JioHotstar is all set for its big upcoming reality series, Pitch to Get Rich, premiering on the platform on October 20. However, the series is already facing a huge wave of criticism, with viewers complaining about its premise, which appears strikingly similar to Shark Tank. Many have already labelled Pitch to Get Rich a cringeworthy, cheap rip-off of Shark Tank India.
The premise is straightforward: fourteen fashion entrepreneurs compete for a share of a massive INR 40 crore investment pool. But what has truly caught the public’s eye, and sparked controversy, is the judging panel.
Unlike Shark Tank India, which features an investor-heavy panel, Pitch to Get Rich comes with more star power. The panel includes Bollywood heavyweights like filmmaker Karan Johar, style icon Malaika Arora, actor Akshay Kumar, and celebrated designer Manish Malhotra. They’re joined by a roster of established business leaders and industry tycoons, including Naveen Jindal and Gaurav Dalmia, creating a hybrid jury that blends celebrity influence with corporate acumen.
The immediate comparisons to Shark Tank are inevitable; both shows involve entrepreneurs pitching ideas to a panel of potential investors.
Beyond the format, another thing catching viewers’ attention is the show’s celebrity-first approach. The series seems to replace the pure, unfiltered focus on business metrics and valuation with a glossy layer of entertainment, thanks to its Bollywood-centric judges.
With such a panel, many viewers are wondering whether they’ll witness rigorous financial questioning or more celebrity drama and contestants’ emotional stories of struggle.
Given that the judges are better known for their on-screen personas than for investment experience in fashion startups, viewers are concerned the show might descend into a theatrical, cringe spectacle, losing the authentic grit that makes pure business reality shows compelling.
Pitch to Get Rich looks like an experiment, one that seems to prioritize the high-stakes glamour and drama of show business over the traditional seriousness of entrepreneurship. Let’s see how it turns out. Stay tuned for more updates.
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