Review: What's on Cash Cab and Bigg Boss 2?

Suparna Sharma - Televisionpoint.com | Mumbai
The other day, I stumbled upon a gem on UTV Bindass, Cash Cab - Meter Chalu Hai. It's the desi version of an Emmy Award winning show. The format is fantastic, a yellow-black cab in Mumbai picks up unsuspecting passengers and, en route to their destinations, the cabbie asks them general knowledge questions - what is 'haldi' in English, name the longest epic poem etc.

Each correct answer is rewarded with cash. Participants get two help lines - call a friend, or shout out questions to people on the road. I haven't yet seen participants get anything but completely bewildered looks from people on the street.

The cab itself is awesome, garish leopard-print upholstery, hidden cameras (which sometimes catch kissing, fondling couples), crazy disco lights and a huge digital count-down on the ceiling. The programme gets its edge from its anchor, the inimitable Uddham Singh (Munish 'Munna' Makhija), in his famous Haryanavi Jat avatar, complete with mental one-liners and happy 'gaalis' with 'bhootni ke' being ubiquitous.

Munna's brusque, witty and astonishingly on the ball given that he can't predict who's going to jump into his cab next. Mostly, it's jaw-hurting laughter, but sometimes shocking too. In the episode I saw, two stud type guys, fully engrossed in their conversation, get into the cab. Not realising that something's amiss, they continue chatting.

When conversation in the back-seat starts getting too risqué, our cabbie switches on his psychedelic lights and announces, 'You are on national TV.' Confusion, arms flailing, the studs some how dash out, trying desperately to hide their faces. Oh, reality television bites, and how.

Moving on, talking of embarrassing moments, did you watch Bigg Boss 2 on Colors last week? It was a stunning moment when Raja Choudhary returned after his 'jhoota-mootha' eviction. For three days, he had been secretly watching the housemates speak bad about him and plot against each other.

Raja walked in like a Santa Claus in black, carrying everybody's deepest, darkest secrets. And like a good Christmas 'baba', he quickly emptied the 'goodie' bag. Sambhavana Seth was shocked. Rahul Mahajan and Payal Rohatgi 'hairan-pareshan' at being found out. And Diana Hayden finally lost some of her accent with the mild jolts she got.

After some exhausting bitching and fighting, Raja celebrated his estranged wife's birthday with candles and a song, 'Jane kahan gaye voh din...' Tears rolled down his cheeks, very touching. So what is it about reality shows that make them so compelling? Is it the promise of full emotional exfoliation, per episode, flirting, fighting, crying, soul-baring confessions?

Or that it's a little more thrilling than eavesdropping on your neighbour's familial squabbles, but much less taboo than voyeurism? Well, it's all this, and more. Enjoy while it lasts, and we will analyse later.