When ‘The Traitors’ launched in the UK in 2022, it sparked a television phenomenon. Hosted by the deadpan yet endearing Claudia Winkleman, the BBC series quickly became one of the most watched and discussed reality shows in the country. Set against the misty backdrop of a Scottish castle, the format combined psychological gameplay with high-stakes drama.
Over three acclaimed seasons, it pitted “traitors” against unsuspecting “faithfuls” in a murder mystery-style contest of trust, betrayal, and survival.
Now, the format arrives in India, with Karan Johar stepping into Winkleman’s shoes. The setting is now an Indian palace (a fort in Jaisalmer), but the game remains largely unchanged—and surprisingly, it retains much of its thrill.
The Indian version of ‘The Traitors’ drops 20 contestants into a palace for ten intense days. On arrival, three are secretly chosen by Johar as “traitors,” while the rest remain “innocents.”
Each night, the traitors conspire to eliminate one innocent, and each day, the entire group votes to banish someone they suspect is a traitor. The stakes? A cash prize of one crore rupees. To build the prize pot, the participants must also complete team tasks, which offer momentary respite from the tension. The result is an intriguing push-pull between strategy and paranoia.
However, while the format keeps you invested, the momentum begins to wobble when the same conversation loops begin: who’s the traitor? The audience already knows, which robs the guessing game of tension unless the participants themselves are dynamic enough to carry it forward.
This, unfortunately, is where the Indian version falters. The show’s greatest shortcoming is its cast. Unlike the UK version—whose contestants ranged from former army officers to swimming instructors and teachers—the Indian edition relies heavily on celebrity notoriety.
Participants include the likes of Raj Kundra, Urfi Javed, and Apoorva Makhija, each of whom brings tabloid baggage but little depth. There’s also Ashish Vidyarthi and Raftaar, but neither of them is allowed to lean into what they do best. There's no inspiring monologue from Vidyarthi, no verse or rhythm from Raftaar. Everyone is reduced to suspicion and whispers.
What the show lacks is cultural adaptation—something even the most successful imported formats in India manage to embed. And that’s where a key difference lies: ‘The Traitors’ UK thrives on authenticity and emotional unpredictability; the Indian version, so far, lacks that nuanced layering.
Yet, there are wins. Karan Johar, often polarising in his public persona, is refreshingly neutral here. He is measured, clinical even, treating each contestant with the same tone—curt, direct, and a little cold. It works.
He doesn’t try to be everyone’s friend or play the benevolent anchor; instead, he leans into the game’s psychological sharpness. The set design is atmospheric, the production sleek, and the format remains inherently gripping. If the show stumbles, it’s not in its premise but in its execution—specifically, in the emotional bandwidth of its players. If the goal was to replicate the tense theater of the UK original, it gets halfway there.
Based on the first three episodes, the Indian ‘Traitors’ breaks through the clutter of formulaic reality TV that has plagued Indian screens for years. The premise is fresh, and the tone—at least visually and narratively—feels novel.
But unless the show injects more relatability or emotional resonance into its cast, it risks becoming repetitive.
At its core, the success of ‘The Traitors’ hinges on one thing: watching real people unravel under psychological pressure. The UK version delivered that in spades. The Indian version is still warming up—but with the right balance, it might just pull it off.
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