When we run out of steam in the creative engine room, we often turn to the good old toolbox — reshuffling, rehashing, and rebranding. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, some of the most iconic formats in entertainment history are borrowed ideas spun just right. But sometimes, what we get is not innovation — it’s imitation on steroids. And Rise & Fall, Amazon MX Player’s latest reality offering, feels like exactly that: a chopped, diced, and glamourised remix of Netflix’s The Platform, with a reality-TV sheen and Ashneer Grover at the helm.
Let’s get the facts straight. Rise & Fall, produced by Banijay Asia, is not an original idea. It’s a licensed adaptation of a UK format, initially developed by Studio Lambert and All3Media. However, with its Indian iteration arriving on September 6, fronted by the sharp-tongued ex-Shark Tank India judge Ashneer Grover, it brings its own unique blend — celebrity contestants, a glitzy penthouse, a grimy basement, and the promise of unpredictable power shifts. On paper, it’s your standard social experiment meets drama-loaded reality TV.
But let’s not ignore the elephant in the (pent)house — The Platform, Netflix’s thriller that was anything but subtle in its commentary on class warfare. There, the hierarchy was vertical. Food came down a platform from the top floors. The privileged ate first, and those below survived on scraps — if anything was left at all. The catch? The floors changed randomly every month, flipping fortunes and testing moral compasses. It was raw, visceral, and deeply unsettling — a survival story drenched in metaphor.
Now, Rise & Fall swaps out prisoners for influencers and brutal scarcity for a TV-rated contest, but the thematic overlap is hard to ignore. The “Rulers vs Workers” dichotomy is clearly the central hook. Those at the top enjoy luxury; those below grind it out. And every now and then, the positions switch. Sound familiar?
Yes, yes — this is entertainment, not existential cinema. But we’re still left asking: is this genuinely something new for Indian audiences, or just a recycled structure with a layer of glitter, gloss, and Grover?
Ashneer Grover’s presence does add intrigue — say what you will about him, he knows how to command attention. His brand of bluntness and business-first attitude could play well in a high-stakes game of shifting power. But whether this makes Rise & Fall binge-worthy or just bearable is another question altogether.
Reality shows thrive on conflict, personality clashes, and the thrill of seeing someone fall from grace. That’s what made Bigg Boss a spectacle. That’s what makes Survivor a global success. Rise & Fall seems to aim for the same — but with a concept that feels like it’s been airlifted, Indianised, and perhaps, overly dramatised.
At the end of the day, the difference lies in purpose. The Platform was a grim mirror to society; Rise & Fall is a game show wearing the costume of social commentary. Whether that costume will hold up under the spotlight — or tear apart at the seams — is something only time (and TRP) will tell.
So, is Rise & Fall a brave new concept? Not quite. But will it be entertaining? Maybe. Especially if you’re into voyeuristic battles for power, fancy interiors, and Ashneer Grover’s unfiltered one-liners. Just don’t go looking for depth — this isn’t a dive; it’s a splash.
