It is a contest that has a scoreboard shaped like the map of India. The participants get to “capture” states and union territories. And asking them questions on topics ranging from Kashmir to Kanyakumari, Maharashtra to Manipur, is Shreyas Talpade. The Om Shanti Om and Golmaal franchise actor is the face of Mind Wars, a quiz show that started on Republic Day and is airing Sundays at 10am on Zee TV. “Yeh ek jodnewala war hai, todnewala nahin,” smiled Shreyas, as he settled for a chat with The Telegraph on the sidelines of the show’s launch in Mumbai.
What is the show about?
It is a quiz show for schoolchildren where we ask questions on politics, products, places, artistes… but all dealing with India. Kids have to capture a state or a union territory by correctly answering questions on it. The first round is called Base Camp, where you choose a state which you are most confident about. It is usually the team’s home state but sometimes I have seen children choosing some other state if they have lived there longer and know more about. The second round is Build Your Empire where you start taking questions on other states. The more states you capture, especially if they are connected, the better chance you have of winning. The third round, Surgical Strike, is a buzzer round of five questions. If you hit the buzzer, you have to answer. A wrong answer leads to a loss of the last state the team had captured. There are two weapons... for attack and defence. Using the defence weapon lets one change the question and take one asked by the audience. The attack option is for use when a team has failed to capture its base camp and wants to challenge the team that has captured it.
How are you choosing the participants?
The game is already there on Zee5, Zee’s digital platform. The app has to be downloaded. We are asking schools to log in and get two chosen candidates to play. The shortlisted ones are coming here. It is an interactive show. Even when it airs on TV, you can play simultaneously on the app. We have four teams from four corners of India in each episode. The show will feature 84 teams over 21 episodes. We have shot for eight.
You have done TV shows before. How is this different?
I have done a lot of TV before I got into films, in Hindi and Marathi, starting with Amanat on Zee TV. But I’ve never been a quizmaster. So this is out of my comfort zone. My job is to provide infotainment, so I need to maintain the quizmaster’s gravity while figuring out the right amount of gaana, naachna, jokes share karna by way of entertainment.
How has the experience been so far?
In our time, children had no idea what they wanted to be. We were given three options — engineer, doctor and CA. Now children are so focused and informed! As career options, they have specific answers like astrophysics and nephrologist and explain what it is about. I am learning so much from them.
Do you take tips from your psychologist wife?
She used to take aptitude tests for kids and has interacted a lot with special needs kids. Now she has taken a break and is involved with our production house. She does have better understanding of people. One tip she has passed on to me is to treat children as adults, not as kids. No child likes it.
Patriotic subjects are doing well on the big screen. Did that influence the nature of this show?
The whole idea of patriotism is on the rise. We feel more proud of our country these days. So that might have been a trigger to produce a show that is India-centric. We still call ourselves Marathi, Madrasi, Punjabi etc. Not Indian. The show should be good for tourism too. On learning about a place, kids may ask their parents to take them there.
Deviating from the show, you are related to the actress Jayashree T. Did that influence you to become an actor?
She is my aunt but we were in touch only on and off. When I was 10, I happened to see a play and was fascinated. From the age of 11 or 12, I started getting involved in skits in school. The applause I would receive made me realise that I would enjoy doing this. I got involved in dramatics in college too. Then there was no looking back. Even now when I see a play, I think I should be on stage. I did a Vijay Tendulkar teleplay last year for Hotstar. It is on Zee5 now.
You have recently spoken out about nepotism...
Why deny it? It is a fact that they (star kids) get work because they are someone’s son or daughter. (Actor) Siddhant Chaturvedi has put it very nicely... their struggle starts where our dreams are fulfilled. Who doesn’t want to do a Yash Raj (Films) or a Dharma (Productions) or a Nadiadwala movie? But getting one on one’s debut is unthinkable. But I am not one to sit and brood over what would have happened if I had a godfather.
You are still remembered as Mahadev (the jobless letter-writer) in Welcome to Sajjanpur.
I learnt so much while doing the film from seniors like Ila Arun, Dayashankar Pandey and of course Shyam babu (Benegal). I hope he makes a sequel some day. Today’s kids know me only for comedy. I have to remind them that I have done serious films earlier.
The Telegraph
