Factual
The History Channel casts a ‘Spy Web’ next month
MUMBAI: The History Channel (THC) has a treat in store for those who love stories on espionage, intrigue and spies. The channel will kick off the series Spy Web from 3 October at 10 pm.
The show will look at spies who worked in organisations like the CIA, Mossad, KGB. Viewers will get the inside dope on high tech gadgets, seductive secret agents, etc.
One episode looks at German intelligence in the second World War. In the Third Reich there were two spy rivals who were shrouded in mystery and sworn to secrecy. With thousands of agents at their command, they were entrusted with Germany’s most sensitive intelligence operations in their second World War. In the end, one man would kill for Hitler while the other would end up betraying him.
There is also an episode that looks at the role of women spies. They were unlikely heroes who fought behind enemy lines in every theater of World War Two. Female spies unearthed secrets, supported the resistance and destroyed the morale of the enemy. The episode will look at women OSS agents dropped behind enemy lines as well as female radio operators inside the Third Reich.
The show also looks at tools of deception. They are the means by which to confuse an enemy, forcing him into making a fatal mistake. The show looks at decoy tanks and phony radio broadcasts as well as the spy whose lies led Hitler to ruin. Tools of deception can be very deadly weapons. Methods of camouflage, fakery and propaganda were used by both sides to influence the enemy and control the battlefield during WWII.
Another episode scrutinises Israeli intelligence. Israel has commissioned super sleuths for military intelligence, kidnappings, assassinations and hostage rescues. The episode looks at retributions against ex-Nazis after WW II as well the establishment of the Mossad.
MUMBAI: India’s most famous hot seat is about to welcome an unlikely first-timer. For the first time on Hindi general entertainment television, industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla will appear on Kaun Banega Crorepati, the iconic quiz show hosted by Amitabh Bachchan.
The special episode marks a rare meeting point of boardroom heft and prime-time television, bringing one of India’s most influential business leaders face to face with the country’s most enduring screen legend. It is a crossover that blends intellect, leadership and popular culture, all under KBC’s familiar spotlight.
Birla’s appearance dovetails neatly with the show’s current theme, Jahaan Akal Hai, Wahan Akad Hai, which celebrates the confidence that comes from clarity of thought and knowledge. His presence lends weight to the idea that sharp thinking and conviction are as vital in life as they are in the quiz chair.
In a thoughtful conversation with Bachchan, Birla shared an upbeat view of India’s economic journey, pointing to the nation’s rapid growth and the scale of opportunity opening up across industries and communities. He spoke of momentum, ambition and a future shaped by enterprise and ideas.
The episode is not all serious talk. In lighter moments, Birla confessed his long-standing admiration for Bachchan, calling him his favourite actor and admitting to a touch of nervousness at answering questions in front of the Shahenshah himself. The candour adds a human touch to a man more often seen in headlines than on television sets.
The special episode airs on Monday, 29 December at 9.00 pm on Sony Entertainment Television and Sony LIV.
