ZEE to unleash Indian answer to ‘The Apprentice’

ZEE TV is unleashing its biggest weapon to date in the highly competitive reality TV programming stake.

After months of anticipation, ZEE TV will finally be launching its answer to the monster BBC hit series ‘The Apprentice’. ‘Business Baazigar’, as the programme will be known will see ZEE Telefilms chairman Subhash Chandra make his debut appearance on a television show.

Chandra will be seen playing the role of a no-nonsense judge to perfection, as the show promises to give ZEE TV lots of scope for reality-oriented programming.

The concept of this show will certainly be openly welcomed after an overkill of music reality TV shows on Asian TV channels recently. ‘Business Baazigar’ is a search for people with smart business ideas. The show proposes to give these people the money they require to start a business based on their ideas. This money, which is essentially in the form of venture funding, will run into millions, and different winners will get different amounts depending on their business idea.

According to online portal IndianTelevision, ZEE TV has reportedly spent in the range of Rs 100 to 120 million for the first series of ‘Business Baazigar’. The season will have 24 episodes, from which 15 episodes have completed the post-production phase. One winner will be chosen at the end of the season.

‘Business Baazigar’ will launch as an hour-long weekly and begins on ZEE TV India at the end of this month. ZEE TV UK viewers will have to wait a little longer. The channel has no plans to show it until the end of April. If anything changes, we will notify you via Biz Asia.