Slumdogs and millionaires

UTV Bindaas to launch a reality show that would pair slum kids and rich kids to test their survival skills in slums.

After seeing celebrities confined to an isolated house, an island in the middle of nowhere, and a jungle in another country, you’ll now get to see 10 ‘rich, spoilt’ celebrity children, battling for survival in Mumbai’s real slums.

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UTV Bindaas is set to launch ‘The Big Switch’, that will pair celebrity kids with slum children, and each of these reportedly ‘spoilt brats’, would work to fulfill a dream of the slum kid that he or she is paired with.

Children of noted celebrities from all spheres have been approached for the show. Although UTV Bindaas’ channel representatives refused to comment on the participants, a source close to the channel confirms that Adam Bedi (Kabir Bedi’s son), Adhyayan Suman (Shekhar Suman’s son), Bappa Lahiri (Bappi Lahiri’s son), Shahzahn Padamsee (Alyque Padamsee’s daughter), Mimoh Chakraborty (Mithun Chakraborty’s son) and Sonia Mehra (Vinod Mehra’s daughter) have been approached from the entertainment field.

Among others, politician Buta Singh’s grandson, Kunwar Harjinder Singh, ex-Chief Commissioner of Income Tax, Padmakar Misra’s daughter Pooja Misra, the heir to Archies greeting cards’ empire, Karan Mulchandi and Iqbal Sara’s son, Sunny Sara, who owns nightclubs Squeeze and Red Light, have also been approached.

More than half of these names have confirmed their participation in the show, according to the source.

“Most of the kids who were approached are known to be bratty. So the channel has zeroed in on South Mumbai kids, brash North Indian kids, kids of politicians, royalty and Bollywood stars,” the source revealed.

Since the show pairs each of the kids with a child from the slums, the aim of the show is to see the kids going through “loyalty, friendship and eventually, revenge and animosity”, as extreme conditions would leave them with few choices, other than black or white, as they compete for a prize of Rs 10 lakh.

The show is set to go on air in October. Genelia D’Souza is confirmed to host the show.