Call of the moolah

TV channels have lined up a slew of game shows which can turn commoners into crorepatis. Princy Jain has the details.

SMS the right answer and you can win a whopping Rs five crore. Switch channels and another SMS can make you a lakhpati . There is a booty of half a crore if your family can sing and dance better than others. If money is not on your mind, then there is a trip to space or a ticket to Hollywood. Counting crores

When Star Plus had launched Kaun Banega Crorepati the prize money was the main draw. Now as the same channel prepares to dole out four crores more it has taken the competition to another level. The prize money is a part of the perfect mix, which the channel aims to achieve for Kya Aap Panchvi Paas Se Tez Hain, says Keertan Adyanta , EVPGM, Star Plus. Star Gold has also come up with an innovative contest.

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Titled Twenty 20 movie-watchers are asked a simple question about an already aired segment of the film.

It gives us an opportunity to engage the consumer, says Prem Kamath , vice president, marketing and communication, STAR India. The contest runs for 20 days and will crown 20 lakhpatis . The bumper prize, a car,will be given to the one with the maximum film gyan . Not to be left behind Sony Pix has come up with Gateway which tests the skills of budding filmmakers.

But the American Idol every year is a rage and even goes to the Grammies. The winner of Gateway could go to the Oscars, says Sundar Aeron, business head, Sony Pix.

Changing your life
Aeron feels that Gateway will change the way prizes are decided on screen. For Star Plus, the idea is to "offer a sum of money which can change one's life, as it can take an average Indian a lifetime to earn an amount of five crores."

While the money is getting bigger for aam junta, the celeb special episodes are high on the hype quotient as they become such huge PR exercise for these celebs that neither the remuneration not the prize money matters to them.