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Genie in the lamp
A programme that has grabbed the attention of the viewers not only for the gifts it showers on participants but also for its novel format, is Jadoo Ka Charagh (JKC) aired on Indus Vision and Prime TV. The brainchild of Ghazanfar Ali, the programme has a genie who fulfils the wishes of the selected candidates.
Though the concept is different, it seems to be a bit inspired by the Oprah Winfrey Show, in which Oprah tries to realize the dreams of the guests she invites from the general public. The difference between the two is that her show has a theme every week that leaves a deep impact on the minds of the viewers and her guests relate to that theme, whereas JKC randomly selects its invitees through telephone calls that pour in everyday from people hailing from different walks of life from all over the country.
The show is different from others of the same genre because it involves interaction with the general public. The producer wanted something along the lines of Kaun Banega Crorepati; a show that would give to the masses. At the same time it was to cater to people from all walks of life. The programme is produced and directed by Shariq and Fariha Chapra.
‘Jadoo Ka Charagh’ begins with the crew visiting the residence of the selected ‘Badshah’ or ‘Malika’. The director has included an element of surprise at this juncture. The selected guest is not supposed to know of their arrival and has to act surprised upon seeing the crew at their doorstep. Of course they are forewarned and almost every guest featured till now has failed miserably to show genuine disbelief
“We get phone calls every other second,” Fariha said elatedly. “Most of the calls are from eager female participants mostly below 18 years of age. Indus Vision’s ratings have improved considerably.” With all the lavish gifts showered on participants, the show was bound to become a favourite.
When asked whether all the gifts were really given to the participants, Fariha replied, “Definitely. It is not a hoax.”
At the moment, Indus Vision endures the burden of all the giveaways. Speaking about the financing of the programme, Fariha said “We are looking for sponsors and there are a few companies that are interested, but if we don’t get any sponsors, that doesn’t mean that we will have to stop the show. Our budget for the prizes is already set and we won’t be facing any problems in the near future.”
JKC begins with the crew visiting the residence of the selected Badshah or Malika as they are called. The director has included an element of surprise at this juncture. The selected guest is not supposed to know of their arrival and so he or she has to act surprised upon seeing the crew at their doorstep. Of course they are forewarned and almost every guest featured till now has failed miserably to show genuine disbelief.
Their reactions look fake, but then again they are not veteran actors. They are not given a script which makes the job all the more difficult for them. They just have to conjure up a natural surprise act on their own. Their dialogue with their favourite celebrity is extempore, so at times that disrupts the flow of the programme.
It has been observed that only those who belong to the lower strata of society are being called up, till now. Asked if this was pre-planned as well, Fariha replies “Certainly not. It is sheer co-incidence. We do not decide who calls us. They are chosen through a random selection balloting system by the computer.”
Also, the questions that are asked are very easy, with the exception of the last one, which, if answered correctly, earns the participant Rs100,000. Explaining the reason for this, Adnan Siddiqui, the host of the show, said that the format required it.
“Giving something to the masses was the idea behind the show and we ask simple questions because we want to give. You might have noticed that I also give hints if the guest is not able to answer a certain question. This is because we want people to win and be happy by being on our show.”
The ‘surprise wish’ segment is an interesting feature of the show where the invitee can wish for anything he or she desires. Like everything, the wish is preplanned as well.
“We didn’t want people asking us for an expensive car or anything like that,” said Fariha. “We told them to wish for something that is close to their heart and less material. Thus the wishes that we see are very genuine and different. For example, one of our guests said that his mother wanted to perform Hajj and asked us to arrange it, and we did.”
All in all, JKC is a mega entertainer. Many people who were asked what they thought of the programme generally liked it. Though it does have its flaws, most tend to overlook these.
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