron ke Khiladi’ by bringing in Priyanka Chopra as the host. The stunts done by Akshay Kumar, who had hosted the earlier season of the GEC’s flagship format show, were a huge factor in drawing the audience.

The IPL edition of ‘Fear Factor – Khatron ke Khiladi’ will have 13 Indian and international cricketers and is part of Color’s initiative to combine two of India’s biggest passions – Bollywood and cricket.

This is the first time that an actress will host an action-reality show on Colors. Talking about this development, Ashvini Yardi, Programming Head, Colors, said, “When you combine Priyanka’s glamour, mass-appeal and athleticism with that of the cricketers’ energy and adrenalin, what you get is the best possible combination for a show like ‘Fear Factor – Khatron Ke Khiladi’.”

Besides ‘Fear Factor – Khatron ke Khiladi’, other shows such as ‘IPL Rockstar’ and ‘IPL Awards’ will also be shown in Colors’ IPL-focused segment, which is called ‘IPL Tadka Maar Ke’. The channel had also created a new campaign around this property.

Meanwhile, media planners have mixed reactions to Chopra hosting an action-based reality show. Whether she can take over from where Akshay Kumar left off remains to be seen.

According to Nikhil Rangnekar, Executive Director, India - West, Starcom Worldwide, the choice of the host could be very subjective. “To me, ‘Fear Factor’ is all about action, excitement and drama driven to a great extent by the host. I think Akshay is a natural at these things and Priyanka might not be able to reach the same levels. Having said that, she brings a glamour factor, which has its own relevance,” he added.

Rangnekar felt that even with the introduction of a female host, the profile of viewers would not change. He, however, added that the ratings would be lower this season as compared to the previous season.

Anamika Mehta, COO, Lodestar Universal, felt feels that it was an interesting shift and a natural effect of Colors having signed up with IPL for three years. She, too, agreed that Akshay Kumar was the pull factor during the launch and over time, the participants came on their own and enthralled audiences with their actions.

She further said, “If marketed well, the cricketers and Priyanka, given the personality and appeal, will only add to the show and will actually be able to add more viewers.”

T Gangadhar, Managing Director, Mediaedge:cia India, noted, “While Priyanka is very popular and has the appeal to carry it off, it remains to be seen whether she will attempt any of the stunts herself. Akshay Kumar’s flair for dangerous acts was a key part of the show’s appeal the last two years.”

He added, “The number of viewers will be based on the chemistry that Priyanka shares with the cricketers and the actual stunts, and a lot will also depend on the choice of cricketers. At the risk of sounding like I am nit-picking, the one possible hiccup could be if the audience gets sick of watching cricketers on a show that plays out right after the IPL and the T20 World Cup.”