News Broadcasting
Star to play the ‘Dirty Rotten Cheater’
MUMBAI: This is a piece of news that could just revive the game show format in India. Star India is all set to play a game of cross and double cross upon its viewers.
It has picked up the format rights to the game show Dirty Rotten Cheater. It is distributed by Distraction Formats.
The show recently premiered in a daily access prime slot on Italy’s Canale 5.
Star will commence production later this year in Delhi. The game show is based on deception and double-crossing and works like this. Six players compete through five rounds.
They need to guess the answers to a series of light-hearted questions. These have previously been surveyed by the public who have given their top ten answers.
The most obvious answers are worth the smallest amount of money and the more tricky answers are where the big bucks can be earned.
However, theres a catch. Within the group there is a cheater who already has all the answers. If the cheater wants the cash he/she has to be as devious and persuasive as possible to convince the other contestants that someone else is cheating.
Players accuse each other of deception, the audience suspicion grows as the episode progresses. Each player tries desperately to convince the others he is not the cheater and remain in the game.
Star TV director Rajesh Kamat was quoted in a release put out by Distraction Formats saying, “We are delighted to have signed this deal with Distraction Formats and I am sure it will be the first of many. Dirty Rotten Cheater is a distinctive format and we are sure that it will do very well in India.”
The show premiered on Canale 5 on 7 July 2004. It has been pulling consistent market shares of over 20 per cent in its daily prime access time slot.
Last September Distraction Formats had secured worldwide distribution rights from Jonathan Goodson Productions for the above mentioned game show. TWI had picked up the format rights at Mipcom last year for the UK market.
At that time explaining the reason behind the popularity of the show Distraction Formats sales VP Arabelle Pouliot added,: ” Dirty Rotten Cheaters makes for fun and compelling TV. The contestants are under pressure, the studio audience is involved and the play-along attraction for home viewers is there due of the survey style questions and the drama created in trying to uncover the cheater.”
Distraction Formats has built its business upon the acquisition of high-rating existing formats. Formed in October 1997, Distraction works with format creators across the globe in order to provide broadcasters and independent producers worldwide with successful and original formats in all genres.
News Broadcasting
Rising Bharat Summit 2026 spotlights India’s global ascent
PM Modi keynotes two-day event with ministers, diplomats and icons in New Delhi.
MUMBAI: India didn’t just host a summit, it threw a coming-out party for a nation ready to own the global stage. The News18 Rising Bharat Summit 2026, held on 27–28 February in New Delhi, emerged as a high-octane platform for ideas, vision and strategic dialogue, uniting national leadership, global policymakers, industry titans, defence strategists and cultural icons under the theme “Strength Within”.
Prime minister Narendra Modi set the tone with a keynote that framed India’s resurgence as a reclaiming of lost potential built over generations. “In previous industrial revolutions, India and the Global South were merely followers,” he said. “But in the era of Artificial Intelligence, India is a partner in decisions and shaping them.” He highlighted the country’s thriving AI startup ecosystem and the recent AI Impact Summit attended by over 100 nations.
Union minister Piyush Goyal (Commerce & Industry) stressed India’s readiness to scale exports and deepen manufacturing, while Ashwini Vaishnaw (Railways, I&B, Electronics & IT) positioned technology and infrastructure as twin engines of growth, especially in AI and digital trust. Jyotiraditya Scindia (Communications & North East Development) revealed India’s ambition to lead in 6G through the Bharat 6G Alliance and partnerships with over 30 countries.
Global voices added depth: former Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo called India’s development “self-sustaining” and strategically vital; ex-UK Chief of Defence Staff General Sir Nick Carter asserted India deserves a seat at the great powers’ table; and former US Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez joined ambassadors from Norway, Germany and Sweden in discussions on geopolitical realignment, sustainability and defence preparedness.
Other speakers included veteran investor Ramesh Damani, World Gold Council CEO David Tait, Vianai Systems founder Dr Vishal Sikka, DeepTech Bharat Foundation co-founder Shashi Shekhar Vempati, defence experts Rajesh Kumar Singh, Sunil Ambekar, Patrick McGee, Tom Cooper and Adrian Fontanellaz, plus cultural and sporting icons Kangana Ranaut, Saina Nehwal, PR Sreejesh, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mithali Raj, Anil Kapoor and Yami Gautam.
The summit was supported by Jio Financial Services (Presenting Partner), Phonepe and DS Group (Co-Presenting Partners), Pernod Ricard India and Kia Seltos (Powered By & Driven By), state governments of Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Uttarakhand (State Partners), and associate partners including NSE, M3M Foundation and Reliance Industries.
Broadcast live across News18 Network, CNBC-TV18 and CNBC Awaaz, the event reinforced India’s image as a confident democracy and emerging global power proving that when strength comes from within, the world can’t help but watch.
